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| The Peanut Brigade has been telling me to slow down, back off and start acting my age. That won't happen very soon. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I got an email from a guy who said -
and I quote:
"I don't think you should do Olympic
lifting any more.
I don't think anyone over 50
should do snatches and cleans.
They're not safe.
You should stick to bodybuilding
now."
Okay, so let's talk about that.
First of all, I'm 60, and I'm a father
x 3 and a grandfather x 2, and I'm
old enough to do what I want to do
when I train.
Second, I do Olympic lifting in part
because I enjoy the athleticism of
the lifts. Simply put, they're FUN
to do. They FEEL good.
Go back and reread yesterday's
email about doing things that you
like to do. That's very important
if you plan to keep training from
now until the end of your days.
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| THINK when you train. Stay in the moment. Do everything possible to link your mind and your body. |
Third, Olympic lifting does a lot
of very good things for me:
1. It builds muscle.
2. It works my legs, hips and
back really hard.
3. It requires balance, coordination
and mobility.
4. It requires fast footwork.
5. It requires flexibility.
6. It requires deep concentration
and focus while moving at a fast
speed.
6a. Think what that does to
integrate and link your mind
and your muscles.
6b. And your neurological system.
6c. Note that throughout this list
the word requires" really means
"both requires and develops/
maintains."
7. It builds bone density and bone
strength.
Is it dangerous?
No more so than anything else - and
probably much less than most things.
Remember three things.
First, I know how to do the lifts and I
drill all the time to work my form and
technique. Obviously, if you don't know
how to do the lifts, you start by finding
a qualified coach and getting some
instruction.
Second, I never sacrifice form and
technique to lift more weight. In other
words, I train heavy but not too heavy.
Third, Olympic lifting is controlled and
precise lifting. It is a form of gymnastics
with a barbell. Unless you perform the
lifts properly - which means UNDER
CONTROL - you can't lift very
much.
Many people confuse speed with loss
of control. They assume you need to
move slowly in order to control the
weight.
That may be true when applied to curls,
but it's not at all true as applied to a
snatch or a clean and jerk.
And that takes us back to point no. 6,
above. When you do Olympic lifting,
you move at a fast speed, but you
move like an athlete, and you
CONTROL the weight through
the entire movement.
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| Strive for perfection on every rep and every lift in every workout. |
That means your concentration and
focus is 100% all the way from start
to finish. And that's what makes the
lifts feel so good -- and what makes
them so very valuable.
So, here's the question:
Am I going to listen to Mr. Know It
All Busy-Body and stop doing Olympic
lifting just because he doesn't think
I should do it?
Answer:
Not for a second!
I assume YOU agree - and I assume
that if YOU have the very same
answer when the Peanut Brigade
tries to tell YOU what to do or not
to do.
After all, you're a Dinosaur!
Dinosaurs train heavy - and they
use the big exercises - but they
also train smart.
And the rest of the world doesn't
"get" what we're doing.
All of which is THEIR problem -
not OURS!
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 best book ever written for
older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 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: "Train
hard, but train smart - and be in it
for the long haul." - Brooks Kubik
We
have over 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle
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