Showing posts with label focus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label focus. Show all posts

One Thing at a Time Strength Training

Like all great champions, Reg Park always trained with intense mental concentration and total, complete and unwavering focus.


Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron -
as in, one thing at a time strength training.

1. The July-August Dinosaur Files

It's a great issue - and you can grab it
right here:




The 30 and 35 minute workouts for
those of you who are pressed for time
are well worth reading - and so is the
article about the old-school, "break all
the rules" training program that helped
one young lifter gain 35 pounds of
muscle - drug-free and supplement-
free.

By the way - if you missed the May-June
issue, you missed another good one -
but you can still grab it - right here:

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

This one includes, among other things, Bob
Hoffman's favorite workout - which I think
you'll find very interesting. But be warned:

it's tougher than it looks!

2. Heavy Partials

My new course on heavy Partials is getting
great reviews from Dinos around the world.

Many have reported new PR's after being on
the program for a short period of time -
including one Dino who set a new PR in the
bench press in just two weeks!

Go here to grab the little monster:




3. The One Thing at a Time Workout

One of the keys to success in your training
is to focus on one thing at a time.

By that, I don't mean to do one-exercise
workouts, although those can be very
effective.

I'm talking about your mindset when you
train.

Serious strength training is a very unusual
and unique activity. It requires a special
mindset -- a mindset that is much different
than the mindset most people employ
throughout the day.

Most people go though the day in an endless
series of frantic multi-tasking, plate-spinning
and juggling.

They're doing one thing on one side of the
computer screen, another thing on the other
side, and third thing on their nearby laptop --
and they're answering email while they do it
all -- and they're on their I-phone -- and
they're having three different conversations
with three different people -- and they're
doing this all day long.

They never focus on one thing. They just
juggle and jiggle and jump from one thing
to another.

That's life in the modern world, but it's not
what you do when you train.

Training requires a much different approach.

When you train, you need to focus on one
thing at a time.

You begin by focusing on each rep.

You take your reps one by one.

You don't worry about the next rep -- or the
next set -- or the next exercise.

You turn your focus inward, and dive deep
into the rep.

You live the rep.

You become the rep.

And then you do the next rep.

When you finish your set, you take a rest and
focus on the next set -- and when you do the
next set, you do it rep by rep.

And that's how you do your entire workout:
rep by rep, and set by set, with total and
complete concentration.

In short, when you train, you focus on the
here and now.

And this is a very good thing for you -
not just for your training, but for YOU.

It's actually what our brains were wired to
do.

Not multi-tasking -- but rather, pinpoint
concentration.

It's good for them -- and it's important to use
them this way -- and that's actually one of the
most important benefits of serious strength
training. It helps wire your brain the way
it's supposed to be wired.

I trained last night, and for 63 minutes I was
deep in the zone. Total concentration. Maximum
focus. Pushing, pulling and squatting in the here
and now.

And it felt pretty darn good.

Give it a try and see for yourself.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, take it rep by
rep and set by set -- and make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. I teach you how to concentrate and
how to focus on your workouts in Dinosaur
Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training
:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development




Dinosaur Bodyweight Training




P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters - and the
list includes these great books and courses:

Brooks Kubik's Hard-Copy and PDF Books and Courses



Brooks Kubik's Hard-Copy and PDF books and courses


Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books









P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"When you ride on the back of a tiger,
focus on the tiger." 

-- Brooks Kubik

Try My Super-Secret 25 Second Workout!

Hitting it hard here in the outdoor training area at Dino Headquarters - and having tons of fun doing it.


Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then I'll share
my super-secret 25-second workout.

1. Strength Muscle and Power

We're down to the last box of Strength,
Muscle and Power, and I'm not going
to print any more any time soon - and
perhaps not ever - so if you want a copy,
grab it now - while it's still available:



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

2. The Dinosaur Files

We're going to release a combined July-
Aug issue of the Dinosaur Files news-
letter.

Hopefully, it will be available later this
week.

I'll send an email when it's ready.

In the meantime, if you don't have
it, grab the May-June combined issue
here:



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

3. My Super-Secret 25 Second
Workout


(Note: Here's an email from several
years ago. I'm re-sending it because
it's got a pretty important message.

So don't get confused - we moved in
2015 and there's no garage to train
in at the new place - so I train in the
basement and out in the drive-way -
and I do split snatches now, not
squat snatches - they're easier on the
shoulders - and I'm 61 in Sept, so
add a few years to my age when
you read the reference to being
almost 60. I was a youngster back
then!

But otherwise, things are pretty
much the same then as now.

Tons of iron - plenty of chalk - and
gallons of sweat.)

I had a great workout in the garage
last night.

I did 10 minutes of stretching and
loosening up exercises, including
overhead squats and snatch drills
with my trusty broomstick.

Then I began doing a series of squat
snatches.

I started light, and worked up slowly
but steadily to my top weight for the
day -- and did five singles with it.

I filmed each lift, and checked my
form on the replay after each lift -
and did some more stretching in-
between each lift.

At close to age 60, the stretching
gets to be more and more important
for me. I need to do it in order to
hit the bottom position in a squat
snatch.

So the pattern was:

1. Lift

2. Review lift on video and focus
on what to do to make the next lift
better.

3. Add weight to the bar if the next
set calls for more weight.

4. Stretch.

5. Repeat 1 - 4.

I did a total of 25 singles.

