Hail to the Dinosaurs!
(Note: Here's an email from several years
ago. I'm re-sending it because it's a pretty
important message.)
I had a great workout in the garage last night.
I did 10 minutes of stretches and loosening up
exercises, including overhead squats and snatch
drills with a broomstick.
Then I began doing a series of squat snatches.
I started light, and worked up slowly but
steadily to my top weight for the day -- and
did five singles with it.
I filmed each lift, and checked my form on
the replay after each lift - and did some more
stretching in-between each lift. At close to age
60, the stretching gets to be more and more
important for me. I need to do it in order to
hit the bottom position in a squat snatch.
So the pattern was:
1. Lift
2. Review lift on video and focus on what to do
to make the next lift better.
3. Add weight to the bar if the next set calls for
more weight.
4. Stretch.
5. Repeat 1 - 4.
I did a total of 25 singles.
I started at 6:12 and finished at 7:00 on the nose.
So the workout took a total of 48 minutes.
Or did it?
If you just count the time it took for each lift --
the actual lifting time -- it was more like 25
seconds -- because each snatch takes about
one second from start to finish.
Now, that doesn't sound like much -- and it's
not. But remember, each squat snatch was a
fast, fluid, total body effort -- and each lift
literally worked everything from toes to
eyeballs.
In other workouts I focus on the squat style
clean and jerk. I follow the same sort of
progression. I lift for about an hour, and I
do nothing but singles -- and I get a terrific
workout.
You can do the same thing -- and you don't
have to do Olympic lifting.
Nor do you have to do singles -- although you're
welcome to do them if they work for you.
The key point for all of us is this:
1. Focus on quality, not quantity.
2. It's not how long you train that matters --
it's HOW you train.
3. Stay 100% focused from start to finish.
4. Concentrate on every rep -- including the
warm-up sets.
5. Strive for perfect form on every rep.
6. Block out all forms of distraction when you
train.
a. Anything that interferes with your
concentration interferes with your training.
7. Keep detailed records of what you do, and
strive to improve your performance from one
workout to another.
8. Find what works best for you and stick to it.
9. Use basic, compound exercises and total body
movements to do the most work in the minimum
amount of time.
10. For older trainees, and those of you who are
pressed for time, give one and two exercise
workouts a try -- they really deliver.
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 about effective training with
abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated workouts,
grab any or all of these great books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. Support your training with the right kind
of diet and nutrition -- the kind I cover in Knife,
Fork, Muscle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.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: "It doesn't take much
time, but it does take effort." -- Brooks Kubik
**********************************************************************************
