10 Little Known Facts About Old Time Strongmen

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let's start the day with 10 little known facts
about old time strongmen. I'm thinking of the
European strongmen during the period from
1890 to 1920 or so.

1. Many of them worked as butchers.

That gave them ready access to plenty of high
quality protein -- and make no mistake about
it, the old time strongmen were voracious
meat eaters.

2. Many of them grew up on farms.

This meant that they did plenty of hard, heavy
work when they were children and young men.
It also meant that they grew up with plenty of
sunlight, fresh air and healthy, fresh food.

3. Many of them worked as blacksmiths when
they were young.

Which is a great way to develop plenty of hand
and grip strength.

4. Many of them were wrestlers.

In the old days, most of the famous weightlifters
also competed in wrestling competitions. In fact,
promoters would host weightlifting contests and
wrestling contests at the same time, since the
same men would compete in both.

Of course, wrestling required a terrific combination
of strength, power and muscular endurance -- so
the oldtimers obviously had all of these attributes
in abundance.

5. They ate enormous amounts of food.

Most of these men were true heavyweights, with
tremendous appetites. They didn't count their
calories or limit their food intake. Of course, they
also trained ferociously hard -- and burned off
plenty of calories in their workouts and in
their competitions and exhibitions.

6. They specialized on grip strength.

I've covered this in Dinosaur Training and in
Strength, Muscle and Power. The oldtimers had
ferocious hand and grip power. When you look
at their photos, notice their forearm development.
It's almost freakish in many cases.

See Dinosaur Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power for specifics on how the old-timers trained
their forearms and grip.

7. They specialized on overhead lifting.

They did most of their training while standing on
their feet -- and much of it involved lifting heavy
stuff over their heads.

8. They lifted heavy, awkward objects.

Heavy sandbags and barrels were favorites. These
impressed an audience of working men as much or
more than lifting barbells and dumbbells.

9. They used dumbbells -- HEAVY dumbbells!

The oldtimers were masters of heavy dumbbell
lifting. Sig Klein called the two dumbbell clean
and press "the secret exercise" of the oldtime
strongmen.

See Dinosaur Dumbbell Training for specific
exercises and workouts -- and for a detailed
review of how much the odltimers could handle
in their dumbbell exercises.

10. They were 100% natural.

As in, nothing artifical added. Just hard work,
heavy iron, and plenty of good food.

And one bonus fact:

11. Some of the oldtimers died relatively young,
and others lived very long lives. The ones who
lived long lives tended to keep up with their
training even after they ended their professional
careers.

In other words, one of the keys to lifelong
strength and health is to KEEP ON TRAINING!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
and learn the favorite exercises of the oldtime
strongmen:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

If you want to see the exercises on DVD,
grab The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dinosaur Headquarters -- including
links to my e-books and Kindle:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "What is old
becomes new again -- you just need to
look for it." -- Brooks Kubik

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A Training Question from an Older Dino

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I fired up the old email yesterday and found
this question waiting for me. It's a good one,
and probably applies to many Dinos, so I
thought I'd share it -- along with my answer:

"Hi Brooks,

75 year old Dino here. I have been squatting
3 x 1 in week 1, 3 x 2 in week 2, and 3 x 3
in week 3.

Then I add weight in week 4 and drop back
to 3 x 1.

When I get to 3 x 3 I am sloppy -- with bad
form and too much fatigue.

I was in a happier place when I did singles.

Am I answering my own question -- which is,
do I lower the weight (which I hate doing)
or go back to singles and stick to 3 x 1?

Art C."

Art -- Thanks for your question. At age 75,
you're doing GREAT. Most people over age
50 or 60 can't do a squat with their own
bodyweight -- so for your age, you're at
the front of the pack.

I agree that you answered your own
question, but let me add two comments.

First, going from 3 x 1 to 3 x 2 really
means you are doubling your total
number of reps.

It would be better to use a one rep per
week progression.

Go from 3 x 1 to 1 x 2 plus 2 x 1.

The next week, go up to 2 x 2 plus
1 x 1.

The following week, do 3 x 2.

Use the same procedure when you go
up from 3 x 2 to 3 x 3.

Also, consider moving up every other
week rather than every week.

These are forms of slow cooking --
which means that you aim for slow
but steady progress.

Most trainees try to force their progress
by adding too much weight too fast -- or
by increasing the reps too fast -- and they
end up burning out, going stale, or hitting
a major sticking point.

See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3 for
detailed advice on old-school progression
methods. It will help you enormously:

Hard-copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html

It's also available as a PDF course -- see
the links for PDF books and courses on
our products page:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

Second point -- if you were happy when
you were doing singles, go back to doing
singles.

Always listen to your body -- it's much
better than your brain when it comes
to telling you what works.

And finally -- if your form breaks down
on squats, drop the weight or the reps
ASAP. You always want to use perfect
form in any exercise, and that goes
double for the big exercises.

So there's the question for the day -- and
the answer. I hope it helps!

As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day If you train today, make it
a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S.Gray Hair and Black Iron is the no. 1 book
for older Dinos. Go here to grab it:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to my other e-books on Kindle -- are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

If you want to order multiple products,
shoot me an email and ask for a shipping
quote. We can probably save you some
clams, especially if you live outside the
USA.

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Slow and steady
wins the race. Crash and burn doesn't even
finish." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Squats, Steaks, Veggies and Much More!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Someone asked me if I knew a good book
about diet and nutrition for building strength
and muscle.

The question surprised me.

Why?

Because I wrote a book that covers this
EXACT topic.

Apparently, the guy who asked the question
didn't know about it.

So maybe other readers - particularly new
readers - are in the same boat. If that's
the case, perhaps I can clear things up
a bit.

Several years ago, I wrote a very detailed
book called Knife, Fork, Muscle. Here's
what it covers:

Knife, Fork, Muscle -- Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

1. How Much Protein Do You Need?

2. The Best Sources of High-Quality Protein

3. Eggs, Milk and Other Dairy Products

4. Plant-Based Protein Sources

5. Refined Carbohydrates and the Diseases
of Civilization

6. Fresh Green and Leafy Vegetables, Herbs
and Flowers

7. Potatoes and other Starchy Vegetables

8. Fresh, Canned or Frozen -- Conventional
or Organic?

9. Grow Your Own Vegetables!

10. The Grain Connection

11. Fresh Fruit and Fruit Juice

12. Much Ado About Fat

13. Food Allergies -- The Missing Piece of the
Puzzle

14. The Effect of Chemical Allergies on Strength
and Health

15. The Truth About Supplements

16. How to Use the Sample Menus and Diet
Plans

17. Special Advice for Gaining Weight

18. Special Advice for Losing Weight

19. Strength and Health Breakfasts

20. Strength and Health Lunches

21. Strength and Health Dinners

22. Recipes and Cooking Tips

23. The Wrap-Up

The little monster weighs in at nearly 400 pages,
and as you can see, it covers a ton of important
information -- and helps you sort your way through
all of the conflicting advice on diet and nutrition --
just like my other books and courses help you
sort your way through all the conflicting advice
on strength training and muscle building.

And, of course, it is NOT a "one size fits all" book
that tells you "Eat this!" and "Don't eat that!"

One size fits all doesn't work very well in the real
world. So I give you many different ideas and
suggestions, and help you put them together
into an optimal diet and nutrition plan that's
best for YOU!


