The Rest Between Sets Question

Bernie Baron finishing a heavy military press back in the day (circa 1940). Old-school lifters understood the importance of properly timing rest between sets when they trained - not too long, and not too short!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll get
down  to some old-school training
advice.

1. The Complete List

Readers have been asking for a
complete list of all of my books
on Kindle.

Here it is - but looks fast, because
we're adding to it all the time:

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

2. The Rest Between Sets Question

I received an email from a reader in
Croatia, thanking me for writing the
Dinosaur Arm Training course.

But he had a question about how long
to rest between sets. He wanted to know
how long the old-timers rested between
sets.

That's an interesting question, and it
made me realize that many of the old
time books and courses didn't address
this issue in much detail -- and many
didn't address it at all.

When they did, the advice was pretty
simple:

"Rest a minute or two and then go on
to your next set or your next exercise."

Or this:

"Rest until your breathing returns to
normal, and then do your next set or
your next exercise."

That was pretty good advice 50 or 60
years ago, and it's still pretty good
advice.

Of course, you can go faster in-between
your warm-up sets. I often rest no longer
than it takes to load the bar on my
warm-up sets. That's all you need.

On heavier sets, you rest a little longer.

I typically rest two to three minutes
in-between my heavy sets.

Also, you need more rest in-between
sets of squats, deadlifts, clean and press
or similar movements that hit the large
muscle groups and cause plenty of heavy
breathing.

So the basic rule of thumb would be 1 to
2 minutes rest on your warm-ups, 2-3 on
heavy sets, and perhaps 3 to 5 on really
hard and heavy sets.

The most important thing is to work at
a pace that allows you to stay warm and
stay focused. If you rest so long that your
body cools down, that's not good -- and
it's also not good to rest so long that
your mind begins to wander.

Keep your mind on your workout. Focus
on the next set or the next exercise
(whichever you will be doing). Visualize
it. Play a little movie in your mind's eye.
You're the star -- and you perform all of
your reps in perfect form.

Do NOT talk, chatter, watch TV, or use
your cell phone during your rest period.

Focus on your workout.

I prefer standing on my feet for my entire
workout. It keeps me loose and it keeps
my muscles from cooling down. But most
of all, it helps me stay focused.

If you prefer to sit down and rest between
sets, that's fine, too. But use your rest
period to get ready for the next set or the
next exercise. Make it an integral part of
your workout. Keep your focus from the
beginning of your workout to the very
end.

I hope that helps, and if you have any
comments or questions, send them on
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. Dinosaur Arm Training is available in
your choice of hard copy of PDF with
immediate electronic delivery:

Hard copy

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

PDF version

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Details are
important, but the most important thing is
to train progressively, consistently,
passionately and intelligently."
-- Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Those Rubber Mats that You've Been Wondering About

 

I've been getting  a lot of questions about those rubber mats in the outdoor lifting area at the new Dinosaur Dungeon. So let's answer them.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you're a regular reader, I assume you've
been looking at my Instagram photos from
time to time.

If not, you should check them out - they're
right here:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

For example, here's a recent video from a
workout where I was doing some power
snatches:

Power snatches in the outdoor lifting area at Dino Headquarters. The hard rubber mats provide better footing and support for snatches, cleans and jerks.

And here's a photo from another snatch
workout:

The starting position for the power snatch. I'm using a double layer of mats in this photo. When I do split style snatches or split style jerks I use one layer of mats and move a mat behind me so my back foot will land on it in the split. (See next photo.)

Using an additional mat, positioned so I can do split snatches or split jerks.

I post lots of photos and videos from my
workouts. Mainly Olympic lifting workouts,
because that's what I enjoy the most.

Now, don't be confused. I've posted other
pictures from a different home gym. That
was at our old house. A great gym, but
we don't live there anymore.

The old gym in the garage at our old house.

We sold our house, downsized in a major
way, and moved into a two-bedroom top
floor unit in a little duplex not far from
where we used to live.

That was a year ago.

After we moved, I tried training in an old,
hole in the wall gym not far away - but I
just don't like training in gyms.

Too loud, too noisy, too many distractions.

So I set up shop at home.

I do squats in the basement.

I also can do pulls in the basement.

