"Gently Used" Barbell for Sale

 

What's the definition of a "gently used" barbell - and is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Sprint on Over and Grab the January
Dinosaur Files!

The January Dinosaur Files is available right
here - and my goal is for everyone on the
email list to grab it - along with all the other
issues of The Dinosaur Files.

There's a tremendous amount of information
in each issue - along with some great training
programs - and it's an important addition to
your strength training library.

We're offering The Dinosaur Files in PDF format
so you can order, get the PDF by immediate
electronic delivery with no postage charges
and no waiting - and then print it out so you
have a hard-copy for your collection.

You can grab The Dinosaur Files right here:


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

Also -shoot me an email, and let me know how
you like this month's issue!

2. Join the Strength Secrets Facebook
Group!

John Wood has started a special, invitation only,
PRIVATE Facebook group - and it's for talking
about old-school strength training.

There's no political posts - no rants - no
trolls - no bots - no silliness - and none of
the Johnny Buffbody Beachboy stuff you see
in most other Facebook groups or forums.

No supplement talk or roidsky talk, either.

And none of that "Hey, you're over 40 - I've
got something to make you feel like a teenager
again, nudge, nudge, wink, wink" stuff. (I don't
know about you, but I get a lot of those now.)

Anyhow, it's a good group - for strength talk
only.

I'm a member, and I'm posting a lot of things
there - so it's a great way to stay current and
stay in touch.

Go here to apply for membership - and tell John
I sent you:

If John Grimek were alive today, I think he'd read The Dinosaur Files - and I bet he'd be a member of the Strength Secrets Facebook Group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

I look forward to seeing all of you in the new
group!

3. "Gently Used" Weight Set for Sale

I was checking out the local Marketplace ads,
looking for used barbell plates and dumbbells
and other fun stuff, and I saw an ad for a weight
set and weight bench.

Standard stuff - except the ad said it was for a
"gently used" barbell set.

And that made me stop and think.

What qualifies as a "gently used" barbell - and is
it a good thing or a bad thing?

On reflection, I think it's a good thing.

Back in the day, barbell sets were built to last.

And they did last - some for 20, 40, 50 or more
years.

For example . . .

Ron Walker set a British record in the military
press back in the early 1930's. It was in a special
contest with Germany's Joseph Manger, the World
and Olympic champion and the strongest man in the
World.

I've trained with the very same barbell that Walker
and Manger used in that contest.

It had seen plenty of action over the years - but it
was going strong more than 60 years after the big
contest.

And that's not an isolated event.

Some of us are still using the very same barbell
we used when we were kids - which for guys my
age means a barbell that's been doing the job for
well over 50 years - and a barbell that continues
to do the job.

And many of us have barbells that our fathers
used - or barbells that our grandfathers used.

Some of those barbells are close to 100 years
old - and they're doing just fine. (And so are
the guys and gals who are using them - what-
ever their age.)

My barbell gets plenty of use - but I treat it with the care and respect that it deserves.

"Gently used" means different things to different
people.

To some, it means a barbell that never got much
use. That's probably what most people mean.

To others, it means a barbell that got plenty of
use - but that was treated with care and respect
in every workout.

No dropping, no throwing, none of the stuff they
do in modern gyms or in selfie world.

A barbell that has been lifted for hundreds of
thousands or even millions of reps - but a
barbell that has been treated the right way
by everyone who ever touched it.

That's my definition of "gently used" - what is
yours?

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. Remember to grab the January issue of The
Dinosaur Files - and apply for membership in the
Strength Secrets Facebook Group:

The Dinosaur Files:

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

The Strength Secrets Facebook Group

Muscle Builder magazine from back in the 1950's had some terrific training articles - and plenty of old-school, real world strength secrets that are awfully hard to find nowadays.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

P.S. 2. Here's something else you'll like:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:

"Barbells are special. Treat them well. They
deserve it."

- 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 You Ever Use a BullWorker?

 

I always wanted a Bullworker, but I never got one. My parents bought me a barbell and dumbbell set instead. Today, 50 years later, I'm still using my barbell - hitting it hard, and having lots of fun!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. 10 Left!

I have TEN copies of Black Iron:
The John Davis Story.

I'm not going to reprint the book, so
these are the very last ones.

$34.95 plus shipping and handling -
email me if you want to order one.

This book is nearly 500 pages long,
and covers the life, lifting and training
of John Davis, two time Olympic gold
medal winner and six-time World
weightlifting champion. It's a MUST
HAVE for anyone interested in old
school strength training and Iron
Game history.

UPDATE: Sorry, we are all out of this
book now. A very big thank you to everyone
who grabbed a copy while it was available!

2. The Strength Training Q and A -
Vol. 2

The little monster is being printed
today - and it's a great little book.

It has detailed answers to 20 training
questions from Dinos around the
world.

Good stuff - tons of info - and lots
of great workouts.

I'll send an email with links to the
order page as soon as I can. Be
looking for it.

3. Did You Ever Use a Bullworker?

Do you remember the Bullworker
ads from the 1960's and 1970's?

It was a long metal tube with rubber
handgrips at each end, and two
rubber cables running down the
side.

You squeezed the tube - pulled on
the cables - and did exercises that
looked like partial curls, reverse
curls, lateral raises, upright rows,
and so on.

The ads featured a well-built guy
with upper arms popping out of
his t-shirt, so you knew it must
be good.

The ads also said the Bullworker
combined isometric and isotonic
exercise.

Language like that was all the
rage back then - and for a skinny
kid like me, it was hard to resist.

I mean, we all knew isometrics
were great - and so were isotonics
(whatever those were) - but put
them together, and WOW!

You'd have something unbeatable.

But I never got one.

Too expensive for a kid on a 25
cents a week allowance. That was
barely enough money to buy base-
ball cards.

Instead, I talked my parents in to
buying me a 110-pound barbell set
for my birthday - and that turned
out to be much better.

There used to be tons of exercise
gadgets similar to the Bullworker.

Iron horseshoes - the Chest-o-Flex -
and various isometric exercisers.

They were okay for limited range
upper body stuff - especially for
arm work - but they didn't give
you any real options for training
your legs and back. As a result,
none of them did very much to
build serious strength and
muscle mass.

That 110-pound barbell set was
a heck of a lot better - and even
today, 50 years later, it's pretty
hard to beat barbells and dumb-
bells for all-around strength and
muscle building.

Which is what I'll be doing later
today - using my barbell, and
hitting it hard out in the drive-
way in back of our duplex.

Heck, it's been 50 years now -
half a century - and the workouts
are still fun, still productive and
still effective. And that tells you
something very important about
barbells.

Of course, if I ever spot an old
Bullworker for sale, I might have
to go ahead and buy it.

Just because.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Chalk and Sweat gives you 50
great barbell and dumbbell workouts.

Go here to grab the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.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. 2. Thought for the Day:

"Barbells and dumbbells are about
as old-school as you can get - but
they're still pretty darn effective!"

- 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

What's Your Single Favorite Piece of Training Equipment?

One corner of my garage gym, a/k/a The Dinosaur Dungeon.  My stepson made the wooden plate rack by the back wall.  It works pretty well.  My Olympic barbell is on a homemade lifting platform -- and the platform works pretty well, too.  You don't need fancy to get a great workout.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Dino Training on Instagram!

I'm on Instagram now, and I'm posting
lots of fun photos and videos. Head on
over and take a look:

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

I'm also on Facebook at "Brooks Kubik" and
on Twitter at Brooks_Kubik or #brookskubik
and #dinosaurtraining. These are all great
ways to stay in touch, so check them out.

2. The Iron League

My buddy, John Wood, is putting more and
more great stuff up at The Iron League.
If you're not already a member, head on
over and take a look:

http://www.ironleague.com/

Some of the new stuff at The Iron League
includes some great issues of Peary Rader's
wonderful Lifting News magazine -- which
covered strength and power training in even
greater detail than Iron Man magazine.

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

2. Adjustable squat stands or a power
rack

3. Lifting platform

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 20 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

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

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

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

***********************************************************************************

Try this Barbell Only Strength and Conditioning Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yesterday's message re: my three exercise
combination (squat clean or power clean,
front squat, and an overhead lift of your
choice) got plenty of great feedback.

One of our readers does a similar exercise
combination, but he uses higher reps --
which makes it a heck of a conditioning
workout.

He follows it up with 5 x 5 in the deadlift,
which is a heck of a strength and mass
builder.

So when he puts it together, he has an
all-barbell strength and conditioning
workout that is hard to beat.

He wrote:

"Hi Brooks,

Thanks for sharing the workout.

I do a simple variant of it where
one rep consists of (a) cleaning
the bar (I use power cleans),
(b) performing a front squat,
and (c) pressing the bar.

I try to do 8 to 10 reps in each
set. When I can do 8 reps or more,
I add weight.

Four or five sets of 8 to 10 reps,
followed by 5 x 5 in the deadlift,
would comprise my entire workout
for the day.

Soumendra"

To everyone -- that sounds like a
terrific workout, Give it a try and let
me know how you like it.

To Soumendra -- thanks for sharing.
I'm sure we'll be having plenty of
Dinos around the world giving your
workout a try!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I have plenty of other conditioning
workouts (as well as strength and muscle
mass workouts) in these books:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "It's not easy,
but it's not rocket science." -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Barbells vs. Nautilus Machines -- Who Wins?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes and then we'll talk training.

1. The Dinosaur Files quarterly

Issue no. 2 is out -- and it's getting great feedback
from readers. Go here to grab it:

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

2. Physical Culture Radio

I'll be co-hosting Physical Culture Radio at 12:00
noon EST tomorrow. Catch us live or listen to the
download at your convenience. Find us here on
Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio network:

http://superhumanradio.com/

We've had two shows already, which you can
download from the archives. Give them a try --
I think you'll like them!

BTW, we're answering questions from readers,
so send them on in and we'll see if we can
answer them on air.

3. Dinosaur Training on Kindle

We have two Dinosaur Training courses available
in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book --
with more to come. The Kindle option is a big
favorite with many Dinos -- so many that both
courses have been Amazon Top 10 best sellers
in their category.

The Dinosaur Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course is right here:

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

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

My new course, Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, is right here -- there are separate
order buttons for the hard-copy and the
Kindle e-book:

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

If you grab one of the Kindle e-books, please
post a review. They really help us.

And now -- let's talk training.

Over the years, you may have noticed that
people LOVE to argue about the merits of
barbells vs. exwercise machines.

If we didn't have this to argue about, half the
training forums in cyber-land would lose all
of their readers overnight.

And we'd lose half the flame wars -- and
two thirds of the trolls -- and the avatars
probably wouldn't be nearly as good.

But rather than argue about it, let me share
my personal training results with an all-barbell
program and an all-Nautilus program.

And then YOU can make your own decisions
about the whole "barbells vs. machines"
debate.

So here's what happened in my own case.

When I was in college, I trained on an all-
Nautilus program for several years. I weighed
about 155 pounds (at 5'9") when I started
college.

Over the next two or three years, my weight
went up to 165 pounds and then plateaued.

I started training at home with an all barbell
program.

My weight went up to 175 or 180 pounds.

I took an out-of-town job one summer, was
not able to train, and had very little to eat
because I was trying to save money for
school.

During that summer, my weight dropped to
165 pounds. I viewed that as my "no training
and not much food weight."

I started law school that Fall, and was able
to train again, using an all barbell program.
I also was able to eat in the school cafeteria,
so I had three square meals a day.

My weight went up to 180 pounds in a couple
of months.

During my third year of law school, I was very
busy with classes and was working a couple of
part time jobs -- and not training very much --
and not eating very much, because I didn't
have much money for food.

My weight dropped back to -- you guessed it --
165 pounds.

I graduated from law school, got a job in
Louisville, started training at a local gym
that had nothing but barbells and dumbbells,
and started to eat better -- and my weight
went up to 180 pounds again very quickly.

Then we moved, and for the next year I trained
at a nearby Nautilus club.

After one year at the Nautilus club, I stepped
onto the scales.

My weight had dropped back down to 165
pounds.

My "no training and not much food weight."

I quit the Nautilus club, went back to the
barbell gym, and my weight shot back up
to 180 pounds.

From there, it went up to 225 pounds --
but that's a different story. I cover it in
Strength, Muscle and Power and Knife,
Fork, Muscle -- and in Dinosaur Training
Secrets, Vol. 1.

Anyhow, I don't bother to read the stuff
on the interweb forums about barbells vs.
exercise machines. I know what works for
me.

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. I mentioned Strength, Muscle and
Power and Knife, Fork, Muscle. You can
find them right here:

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

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's easy to
make mistakes. What's hard is to learn from
them." -- Brooks Kubik

*******************************************

A Barbell Christmas!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We had a barbell Christmas here
at Dino Headquarters.

My daughter - who's a heck of an
artist - gave me a drawing of Doug
Hepburn. It now hangs in the sun
room where I can see it every
morning when I eat breakfast.
Good inspiration for heavy
lifting.

Trudi gave me a couple of books
about training injuries, taping,
and trigger point therapy. Good
stuff to help keep an older Dino
in one piece.

She also gave me a book about the
evolution of the human body. It
should give some good insights
into optimum nutrition. And it
might help me understand how
Dinos - meaning you and me -
fit into the scheme of things.

I gave Trudi some new bumper plates
for her auxiliary gym in the
basement. She'll have lots of fun
with them.

One of the sons has set up a home
gym in his garage. We gave him and
his wife (who also trains) some
bumper plates and some rubber
matting. They'll put it to good
use.

But the best present of all was
an old - circa 1962 - kiddie barbell
and dumbbell set. It uses short
lengths of pipe for the bars, and
the plates are hollow plastic,
sized to be the same as old time
cast iron exercise plates. The
idea is to load them with water,
and later, with sand, as the kid
grows stronger. You can adjust them
from one pound to 22 pounds.

The barbell set went to the five year
old granddaughters, although we keep
it here so they can train in our
living room when they come to
see us.

And before anyone objects and says
that they're too young to lift weights,
please understand - they'll be using
nothing but the empty plates for a
long, long time. It's about the same
as lifting a large doll or a medium
sized teddy bear. 

Now, here's the neat part.

I competed in a small, local weight-
lifting contest on December 15 - and
we brought the granddaughters and
let them watch the meet.

It was the first time they'd seen a
live contest. The only other lifting
they had seen was me in the garage
every once in awhile, and the U.S.
National Championships live-streamed
back in the summer.

They liked watching the Nationals -
especially when "the girls" (their term,
not mine) were lifting. They thought it
was cool to see the girls lift more
(as they saw it) than the boys. They
also liked the outfits and the shoes.

At the local contest, there were three
lifters in the women's division. The
granddaughters paid careful attention
to them.

So back to Christmas morning. The girls
tore into their presents, and jumped up
and down when they saw the barbell.

"Do you know what that is?" asked Trudi.

"A barbell!" they shouted.

"Go ahead and lift it," said Trudi.

So granddaughter no. 1 reaches down and
grabs the bar - wide grip - and power
snatches it - then does an overhead
squat - goes all the way down - goes
back up - holds it overhead - and then
drops it down and forward onto the
platform, a/k/a the living room rug.

Then her sister power cleans the bar
and presses it overhead - and then
drops it onto the platform.

I think that means they were paying
attention at the contest.

The next time they're over here, we'll
start teaching them how to squat snatch.
And then we'll teach them the clean and
jerk.

Again, with virtually no weight. Just to
practice the movement. Heck, they're
almost there already - and that's after
seeing one little lifting contest.

I'll keep you updated on what happens.

In the meantime, and 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. John Davis got started in lifting at
age 15 - and two years later he won the
World championship. Read about his life
and his lifting in Black Iron, The John
Davis Story:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start them
young, and give them the gift of lifelong
strength and health." - Brooks Kubik

Squats or Deadlifts -- Which Is Better?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the great internet debates
is the classic "Which is better,
squats or deadlifts?"

It's been argued endlessly -- and
it will probably be argued forever.

I have a simple answer to the
question.

"They're both good exercises. Do
both."

The exception would be if you're
doing lots of cleans and snatches.
If that's the case, you're already
working your pulling muscles hard
and heavy, so there might not be
much to be gained from deadlifts.

But otherwise -- do deadlifts!

I prefer bent- legged deadlifts,
not stiff-legged deadlifts. And I
really like Trap Bar deadlifts.

I'll also note that deadlifts from
the knees -- performed in a power
rack or using lifting blocks --
can be a very effective strength
builder. Work them into your
program and see what happens.

On the squat front, some people
can't do squats because of previous
injuries or because they don't have
squat stands or a power rack. If
that's the case, you may have no
choice other than sticking to
deadlifts. But most people can
do squats -- and they SHOULD do
squats.

And by the way, when it comes to
squats, I prefer full squats.

When I was a kid, the conventional
wisdom said that full squats were
bad for the knees and the lower
back. Everyone said that -- including
men who had plenty of great training
advice, like Peary Rader, who always
advocated parallel squats.

Rader thought that full squats were
too hard on the lower back. But I
think he got that idea because he
came from the era where they squatted
barefoot or in shoes without heels.
If you squat flat-footed, your lower
back is going to round when you do a
full squat -- and that's going to be
awfully hard on your spine.

I wear Olympic lifting shoes with a
high heel, and the high heel helps me
maintain an upright position for both
back squats and front squats. So I do
full squats -- all the way down -- with
a flat back. For my money, that's the
way to do them.

Of course, you do them the right way.
No drop and bounce stuff. Make it an
exercise, not a parachute drop or a
roller-coaster ride.

And PLEASE -- if you've not done full
squats before, treat them as a NEW
exercise. Take the time to learn the
movement -- and to develop your
flexibility and mobility. Work
into them slowly and gradually.

I'll be training tonight, and I'll
hit some clean and jerk and some high
pulls -- and then I'll finish things
off with front squats.

Gotta do those squats. They're one of
the best things you can do.

So back to the question: "Squats or
deadlifts?"

Answer: "Do both!"

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. I have some great strength and bulk
programs in Chalk and Sweat -- and they
include plenty of squats and deadlifts.
Check them out:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You can't
do everything, but you can do squats and
deadlifts." -- Brooks Kubik

Putting It All Together

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then let's talk
training:

1. We added a photo of the cover of the
new Dinosaur Military Press course to the
website -- if you haven't seen it yet,
take a look:

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

Note: Scroll down for it -- and if you don't
see it, hit the refresh or reload button
on your computer.

2. If you're interested in seeing a Dino
seminar in 2012, shoot me an email and let
me know -- and let me know where you live!

3. I'm looking for photos for the Feb issue of
The Dinosaur Files newsletter -- so if you have
some good training or competition photos (or
home gym photos, or photos of funky equipment),
send them in.

3A. I'm also looking for letters from readers
and articles from readers -- so shoot them on
in. Don't be shy! Dinos have TONS of valuable
information to share with their fellow Dinos!

On the training front, I'm getting tons of
questions from readers about combining body-
weight training with barbell and dumbbell
training (or with kettlebells or heavy, awkward
objects).

I cover this in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, and
I even prepared a special report that covers the
topic -- and I've been including it when I ship
readers their copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.

Here are some of the key points to consider:

1. Unless you're young and have enormous recovery
ability, you can't do heavy weight training two
or three times per week and then do bodyweight
work on your "off" days.

2. Consider mixing weight work and bodyweight work
in the same workout. Rest the next day, and then
train again.

3. If you do a barbell exercise and a bodyweight
exercise for the same muscle group(s), do the
barbell exercise first. For example, back squats
5 x 5 followed by bodyweight squats 1 x 100.

4. Be careful about overlapping barbell/dumbbell
and bodyweight exercises. For example, staggered
grip double rope pull-ups hit your biceps awfully
hard. If you do them, you don't need to do any
other arm (biceps) work.

5. Abbreviated training works well for barbell and
dumbbell work -- and it also works well with body-
weight work. I've gotten tremendous workouts in 30
or 35 minutes using weights OR using bodyweight
exercises.