I shared that information with the guy who asked
the question. I hope he grabs the little monster.

It will help him.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can find Knife, Fork, Muscle right here
at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

***********************************************************************************

Try this Three Week Mini Cycle for Great Gains!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. The Lost Articles.

We've been reminding readers about my LOST
ARTICLES - meaning the original Dinosaur Files
from 1997.

They're back - and here's where to grab them.
Here's the link to the hard copy edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtraining_archive.html

And here's the link to the Kindle edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

2. Try this Three Week Mini Cycle for Great
Gains!

(Here's something I shared last year. I'm running
it again because the program is so darn effective.)

I celebrated my birthday last night by hitting a
hard workout.

It was pretty good, because I hit a PR for 2015
in the split style snatch. In fact, it was the most
I had lifted in the split style snatch for the past
two years.

So that was a birthday present to myself.

I got there by using a simple variation of the old
Light, Medium and Heavy system.

It's a three week mini-cycle.

I use singles in all of my exercises, but it works
fine for sets of multiple reps, as well. Once you
understand the system, you can apply it to many
different kinds of workouts.

Here's how it goes:

Week 1 -- Light

I work up to 5 singles with my working weight.
I use a relatively light weight -- 70 to 75% of my
max.

In other words, my working weight is week 1 is
a light weight.

Week 2 -- Medium

I work up to 2 or 3 singles with my working weight.
I go heavier this week, but not too heavy -- 80 to
85% of my max.

Week 3 -- Heavy

I work up to one single with my working weight.
This is my heavy week. I go as heavy as I can. If
I feel good, I try to lift my max or to set a new
max. However, I usually work up to 90 or 95%
of my max. As an older lifter, I can train heavy
but I can't push for a new max too often.

Week 4

Start the mini-cycle all over again.

And there you have it.

As I said, it's a simple system -- but it's been
very effective. It keeps me strong, helps me
improve my speed, form and technique, and
best of all, helps me avoid overtraining.

And so far (knock on wood), it's helped me
avoid dings and dents.

Give it a try and see how you like it -- and
shoot me an email with your results.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover other simple but very effective
cycling systems in Gray Hair and Black Iron:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- Legacy of Iron
books -- and links to all of my e-books on
Kindle -- are right here:
 
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "First, last and
foremost -- TRAIN!" -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Why I Don't Do the One-Legged Barbell Leg Press

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in the day, they had some very unusual
exercises.

Now, there are two kinds of unusual exercises.

There is Unusual Good -- and there is Unusual
Bad.

Examples of Unusual Good would be:

1. One-hand dumbbell swings

2. The two-hand dumbbell swing

3. The one-hand barbell snatch

4. Hip lifts

5. Lifting an anvil by the horn (or any other way)

6. Sandbag training

7. Hand and thigh lifts

All of these were exercises that were done "back in the
day" -- and which are rarely done today -- and they're all
good exercises.

But other old-school exercises aren't as good -- or as
safe.

An example is the one-legged barbell leg press.

Yes, there was actually such an exercise. You would
lie on your back, and bend your leg back, and place
a barbell on the bottom of your foot -- and do a
one-legged leg press with it.

And hope the barbell didn't fall on your head -- or
your chest -- or your gut -- or end up ruining your
dreams of having a family someday.

There also was a two-legged barbell leg press. Same
thing, but you used two legs.

Same risks.

And not a very productive exercise in any event.

Some people did these with bare feet, but most people
did them with boots on -- so the bar would roll back and
get caught by the heel. That helped a little bit in keeping
the bar from falling on the lifter -- but it's still a very high
risk exercise, and one that I do NOT recommend. Nor do
I do it.

Bob Hoffman recommended a sort of twisting stiff-
legged deadlift called the Barbell Tee-Totem. That's another
one I would never do. Bending and twisting while you lift
a barbell is a great way to pop a disk.

Yet another example -- a twisting military press with
barbell. You would twist to the side as you pressed
the barbell -- sort of like a standing twist combined
with a standing press. Again, not a good exercise for
the spine -- or the shoulders. Why do it?

The point is, there is much from the past that is good.
In fact, much of it is solid gold.

But not all of it. You need to pick and choose -- and to
make intelligent exercise choices.

Personally, I prefer to work my legs with squats and
front squats. I'll leave those one-legged and two-legged
barbell leg presses for someone else.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.

If you train today, make it a good one!


Yours in strength,


Brooks Kubik

P.S. The barbell clean and military press may have
been one of the very best of the old-school exercises --
and it's still one of the very best exercises you can do.
That's why I wrote a detailed course on the military
press:

Hard copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here -- and
remember, ask for a shipping quote on multiple items.
We can almost always save you some wampum by
shipping two or more items together:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Never do a split-style
snatch on roller skates. In fact, never do anything
on roller skates." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

10 Lessons from the Iron Mines

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note and then we'll talk iron.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

We did a combination issue this time, so
it's a bit bigger than usual - and it's got
some great articles.

Go here to grab the little monster. You'll
want to read it before the July issue
comes out - which won't be long!

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Shoot me an email and let me know
how you like this issue - and what
you'd like to see in future issues!

2. Lessons from the Iron Mines

I had a great workout the other day. At
age soon to be 59, the workouts seem to
be more fun all the time.

That got me thinking -- and I thought:

"Everything worth knowing in life I learned
on a wrestling mat or from a barbell."

Or at least it seems that way.

So here are 10 lessons I learned in the
Iron Mines. See if you learned the same
lessons:

1. It's best to start young, but the important
thing is to start -- whatever your age.

2. If you fall off your bicycle, get right back
on it and start pedaling again.

3. The hardest exercises are the most
productive ones.

4. It's not easy, and that's okay. In fact,
it's a good thing.

5. Make a plan and stick to it. Don't second
guess yourself into inertia.

6. Life is movement -- and the better the
movement, the better your life.

7. You build strength and muscle by what you
do, not by what you think about doing.

a. That one's important. Go back and reread
it.

8. You can't buy strength and health. You
can only earn them.

a. That one's also important.

9. The barbell doesn't lift itself.

10. If you enjoy art, practice the art of strength
training. If you enjoy science, practice the science
of strength training. The important thing is to
practice strength training.

And, for a special bonus, two more:

11. Squats are zen.

12. So are deadlifts, presses, pulls, and every
other exercise you do.

As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My LOST ARTICLES are back. Go here to
grab them:

Hard-copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtraining_archive.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

P.S. My other books and courses -- and links
to our e-books on Kindle -- and our Dinosaur
DVD's -- and my PDF courses -- are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When the iron
speaks, a wise man listens." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Old Gold for the Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

(Note: This is an email message from 2015.
I'm sharing it again because it's about
something that may be new to many of
you - particularly our new Dinos.)

I have something new and exciting for you.

It's old gold.

Beginning almost 20 years ago, way back
in 1997, I published a terrific monthly
newsletter called The Dinosaur Files.

It ran for five years -- a total of 61 big issues.

And it contained some of the best articles ever
written about real world, effective, no nonsense
strength training and muscle building.

I know they were effective because readers
used them -- and reported great gains. Some
Dinos made the best gains of their entire lives
on those workouts.

I used them, too. And I made some of my all-
time best lifts on them.

But here's the problem . . .