I started at 6:12 and finished at 7:00
on the nose.

So the workout took a total of 48
minutes.

Or did it?

If you just count the time it took for
each lift -- the actual lifting time --
it was more like 25 seconds -- because
each snatch takes about one second
from start to finish.

Now, that doesn't sound like much --
and it's not. But remember, each snatch
was a fast, fluid, total body effort -- and
each lift literally worked everything from
my toes to my eyeballs.

In other workouts I focus on the squat
style clean and jerk. I follow the same
sort of progression. I lift for about an
hour, and I do nothing but singles --
and I get a terrific workout.

You can do the same thing -- and you
don't have to do Olympic lifting.

Nor do you have to do singles --
although you're welcome to do them
if they work for you.

The key point for all of us is this:

1. Focus on quality, not quantity.

2. It's not how long you train that
matters -- it's HOW you train.

3. Stay 100% focused from start
to finish.

4. Concentrate on every rep --
including the warm-up sets.

5. Strive for perfect form on every
rep.

6. Block out all forms of distraction
when you train.

a. Anything that interferes with your
concentration interferes with your
training.

7. Keep detailed records of what you
do, and always strive to improve your
performance from one workout to
another.

8. Find what works best for you and
stick to it.

9. Use basic, compound exercises
and total body movements to do the
most work in the minimum amount
of time.

10. For older trainees, and those of
you who are pressed for time, give
one and two exercise workouts a
try -- they really deliver.

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 about effective training
with abbreviated and ultra-abbreviated
workouts, grab any or all of these
great books and courses:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets
of
Strength and Development



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

Gray Hair and Black Iron



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



Strength, Muscle and Power

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

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



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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: 

"It doesn't take much time, but it
does take effort." 

-- 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:





























































How I Lost 30 Minutes Without Even Trying

I lost 30 minutes in last night's workout - without even trying!


Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk training.

1. My New Course

I've got a brand new training course out.

It covers old-school arm training - not the
pump stuff, but the kind of training that
builds plenty of strength and power.

It comes in a downloadable and printable
PDF - and you get a special bonus with it -
four workout charts. You can print them
out, make copies and use them to keep
track of your workouts.

Go here to grab the little monster:



http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurstrengthandpower-01.html

And no, this is NOT a reprint of Dinosaur
Arm Training - it's a brand new course.
Also - it's the first in a series of courses -
so grab them all, starting with this one -
print them out and save them - and you'll
have the complete set - and a ton of great
training programs.

2. Save 10 Percent at the Retro-
Strength Shop!


Father's Day is just around the corner,
and the Retro-Strength Shop is a
great place to get some awesome Dad
swag.

That includes Dinosaur Training shirts,
John Grimek shirts, Louis Cyr coffee
mugs, killer posters and so much more
old-school Iron Game stuff you won't
believe it.



And you can save 10 percent when you
shop at Retro-Strength.

All you have to do is sign up for the Retro-
Strength emails - and you'll get a special
10 percent off coupon code.

The coupon code is good for any purchase
between now and June 17, 2018.

Go here to sign up for the Retro-Strength
emails - and have fun shopping with that
10 percent off coupon code:

https://www.retrostrength.com/shop/

By the way, I think some new stuff is being
added today or tomorrow - so check it out.

3. How I Lost 30 Minutes Without Even
Trying

I had a really great workout last night.

It was in the outside lifting area here at
Dino Headquarters - meaning the drive-
way in back of the garage.

I set up some thick rubber mats, grabbed
my dumbbells, loaded the Trap Bar, did a
quick warm-up, and got going.

The weather was perfect - the sun was
shining, but there was a cool breeze -
and everything felt as good as it could
be.

I felt like listening to some music, so I
pulled up a favorite piece of classical
music - and let it play on my phone
while I hit the weights.

When it was over, I pulled up another
favorite piece of music.

Did that for awhile, as I went from set
to set, and then decided to listen to a
longer piece of music.

I found one that was about 40 minutes
long.

Hit play, set the phone down on the back
stairs, and chalked up.

Then I went back to the weights.

That was around 6:30 or so.

I was having a great workout.

The iron was humming, the chalk was
flying and the sweat was running like
a river.

Each set was a new challenge - a new
adventure - and I tackled each one with
everything I had.

I was totally focused on the workout.

Completely in the zone.

I would do a set, record it in my work-
out log, wipe the sweat out of my eyes,
chalk up, and hit the next set.

And then I noticed that the music had
stopped.

"That's funny," I thought. "It was supposed
to be 40 minutes. Why'd it stop so soon?"

I thought we were 10 minutes into the
music.

I picked up my phone and looked at
the screen.

The piece had played through from
start to finish.

All 40 minutes of it.

It was 30 minutes later than I thought
it was.

I had been so focused on my workout
that I had lost 30 minutes.

Time had literally stopped for me.

Wow.

That was unusual - and very, very cool.

Talk about being in the moment . . .

I went back to the workout, and finished
strong.

Strong and focused.

And yes, it was one of the best workouts
in a very long time.

In fact, it was one of the best ever - and
that's after more than 50 years of training.

Which proves the power of the mind - and
the importance of training with full focus
and total concentration.

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. To learn more about harnessing the
power of your mind to rocket your training
to new levels, grab these little monsters:



Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development

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



Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

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

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: 

"Train in the moment. Not the past, not
the future, but right now."


-- 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: