The Best Cardio Workout for Older Dinos

When you're big as a house (like Mr. Universe, Reg Park, pictured above) and you do plenty of heavy strength training, you need a special kind of cardio training.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk about
cardio training for older Dinos - or really,
for Dinos of any age.

1. It's Here - the Sept-Oct Dino Files!

The Sept-Oct issue of The Dinosaur
Files is available in PDF format with
immediate electronic delivery.

Go here to grab the little monster - and
get ready to enjoy some serious, super
inspiring and extremely valuable tips on
no-nonsense strength training and
muscle building:

Sept-Oct Dino Files (PDF)

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

And, of course, let me know how you
like this issue!

2. The Best Cardio Workout for Older
Dinos

I've been getting tons of questions from
readers about how to combine strength
training with cardio training.

Most of them come from older Dinos --
and they're asking how to program sprints,
hill sprints, long distance running, finishers,
prowler pushes, high rep bodyweight work
or high rep kettlebell swings.

So here's the bottom line -- and as always,
I'm going to be perfectly blunt.

Most of the "cardio training" that you see on
the interwebs or in the magazines isn't going
to work very well for you.

That's because you're a strength athlete --
and strength athletes require a different
kind or cardio -- especially if they're older
trainees. 

Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to
get results and NOT doing so much cardio
that you affect your strength training or
your recovery ability.

You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear
and tear on your joints.

And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of us), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of us).

I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds
are hardly going to work for a 60 year old
who weighs 220 pounds.

And if strength training is your preferred
form of exercise, and it's important to you
to squat, deadlift, pull, push and press hard
and heavy -- then face it, too much cardio
work is going to have a NEGATIVE effect
on your training.

I don't care how you program it, running
10 miles a day is going to cut your squat
and deadlift big time.

That's why very few (if any) top weightlifters
or powerlifters do much if any cardio. Lifting
heavy iron is their job, and they don't want
to do anything that will hurt their lifting.

But still, there are benefits to doing cardio
work -- especially for older trainees.

So here's a middle of the road position --
although you should avoid the middle of
the road when you do it.

Try walking.

In many respects, walking is a perfect cardio
exercise for guys who do lots of squatting,
pulling and pushing.

It's easy to do.

You can do it pretty much anywhere.

It doesn't require any special equipment
other than a good pair of shoes.

You can start as easy as you want, and build
up gradually over time.

It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless
you go nuts and overdo it).

For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg, back or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as
long as you wear good shoes and you start
slow and easy and build up the speed and
the distance g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y.

Of course, if you have any kind of health
issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- then check with your
doctor before starting a walking program.

Note: "Gradually" means "slowly, steadily,
sensibly and progressively." It does not, as
many believe, mean "overnight" or "
"immediately."

Many doctors -- including at least one former
Surgeon General of the United States --
believe that 30 minutes of daily walking is
one of the very best things you can do for
your health and fitness.

Bernarr McFadden believed the same thing.
He was such a big fan of walking that he
even wrote a book about it. He titled it
"The Walking Cure." Good title.

There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio
training that you can try. I detail them in
Gray Hair and Black Iron. It will give
you tons of tips on effective cardio training
for older Dinos and for strength athletes.

But start by walking. It's good for you.

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

And remember to grab the Sept-Oct issue of
The Dinosaur Files. You can read it after
you go for that walk we were talking about.

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 - 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. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"Shoes on feet, and feet on the ground,
makes a darn good cardio workout."

-- Brooks Kubik

Before You Leave - Check These Out! 

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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

The No Time to Train Workout

Even when you're super-busy and Life is hitting you hard and heavy from all directions, there's always time for a fast, fun, effective workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

There's a time in your life when you
have all the time in the world for
training.

You go to the gym and hit the iron
for hours - and then you go back
and do it again the next day.

That's usually when you're in your
teens (remember those days?) or
twenties.

It may or may not work - for most
trainees, it doesn't work very well -
but my point is about having the
time for those long and frequent
workouts. Not about whether it's
a good idea - but whether you
have the time.

When you're young, you have the
time.

But then something called LIFE
jumps up and smacks you right
alongside the face like a wet
catfish.

You grow a little older - and things
change.

Everything changes.

