Is the Bar Half Loaded or Half Empty?

A classic photo of weightlifter Bernie Baron from back in the early 1940's. Bernie was a very strong man (and a very well-developed man), but he never won the Senior National Weightlifting Championship or the Mr. America title. Nevertheless, he trained hard and heavy - and I bet he had tons of fun in his workouts!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

You've probably heard it many times.

The optimist and the pessimist look at
a glass of water that's filled right to the
halfway mark.

The optimist thinks the glass is half full.

The pessimist thinks the glass is half
empty.

It's the same when they look at a
barbell loaded with plates - but not
loaded with every possible plate.

The optimist thinks the bar is half
loaded.

The pessimist thinks the bar is half
empty.

How you look at the bar determines
how you look at yourself - how you
look at your training - how much
you enjoy your training - and how
much satisfaction you get from
your workouts.

I think it's very important to try to
improve your current level of
strength and lifting ability - but
it's also important to give yourself
a pat on the back for what you've
accomplished.

Always remember - you may not be
the strongest man in the world - but
you're a heck of a lot stronger than
most people!

And, most importantly, you're a heck
of a lot stronger than you would be
if you didn't train.

So keep on training - keep on gaining -
and stay hungry - but also recognize
that you've done a pretty good job so
far.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you ever need a major dose of
kick-in-the-pants motivation, as well as
tons of strength training advice, grab
the original little blue monster - the one
they call the "Bible of strength training":

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day:

"Climb the mountain, but enjoy the
journey."

- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Special Advice for Older Dinos

Having fun, and hitting it hard at age 60. Older Dinos need to keep on training - but they need to train smart. There's no time for the silly stuff.

 
Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Many of you fall into the "older Dino"
category, so I thought I'd share some
training tips for older trainees.

These tips probably apply to everyone,
at any age - but they're particularly
important for older Dinos.

1. Keep training. If you stop, it's really
tough to get back into it -- and it will
take a l-o-n-g time to get back to your
previous levels of strength and condition.
It's much better to start and stay with it.

a. If for any reason you must take an
extended lay-off, get back into your
training slowly, progressively and
intelligently. Don't try to jump right
back into things. Take your time and
build back up.

b. The worst thing you can do is to
stop training, get out of shape, and
then jump into a super program and
hurt yourself.

2. Do what you like best. For me, that's
Olympic weightlifting. For others, it's
powerlifting, strongman training, body-
weight exercises, stone lifting, heavy
sandbags, power bodybuilding, muscle
control, kettlebells or power rack work.

a. You're old enough to know what you
like -- so do it!

3. Dress for success. Wear good lifting shoes
when you train. Keep your muscles warm.
Wear sweats. If your knees hurt, use knee
sleeves.

3a. Tiger Balm can be your best friend.

4. Work around the sore spots. If a particular
exercise hurts -- and ALL older trainees have
at least one exercise that hurts -- find a
substitute.

5. If squats are a problem -- and they are
for many older trainees -- try the Trap Bar
deadlift. It's one of the great training tools
for anyone, but it's especially good for older
trainees.

5a. I like the Gerard Trap Bar -- the ORIGINAL
Trap Bar designed by engineer and powerlifter,
Al Gerard. You can get it from John Wood, who
also offers some excellent Trap Bar training
guides:

http://www.trapbartraining.com

6. Work on strength, but don't neglect speed,
power, balance, coordination, timing, flexibility
and mobility. You need it all to age with success.
6a. Also, do some cardio training!

6b. See Gray Hair and Black Iron for special
advice on effective cardio training for older
Dinos.

7. Watch your weight! Don't let the Lard Lumps
pile up -- and if you already have them, get rid
of them. Nothing ages you faster than Lard
Lumps.

7a. See Knife, Fork, Muscle for diet and
nutrition tips:

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

8. Stay active. The more you move, and the
more often you move, the better. Try to do
something physical every day -- not heavy
training or hard cardio, but something
physical, even if it's just walking the dog
or working in the garden.

9. Forget about what you lifted when you
were younger, and focus on what you can
lift NOW -- and then work to increase your
current best.

9a. The idea is to get better, not older.

9b. Very few people "get" this - and even
fewer are able to do it.

9c. If you can do it, you're doing really
well.

10. Use abbreviated workouts and simple
cycling systems, as detailed in Gray Hair
and Black Iron. The right kind of training
and the right kind of workout is critical for
an older trainee.

There you have it -- ten training tips for
older Dinos. I hope they help -- and I hope
they keep you going strong for many years
to come.

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 Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"Getting older is easy. The hard part
is staying young."

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Did Hi-Proteen Kill Bob Hoffman?

