Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A couple of years ago I did an interview
on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio
program.
Carl had just gotten back from a 10 day
vacation in Alaska. One day, he went dog-
sledding on a frozen glacier.
It was great fun, and he loved the powerful
husky dogs that pulled the sled.
The guide explained that Alaskan huskies are
specially bred to be perfect sled dogs. They
LOVE to pull. It's what they were born to do.
If they don't work hard every single day, they
don't feel good. They start to misbehave. They
exhibit all the signs of what we would call
depression and anxiety in humans.
Huskies are working dogs. They are bred to
work -- and it makes them happy. It's how
they express their DNA.
Carl wondered if this also applies to human
beings?
Are some of us compelled to enjoy heavy
strength training?
Does our DNA lead us to enjoy lifting heavy
things?
Does this explain why some people enjoy long
distance running, while others enjoy a hard
set of heavy squats or deadlifts?
In response, I shared my own family story.
My father's family is from Martin, Slovakia,
located in the rugged Tatra Mountains close
to the border between Slovakia and Poland.
They had a lumber business on a hill. They
cut down the trees, cut the logs into planks,
boards and beams, and carted the lumber
over the mountains and into Poland. They
sold the lumber in Poland because they
could get a better price for it there.
So I come from a family of Central European
lumberjacks. A family with good DNA for
hard, physical work and lots of heavy
lifting.
With that background, is it any surprise
that I discovered strength training at a
very young age -- and became fascinated
with it -- and have been training now for
more than 50 years?
Is it any wonder that I become grumpy
and irritable if I can't train -- or that I
always feel a thousand times better when
I'm training hard and heavy on a regular
basis?
Any wonder that last night, at age 60, I
went outside, set up a lifting area with
stall mats over the drive-way, got out my
barbell and plates, and did a 90 minute
workout under the setting sun?
I'm like those sled dogs -- I'm bred to
work.
And note this: other types of exercise don't
appeal to me at all -- including things that
many people love to do.
High rep calisthenics?
I don't like them. I only like low rep, high
intensity, hard to do bodyweight exercises.
Long distance running?
Forget it. Not interested.
Swimming?
I could care less.
Cycling?
Yawn.
Tennis?
Double yawn.
Golf?
A rich man's sport. My grandfather, a steel
worker, despised the game. My father played
it exactly one time. I've never even tried to
hit a golf ball.
There's nothing at all wrong with these things.
They're just not for me.
I was bred for lifting -- and that's what I like
to do.
If you're reading this, the same is probably
true of you.
You're an Iron Warrior. You were born to lift
heavy things. It's in your DNA.
In short, you're like me. You're a Dinosaur.
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. If strength training is part of your DNA, then
you'll like these:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
4. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
5. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
6. Dinosaur Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Find what you like to,
and then do it." -- Brooks Kubik
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