You're married - working - maybe
working two jobs - or three jobs -
and possibly going to school on
top of it - and then the kids come -
and somehow, the time you have
for training dwindles down to
almost nothing at all.

If you're lucky, you can fit in two
or three abbreviated workouts
each week - but sometimes, you
don't even have time for that.

So having a couple of "go to"
workouts for days (or weeks)
when you're super-crunched for
time is a very good idea.

With that in mind, I included not
one but TWO "no time to train"
workouts in the July-August issue
of The Dinosaur Files.

One of them is from one of our
longtime Dinos. It's on pages 2
and 3.

It takes 35 minutes.

The second is one that I wrote up
just for this issue of The Files.

It's on pages 13 and 14.

It takes just 30 minutes.

Both workouts are great for home
gym training - they don't require
tons of equipment - and they build
an excellent balance of strength,
muscle and fitness.

And they only take 30 to 35 min-
utes.

No time to train?

I don't think so.

You have all the time you need!

Here's the link to the July-August
issue of The Dinosaur Files:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-julyaugust2018.html

Go ahead and grab it - and try those
short, fast, and surprisingly effective
workouts!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The Valhalla Challenge - A Super Workout from the Land of the Vikings!

This 302 pound push press was tough - but the Valhalla Challenge is 10 times tougher!

The Valhalla Challenge

This special Challenge Workout comes
to you straight from the Land of the
Vikings - and you know what that
means!

It's hard, tough and demanding.

Not old-school - but ANCIENT-school.

The exact Challenge the Viking
warriors used to see who was the
strongest of the strong.

It makes a terrific Challenge - and a
super-effective workout for building
all-around, total body strength and
power.

Plus, it's scaled by age - so Dinos of
any age can give it a try.

And it's perfect for home gym training.

You can do it with several different
types of equipment.

It's one of the featured articles in the
May/June issue of The Dinosaur Files
newsletter - and you can grab it right
here:

 http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik  

When Do You Do Your Conditioning?

Do you do conditioning work as well as strength training and muscle building workouts?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

So here's a question.

When do you do your conditioning?

The reason I ask is because for most
trainees the answer would be either:

1. I don't do any.

a. Sometimes expressed as "What's
conditioning?"

or

2. I do it on my off days.

And if I then asked you what kind of
conditioning work you do, the answer
would be (from those who do it):

1. Sprints

2. Hill sprints

3. Running stadium steps

4. Weighted walks

5. High rep kettlebell work

6. Farmer's walks

7. Sandbag training

8. Bodyweight training

9. Sledge hammers

10. Tire flips

11. Prowler pushes

12. Sled drags

13. Weighted carries

14. Breathing squats

15. Pushing cars and trucks

16. Pulling cars and trucks

17. Club-bells and maces

18. Boxing, wrestling, grappling or other
martial arts training

19. Working the heavy bag

20. Some or all of the above

And make no mistake about it - "Some or all
of the above" is the most common answer to
this question.

So here's the next question.

WHEN do you do your "conditioning" work?

Because that conditioning work sounds a
heck of a lot like strength training.

And if you're doing "strength training" on
(for example) Mon, Wed and Fri - and then
doing "conditioning" work on your "off"
days - then you don't really have any
"off" days.

And that seems to be what a lot of trainees
are doing now.

Hard, heavy, high intensity strength training
workouts - followed by hard, heavy, high
intensity "conditioning" workouts on their
"off" days.

Which means the whole idea of off days for
recovery and recuperation has disappeared.

Instead, every day is a hard, heavy, demanding
workout - whether you call it "strength training"
or "conditioning."

Now, that may work okay for younger trainees
with tons of recovery ability - but for older
trainees, it's probably going to lead (and quite
quickly) to the "crash and burn thing" - which
isn't a very good place to go.

There are much better and more effective ways
of combining strength training and conditioning
work - and better ways to set up weekly training
schedules.

I cover them in Gray Hair and Black Iron -
if you have a copy, go back and review chapters
15, 16 and 20 right now. They'll give you tons
of ideas on how to combine strength training
and conditioning work safely, effectively and
productively.

They'll also give you some conditioning options
that are lots of fun - and make no mistake about
it, fun is a good thing.