6. Do cardio work after your strength work or on
off days, and note that bodyweight training can
take the place of cardio if you train fast or
include exercises such as bodyweight squats
(which will kick your breathing into over-drive).

7. Remember to make your training PROGRESSIVE --
whether you are hitting the iron or using heavy,
awkward objects, or doing bodyweight exercises.

7A. Progression is the name of the game!

For more detail, grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:

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

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. Remember to shoot me an email if you'd like to
see a Dinosaur Training seminar come to your neck of
the woods -- and let me know where you live and where
you could travel to see a seminar!

P.S. 2. You can find all of my books, courses, DVD's,
The Dinosaur Files newsletter (and much more) right
here at Dinosaur Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Variety is the spice of
life, but hard work on basic exercises is tough to beat."
-- Brooks Kubik

10 Tips for Building Strength and Muscle!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let me share 10 tips for building strength
and muscle. Some of them may be familiar to
you, and some may be new -- but they're all
good to keep "top of the mind" as you go
into the new year:

1. To Gain Mass, Build Strength.

If you want to get bigger, add weight to the
bar. If you get stronger -- and I mean MUCH
STRONGER -- you'll increase your muscle mass.

2. Concentrate on Leg and Back Training.

Leg and back training stimulates gains in
strength and muscle throughout the entire body.
You don't get big by doing endless sets of arm
exercises!

3. Maximize Your Recovery!

Your muscles don't gain strength and mass during
a workout. The purpose of a workout is stimulate
gains in strength and muscle mass. After that
happens, you need to REST -- meaning that you
don't train for at least 48 hours. During the
rest period, your body recovers form the workout
and over-compensates by growing a little bit
bigger and stronger.

4. Don't Skip Your Warmups!

A good 10 or 15 minute warmup will get you ready
for a great workout. Get into the warmup habit
NOW! (Note: This is especially important for
older lifters.)

5. Stand on Your Feet!

The best and most effective exercises are ones
where you stand on your feet and lift. (Squats,
front squats, deadlifts, Trap Bar deadlifts,
presses, etc.) 90% of your training should be
"ground-based" training (meaning, you should be
standing on your feet, not sitting down or lying
on a bench).

6. Thick Bars!

Use thick bars to build ferocious gripping power!

7. Sandbags, Etc!

Heavy awkward objects -- sandbags, barrels, kegs,
rocks, logs, etc. -- give your muscles a unique
challenge. Work them into your program from time
to time.

8. Expect to Succeed!

Your mind controls what happens to your body -- and
if you go into your workouts expecting great results,
it will happen.

9. Concentrate!

When you train, you must give every rep of every
exercise your total, complete, absolute, undivided
attention. Block out everything else. Focus ONLY on
the rep. The gym could catch on fire and you wouldn't
know it until your set was over!

10. Perfect Form!

Exercises are designed to be done one particular way --
the right way! Anything less than perfect form will
reduce your results. Always aim for perfection on
every single rep -- even your warmups!

So there you are -- 10 tips for strength training and
muscle building. Keep them top of mind for 2012 --
and make this year the very best training year ever!

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 details on effective strength training
and muscle building, grab any of my books and courses --
or my DVD's -- or the Dinosaur Files newsletter:

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

P.S. 2. If you've not already done so, be sure to reserve
your copy of the new Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course:

http://brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If at first you do succeed,
harder work is what you need." -- Bob Hoffman

Happy Birthday to a Super Dino!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Paul Murray sent me an email last night
in which he said:

"Tonight I complete 59 earthly years and
start no. 60 tomorrow. Never thought I'd
see it, but it beats the alternative. Hard
to believe, really. My wife, my dogs and
the weights don't seem to mind, so why
should I?"

That makes it Paul Murray's birthday today --
so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Paul!

And now, let me tell you a little bit about
him. pay attention, because Paul's story is
much like that of many Dinosaurs (me included).

Ex wrestler in high school and college.

Grew up on Strength and Health, Muscular
Development and Peary Rader's old IronMan
magazine.