Can't do overhead work because the
ceiling is too low.

The basement of the new place doubles as laundry room and gym. Yes, I sometimes do laundry and squats at the same time.

The new gym works great for squats and pulls, but it's too low for overhead work.

So whenever the weather permits, I go
outside and do snatches or clean and
jerks in the drive-way.

That's what you see on the Instagram
acct, and that's prompted a lot of
questions.

Because I lift on some rubber mats.
and people wonder what they are and
where I got them.

For example:

Hey Brooks,

Looking over your Instagram photos.

Can you talk a bit about those mats
you are using when you lift outside?

What are they? How thick are they?

Where do you get them? Will they
hold up to dropping a loaded
barbell?

J.E.S.

So here's the answer.

The mats are pretty basic.

They're stall mats.

This is Kentucky.

Thoroughbred country.

We have lots and lots of stall mats
here.

And lots of farm supply places in the
rural counties where you can get them.

How thick are they?

1/2 inch thick.

3/4 thick is better, but I got these
for free, so I make do with them.

The gym I mentioned had a ton of
old mats on the floor - some new
owners bought it, and didn't want
all the mats - they were giving
them away - and the manager
let me grab some.

Sometimes I double the mats up
by laying one on top of the other.
That works pretty well.

The mats are small, which is fine.
I use the larger pieces to stand on,
and the smaller pieces to set the
bar (or rather, the plates) on.

I use the mats so I have no-slip
footing, and so I can wear my
Olympic lifting shoes and not
cut them up on concrete, asphalt
or gravel.

Also, the mats provide a bit of
much-needed cushioning for my
feet, ankles, knees and hips when
I do my OL work.

They are NOT thick enough and
strong enough to drop the barbell
on them.

But that's okay.

I don't drop the bar when I train.

I lower it - just like everyone used
to do back in the day when all we
had were iron plates. If you
dropped them, you were likely
to break them - or bend the bar -
or smash the floor or the lifting
platform - so we didn't drop
them.

You really can train without
dropping the weights.

But that's another story and
another issue for another day.

Of course, I store the mats in the
garage, and set them up on the
driveway before every workout.
That way, they're always dry and
clean when it's time to train.

Anyhow, that's the answer.

1/2 inch stall mats.

Basic black. That's the only color
that come in.

The lifting platform in the garage at our old house was perfect. I made it from 3/4 inch plywood sheets (three sheets thick) on top of 3/4 inch rubber mats. I put a strip of 3/4 inch mat along the sides to help protect the wood. It lasted for almost 15 years of hard use.

A lifting platform (such as I had
at my old gym in our old house)
would be better - but I don't have
one, so the mats will have to do
for now.

It's not perfect, but not bad.

And not bad is okay - because
it doesn't have to be perfect.

One of the basic rules of training
(and of life) is this:

Do what you must with what
you have.

That's what I do - and it works.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. We have two great new
e-books on Kindle - and readers
have been loving them:

The Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook, Vol. 1

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

Brooks Kubik's Old School
Strength Q and A

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool_01-kindle.html

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Favorite Training Equipment of the Dinosaurs (Part 3)

 

John Davis won six World championships and two Olympic gold medals in weightlifting - and did it all while training with basic equipment in small, old school gyms or in home gyms. At one point in his career, he trained by himself in the basement of a neighborhood church in Brooklyn.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

What would you take with you
if you were going to a desert
island and could take just
THREE pieces of equipment?

I asked the Dinos this question
last week - and the responses
are still coming in.

We ran some of them last week -
here are some more:

Basic and Simple

My personal choice is:

1. A pair of adjustable dumbbells.

2. Lots of plates.

3. A combined pull-up and
dip station.

Federico

My Top Three

My top three would be a plate-
loaded barbell, pull-up bar, and
a 24 k kettlebell.

David M.

A Military Solution

It's very simple.

One military bag or knapsack,
with shoulder straps so you
can wear it.

You can fill it with sand to do
clean and press.

Then you can wear it and do
squats, weighted push-ups
and weighted pull-ups (using
as tree branch for the pull-ups).

Palo M.