If you don't have a copy, you can grab it right
here - it will save you lots of wasted time and
wasted workouts - and might very well end up
saving your joints into the bargain:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Seven Strength and Conditioning Tips

 The power clean and push press has great value for strength and conditioning workouts.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

For the last couple of days, we've
been talking about ways to increase
the conditioning value of your regular
weight training workouts, and it has
reminded me of some good tips from
Bradley J. Steiner.

Steiner used to write for Peary Rader's
old Iron Man magazine when I was a
kid. He was my favorite Iron Game
author by far -- and ranks as one of
the most popular and most influential
Iron Game authors of all time.

Steiner taught self-defence, and used
his strength training workouts to help
his martial arts training and enhance
his self-defense skills. So he always
focused on ways to make you strong,
fit, and rugged -- and ready for
anything that might happen!

Steiner liked to integrate some basic
conditioning work into his barbell and
dumbbell workouts.

Here are some of the things he did to
maximize the conditioning value of his
strength training workouts:

1. Steiner liked to begin and end his
workouts with two or three "rounds" of
double-unders with the jump-rope. This
is a staple of training for boxers, and it's
an excellent conditioner. It also doubles
as a warm-up and a warm-down.

Use a high-quality leather jump rope --
the kind that boxers use.

Each "round" should last two or three
minutes. Start at 30 seconds and work
up.

2. Steiner liked to include some sort of
all-out exercise, such as power cleans,
power snatches, or the clean and press.

Doing 5 x 5 in the clean and press is
a great conditioner -- as well as a terrific
strength and power builder. You can use
a barbell or two dumbbells. Do one clean
and one press on every rep.

This was taken from the old York Training
courses -- in particular, the "repetition
weightlifting exercises" of course no. 3.

3. Steiner always included leg work, i.e.,
squats or front squats, which have plenty
of conditioning value.

We always think of 20 rep squats when
we think of conditioning workouts, but
any number of reps will have some degree
of conditioning value.

4. Steiner always followed the squat with
the breathing pull-over to help expand the
rib-cage and get your breathing back to
normal.

In essence, this was a deep breathing
exercise.

Note that you use LIGHT dumbbells for
pullovers. It's not a muscle builder or a
strength movement -- it's a breathing
exercise.

5. Steiner included stiff-legged deadlifts
in most of his workouts. Like the squat,
the stiff-legged deadlift has plenty of
conditioning value.

6. Steiner urged trainees to train at a
fairly fast pace, and to keep their rest
times to a minimum. You didn't rush
things or race the clock, but you
worked at a steady pace and didn't
waste any time.

7. To maximize point no. 6, Steiner
suggested that you try to cut 10 or 15
minutes off your total training time --
while performing the same exercises,
sets and reps.

Doing a 60 minute workout in 50 minutes
means that you're resting much less, and
ensures that you maximize the conditioning
value of your workout.

So there you have it -- seven training tips
from Bradley J. Steiner -- and seven ways
to maximize the conditioning value of your
strength training workouts.

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. See Gray Hair and Black Iron for more
ideas on how to combine strength training
and conditioning in a single workout:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.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: "Simple
changes can have profound benefits."
-- 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 Man Who Sprinted Up the Rocky Mountains!

Long before "cardio" training, weightlifters were using barbells and dumbbells to build a terrific combination of strength, power, muscle mass and physical condition.  

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Many years ago, a man who lived in
Alliance, Nebraska went on vacation
way out in the rugged Colorado
Rockies.

His name was Peary Rader. He was the
founder, editor and publisher of the old
Iron Man magazine.

Back home in Nebraska, there were few
opportunities to climb mountains -- and
certainly no opportunity to climb
anything remotely like the Rocky
Mountains.

But to his surprise, Peary found that he
was as fast and nimble as a mountain
goat.

He literally ran up the side of some of the
steep slopes, leaving his friends far behind
him as they trudged slowly and doggedly
up the trail.

He also discovered that he had tremendous
endurance.

He could climb mountains all day without
feeling tired -- and when he woke up the
next morning, he was ready for more!

Now, you might ask if he did a lot of
running back home to get ready for
the trip.

Surprisingly, he did none at all.

You might wonder if he did some sort of
intense cardio training -- perhaps riding
a bicycle?

Again, he did none at all.

Or long walks?

Nope.

Or you might think he was on some kind
of special, six-day a week, high volume
training program to build maximum work
capacity.

Again, the answer is no.

Peary trained just twice a week, using a
simple program and a small number of
basic exercises.

His primary exercise was the squat.

He did one set of 20 reps with all the
weight he could handle.

He did breathing squats -- meaning that
he took several huge, enormous breaths
in-between every rep. He breathed so hard
the plates rattled on the bar.

He used the breathing squat program as
a way of gaining muscular bodyweight
and strength. It worked great. In his first
two years on the program, he gained
close to 100 pounds of muscle -- and
went on to be a regional weightlifting
champion for several years.

But the squats also gave him tremendous
endurance. The trip to the Rocky Mountains
proved it.

It's another example of what we talked about
yesterday -- using your weight training to
build a superb combination of strength,
power and endurance.

Yes, you can get a great conditioning workout
and build tremendous stamina and endurance
with your barbell workouts.

Peary Rader proved it.

For details about specialized leg and back
programs to build strength, muscle and
outstanding condition, grab a copy of
Chalk and Sweat. It has 50 terrific
workouts, and they'll get you into
great shape faster than you can say
"mountain goat!":

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

And for special instruction on how to ease
into your squatting program and make
steady progress with old-fashioned "slow
cooking", grab Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 3. It's available in hard-copy, Kindle
or PDF with immediate electronic delivery:

Hard-copy edition

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

Kindle edition

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

PDF with electronic delivery

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.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. 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: "Strong is
good, but strong and well-conditioned
is 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

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

Do Mounties Lift Sandbags?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick reminder, and then we'll talk training.

1. The October Dinosaur Files

We released the October Dinosaur Files in PDF
format several days ago, and the little monster
is selling like hotcakes - and getting rave reviews
from Dinos around the world.

Go here to grab the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_october2016.html

And, of course - shoot me an email and
let me know how you like this issue - and
what you'd like to see in future issues!

2. Do Mounties Lift Sandbags?

Do Mounties lift sandbags?

Well, actually, they do. So do others in Canadian
law enforcement -- and in the Canadian military.

Almost 10 years ago, I received an email from a
man who taught close combat to Canadian law
enforcement officers. He loved the sandbag training
and other types of heavy, awkward object training
that I teach in Dinosaur Training, and he had his
students use them extensively.

He thought it was perfect for unarmed combat.
And that's not surprising, because Dino-style
sandbag training goes back to old-school
wrestlers -- from the 1890s to the 1930s.

They made great use of sandbags in their
training.

So all martial artists and wrestlers should
take note - and use sandbags as a regular part
of their training!

Anyhow, to continue the story -- I received an
email from a young man in Canada who is
training to get into the Canadian military.

He sent me a link to the Canadian Military
physical fitness tests and asked if Dino-style
training would help him prepare for the test.

Turns out it would.

Why?

Because in 2013 Canada adopted new physical
fitness tests for the military -- and for law
enforcement.

The military test has four parts:

1. Sandbag lift

2. Sandbag loaded shuttles

3. 20-meter bursts

4. Sandbag drag

In short, 75% of the physical fitness test is a
form of Dino-style finishers with sandbags!

So when our reader asked if Dinosaur Training
would help him with the Canadian military's
physical fitness test, the answer is "You're
darn right it will."

I would suggest that our reader follow a
basic abbreviated training program. The
workouts in Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, would be perfect for him:

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

He's currently benching 140 lbs., squatting
130 lbs., and deadlifting 145 lbs. for 3 - 5
reps at a bodyweight of 162 lbs. I'd like
to see him increase all of those training
weights by 50 to 75 pounds.

That should not be hard. He's young, and
in good health, and the gains should come
quickly.

He should finish each workout by doing
at least two of the four parts of the Canadian
military test. He should do the test exactly
the way it is administered -- and he should
work it to the point where he can blast
through the different segments easily and
effortlessly.

He also should train the farmer's walk
once a week. This will carry-over very
well to the military tests.

If necessary, he can start by using lighter
sandbags than he will use when he takes the
test. He can gradually progress to heavier
sandbags as he gets stronger.

And he can probably work up to training
with sandbags that are heavier than what
he will use when he takes the test -- which
should make the actual test pretty darn
easy for him.

His goal is not simply to pass the test --
it is to ace the test.

And when he does, I want to hear about it!