Did lots and lots of old-school heavy training.
Discovered that it worked GREAT for his wrestling.
(Even when the coaches said it would make him
slow and muscle-bound.)

Got side-tracked by supplement ads and glitz
and glamor, bomb, blast and blitz magazines. Tried
their routines. Discovered they didn't work.

Went back to his old-school training. Has stayed
with it ever since.

BIG FAN of the split style snatch and split style
clean. Preferred Olympic lifting when the lifters
used the split style.

Used to train high school athletes, and make them
do lots of split style snatches and split style
cleans. They pretended to hate it, but they really
loved it -- and made great gains.

Trains at home. Trains outside whenever he can. If
it rains or snows, he goes into his barn and trains
there.

Has a great collection of barbells and dumbbells,
along with many homemade plates and bars he found
at junk yards, scrap yards and construction jobs.
Loves to find worthy pieces of old iron and
refurbish them for his lifting.

When he was younger, wanted to look like a particular
bodybuilding champion who was in all the magazines.
(I won't give the man's name, but you'd know him.)
Never ended up looking like him. Doesn't care. Learned
long ago that it doesn't matter. What matters, is
that you get our and train -- and that you keep
at it.

Insists on having FUN when he trains. Always tells
me to remind readers to MAKE IT FUN!

Subscribes to the world-famous DINOSAUR FILES
newsletter. Thinks that all Dinos should do so.

Grows fresh veggies in his home garden. His wife
makes award winning salsa and other goodies. The
salsa works hand in hand with the weights to keep
him young.

So that's the story of Paul Murray -- a 60 year old
Dino who's been hitting the Iron for something like
half a century -- and who keeps on going strong.

Happy birthday, Paul! Let's see you hit another 50
or 60 of them -- and keep on lifting for each and
every year!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you're interested in split style lifting, see
my new DVD, GOING STRONG AT 54:

http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html

P.S. 2. If you're looking for some great training ideas
and some hard-hitting, super-effective training programs,
grab any or all of the following books and courses:

A. Dinosaur Training: Lost secrets of Strength and
Development:

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

B. Strength, Muscle and Power:

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

C. Chalk and Sweat:

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

D. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained: Doug
Hepburn:

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

E. Dinosaur Arm Training:

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

F. Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

G. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training (order NOW to get the
pre-publication bonus when it ships in mid-November):

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

H. Back issues (May 2010 - April 2011) of the Dinosaur Files
newsletter:

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

I. Current subscriptions (May 2011 - April 2012) of the
Dinosaur Files newsletter:

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

Barbells vs. Mouthwash!

I was gargling with a popular brand of mouthwash
this morning, and I noticed that the bottle said
it had 33 uses.

That surprised me, because I use mouthwash to
gargle, and I can't think of anything else to
use it for.

It wouldn't work very well as barbecue sauce,
salad dressing or soup stock -- and if you can
use it as oven or window cleaner, I'm not sure
I want to be gargling with it.

Then, I thought, "The guys who make mouthwash
probably think they're pretty smart to find so
many ways to use it."

And then I thought -- "Barbells are better."

Think of how many different ways you can use a
barbell.

You can do heavy power rack training, as I teach
in Dinosaur Training and in Strength, Muscle and
Power.

You can use a barbell for all kinds of different
cardio training -- as covered in Gray Hair and
Black Iron.

You can use a barbell to lift heavy weights for
many sets of low reps -- and for singles -- as
detailed in History's Strongest Men and How They
Trained (Vol. 1) Doug Hepburn.

You can use the old York Courses, and the Simplified
System of Training, as described in the Legacy of
Iron books.

You can use a barbell to build crushing grip-power
and fingers like iron claws -- and I give you the
step by step, how to do it in Strength, Muscle and
Power.

You can do John Grimek's special leg training program
(a barbell only program) and build strength and
power faster than a heard of elephants can stomp a
mud hut into last year's vacation photo -- and I
tell you how in Chalk and Sweat.

33 uses for mouthwash?

Phooie!

Barbells have them beat hands down!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I don't sell barbells, but I do offer the very
best books and courses about how to use them. They're
right here at Dino Headquarters:

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