Three Interesting Choices

I would take the following (in
preferred order):

1. Olympic barbell with tons of
plates, including those lovely
2.5 and 1 pound plates

2. Thick-handle plate loading
dumbbells

3. My lifting shoes (they keep
me lifting without knee issues,
and push presses are more stable
in them - or course, I'd need to
make a platform or lift on a hard
surface to get maximum use out
of the shoes).

Ishinder S.

Those are all very good
answers. They show you that
Dinosaurs know how to get the
most out of their equipment.

They also show you that you
don't need a lot of equipment
to get a great workout.

They also give you lots of ideas
about what to focus on in your
training - and about what you'll
need if you ever set up a home
gym.

What about you - what would
YOU take?

Shoot me an email and let
me know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Another good thing to take
with you would be a copy of
Dinosaur Training:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.htm

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep
it simple, keep it real." - Brooks
Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Your Favorite Training Equipment (Part 2)

Paul Anderson trained with the most basic equipment imaginable, and used it to become the strongest man in the world!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The responses are coming in
fast and furious!

What would you take with you
if you were going to a desert
island and could take just
THREE pieces of equipment?

Here are some of your
answers:

Already Training This Way!

I've already narrowed my needs
down to the bare minimum of
equipment. It's sort of like
training on a desert island.

I use kettlebells, a free-standing,
heavy duty pull-up bar, and I do
abbreviated training.

Along with fresh air, yard and
a garden, which my wife and I
enjoy doing together, this
Dinosaur is staying fit, and
able to absorb what life
throws at him.

Paul O.

Dumbbells!

If I had to have just one thing
on a remote island, it would be
my dumbbells. Or rather, one
of them.

I have several adjustable
Olympic dumbbell handles,
and lots of Olympic plates
to use with them.

I would take one handle, an
upgraded set of collars, and
enough weight to load it to
125 pounds.

Committed to memory are
the programs listed in my
dumbbell bible, Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training, so I
would use three programs
utilizing one dumbbell -
one program per workout,
three workouts per week.

By the time I was "rescued"
I wouldn't want to leave!

John G.

Those are good answers!

What about you - what would
YOU take?

Shoot me an email and let
me know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. John mentioned the "dumbbell
training bible." You can find it right
here:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.htm

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Focus
on the essentials, and disregard the
non-essential." - Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

The Letter of the Day

It doesn't take much equipment to have a fun, effective and result-producing workout.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

This one has to rank as the
letter of the day.

Actually, it was an email -
but you know what I mean.

It's from one of our many
Canadian Dinos, and it's in
response to my email asking
what training equipment you
would take to a desert island.

Brooks,

I was actually in a real-life
situation where I had an
extremely limited choice
of equipment.

I was in my very early 20s,
and worked as a canoe
ranger patrolling remote
regions in the interior of
Algonquin Park.

There was a lot of physical
work that came with the job,
some demanding pure, raw
strength, and others requiring
plenty of endurance.

But at that age, coupled with
a near obsessive desire to get
strong, I felt I needed some-
thing more - and also, some-
thing more specific for
strength training.

Weight was a factor, of course,
so I thought it over and then
chose ONE item to take with
me for training: a single dumb-
bell bar and enough plates to
give me a total of 75 pounds
when it was fully loaded.

Other than that, I made use of
whatever heavy objects were
available to me, depending on
the location - rocks, logs, and
strong overhanging branches
for pull-ups being the primary
resources.

Michael D.

Now, THAT is a pretty good
story.

What an excellent adventure -
and what a great way to train!

Has anyone else ever trained
under similar circumstances -
where you had only the most
limited of equipment?

If you did, send me an email
and tell me about it - and I'll
share it with your fellow
Dinos!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Have you ever read "In
Praise of Cellar Dwellers?" It's
Chapter 14 in Strength, Muscle
and Power, and it covers home
gym training in detail - and tells
you how to make the most out
of a minimum of equipment:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

3. Thought for the Day: "Do what
you must, with what you have."

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Your Favorite Training Equipment (Part 1)

Heavy dumbbells are a big favorite with many Dinosaurs - and they're a great addition to any training program.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We got a ton of great responses
to yesterday's email asking you
to name your three favorite pieces
of training equipment.

Meaning, the equipment you would
take to a desert island - knowing
it would be all you had for training.