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 cover sandbag training, finishers and
similar strength and condition builders in
Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Training Secrets
vol. 1, and Strength, Muscle and Power:

a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

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

(Note that this one is also available in PDF
and Kindle editions - see our products page
for the links.)

b. Strength, Muscle and Power

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

c. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and development

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

P.S. 2. For older trainees, I cover a special
variation of "finishers" in Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

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

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Choose your
adventure -- and train for it!" -- Brooks Kubik

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

Seven Training Tips from Bradley J. Steiner!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

For the last couple of days, we've
been talking about ways to increase
the conditioning value of your regular
weight training workouts, and it has
reminded me of some good tips from
Bradley J. Steiner.

Steiner used to write for Peary Rader's
old Iron Man magazine when I was a
kid. He was my favorite Iron Game
author by far -- and ranks as one of
the most popular and most influential
Iron Game authors of all time.

Steiner taught self-defence, and used
his strength training workouts to help
his martial arts training and enhance
his self-defense skills. So he always
focused on ways to make you strong,
fit, and rugged -- and ready for anything
that might happen!

Steiner liked to integrate some basic
conditioning work into his barbell and
dumbbell workouts.

Here are some of the things he did to
maximize the conditioning value of his
strength training workouts:

1. Steiner liked to begin and end his
workouts with two or three "rounds" of
double-unders with the jump-rope. This
is a staple of training for boxers, and it's
an excellent conditioner. It also doubles
as a warm-up and a warm-down.

Use a high-quality leather jump rope --
the kind that boxers use.

Each "round" should last two or three
minutes. Start at 30 seconds and work
up.

2. Steiner liked to include some sort of
all-out exercise, such as power cleans,
power snatches, or the clean and press.
Doing 5 x 5 in the clean and press is
a great conditioner -- as well as a terrific
strength and power builder. You can use
a barbell or two dumbbells. Do one clean
and one press on every rep.

This was taken from the old York Training
courses -- in particular, the "repetition
weightlifting exercises" of course no. 3.

3. Steiner always included leg work, i.e.,
squats or front squats, which have plenty
of conditioning value.

We always think of 20 rep squats when
we think of conditioning workouts, but
any number of reps will have some degree
of conditioning value.

4. Steiner always followed the squat with
the breathing pull-over to help expand the
rib-cage and get your breathing back to
normal.

In essence, this was a deep breathing
exercise.

Note that you use LIGHT dumbbells for
pullovers. It's not a muscle builder or a
strength movement -- it's a breathing
exercise.

5. Steiner included stiff-legged deadlifts
in most of his workouts. Like the squat,
the stiff-legged deadlift has plenty of
conditioning value.

6. Steiner urged trainees to train at a
fairly fast pace, and to keep their rest
times to a minimum. You didn't rush
things or race the clock, but you
worked at a steady pace and didn't
waste any time.

7. To maximize point no. 6, Steiner
suggested that you try to cut 10 or 15
minutes off your total training time --
while performing the same exercises,
sets and reps.

Doing a 60 minute workout in 50 minutes
means that you're resting much less, and
ensures that you maximize the conditioning
value of your workout.

So there you have it -- seven training tips
from Bradley J. Steiner -- and seven ways
to maximize the conditioning value of your
strength training workouts.

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. See Gray Hair and Black Iron for more
ideas on how to combine strength training
and conditioning in a single workout:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.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: "Simple changes
can have profound benefits." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Man Who Sprinted Up the Rocky Mountains

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Many years ago, a man who lived in
Alliance, Nebraska went on vacation
way out in the rugged Colorado Rockies.
His name was Peary Rader. He was the
founder, editor and publisher of the old
Iron Man magazine.

Back home in Nebraska, there were few
opportunities to climb mountains -- and
certainly no opportunity to climb anything
remotely like the Rocky Mountains.

But to his surprise, Peary found that he
was as fast and nimble as a mountain
goat.

He literally ran up the side of some of the
steep slopes, leaving his friends far behind
him as they trudged slowly and doggedly
up the trail.

He also discovered that he had tremendous
endurance.

He could climb mountains all day without
feeling tired -- and when he woke up the
next morning, he was ready for more!

Now, you might ask if he did a lot of running
back home to get ready for the trip.

Surprisingly, he did none at all.