Those wonderful articles have never appeared
anywhere else.

I never reprinted them in a collection or an
anthology. They're not available at the Dinosaur
Training Blog, and I've never used them in my
daily emails.

If you missed them the first time around, you
missed them. Period. They've been lost. I think
of them as my lost articles.

Over the years, I've had literally hundreds of
requests to reprint the best of my articles from
the original Dinosaur Files.

And now, that's what we're doing.

We're going to release the best of my articles
from the original Dinosaur Files in a special
series of books. Each book will feature 8 to
10 different articles.

I've revised, expanded, updated and supplemented
the articles, and I've included a special introduction
for each of them.

The title of the new series tells the story:

The Dinosaur Training Strength Archive.

And that's not all.

In book 1 in the series, I've also included a brand
new, never before published chapter featuring a
terrific power rack training program to build
muscle, bone, tendon and ligament strength
as fast as possible. It's ALL NEW and it's very,
very effective. It will move you from "strong"
to "super strong" faster than you can buy
more plates for your barbell.

The books will be available in 8.5 x 11 hard
copy format (similar to my Dinosaur Training
courses) and in Kindle e-book editions.

Here's the link to the hard copy edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtraining_archive.html

And here's the link to the Kindle edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

I'm very excited about this new project, and I'm
looking forward to sharing the very best of the
original Dinosaur Files with you.

The lost articles have been found -- and you're
going to love them!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

What's the The Best Kind of Strength Training?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

What's the best kind of strength training?

Over the past week, I've received emails
from Dinos around the world who were
having great workouts and getting terrific
results from their training.

And here's the interesting thing.

They were all doing different types of
training.

One was doing heavy partials in the power
rack.

Another was training for a powerlifting
contest.

One was doing strongman style training,
and looking to enter a strongmen contest
in the near future.

One was doing Olympic weightlifting.

Another was doing an all-bodyweight
program.

Still another was doing a combination of
barbell, dumbbell and bodyweight work.

One was specializing in kettlebell training --
another was doing barbells, kettlebells and
cables -- and yet another was combining
weight training and yoga.

One Dino was doing muscle control (using
the old Maxick course), dumbbells and
cables -- along with some bodyweight
work.

And one of the older Dinos was hitting it
in his garage gym, using an old York barbell,
and following the same York training courses
he used more than 50 years ago when he first
began to train.

Some were doing 5 x 5, some were doing
singles, and some did pyramids.

Some trained three times per week, some
two, and one trained once every three to five
days.

Some did strength work and cardio, others
did strength work only, and some did both
but on different days.

Who was getting the best workout?

I don't know. They were all having great fun,
and they all reported great results.

Whose training program was best?

Once again, I don't know. It seems as if all
of the programs were pretty good.

I think that's the answer to the question.

What's the best kind of strength training?

There isn't one.

There are many.

Pick what you enjoy the most -- and work
on it hard -- and stick to your program like
gorilla glue -- and you'll do just fine!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day.  If you train today, make it a
good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Old-school dumbbell training and old-
school bodyweight training can give you a
terrific workout all by themselves -- or you
can combine them with other training tools
for a super-effective head to toe workout:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training (DVD)

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with links
to all of my e-books on Kindle -- and to my
PDF books and courses:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's what you do,
but it's also how you do it, that counts." -- Brooks
Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Seven Secrets for Great Workouts!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Today I'm going to share seven secrets for great
workouts and great gains that apply to all of us,
no matter how we train or what equipment we
use.

They're not really secrets, I suppose - but they
sure seem like it - because almost no one knows
about them.

And that's a shame.

Because these seven secrets can make all the
difference in  the world for you.

1. Set a long term goal.

Goals motivate you, and inspire you to train
harder and more productively.

Don't just "train." Train with a mission.

2. Break your long term goal into a series of
short term goals.

Short term goals give you many small victories
as you work toward your long term goal -- and
the small victories keep you motivated and
enthusiastic.

3. Always show up.

In other words, don't miss a training session.

Make your workouts a regular part of your
life.

If you HAVE to miss a workout -- and in the
real world, that happens to all of us -- make
it up and stay on course.

4. Use a simple but systematic progression
system.

A progression system helps you keep taking
the small steps forward that will allow you to
hit those short term goals.

See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3. for a
smorgasboard of old-school progression
systems for steady gains in strength,
muscle and might.

5. Focus on small steps.

Slow but steady gains are the way to achieve
seemingly superhuman results.

6. Don't second-guess yourself.

The famous frontiersman, Davy Crockett,
said it very well:

"Be sure you're right -- then go ahead!"

In other words, make a plan, and stick to
it - and don't let the Interweb silliness and
the social media chatter get you off track.

7. Concentrate!

Always train with pinpoint focus and total
concentration. Use the power of your mind
to unleash the true potential of your body.

Make no mistake about it.  Learning to tap
into the power of your mind and spirit is
CRITICAL to your training.

It's the true secret of championship training
and championship performance.

See Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development and Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training for more details about
the mental side of strength training:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

So there you have it -- seven rules for great
workouts and great gains!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab your copy of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3, in your choice of
hard-copy, Kindle e-book or PDF:

Hard-copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html

For PDF

See the links to our PDF products here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Focus on
forward." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Functional Exercise - What Is It?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

Here's the link to order the May-June issue of
the Dinosaur Files in your choice of PDF or
Kindle edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Many readers have said it's the best issue
we've ever done - so don't miss it!

2. My Definition of Functional Training

You see a lot of people talking about "functional
exercise."

It seems to mean different things to different
people.

There are lots of videos on Facebook and
YouTube that show "functional exercises"
on stability balls and wobble boards.

Many of the "functional exercise" movements
come to us from physical therapy and
rehabilitative medicine.

If that's your thing, then fine -- but my
definition of functional exercise is a bit
different.

To me, a functional exercise is one that
does the following:

1. Strengthens the muscles.

2. Strengthens the bones.

3. Strengthens the tendons and ligaments.

4. Improves balance and coordination.

5. Strengthens the neuro-muscular system.

6. Requires deep, focused, intense concentration.

7. Trains the entire body in free flowing and
athletic movements rather than focusing on
single bodyparts or isolated muscle groups.

8. Trains the heart and lungs and strengthens
the internal organs.

9. Teaches you to move like an athlete.

10. Builds the strongest possible mind-muscle
link.

11. Can be performed in a progressive fashion.

12. Can be performed by trainees of any age,
and is something that older trainees can do
and enjoy.

There's one kind of exercise that does all of
these things.

It's ground-based strength training with your
choice of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells or
heavy awkward objects -- supplemented with
old-school bodyweight exercises if you enjoy
doing them.

In other words, the kind of training I cover in
all of my books and courses.

It's the most functional kind of training you
can do.

This kind of training doesn't come with fancy
names or fancy labels. In fact, it's pretty old-
fashioned. People have been doing it for a very
long time.

There's a reason for that.

It works.

It works better than anything else under the sun.

If you're already doing it, then keep on doing
what you're doing.

If you're NOT doing it, then start now.

The right kind of strength training is one of the
most important things you can do for yourself.

Make it a regular and integral part of your
life.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the best book ever written about
functional training for trainees age 35 and older:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to my Kindle e-books and PDF books -- are right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Strength training
is functional. Full stop, period, end of
story." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Clean and Press Questions!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We received a ton of emails in response to
yesterday's post about the clean and press.