Here's what some of you had to
say:

MY BIG THREE

1. A pair of adjustable dumbbells
up to 100 or more pounds - for
heavy farmer's walks and presses).

2. A plate-loading barbell

3. A sledgehammer (great for
forearm strength, shoulder mobility
doing rotations, and for working on
the island).

Michael H.

THE TOP THREE

1. A pair of gymnastic rings
(nothing better for working the
upper body pushing and pulling
muscles)

2. One plate-loaded dumbbell with
lots of iron for one-arm swings,
snatches, presses, weighted one-
legged squats, etc.

3. One 53 lb. kettlebell (for serious
cardio training)

That's it - simple, but they were
not easy choices!

Peter J.

MY CHOICES

I would take my thick-handled, plate
loading dumbbells, lots of plates, and
my two 10' climbing ropes.

Adam S.

Those are all good choices. What about
you?

What training equipment would you
take to a desert island?

Send me an email and let me know!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can find a ton of great
workouts suitable for desert island
training with minimal equipment
in these books:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

Chalk and Sweat

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

3. Thought for the Day: "You don't
need lots of equipment to get a great
workout." - Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

What's Your Favorite Piece of Training Equipment?

The garage gym at our old house was probably my best gym ever. If this were all the equipment I had, I'd be darn happy. (The squat stands are off to the side - out of the frame. Squat stands are always a good thing.)

 

 

 

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We'll talk iron in just a minute, but first
of all, let me cover two quick updates.

1. Brooks Kubik's Old-School
Strength Q and A, Vol. 1

We launched a great little book on
Kindle a few weeks ago. It's a series
of training questions from readers -
with my answers to them.

This is just like sitting down and
having a good talk about training -
a talk where you could ask me
anything and everything, and
I'd tell you.

This is vol. 1 in a new series - and,
guess what - I'm almost done with
vol. 2! I think they're going to be a
very good resource for you.

You can find the little monster right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool_01-kindle.html

2. The Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook, Vol. 1

This is another new release on
Kindle. It's a collection of training
tips, ideas, thoughts, commentary,
workouts, advice, suggestions,
stories, iron game history and
all-around fun stuff for Iron
Slingers.

This also is vol. 1 in a series of
volumes - and it's going to give
you a huge amount of training
information.

Go here to grab the first volume
on Kindle:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

3. What's Your Single Favorite Piece of
Training Equipment?

The "What's your favorite exercise?" question
is a popular one at discussion boards, but
here's another fun question:

"What's your single favorite piece of training
equipment?"

Meaning, if you were stuck on a desert island
somewhere (think Tom Hanks in Castaway),
what's the one piece of equipment you would
want the most?

For me, it would be a plate-loading barbell --
although in keeping with the desert island
theme, I can see the merit of an old globe
barbell that you could fill with sand.

No, on second thought, I'll stick to the plate
loading barbell. Faster and easier to change
the weight.

Other people might have different ideas. I
imagine that some Dinos would like a Trap
Bar more than anything else -- or a pair of
adjustable dumbbells -- or a pair of
kettlebells. (I think a pair of dumbbells
or kettlebells counts as one item.)

And I suppose we could change the question
and let you choose your TWO favorite pieces
of training equipment -- or even your THREE
favorite pieces of equipment.

If you had THREE choices, what would they
be?

For me, it would be:

1. Olympic barbell and bumper
plates

a. Actually, if you were on a desert
island, iron plates would work as
well as bumper plates.

b. Especially if you trained in the sand.

2. Adjustable squat stands or a
power rack

a. Of course, you could always rig
something up with trees, branches,
and rope (or vines) if you were on
a desert island.

3. Lifting platform

a. Again, if you trained out on a sandy
beach, this might not be necessary.

Of course, I focus on Olympic lifting now,
so my choices reflect that. If I were doing
powerlifting or basic strength and power
training, I'd choose a barbell, power rack
and a bench.

What would you choose?

Shoot me an email, and let me know! I'll
share the answers in a future email.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development is 21 years
old this year -- and it's still going strong.
If you don't have a copy, grab one now:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Wherever
you train, and whatever equipment
you use, make the most of it."
-- Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

"Are Five Work Sets Too Much?" He Asked

Three-time Mr. Universe Reg Park pioneered the 5 x 5 system and used it for much of his career.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk iron.

