Hail to the Dinosaurs!
What's the best measure of strength
and power?
Not the best exercise to BUILD strength
and power -- but rather, the single best
measure of an athlete's strength and
power. (Although the best measure of
strength and power might also be the
best strength and power BUILDER.)
Is it the squat?
If so, is it the high bar full squat (donkey
to heels) or the low bar parallel squat?
Or is it the deadlift?
Is it the bench press? (If not, why does
the NFL use the bench press for strength
testing?)
Is it the three lift total in the powerlifts?
If it's a powerlifting total, is it raw lifting
or lifts using support gear?
Or is it the two-lift total in the Olympic
lifts?
What about the clean and jerk?
Or the old-fashioned clean and military
press?
What about the bent press?
Or -- wait for it -- the old-fashioned two
hands anyhow?
Or the old-fashioned hip lift or back
lift -- where you could lift more total
weight than any other lifts?
Is it lifting massive nature stones --
or enormous sandbags -- or heavy
barrels?
There are plenty of people who can
(and do) argue in favor of each of the
lifts I just mentioned.
And, of course, the arguments have been
going on for a very long time. Arthur Saxon
claimed the title of World's Strongest Man
based on his bent press of 370 pounds
(some say 385 pounds). But Herman
Goerner scoffed at his claim, and said
the bent press was a "trick lift." Goerner
believed the deadlift was the true test of
a man's strength and power.
The arguments go back and forth, and
they change over time as lifts come into
(or go out of) fashion.
Let me know what YOU think. We'll share
the results with your fellow Dinosaurs.
In the meantime, while we're talking about
how to measure your strength and power,
here's a great course that goes into detail
on how to do precisely that -- and how to
compare yourself to the great champions
of the past, and to other lifters of different
ages and different bodyweights:
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2
It's available in your choice of hard copy,
Kindle edition, or PDF with immediate
electronic delivery:
Hard copy edition
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
Kindle edition
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
PDF edition
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol2_digital.html
I should also note that these are drug-free
strength and power standards -- and also,
that if you push to high rankings on all of
the different exercises and lifts that I cover,
you're pretty much guaranteed to build an
impressive and well-balanced physique.
That wraps it up for now -- but be sure to
let me know what you think about the best
measure of strength and power. It's a very
interesting question -- and one where there
are many answers, but no RIGHT answer.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "He who lifts,
lasts." -- Brooks Kubik
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