Many of you had questions -- so I'll try to
answer the most common ones in this email.

Q. Do you do a full clean and a full press on
each rep?

A. Yes. That's why it's called the clean and
press. The clean works the legs, hips and
back. The press works the shoulders, triceps,
and traps. So you need to do both to make
it a total body exercise.

Of course, if you are doing a regular workout
with other exercises, you can do the cleans as
a separate exercise and the presses as an
exercise of their own -- i.e., one clean followed
by a set of multiple rep presses.

Q. Do you lower the bar to the platform for
each clean or can you do hang cleans?

If you're using a barbell, I prefer to do each
rep from the platform. Clean it, press it, lower
it to the platform, get set, and repeat.

Cleans from the platform are a much better
exercise than hang cleans.

Q. High reps in cleans hurt my elbows. What
should I do?

Stick to lower reps! In the example I gave
yesterday, the higher reps (8 and 10 rep
sets) were all progressively heavier
warm-up sets. The reps were 5 or less
for the heavy sets. Personally, I do all
lower reps -- often all singles -- in the
clean and press.

Also, if cleans hurt your elbows, you are
either doing them wrong or need to work
on your flexibility and rack position.

Q. Is the power clean a functional movement?

A. It's as functional as they come. Power
cleans (and power snatches) build strength,
power, balance, coordination, timing and
athleticism. These are the qualities that
make an athlete -- or that let you move
like an athlete.

Moreover -- and pay attention, because this
is important -- the high speed of these
movements and the need for deep, intense
concentration and split-second timing may
strengthen the neurological system very
profoundly.

Some researchers even believe that these
exercises may help keep your brain healthy
and young as you grow older. In other
words, "athletic exercises" such as cleans
and snatches promote healthy brain function
and healthy aging.

Also, many older people have great difficulty
just walking around. Cleans and snatches
help keep you walking.

From a "function" point of view, that's hard
to beat.

Q. Do you lower the bar to the platform or
drop it?

A. If you train on a lifting platform and use
rubber bumper plates, you can drop the bar.
If you don't have a lifting platform or you
use iron plates, you need to lower the bar.

Note that "back in the day" everyone used
iron plates, so they all lowered the bar. It's
easy to do: you lower the bar to the shoulders,
then to the upper thighs, and then to the
floor or platform. Pause at each step of the
process.

I trained with an old barbell and iron plates,
lifting on a concrete floor, and worked up to
270 or 275 in the clean and press -- and I
never dropped the bar. It can be done.

That should answer most of the questions
we received. If you have more, the answer
is probably going to be in The Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course. Go here to grab a copy:

Hard Copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html

As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I almost forgot! Several of you asked
about the dumbbell clean and press and how
to perform it. You'll need to see it in photos
or video, so grab these:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training (DVD)

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Old school
training works -- and it's been working
for a very long time." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

The Iron Will to Succeed!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the marks of a champion is something
I call "the iron will to succeed."

You find it in any champion in any sport -- but
you probably find it to a greater degree when
you study the great champions of the Iron Game.

There's a reason for that.

The vast majority of champions in other sports
were naturally strong, fast, athletic and gifted.
They were bigger, taller and heavier than the
other kids. In many cases, that's what made
them gravitate to sports in the first place.

In other words, they had a good start.

The Iron Game is different.

Many Iron Game champions were drawn to
barbells, dumbbells and strength training not
because they were bigger and stronger than
other kids -- but because they were smaller
and weaker than the other kids.

In many cases, they were small and skinny
and weak -- and sick.

Tommy Kono suffered from childhood asthma
that was so bad he couldn't run or play games
with other children.He was literally an invalid.

As a young teenager, he used barbells and
dumbbells to help overcome his asthma.

It was hard work, but he stuck with it. Other
kids dropped out of the program. Kono kept
going.

He discovered weightlifting -- learned how to
do the lifts -- and trained harder than ever.
He ended up winning six World championships
and two Olympic gold medals. The former invalid
became one of the greatest weightlifters of
all time.

Jack LaLanne was a sickly kid with a terrible
addiction to sweets. Soft, weak, and pale, with
bad teeth from the candy he ate all day long.

He used diet and exercise to become healthy
and strong.

It was hard work for him, too. But like Tommy
Kono, he stuck with it. He kept going.

He ended up world-famous for his his magnificent
physique, lion-like bearing, radiant good health
and remarkable strength and endurance.

For many years, he celebrated his birthday each
year by performing a super-human feat of strength
and endurance, such as pulling a heavily loaded
boat behind him as he swam the heavy surf from
Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore -- while
wearing handcuffs.

Once again, another sickly kid became a legend
of strength, health and fitness.

Doug Hepburn was born with a club foot that
required multiple surgeries. The surgeries left
him a near cripple, with one lower leg nothing
but skin and bone. That doesn't speak well for
a career in athletics.

What did he do?

He began a program of systematic strength
training that included hand-balancing, hand-
stand pushups, and plenty of barbell and
dumbbell training.

He worked hard, and when things were tough,
he buckled down and worked harder.

He worked hard on the squat -- and on Olympic
weightlifting -- which wasn't easy because of his
bad leg. But he never gave up. He kept working
to achieve his dream.

He ended up winning the Heavyweight class at
the World Weightlifting championships of 1953.
He won the Heavyweight class at the British
Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games)
of 1954 -- which as luck would have it were
held in his home city of Vancouver, British
Columbia.

He was the first man in history to bench press
500 pounds.

He set a remarkable series of records in a wide
variety of lifts -- and is hailed as one of the
founding fathers of powerlifting and one of
the most massively muscular men of all time.

Like Tommy Kono and Jack LaLanne, Doug
Hepburn overcame adversity. He used the
power of an iron will to crash through every
obstacle -- and to accomplish the seemingly
impossible.

If you want a secret to strength, muscle and
radiant good health, it is this:

Harness the power of the iron will -- and use
it to achieve your dreams.

Good luck, and good lifting!

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can learn more about Doug Hepburn's
rise to Iron Game immortality -- and how he
trained to develop world class strength and
power -- in my Doug Hepburn training course:

http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html

It's also available as a Kindle e-book. See
the Kindle links on our products page:

http://www.brookskubik.com/hepburn_kindle.html


P.S. 2. Train for strength and eat for health.
Knife, Fork, Muscle tells you how:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Seize the day, and
make the most of it -- and do it for every day of
your life." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Is This the Best Exercise Ever?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

For some reason, the most common question
on Internet strength training forums is this:

"If you could do just ONE exercise, what would
it be, and why?"

The most common answers are:

1. Squats -- because "they're the best exercise
for all-around strength and muscle mass."

2. Deadlifts -- because "they're even better than
squats and you can do them even if you don't
have squat stands or a power rack."

3. Trap Bar deadlifts -- because "they're a cross
between a deadlift and a squat."

4. The pec deck -- because -- sorry, just kidding,
no one actually says this.

a. Thank goodness.

b. Although some people probably think it.

5. The clean and press -- because "it works all
of the muscles."

Those are all good answers (other than no. 4).

But what would John Grimek have said?

We actually KNOW what he would have said
because he once wrote an article about it.

Grimek was hands down a fan of the clean and
press.