1. Follow Me On Instagram!

I'm posting a ton of photos and videos
On Instagram now - including some fun
photos of Trudi's solo vacation up in the
Pacific Northwest.

You can find me right here:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/

2.The Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook, Vol. 1

This little monster is our newest edition to
the Kindle bookstore, and it's been selling
like crazy. Go here to grab a copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

3. "Are Five Work Sets Too Much?"
He Asked

I just got an email from a reader who says he
does 5 x 5, using five work sets for each
exercise.

He wondered if that was too much.
Short answer: Yes, it's probably too much
work -- but, like anything else, it depends on
several different factors -- and it will probably
change for you over time.

Many trainees get very good results from ONE
work set. They find that they over-train if they
perform more than one work set -- especially in
exercises like squats and deadlifts.

Other trainees do well with TWO or even THREE
work sets. But three is the limit for most trainees,
unless they're doing very low reps (singles,
doubles or triples).

As a general rule, older trainees do better with
fewer work sets -- and stronger, more advanced
trainees do better with fewer work sets. So what
works best for you may change over time.

If you do five work sets, you need to follow
an ultra-abbreviated training program. Limit
yourself to one or two exercises per workout.
You won't be able to do justice to more than
that.

And here's a thought: If one, two or three work
sets do the job for you, why do more than that?
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 straight talk on sets, reps and real,
world, no-nonsense strength training, grab
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1:

Hard-copy

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

Kindle

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

PDF

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol1_digital.html

2.  My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Why do MORE
when LESS works just as well -- or maybe
even better?" -- Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Now In 11 Top 10 Lists World Wide!

 

The Dinosaur Strength Training Notebook, Vol. 1, has been selling like hotcakes all around the world. We're currently in 11 top 10 lists in the Kindle bookstore.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I launched my new book in the
Amazon Kindle bookstore at
midnight on Monday morning.

The title is The Dinosaur
Strength Training Notebook,
Vol. 1, and it's been doing
really well.

It's a collection of blog posts I
did back in 1997 - when the
Internet had just gotten going -
and it has a ton of training tips,
workouts, exercises, stories,
motivation and all-around fun
stuff.

I've revised, expanded and
updated the blog posts - and
included some commentary
where necessary - and the
end result is pretty darn
good, if I say so myself.

Dinos around the world seem
to agree. They've been
snatching it up like hotcakes.

Get this --

The little monster is now in 11
top 10 lists world wide.

We're in three lists in Canada -
currently no. 2, 3 and 3.

We're no. 2 on one list and
no. 10 in another in Germany.

We're in three top 10 lists in
Italy - tied with Canada at no.
2, 3 and 3.

And we're in three top 10 lists
in Germany - currently at
no. 7, 7 and 8.

And we're no. 13 in Australia,
so with any luck, that will move
up into the top 10 there as well.

Of course, I'm still looking for a
no. 1 ranking - so if you've been
sitting on the fence, jump off and
join your fellow Dinos around the
world - and help us jump into the
no. 1 spot.

Go here to grab your copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Weight Training and Brain Health

Hitting it hard at age 60. The older you are, the more important your training becomes.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in the day, people who lifted weights
were called "muscle-heads."

It wasn't because people thought they were
smart. It was because weightlifters and body-
builders were viewed as "all brawn and no
brain."

This view was so common that one reporter
actually had the audacity to ask World weight-
lifting champion Doug Hepburn the following
question during an interview:

"How does it feel to be all brawn and no
brains?"

To which Hepburn famously replied:

 "I don't know -- what's it like to be neither?"

But not very long ago, there was a report
of a study that measured the effect of weight
training on the brain.

Our brains contain something called "white
matter," which connects the different parts
of the brain and allows them to communicate
with one another.

As we grow older, we often begin to develop
gaps or holes in the white matter -- which in
turn affects our ability to process information.

Thus, we may have trouble remembering things,
concentrating, or even thinking.

The holes in the white matter also affect our
balance, coordination and mobility.