If you're my age or older, you probably remember Hoffman's Hi-Proteen powder and Hi-Proteen tablets. (Not a typo, that's how it was spelled.) You were supposed to gain one pound of muscle for every dollar you spent on Hi-Proteen - but that never happened for me.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in the early 1950's, everyone started
selling protein powder.

A guy in Chicago named Irving Johnson
started the craze. He later moved to
Beverly Hills and changed his name to
Rheo H. Blair.

He made so much money selling protein
powder that everyone who published a
weight training magazine decided they
needed to do the same thing.

Bob Hoffman did it - Joe Weider did it -
and even Peary Rader did it (for a short
period of time - and then he - thankfully -
stopped).

Hoffman called his protein powder Hi-
Proteen. (Not a typo - that's how they
spelled it).

The stuff was made out of soybeans,
which were being hailed as a super food -
even though, prior to that time, soybeans
had been used almost exclusively for
animal feed here in the USA.

But the bodybuilding world began using
them for humans - as a food supplement -
and before you knew it, pretty much every-
one who lifted weights had tried the stuff
at least once.

There was a relentless advertising campaign
for all the protein powders. We were bom-
barded with articles telling us we needed
to eat more and more protein.

Three square meals a day weren't enough.

You needed six high-protein meals a day.

You needed to take protein powder at
every meal.

If you were extremely underweight and
skinny (as most beginners were), you
needed to guzzle a gallon of milk loaded
with protein powder every day.

For good measure, you were supposed
to take a thermos of high protein shake
to the gym and glug it in-between sets.

And just to be on the safe side, you were
supposed to carry high protein tablets in
your pocket and eat them like candy all
day long - just to be sure you didn't go
a single minute without an adequate
supply of protein. You didn't want to
start shrinking and lose all your gains!

I remember trying all of the different
protein powders when I was a kid.

MAN, DID THEY TASTE BAD!

A pair of dirty soaks boiled in swamp
mud would have tasted better.

If you ever tried them, you know what
I mean.

Bob Hoffman always said he ate
more Hi-Proteen than any man
who ever lived.

I don't know if that's true or not, but
if he did, it probably killed him.

That's also why - to this day - I steer
clear of any protein supplements. Been
there, done that - and don't want to do
it again.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover diet and nutrition for strength
training and muscle building in Knife,
Fork, Muscle. Go here to grab a copy:

Hard-copy

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

We're also releasing Knife, Fork, Muscle in
a series of Kindle e-books. The first three
books in the e-book series are right here;
book 4 in the e-book series is coming soon:

Knife, Fork, Muscle, Kindle e-book 1

(covers protein for strength training -- how
much, the best sources of high-quality
protein, etc.)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle01_kindle.html

Knife, Fork, Muscle, Kindle e-book 2

(covers healthy and unhealthy carbs,
vegetables, starchy vegetables, grain
and gluten issues, organic foods, and
gardening)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle02_kindle.html 

 Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 3
(covers healthy and unhealthy fats,
food and chemical allergies, and the
importance of allergy-free diets)

http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle03_kindle.html 

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"Heavy iron and real food works
pretty darn well."
 
- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Answers to Your Training Questions!

Earle Liederman personally answered tens of thousands of training questions from men and boys around the world - or did he?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in the early 1920's, a mail order
musclebuilding mogul named Earle
Liederman was so popular that his
office was flooded with hundreds
(or even thousands) of training
questions every single week.

He answered each and every one
of them - sort of.

The story goes that Liederman had
a huge office with a roomful of sec-
retaries, each seated in front of an
old-fashioned manual typewriter.

They had pre-written, "canned"
answers to all of the most common
training questions that came in the
door.

"How can I build bigger arms?"

"How can I gain weight?"

"How can I lose weight?"

"How can I reduce the size of
my stomach?"

"How can I do more pull-ups?"

"How can I build my _______
(fill in the blank with any part
of the body).

"How can I get stronger?"

"How can I cure my colds (or
headaches, constipation or a
host of other common
ailments)?"

The secretaries used the canned
answers to respond to virtually
every letter that Liederman
received.

And some say that each letter
was even signed with a big, bold
powerful signature befitting the
number one physical culture
director in the world.

A strong, manly signature.

Copied perfectly by one of the
petite secretaries.

It's nearly 100 years later, and I
get tons and tons of training
questions. Not as many as Earle
Liederman, but plenty. And I don't
have any army of secretaries to
give pre-packaged answers.

For many years, I tried to answer
all the questions that I received.

And I did it for free - without any
charge.

But it's getting harder and harder
to do. There just aren't enough
hours in the day. And I have many
other things I need to keep the
Dino business healthy and strong.

As I see it, there are a couple of
options:

1. Charge for answers to training
questions.

a. In other words, you shoot in a
question, pay for it in advance,
and get a personalized answer.

b. This isn't my no. 1 choice by
any means, but if enough of you
want it, we can make it happen.