In Grimek's opinion, if you could only do one
exercise, you should do the clean and press.

He believed the clean and press would give
you a great total body workout.

Grimek followed his usual pattern of suggesting
that you start light, add weight from set to set,
and drop the reps as you added weight.

Thus, you might do something like this:

50 x 10 (light warm-up)

100 x 10

120 x 8

130 x 8

140 x 7

150 x 6

160 x 5

170 x 3

180 x 2

190 x 1

200 x 1 (if you're feeling strong that day)

If you want to focus more on strength and
power do lower reps -- something like
5/4/3/2/1 or 5 x 3 or 8 x 2 -- or singles.

Anyhow, that was John Grimek's answer --
and I tend to agree with him!

What do YOU think? Shoot me an email and
let me know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover the military press in The Dinosaur
Training Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course:

Hard copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html

P.S. You'll also enjoy the Training Secrets of
John Grimek:

Hard copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/grimektraining_kindle.html

P.S. Thought for the Day: "Load the bar, lift the bar, and
repeat. It's not rocket science." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Feedback on the 20-Rep Squat for Older Trainees

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Last week I answered a question from
a Dino in his late 40's who had read
about the 20-rep breathing squat and
wanted to give them a try - for the
first time - as in, he had never done
them before.

Here are some of the emails I received
in response. Note that some older Dinos
are still using the 20 rep squat, and that
it works well for them - but they've been
doing it for a long time. That's much
different than trying it for first time
as an older trainee.

66-Year Old Dino Does 20 Rep Squats

Brooks, I am 66 and still do 20 rep squats.

I take a little longer to recover, I concentrate
more on form and I don't get any more sore
than I do from heavy weight sets.

I think the cardio is even better for me than
the heavy weight.

Jim Douglas

How a 58-Year Old Dino Does It

I read your piece on the 20 rep squat. I'm a
58 year old Dino, and while most of the time
my rep range in the Squat and Deadlift is in
the 1 to 5 rep range, about every 5 weeks I
have a week where 2 days a week I do 20 rep
squat.

I usually do between 210 and 225 depending
on how I feel that day, but the one thing I make
sure of, is that the 20 rep squat is my only
compound leg and back movement I do on
that day.

So I'll follow it up with a set of dumbbell
pullovers, dumbbell bench pressing or
weighted dips, dumbbell rows, ab work
and grip work.

So far all is good and I hope to continue
this for a long time.

Gordon Blake

Going Strong at 48!

Great advice about the squats Brooks, I’m a
48 year old dino and follow your training
methods.

I do have a few dings and dents but I’m still
making good steady progress using kettlebells
and my CoC grippers.

Reading your books and emails keeps me
going.

Phil Jones

Jim, Gordon and Phil - Thanks for your
feedback. We'll be sharing more feedback
from your fellow Dinos in future emails.

To everyone else - I hope you have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the number
one book for older trainees. Do you have
your copy?

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. Each issue of The Dinosaur Files has
a ton of great information for Dinos of all
ages. Take a look at what's inside the
May-June issue:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Train hard and
train smart - and as you get older, train
smarter." - Brooks Kubik

************************************************************************************

Thought You Might Like This!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We just put up a special new page
for the May-June issue of The
Dinosaur Files.

It looks pretty good, and it's got a
detailed breakdown of what's in the
latest issue.

Plus, it has quick links to grab your
choice of the PDF edition or the
Kindle edition.

Take a look, and let me know what
you think:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Favorite Exercises of the Dinosaurs (Part 1)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We've received some great feedback in
response to my email about my favorite
exercises.

Here are some of the favorite exercises
of your fellow Dinosaurs:

Three Good Ones!

Hi Brooks,

Three favorite exercises come to mind:

1. Farmer's carry with two 100 lb. sandbags

2. Overhead press with a 2" bar. Can't beat it!

3. Heavy pause front squats. Brutal!

All the best!

Rich Madigan

An Old School Favorite!

Handstand Pushups!  Very, very few people
can do them and they really make you feel
strong in the arms and shoulders.  These
really separate the men from the boys and
they can be trained progressively.

Charles Mitchell

Four Favorites - Including a Dr. Ken Special

Hi Brooks!

These are my favorite exercises.  Not in any
order, just the ones I like the best.

1. Push Press

2. Pulls

3. Front Squat

4. Stiff Leg Dead Lift on a block (knees are
slightly bent)  1x12 warm-up slow, then one
all out set 1 x 6  per Dr Ken.

Take care -  Rich Frisk

A Walk-Around Work-Around

Ordinarily, I would say that the deadlift is my
favorite exercise. However, I have recently
been battling with Patellofemoral syndrome
and so anything that really involves bending
of my knees causes pretty intense pain/swelling.

As a result, I have been searching for a good
multi-joint, compound move that could take
place of the deadlift temporarily. So, right
now, Farmers Walk has been my go to
exercise!

It allows me to not have to bend my knees
much, so no pain, and it also allows me to
handle some respectable weight, so I still
get good indirect impact on the rest of my
body and metabolism.

Dustin Jones

Those are good choices! We have more emails
from the Dinos, and we'll share them soon. In
the meantime, don't be shy - shoot me an email
and let me know YOUR favorite exercises!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link for the May-June
issue of The Dinosaur Files - be sure
to check out the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Exercises are
the tools of the trade for a strongman. Use
the very best ones." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Are Strength and Power Dirty Words?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

(Note: Here's one from a couple of years
ago. I think it's worth reading again.)

We're closing in on St. Paddy's Day, which is
always one of our favorite holidays here at
Dino Headquarters.

We celebrate by watching our favorite movie
about the Emerald Isle -- THE QUIET MAN,
starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and
pretty much every Irish actor in Hollywood
back in the day (1952).

Great movie -- if you haven't seen it, be sure
to catch it sometime soon.

Anyhow, here's something interesting about
it.

The censors cut a short line out of the film. If
you know where to look, and you look closely,
you'll see the cut.

I won't tell you where to look -- that would be
a spoiler. But it's there.

Or rather, it WAS there.

Not any more.

It's very short -- just five words.

If you blink, you'll miss it. And if you're laughing
too hard, you'll miss it.

Here are the five FORBIDDEN words:

"The power of the man!"

That's right.

Back in 1952, a Hollywood censor thought those
five words were a little too much for an audience
to handle -- so he made the studio cut them out
of the film.

Apparently, "power" was a dirty word back in
1952, when the film was released.

And that leads me to an interesting thought.
I don't think things have changed.

Power is still a dirty word.

So is strength.

Nobody wants to hear about them.

They want to hear about mass -- muscle size --
definition -- separation -- cuts -- abs -- a six-pack --
and oil bagging.

They want to hear about pumping the muscles
until they're ready to burst.

About going for the burn.

About hypertrophy training.

About 100 sets of 100 reps, and every other high
volume workout for the lunatic fringe that wants
to do nothing but train all day.

But strength -- no, they don't want to hear about
strength -- or about how to build it.

Ditto for power.

Power - shmower. Give me some oil bag biceps.

Dinos are different.

Dinos train for strength -- and they train for power.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Dinos are
muscleless midgets. Far from it. Advanced Dinos
are pretty darn big, and pretty darn strong --
and pretty darn powerful.

So if that censor from 1952 was around today,
he'd probably try to censor the entire Dinosaur
Nation.