Now, frankly, that sounds pretty terrible --
but hold on, because the new study gives us
plenty of hope.

Regular weight training is one of the most important keys to healthy aging.

The recent study compared three groups of
women between the ages of 65 and 75.

One group did light weight training once a
week.

Another group did light weight training twice
a week.

The third group did stretching and special
balance training twice a week.

The researchers performed brain scans on the
women before they began their programs --
and repeated the scans one year later.

The results were shocking -- at least, they were
shocking to the researchers.

The women who trained with weights once a
week, and the women who did balance training,
had significant deterioration of the white matter
in their brains after the year of training had
passed.

The women who did weight training twice a week
had much less deterioration of their white matter.
They also walked and moved much better than
the other women.

The researchers concluded that training with
weights twice a week or more has some sort of
beneficial effect on the brain. In essence, it builds
the brain just as much as it builds the body.

The iron adds years to your life, and life to your years.

The researchers don't know the exact mechanism
by which weight training strengthens the brain.
It may be that the same chemical and hormonal
changes that cause muscle growth also cause
the growth of the white matter in the brain.

Or it may be related to improved blood flow to
the brain as a result of the training.

But whatever the exact growth mechanism, the
bottom line is this:

Weight training makes your brain stronger,
younger and healthier.

All brawn and no brain?

I don't think so.

In fact, we may be moving toward a time when
regular weight training is recognized as one of
the very best things we can do to keep our brains
healthy and strong.

And yes, that's a very important reason to start
training when you're young -- and to keep on
training for your entire life!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For maximum benefit, focus on the mind-muscle
link when you train. I cover this in detail in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training:

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

The exercises in Dinosaur Dumbbell Training are
also great for brain and body health -- particularly the
compound movements:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Weights
for your body, weights for your brain."
 -- Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

No, It's Not a Training Journal!

Yes, that's a 151-pound dumbbell. And if we were training together, I'd teach you how to do this.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A guy sent an email saying, "The
new Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook looks real nice - but I
don't need it because I already
have a training journal."

To which I replied --

well, I didn't reply.

I didn't know what to say.

Or how to say it.

And I do try not to use excessive
profanity.

It's not a training journal.

It's called a notebook because it's
a notebook of training tools and
training ideas.

Back in the early 1950s, Harry
did three nifty little editions of
what he called Bosco's Strength
Notebook.

The Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook is the same sort of thing.

It's not a book, per se.

It's a collection of thoughts.

Of ideas.

Of things to try.

Things that work.

And warnings about things that
don't work.

The best way to think about it is
this:

If we were training together, you'd
ask me all kinds of questions.

"Why do you do that way?"

"What about this?"

"Is this okay?"

"I was reading about [fill in the
blank]- what do YOU thing about
it?"

"What's the best thing for [fill in the
blank]?"

"How do you [fill in the blank]?"

"How can I increase my [fill in the
blank]?"

And so on.

You'd ask me a ton of questions -
and I'd give you a ton of answers.

Or maybe a couple of tons of
answers.

When it was all over, you'd know a
heck of a lot about productive
training - including things that
many people never even dream
of.

That's what the Dinosaur Strength
Training Notebook is.

It's like having me as your training
partner.

I don't know about you, but that
sounds like a good deal to me.

So grab your lifting gear and your
chalk - and let's get ready to train:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. We're only releasing The Dinosaur
Strength Training Notebook in a Kindle
edition - so don't wait for PDF or hard-
copy. Grab it now. And remember - you
can download a FREE app from Amazon
that let's you read Kindle books on any
device.

Take a Peek Inside!

Louis Abele once said that he trained so hard on squats and weightlifting exercises that even his teeth ached after a workout. That's the kind of old-school training mojo I teach in The Dinosaur Strength Training Notebook, Vol. 1 - the newest addition to our library of strength training books on Kindle.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Take a peek at the table of
contents for The Dinosaur
Strength Training Notebook,
Vol. 1:

Introduction by John Wood

(Note: This is a GREAT intro -
a big THANK YOU to John for
writing it.)