You might wonder if he did some sort of
intense cardio training -- perhaps riding
a bicycle?

Again, he did none at all.

Or long walks?

Nope.

Or you might think he was on some kind
of special, six-day a week, high volume
training program to build maximum work
capacity.

Again, the answer is no.

Peary trained just twice a week, using a
simple program and a small number of
basic exercises.

His primary exercise was the squat.
He did one set of 20 reps with all the
weight he could handle.

He did breathing squats -- meaning that
he took several huge, enormous breaths
in-between every rep. He breathed so hard
the plates rattled on the bar.

He used the breathing squat program as
a way of gaining muscular bodyweight
and strength. It worked great. In his first
two years on the program, he gained
close to 100 pounds of muscle -- and went
on to be a regional weightlifting champion
for several years.

But the squats also gave him tremendous
endurance. The trip to the Rocky Mountains
proved it.

It's another example of what we talked about
yesterday -- using your weight training to
build a superb combination of strength,
power and endurance.

Yes, you can get a great conditioning workout
and build tremendous stamina and endurance
with your barbell workouts.

Peary Rader proved it.

For details about specialized leg and back
programs to build strength, muscle and
outstanding condition, grab a copy of
Chalk and Sweat. It has 50 terrific
workouts, and they'll get you into
great shape faster than you can say
"mountain goat!":

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

And for special instruction on how to ease
into your squatting program and make
steady progress with old-fashioned "slow
cooking", grab Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 3. It's available in hard-copy, Kindle
or PDF with immediate electronic delivery:

Hard-copy edition

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

Kindle edition

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

PDF with electronic delivery

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.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. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Strong is good,
but strong and well-conditioned is better."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Did Reg Park Do Cardio?

Reg Park

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you're a regular reader, you know
about Reg Park.

Famous old-school bodybuilder from
England. Three time Mr. Universe.
Two hundred and thirty-five pounds
of massive muscle. Played Hercules
in the movies -- and looked more like
Hercules than Hercules did.

Strong, too. Park squatted 600 pounds
back when the top heavyweight lifters
didn't handle much more than that --
used 300 pounds in the press behind
neck (some say for reps!) -- set a
British record in the two dumbbell
clean and press -- and was the second
man in history (behind Doug Hepburn)
to bench press 500 pounds.

So I ask the question:

Did Reg Park do cardio?

And like many things in life, the answer
is "Yes!" -- and -- "No!"

If you're talking about endless hours on
a treadmill, jogging 20 or 30 miles a week,
daily spinning classes, power aerobics,
jazzercize, jumpercize or cardio theater,
the answer is "No, he did not!"

In fact, none of the champions from
Park's era did any kind of what we now
call "cardio."

But if you count hard, heavy workouts
where you train fast and furious with
heavy weights, then the answer is,
"Yes, he did!"

A gym owner named Ray Beck watched
Park train back in the 1950's. He wrote
about it in Peary Rader's old Iron Man
magazine. He said, "Nobody, but nobody,
works out as fast and furiously  . . . as
Reg Park."

Of course, that does NOT mean that Park
trained fast and sloppy or that he never
rested -- or that he handled light wights
in his workouts.

He trained on the basics, using low and
medium reps, and piled on the iron. He
trained with intense concentration and
ferocious determination. He performed
all of his reps in perfect form. He was a
stickler for details, and he squeezed
everything possible out of every set.

But he also trained fast -- meaning
that he kept his rest between sets to
a minimum, and he didn't waste any
time.

In other words, he was not "racing the
clock" -- but he was working as fast as
he could, while still paying full justice to
each and every set.

And when you're training hard and heavy
on the basic exercises, that kind of fast
and furious pace will give your heart and
lungs a terrific workout. It also will kick
your metabolism into high gear and help
you stay lean, hard and muscular.

You do NOT need to do conventional
"cardio" to be strong, muscular and well
conditioned. You can do it with the iron.

You just need to train the right way. You
need to train like Reg Park: hard, heavy,
fast and furious.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover strength training and muscle
building workouts that double as great
conditioning workouts in many of my
books and courses, including:

a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development

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

b. Chalk and Sweat

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

c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

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

d. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

e. Gray Hair and Black Iron

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

f. Strength, Muscle and Power

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Squats are
cardio for guys and gals who like to move
heavy iron." -- 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

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