And frankly, that's okay with me. I never planned
to make it to Hollywood.

I just wanted to build some old-school CENSORED
and CENSORED.

Oops -- sorry.

Just said it!

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in CENSORED,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you want to build some serious CENSORED,
Muscle and CENSORED, grab this little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here
at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's better to be
CENSORED than to be weak."-- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

What's Your Favorite Exercise?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. The June-July Dinosaur Files

Do you have your copy yet?

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Kindle edition

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

And now -- let's talk training.

2. What's Your favorite Exercise?

Do you have a favorite exercise? If so, what is it? And
why?

I've had different favorite exercises over the years. It
varies depending on my workout and my current
training goals.

My favorite exercise is usually one that I'm good at --
and one that feels good to perform, even when you're
hitting it as hard as you can. It's always an exercise
that requires some real effort -- and one where I
leave lots of sweat behind after every workout.

Some of my past favorites have been:

1. Bottom position squats in the power rack

2. Bottom position bench presses in the power rack
with a regular bar or a thick bar

3. The power clean and military press or push press

4. The one-arm dumbbell swing

5. Different variations of Dinosaur pull-ups, as
detailed in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training --
especially double rope pull-ups.

6. Handstand pushups

7. Very heavy but strict barbell curls, which I
always thought of as "power curls" because
that's what they were.

Trap Bar deadlifts have been very close to favorite
exercise status -- and maybe they were at one time,
but seven is a good number for a list, so I'll stop
there.

Ditto for presses and push presses from the rack --
and ditto for barrel lifting -- and sandbag lifting --
and anvil lifting -- and one-arm deadlifts -- and
80 degree incline presses in the power rack,
starting with the bar on pins at the chest --
and the farmer's walk --  and, heck, I could
go on and on.

I love my training. Almost every exercise is my
favorite exercise.

And I guess that's a good thing.

My current training focuses on weightlifting, so I
mostly do split style snatches, squat style cleans
and split style jerks. Not much else, other than
front squats or back squats with the Dave Draper
Top Squat.

I like them all, but my favorite is a toss-up between
split style snatches and squat cleans. I enjoy them
because they're challenging, and because I enjoy
the feel of the fast, athletic movements. It's a
different sort of feeling than a slower exercise
such as a deadlift, press or curl. I suppose I like
them because I didn't do them when I was
younger, and so they are a new exercise for
me.

So those are some of MY favorite exercises.
What are yours? Drop a line and let me know!

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Doug Hepburn's favorite exercises were probably
the bench press, the press from squat stands or the
push press from squat stands. You can read about his
life and lifting in this great course:

http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html

It's also available in PDF or Kindle - follow the
below link to our products page and look for
the sections of PDF and Kindle products:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Training is fun, and
hitting your favorite exercises hard and heavy is
the most fun of all." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Where to Find Real World Training Advice!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the crazy things about modern
strength training is that it's growing
more and more difficult to get real
world training advice.

That's my term for the no-nonsense
stuff that works for real people - as
opposed to the silly stuff you see on
social media, discussion boards and
the endless stream of look-alike on-
line articles that have largely replaced
the old "muscle mags."

Real world training is for those of us
who go to school, work a job (or two
jobs), take care of our families, and
still find time to train.

It's for those of us who have out-grown
the "I want to be Mr. Everything" mindset
we had when we were teenagers, and who
focus on training for lifelong strength and
health.

It's for those of us who have seen the
fads, the trends, the fashions and the
promises - tried all the supplements
(and found that none of them worked) -
and who are committed to doing it
without drugs.

It's for those of us who respect and
admire the great champions of the past -
as well as the ordinary guys and gals who
never became champions but who trained
anyway and who helped make the Iron
Game grand and glorious.

It's hard to find that kind of information.

That's one reason that I publish the
Dinosaur Files newsletter. It's a great
way to help share real world training
information.

Each issue has my own original articles,
but it also has articles, letters and training
tips from your fellow Dinosaurs around the
world. They share what works for them -
and just as importantly, what doesn't
work.

And frankly, it's some of the best REAL
WORLD training advice that you'll find
anywhere.

We publish the Dinosaur Files in PDF
format - and beginning with the April
issue, in Kindle format, as well.

Here's the link for the PDF edition of the
May-June issue:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

If you prefer Kindle, here's the link
to the Kindle edition for the May-June
issue:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

You can find the links for the December,
January, February and March issues right
here, listed with our other PDF products:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

The information in each issue is timeless,
and many new readers are doing the smart
thing and grabbing all of the issues. That
way, you don't miss anything.

If you already read The Dinosaur Files, you
know what I;'m talking about. If you don't
already read them give them a try. They're
your very best source of real world training
advice.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Build Strength, Muscle and Power with Rest Pause Training!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the new things in Olympic lifting is to do a
special kind of hypertrophy training to increase the
size and strength of the exact fast twitch muscle
fibers used in the snatch and the clean and jerk.

Here's how it works.

A lifter will train the snatch by warming up, working
up to a heavy weight, and then doing 10 - 20 heavy
snatches.

The lifter will do triples, doubles and singles.

The lifter may do wave training where he works up,
drops back down, works back up, drops back down
and works back up.

The lifter trains at a fast pace. The entire sequence
of heavy snatches may take 15 or 20 minutes.

The lifter does the same thing with the clean and
jerk, and the front squat.

Those may be the only exercises in the program.

Remember, as I said, it's a special kind of program
that targets the fast twitch fibers used in lifting.

And that's the state of the art stuff for the best
in the world in 2014.

Amazingly, lifters were doing the same sort of thing
back in the 1950's - and the 1940's - and the 1930's.

There were even bodybuilders who trained this way,
although they used different exercises.

And plenty of garage gorillas and cellar-dwellers did
this kind of program back in the day.

They called it Rest Pause Training -- and it built
tons of real world strength and muscle.

Nowadays, everybody does 8 x 8, 10 x 10, 12 x 12
and 20 x 20 to build muscle mass. Heck, someone
is probably teaching 50 x 50. Volume training rules.
But back in the day, men built muscle mass the old-
fashioned way - one rep at a time.

I cover Rest Pause Training in detail in Strength,
Muscle and Power - and the program could be the
key to the best gains of your entire life:

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For maximum gains in strength, muscle and power,
you need to support your training with the right kind
of diet and nutrition - which is exactly what you'll
find in Knife, Fork, Muscle:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train old-school style
with rest-pause reps - and build real world strength
and muscle." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

20 Rep Squats for Older Trainees - The Dinos Weigh In!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

We did a combined issue, so it's bigger than
usual - about 20% bigger. And it's been getting
great reviews from readers.

Here's the link for the PDF edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

If you prefer Kindle, here's the link
to the Kindle edition:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

As always, let me know how you like the
little monster!

2. 20 Rep Squats for Older Trainees - The
Dinos Weigh In!

On the training front, many of you responded to my
email about whether 20 rep squats were a good idea
for older trainees - or whether lower reps would work
better.

Here's a summary of what you said:

1. Almost all of the older Dinos said they do better with
multiple sets of low to medium reps, with many of you
doing 5 x 5 or similar set/rep systems.

1a. Many older Dinos noted that higher reps make them
too stiff and too sore.

1b. In other words, the older Dinos have found that they
recover better from lower rep workouts - which is what
I've been saying for years, and which is certainly true
in my own case.

1c. Several older Dinos said that singles work best for
them.

2. The older Dinos who prefer higher reps in their squats
have been doing higher reps for many years, and are
fully adapted to them.

2a. Several of these Dinos noted that even though they
do 20 rep squats, they don't push the weight on them
the way a younger lifter would do. In other words, they
use them more for conditioning work.

3. None of the older Dinos thought that switching from
low reps to 20 rep sets would be a good idea for an
older trainee - the consensus was "Dance with who
brung ya," i.e., keep on doing what you've been doing.

4. Several readers noted that Trap Bar deadlifts are a
very good alternative to the squat for older trainees.
I agree.

4a. For more information on the Trap Bar, go here:

http://www.trapbartraining.com/

5. Several of the older Dinos noted that they do low
reps (singles, doubles, triples or 5 rep sets) because
they can maintain good form on each rep - which
helps them train injury-free.

5a. This is a key point.

5b. Low reps sets do not mean you pile on so much
weight that you shake and wobble and the weight goes
all over the place. It means that you train with perfect
form - and that you use weights that allow you to use
perfect form.

5c. The pumpers and toners never seem to get this.
They equate low reps with maximum effort, life or death
heavy lifts - which is ridiculous.

6. Many of the older Dinos noted that they supplement
their strength training with low-to-moderate intensity
conditioning work.

6a. Many rely on walking for their conditioning work.
6b. Several older Dinos noted that swimming is good
for conditioning work because it is easy on the joints.

6c. At least five older Dinos noted that the lugging
and loading drills covered in Gray Hair and Black Iron
are their preferred form of conditioning work.

7. One older Dino who is a medical doctor bluntly
noted that 20 rep squats can be dangerous for an
older trainee - and can even trigger a heart attack
if you over-estimate your level of conditioning and
try to go too hard or too heavy.

7a. In other words, don't try to do 225 for 20 reps
just because you used to do 300 for 20 reps 30 years
ago and 225 for 20 "ought to be easy."

7b. "IUSETA" thinking - as in, "I used to lift such and
so, so I can surely do X now" will get an older trainee
in trouble every single time.

7c. Every. Single. Time.

7d.There was a time when I could do a perfect belly
to back suplex against an opponent in a wrestling
match - but that was 40 years ago - and that
doesn't mean I can do a suplex today - or that
I would ever try to do one.

I think that covers the feedback. Thanks to everyone
who sent in a response. I appreciate it. And ditto for
all of you who sent in feedback for The Dinosaur
Files.

If anyone has further thoughts on the 20 rep squat,
send them in.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the guidebook for older trainees:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses - including links to
my PDF and Kindle books - are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Don't worry about what
you used to be able to do. Focus on what you can do
NOW." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

20 Rep Squats for Older Trainees - Good Idea of Bad Idea?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Is the 20 rep squat a good idea or a bad idea for
older trainees?

I got this question from a reader in his late 40's.
He has a bad shoulder, and said he was going
to focus on squats and deadlifts while it healed
up. He said he had been surfing the Interwebs
(oh-oh, here comes trouble) and found an
article by a guy in his 20's talking about the
20 rep squat program. So now our guy in his
late 40's wants to do 20 rep squats for the
first time in his life.

He asked if I thought that was a good idea.

Frankly, I don't.

I know that many younger trainees have done very
well with the 20 rep squat. But it's a very difficult
and demanding program -- and it's hard to recover
from your workouts -- and it requires you to whip
yourself into a frenzy before your 20 rep Death
Set -- and push yourself into the ground, so you
finish the set and lie on the floor for 10 or 15
minutes before you can move.

That's one thing for guys in their teens or 20's.
It's another thing entirely for an older trainee.

In one of his books, Tommy Kono talks about doing
20 rep squats when he was younger. A few years
later, while still in his 20's or 30's, he tried them
again but switched back to lower reps. He just
didn't have the drive to do them any more. And
I think that's probably true of most older trainees.
You work hard, and that's great -- but you don't
need or want to do those 20 rep Death Sets.

There's also the shoulder issue. Most older trainees
have some degree of shoulder problems. That makes
high rep squatting difficult.

And there's the recovery issue. Younger trainees can
recover from 20 rep squats. Older trainees may not
be able to do so.

And then there's the issue of form. Older trainees should
ALWAYS perform every rep of every set of every exercise
in perfect form. Younger trainees can sometimes get
away with sloppy reps, but they often lead to injury
for an older trainee.

Lower reps allow you to perform your exercises in
strict form. But doing 20 reps in the squat makes it
very difficult to maintain good form for the entire set.

Finally, I will note that most Masters weightlifters do
low reps in squats or front squats -- and the older they
are, the fewer reps they do. They find that too many
reps make their knees sore.

Of course, if you have been doing 20 rep squats your
entire life, and you enjoy doing them, then keep on
doing what you're doing. But if you're thinking about
"giving them a try" at age 50 or 60 -- that's probably
not a good idea. It's better to dance with who brung
ya.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If
you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more training advice for older Dinos, grab
this:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including links
to my PDF courses and Kindle e-books -- are right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Never try to change
horses in mid-stream -- or mid-workout."
-- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

George Eiferman's Super Leg Training Workout

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then I'll tell you
about one of the most unusual - and
most difficult - leg workouts of all time.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

Is available in your choice of Kindle or
PDF - and it's been getting great reviews
from Dinos around the world:

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Kindle edition

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

Shoot me an email and let me know how
you like the little monster!

2. George Eiferman's Super Leg Workout

You probably know that George Eiferman
won the Mr. America Contest in 1948 --
and that he had one of the thickest, most
massive physiques of any of the old-time
bodybuilding champions.

He was strong, too -- and a good musician.
He used to do a stunt where he played a
trumpet with one hand while hoisting a
135 pound Olympic barbell over head with
the other hand.

And if a barbell wasn't handy, sometimes he
hoisted a pretty girl overhead with one hand,
while playing the trumpet with the other. Nice
work if you can get it -- and if you're strong
enough to do it!

When he won the Mr. America title, he was
training at John Fritshe's Gym in Philadelphia.
Fritshe was big on heavy leg training, so
George did plenty of squats. Sets of 10 and
sets of 20 were the order of the day.

But before that, he devised a unique leg
training workout of his own -- and I thought
I would share it with you.

Here's the story.

When he was 17, George joined the United
States Navy.

He had already started training, so he trained
with barbells and dumbbells whenever he was
on a ship that had a set of weights.

If there were no weights on board the ship,
he did curls with buckets of water.

He also did his special leg exercise.

He would go down to the "hold" and find a
100 pound bag of sugar and a 50 pound bag
of flour, and wrestle them up and onto his
back.

Then he would climb the ladder from the hold
to the main deck -- with the 150 pounds of
sugar and flour on his back.

And then he'd climb back down -- still carrying
the extra weight.

And he'd go up and down the ladder as many
times as he could.

It sounds like a pretty good workout -- and clear
proof that "Where' there's a will, there's a weight --
and a way to train for strength, muscle and
power!"

You may not have access to a large ship, so
you may not be able to duplicate Eiferman's
workout exactly -- but you can get a heck of
a workout by putting a heavy sandbag on your
back and going out for a run -- or a walk -- or
walking (or running) up a hill or up some
stadium steps -- or by doing squats with it.