Brooks Kubik – The Original
Dinosaur

Introduction to the Second
Edition

1. The Supplement Mindset

2. Quiet Confidence

3. The Success Habit

4. A Little Rant from Peary Rader

5. Ten Things that Work Much Better
than Any Food Supplement Under
the Sun

6. The Entourage

7. First, Last and Foremost –
Squat!

8. Motivation

9. Irregular Training

10. An Iron Will

11. Strength Training 101

12. “How Much Can You Bench
Press?”

13. The Vertical Bar Lift

14. Dinosaur Style Dumbbell
Training

15. “Yes, It Really Is 12:15 in the
Morning.”

And much more - because
there's a grand total of 50
chapters - some short, some
not so short.

It gives you workouts, exercises,
mind power, training tips,
stories, motivation, and a no-
nonsense, take no prisoners
barrage of old-school Iron
Slinging "how to do it"
advice and instruction.

It's available on Kindle - right
now, and right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

I'm very happy to bring this
little monster to you - and I
think you're really going to
like it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dinosaur Strength Training Notebook

I'm hitting some power snatches at Dino Headquarters to celebrate the release of our new Dinosaur Training book on Kindle.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As longtime Dinos may recall,
I did a little book called The
Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook way back in 1998.

It was very popular and I
sold a ton of copies.

But it's been out of print
for a long time - perhaps
10 or 12 years. Maybe
longer.

Anyhow, a number of you
have asked me to bring it
back - so we did -  in an
updated, expanded, and
revised version.

You can grab it at the
Kindle bookstore - right
here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

Let me know how you
like the little monster!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Breaking News - Here It Is - My New Dinosaur Training Book on Kindle!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here it is - the new Dinosaur
Training book available in the
Kindle bookstore:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html

And right on time, too - I
thought it would be available
around midnight, and it
went live at 11:58 p.m.

Hope you enjoy it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Be Looking for It Right Around Midnight!

We're launching something new and fun on Kindle right around midnight - I don't have the link yet, but here's a list of all of my Kindle e-books. If the list updates when the new book goes live, then you can be one of the first Dinos to grab the new addition to our Kindle library.

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

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We have something new and
exciting for you in the Kindle
bookstore.

Well, not yet - but VERY SOON.

Right now, it's being uploaded
into the Kindle system.

So you can't see it right now
(9:42 pm EST as I type this) -
but it should be available right
around midnight.

If not then, then sometime
early tomorrow morning.

I'll send an email as soon as
it's up and I have a link - but
in the meantime, you might
try searching my name in
the Kindle bookstore.

Or try this:

If you click on some of the sales
pages for different Brooks Kubik
books in the Kindle bookstore,
Amazon may very well send you
a notice when the new little
monster is ready to go.

One of those "Hey, if you're
interested in books by Brooks
Kubik, you might like this"
notices.

If that happens, you may be one
of the very first Dinos to grab the
new little monster - which is
always fun to do.

Of course, if all else fails, look for
my next email. It will have the
link.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

12:00 Midnight 

Breaking news! 

Here it is!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here it is - the new Dinosaur
Training book available in the
Kindle bookstore:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurnotebook001.html


And right on time, too - I
thought it would be available
around midnight, and it
went live at 11:58 p.m.

Hope you enjoy it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The "Where's Trudi?" Contest

Can you find Trudi? She shot this photo two days ago - somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As you probably know, Trudi is
Mrs. Kubik.

I married her a little over a dozen
years ago. Smartest thing I ever did,
even including barbell training.

Anyhow, last week Trudi did some-
thing she's never done before.

She set off to have an adventuire.
In other words, an all by herself
vacation.

And she didn't plan any of it, other
than where to begin.

She flew into Seattle, stayed with
friends on Whidbey Island - and
then flipped a coin - heads for
east and tails for west - and
then took off.

I've been following her adventures
as she sends photos and video.

Right now she's - heck, I don't know
where she is.

I'm not even sure what country she's
in.

It could be the USA - or it could be
Canada.

But I'm posting her photos and
videos on my Instagram page -
so head on over and check it out -
and follow the clues and see if
you can figure out where she's
been, and where she's going
next.

My Instagram page is right here:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/?hl=en

The hashtag is (of course):

#travelswithtrudi

We'll even make it into a little
contest.

If you think you know where she is
(or was) on any given day, leave a
comment on the Instagram page.