2. Answer training questions in my
Strength Training Q and A courses,
which is great because it means that
all of you get the benefit of seeing
the answer.

It also means that you can get the
answer to your question for the cost
of the course - which is a pretty good
deal.

a. I've actually finished one course in
the series - with answers to 15
different training questions - and
you can grab it right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool-qanda.html

b. The second course in the series
is at the printer - and should be
printed and ready to mail to you
next week. It covers - get this -
20 different training questions.

c. Be looking for an order link to
grab course no. 2 very, very
soon.

3. Do a weekly podcast that
covers each week's training
questions.

a. If we did this, it would be a one
hour podcast, with a download link
for those who miss the live broad-
cast - and there would be a small
charge for it, since we'd have to
cover both my time and the various
hosting, technical and production
costs.

b. We might also do a transcript of
the podcast and make it available
in PDF format. Not sure about the
cost and the technology, but it's
probably something we could do.

Anyhow, I'd like to know what
YOU would like to see.

Shoot me an email and let me know
which of these options you like -
and if you have other ideas, please
let me have them!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again for course
no. 1 in the Strength Training Q
and A series.

Note that it's available in your choice
of hard-copy, Kindle and PDF editions:

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool-qanda.html

P.S. 2. As I mentioned, course no. 2
in the series will be ready very, very
soon. Be looking for an email with
the order link.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

What Do You Want to Lift?

 

Reg Park began his training with a specific and definite goal - to win the Mr. Universe title. He went on to achieve his goal not once, but three separate times.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I was reading a book on diet and
nutrition by a medical doctor the
other night, and I saw something
that made me stop and think.

The doctor was talking about
things he always asked a new
patient.

Mostly, he asked questions.

"What do you want to improve?"

"What would you like to change?"

Things like that.

And he asked his readers a
similar question.

Fill in the blank:

"In one year, with regard to my
health, I would like to _______."

For example, one reader might
decide:

"In one year, with regard to my
health, I would like to lose 50
pounds."

Another reader might want to
run a marathon - or a mini-
marathon - or a 5 k race.

Someone else might want to
lower their blood pressure.

So it's a good question to get
people to focus on their most
important goal or goals.

I thought I'd ask each of you a
similar question.

Fill in the blank:

"In one year, I want to be lifting
______________.

Choose the exercise(s) and the
weight - and if it's for sets and
reps, fill in the sets and reps.

Send in your answer. I'll share
them with the Dino Nation.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If your goals include building
plenty of rugged strength and
power, my Doug Hepburn training
course will get you there FAST:

Hard-copy:

http://brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html

Kindle e-book

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

PDF
See the special section for PDF courses at
our products page:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day:

"In any endeavor, step one is to decide
what you want to achieve."

- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Getting Started (or Getting Back into It) the Right Way!

Brooklyn's John Davis started lifting at age 15 - and won the World Championship when he was 17!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Over the past week, I've received several
questions about training programs for
beginners - or for "off and on" trainees
who are getting back into it after a long
lay-off.

So I thought I'd share some quick tips
about what works - and what doesn't
work - for beginners.

These tips also apply to anyone who is
getting back into training after a long
lay-off.

1. Start light and easy.

a. There's no need to strain or struggle
at the beginning.

b. If you're a beginner, you are NOT ready
for hard training yet. You need to build
the foundation to handle it.

2. Use basic exercises, basic programs
and short workouts.

a. See Chalk and Sweat for effective
workouts for beginners:

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

a. Workouts should take 30 to 45 minutes.
b. Train at a comfortable pace. Don't
dawdle, but don't rush.

c. Focus on strength training, not on
cardio training.

3. Train three days per week, with a
day of rest after each workout - and
two days after every third workout.

a. The old M/W/F or T/Th/Sat schedule
is perfect.

4. Use barbells and dumbbells.

a. Nothing beats a simple, old-fashioned
110 pound barbell and dumbbell set for
beginners.

5. Use a simple progression system.

a. See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3,
for the specifics on the most effective
progression systems:

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

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

PDF with electronic delivery

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.html

6. Follow the right kind of diet to build strength
and muscle while reducing any unwanted flab.

a. See Knife, Fork, Muscle for details:

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

b. Don't waste time and money on supplements.
You don't need them.

7. Make regular training a habit. Never miss a
workout during your first 90 days of training.

a. If you DO miss a workout, then train the next
day and hit it back to back for two days in a row.

b. Regular, consistent training is the secret of
great results.

c. This is why you start light and easy,
why you use basic exercises and basic
programs, and why you use a simple
but regular progression system. All of
these things make it easier to stick to
your program.

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

Oh, and please do me a favor - share the
heck out of this email. It will help plenty
of newbies out there.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day:

"Start light and easy, and gradually
progress to heavy and hard."

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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