And when you do, think of George Eiferman
going up and down that ladder.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here are the links again for the May-June
issue of the Dinosaur Files:

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Kindle edition:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

P.S.2. My other books and courses - and
links to all of my Kindle e-books and PDF
products - are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Where there's
a will, there's a way to train." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Is Strength Training the Fountain of Youth?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

The May-June issue of The Dinosaur Files
us now available in your choice of Kindle
or PDF editions.

Here's the link for the PDF edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

If you prefer Kindle, here's the link
to the Kindle edition:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

We've been getting great reviews on this
issue, so check it out and tell me what
you think!

2. Is Strength Training the Fountain
of Youth?

On the training front, I received an email the
other day from a man who bought copy number
146 of the first edition of Dinosaur Training.

When I released Dinosaur Training back in 1996,
I signed and numbered every copy -- all 3300
of them.

Many of you have them. You've been reading
my stuff and sharing the journey with me for
almost 20 years.

That's what reader no. 146 has been doing.

Another reader shot in an email that I saw
this morning. He's been following me since
the days when I wrote for Hardgainer. That
takes us back almost a quarter of a century.
If you think about it, that's pretty amazing.
One reason that it's amazing is that those
long-time Dinos have been training for a
very long time -- and they're still training.
Just like me.

I've been training for almost 50 years now.
And I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Many Dinos have been training for 30 or
40 years -- some for 50 or more -- and a
surprising number for 60 or more years.

That goes to show you that strength training
is the fountain of youth.

It keeps you young -- because you can keep
on doing it for your entire life.

You can't do that with most sports. There
comes a time when your body just can't take
it any more. You hang up your cleats or your
gloves.

But strength training is different.

You can always modify your strength training
workouts, and make them work for you at any
age.

In addition, strength training is something you
can do by yourself. You don't need a team to
do strength training. You don't even need a
training partner. That, too, makes it easy to
keep at it.

And perhaps most importantly, strength training
is endlessly interesting.There are always new
things to try -- and new things to learn. It
never gets old.

And the results are right there, for you to see --
and for the world to see.

After a lifetime of sensible physical training,
you look *different* than other people your
age. You look, move and feel like you were
20 years younger.

And that's why I call strength training the
Fountain of Youth.

As always, thanks for reading, and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the number one
training guide for mature Dinos. Go here to grab a
copy:


http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 2. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Here are two of our most
popular ones:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_kindle.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here at
Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "I'm not as young
as I used to be, but I'm younger than I'd be
if I didn't train." -- Brooks Kubik (and
a heck of a lot of other Dinos)

***********************************************************************************

Here's What You'll Find in the May-June Dinosaur Files!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We just put up the PDF edition of the
May-June issue of The Dinosaur Files.

Here's the link for the PDF edition:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

If you prefer Kindle, here's the link
to the Kindle edition:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

It's about 20% longer than previous
issues, and it has a ton of great articles.

Here's the complete Table of Contents:

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

  by Brooks Kubik

Mesozoic Mail
   by the Dinosaurs

Jurassic Jottings
    by Brooks Kubik

What We Can Learn from America’s
Strongest Man
    by Brooks Kubik

How to Build Strength and Muscle Fast!
      by Brooks Kubik

 My Summer Training Program
        by Clifford M. Levy., M.D.

 The Three-One Training System
       by Peter Jensen

The Magic of Solo Training
      by Allan Roth

 Your 30-Day Challenge
     by Brooks Kubik

 The Importance of Strength
       by Steve Woolsey

The Dinosaur Kitchen
        by Brooks Kubik

How to Combine Bodybuilding and
Strength Training
         by Brooks Kubik

 Book Review: Old But Strong
         by Brooks Kubik

 The Wrap-Up
       by Brooks Kubik

As you can see, this is a BIG issue -
with tons of information. Several
readers have said it's the best issue
ever - and they may right!

Let me know how you like the little
monster!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Check Out the Strength Archive!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!
 
Here's an email I sent one year ago. It
announced the opening of something
new and terrific for Dinosaurs: THE
STRENGTH ARCHIVE.

Also known as THE IRON LEAGUE.

Since we're now at the one year
anniversary of the little monster,
I thought it would be fun to go
back and see what I said about
it when I broke the news to the
Dino Nation.

Of course, my original email said the
Strength Archive would be opening it's
doors on May 13, 2015. Don't let that
fool you - the Strength Archive has
been open and going strong for one
year now!

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Synchronize your watches and be ready to
take immediate action at 9:00 a.m. EST
on Wednesday, May 13.

That's when John Wood is going to open
the doors to his Strength Archive.

The Strength Archive is a very unique
project.

I know about it because John is a good
friend -- and because I've been one of
the beta-testers for the Strength Archive.

In other words, I've been able to log in
and take a look -- and watch as the little
monster grew bigger and bigger -- with
more and more really terrific material.

Do you remember the line from The Blues
Brothers?

"We're on a mission from God."

Well, John Wood has been on a similar
sort of mission. He's been working like
crazy -- sometimes until 3:00 or 4:00
in the morning -- to put more and
more great material into the Strength
Archive.

Right now, it has enough material that
it would take you a very long time to
read it all.

But John is going to continue to add more
and more material to the archive -- so no
matter how hard you try, you might not
ever read all of it.

Every time you think you're almost there,
something new will appear.

It reminds me a little bit of a story about
the great American novelist, Thomas Wolfe.

I think he even tells the story in You Can't
Go Home Again -- but it's been almost 40
years since I read the book, so I may be
conflating things.

Anyhow, Thomas Wolfe went to college
at Harvard -- which has one of the biggest
and best libraries anywhere in the world.

So he decided to make the most of the
opportunity.

He decided to read every book in the
Harvard library -- starting with A and
working to Z.

I forget how far he got -- but never made
it through all the books. There were just
too many of them -- and more and more
kept coming.

And the Strength Archive is a little bit
like that.  It doesn't have as many books
and magazines as the Harvard library --
but it's got PLENTY to read.

And here's the other thing.

It's not just the stuff you see everywhere
else.

Sure, you may have seen some of the
material in the Strength Archive -- but
I guarantee that there's a ton of material
you've never seen.

I've been a student of the Iron Game for almost
half a century -- and I have a pretty good set
of materials in my personal library -- and I've
seen lots of other material over the years --
but there are MANY books, courses and
articles in the Strength Archive that are
brand new to me.

Here's a link that shows a small number of
books, courses and magazines that you'll
see in the Strength Archive. Take a look
and see how many of them are new to
you:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/about-us/news/2015-05/1173-strength-archive-taste-things-come

Anyhow, as I said, the Strength Archive
goes live tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. EST. It's
a members only site, so you'll need to
start by grabbing  a membership. They're
not expensive, so don't let that stop you.

And after that -- it's Happy Reading Time
for strength fans!

Which means some of you are going to
dive into the archive and not surface for
a week or two. So pack food and water --
let your spouse or significant other know
you'll be gone for awhile -- and be sure
someone takes care of the dogs and cats.

As always, thanks for reading -- and get
ready for plenty more great reading when
you enter the Strength Archive!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to join THE IRON LEAGUE -
and get immediate access to The
Strength Archive:

http://www.ironleague.com/

***********************************************************************************