There's no prize, but I'll keep track
and announce THE WINNER once
Trudi gets back home.

I mean, IF she comes back home . . .

It's pretty awesome out there, and she
just may stay.

So go ahead, check it out, and
take a guess or two.

By the way - here's a clue:

1. Debra Winger

2. Richard Gere

3. Louis Gossett, Jr.

Yours in strength

Brooks Kubik

A Shout Out and a Thank You!

John Wood's new book raced up to THREE No. 1 spots in the Kindle bookstore - and that's pretty darn amazing.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I want to give a shout out
to my buddy, John Wood.
Two days ago, John released
a great little book on Kindle:

John Wood's Old-School
Strength Articles, Vol. 1.

This morning, I checked the
Kindle rankings and the new
book was ranked No. 1 in
three different categories!

That's pretty darn impressive,
but the book's pretty darn
good.

It covers tons of stuff: power
rack training, isometrics, mind
power for weightlifting and
training tips on Olympic
weightlifting from an old-
timer named Doug Hepburn
who just happens to be a
(get this) self-taught, self-
coached WORLD
CHAMPION.

Anyhow, three no. 1 rankings
is pretty amazing.

I also wanted to say THANK
YOU to everyone who stepped
up and grabbed a copy.

I know John appreciates it,
and so do I.

If you missed the news earlier,
you can go ahead and grab the
little monster right now:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/oldschoolarticles001.html

And, of course, please post a
review after you read the book.
The reviews really help.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

10 Reasons for Older Dinos to Keep on Training

 

Hitting it hard at age 60 - and having tons of fun doing it.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I was talking with a guy I used to
work with but haven't seen for a
number of years.

He asked me if I was still training.
The answer, of course, is "Yes, I am --
three times a week, as regular as
clockwork."

"But aren't you getting a little old for this
weightlifting stuff?" he asked.

"I'm older, but training keeps me young,"
I told him.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 60."

And that's when I got the "are you kidding
me?" looks.  That's because I don't look 60.
Which is part of what I mean about weight
training keeping you young.

Bob Hoffman was saying this back in the 1930's,
but scientists, physicians and everyone else didn't
believe him. In fact, the conventional wisdom back
then was that weight training would probably kill
you.

Everyone other than Bob Hoffman and a small
handful of others told you NOT to do it.

As in, NEVER.

Not under ANY circumstances.

Bob Hoffman was right - weight training keeps you young!

And that anti-weight training bias lasted a very
long time. It was still around when I was in high
school. Many of the coaches refused to let their
athletes train with weights. They thought it would
ruin them.

But recent research has established that Hoffman
was right.

Weight training -- or any kind of progressive
strength training -- is good for you. It keeps
you strong, fit and healthy at any age. And it's
probably the best thing around for older adults.
Recent research has confirmed the following:

1. Progressive weight training increases bone
density and bone strength in older adults.

2. Progressive weight training improves balance,
mobility and coordination in older adults.

3. Muscular strength is associated with a 30 to
40 percent decrease in cancer mortality among
older men.

4. Progressive strength training improves brain
function in older adults.

6. Muscle mass is associated with healthy aging
and lower mortality in older men -- and weight
training helps you build or maintain muscle mass
at any age.

7. Progressive strength training stimulates your
body's production of male hormones -- and
maintaining high levels of male hormones helps
keep you young, strong, vigorous and healthy.

In other words, the medical world is discovering
"what Iron Slingers have known for many years --
and what Bob Hoffman wrote about back in the
1930's:

Progressive strength training is the best
thing in the world for older adults.

So give yourself a pat on the back for having
figured this out before the science honchos --
and keep on training!

It doesn't take much to stay in great shape at any age - a barbell and a place to lift it is a complete gym.

Oh, and before I forget, here are three more
reasons to keep on hitting the iron:

8. It's fun.

9. It makes you feel better.

10. It makes you younger and stronger --
because strength is life, and stronger is
younger.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best book
ever written on effective strength training for
anyone in the age 35 and up category:

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

I also did a terrific mini-course with an all-new
workout for older trainees. It's available in PDF
with immediate electronic download:

http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.html

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Lifting iron
keeps you from rusting away." -- Brooks
Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html