10 Reasons for Older Dinosaurs to Keep on Training

I've been hitting the iron for over 50 years now - and I plan to keep on going for a very long time!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I was talking with a guy I used to
work with but haven't seen for a
number of years.

He asked me if I was still training.

The answer, of course, is "Yes, I am --
three times a week, as regular as
clockwork."

"But aren't you getting a little old for this
weightlifting stuff?" he asked.

"I'm older, but training keeps me young,"
I told him.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 62."

And that's when I got the "are you kidding
me?" looks.  That's because I don't look 62.

Which is part of what I mean about weight
training keeping you young.

Bob Hoffman was saying this back in the 1930's,
but scientists, physicians and everyone else didn't
believe him. In fact, the conventional wisdom back
then was that weight training would probably kill
you.

Everyone other than Bob Hoffman and a small
handful of others told you NOT to do it.

As in, NEVER.

Not under ANY circumstances.

And that anti-weight training bias lasted a very
long time. It was still around when I was in high
school. Many of the coaches refused to let their
athletes train with weights. They thought it would
ruin them.

But recent research has established that Hoffman
was right.

Weight training -- or any kind of progressive
strength training -- is good for you. It keeps
you strong, fit and healthy at any age. And it's
probably the best thing around for older adults.
Recent research has confirmed the following:

1. Progressive weight training increases bone
density and bone strength in older adults.

2. Progressive weight training improves balance,
mobility and coordination in older adults.

3. Muscular strength is associated with a 30 to
40 percent decrease in cancer mortality among
older men.

4. Progressive strength training improves brain
function in older adults.

6. Muscle mass is associated with healthy aging
and lower mortality in older men -- and weight
training helps you build or maintain muscle mass
at any age.

7. Progressive strength training stimulates your
body's production of male hormones -- and
maintaining high levels of male hormones helps
keep you young, strong, vigorous and healthy.
In other words, the medical world is discovering
"what Iron Slingers have known for many years --
and what Bob Hoffman wrote about back in the
1930's:

Progressive strength training is the best
thing in the world for older adults.

So give yourself a pat on the back for having
figured this out before the science honchos --
and keep on training!

Oh, and before I forget, here are three more
reasons to keep on hitting the iron:

8. It's fun.

9. It makes you feel better.

10. It makes you younger and stronger --
because strength is life, and stronger is
younger.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best book
ever written on effective strength training for
anyone in the age 35 and up category:

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

I also did a terrific mini-course with an all-new
workout for older trainees. It's available in PDF
with immediate electronic download:

http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.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:

"Lifting iron keeps you from rusting away."

 -- Brooks Kubik

Before You Go . . . . Take a Look at These:

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

10 Reasons for Older Dinos to Keep Training!

Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best book ever written about real world, no-nonsense strength training for older trainees - and it includes over 50 result-producing and effective workouts designed for older Dinos.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I was talking with a guy I used to
work with but haven't seen for a
number of years.

He asked me if I was still training.

The answer, of course, is "Yes, I am --
three times a week, as regular as
clockwork."

"But aren't you getting a little old for this
weightlifting stuff?" he asked.

"I'm older, but training keeps me young,"
I told him.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 61."

And that's when I got the "are you kidding
me?" looks.  That's because I don't look 61.

Which is part of what I mean about weight
training keeping you young.

Bob Hoffman was saying this back in the
1930's, but no one believed him.

In fact, the conventional wisdom back
then was that weight training would kill
you.

Everyone other than Bob Hoffman and a
small handful of others told you NOT to
do it.

As in, NEVER.

Not under ANY circumstances.

Because lifting weights was DANGEROUS!

That anti-weight training bias lasted a
very long time. It was still around when
I was in high school. Many of the coaches
refused to let their athletes train with weights.

They thought it would ruin them.

But recent research has established that
Hoffman was right.

Weight training -- or any kind of progressive
strength training -- is good for you. It keeps
you strong, fit and healthy at any age. And it's
probably the best thing around for older adults.

Recent research has confirmed the following:

1. Progressive weight training increases bone
density and bone strength in older adults.

2. Progressive weight training improves balance,
mobility and coordination in older adults.

3. Muscular strength is associated with a 30 to
40 percent decrease in cancer mortality among
older men.

4. Progressive strength training improves brain
function in older adults.

6. Muscle mass is associated with healthy aging
and lower mortality in older men -- and weight
training helps you build or maintain muscle mass
at any age.

7. Progressive strength training stimulates your
body's production of male hormones -- and
maintaining high levels of male hormones helps
keep you young, strong, vigorous and healthy.

In other words, the medical world is discovering
"what Iron Slingers have known for many years --
and what Bob Hoffman wrote about back in the
1930's:

Progressive strength training is the best
thing in the world for older adults.

So give yourself a pat on the back for having
figured this out before the science honchos --
and keep on training!

Oh, and before I forget, here are three more
reasons to keep on hitting the iron:

8. It's fun.

9. It makes you feel better.

10. It makes you younger and stronger --
because strength is life, and stronger is
younger.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best
book ever written on effective, no-nonsense
strength training for anyone in the age 35
and up category:

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

I also did a terrific mini-course with an all-new
workout for older trainees. It's available in PDF
with immediate electronic download:

http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.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: 

"Lifting iron keeps you from rusting
away."

-- 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 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

Important Advice for Older Trainees

Today's post covers the true story of the old guy at the Muscle Beach Gym - sometime back in the 1940's. We don't have a photo of him - except maybe we do - he might be somewhere in the crowd, watching John Grimek at a lifting exhibition out in LA in 1940!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron.

1. The Old-School Kettlebell Shirt

John Wood is having waaaay too much fun
designing shirts and hoodies. His latest is a
great looking shirt featuring an old-school
kettlebell lifter - from an old photo dating
all the way back to 1905.

Check it out:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/kettlebellshirt01.html

2. Strength and Health magazine

Because Trudi and I want to move to
the Pacific Northwest sometime in the
not too distant future, I'm selling all of
my duplicate books and magazines -
and that includes many issues of Bob
Hoffman's wonderful Strength and
Health magazine.

If you're interested in grabbing some,
shoot me an email, let me know where
we'll be sending them, and we'll let you
know what's available and what they
cost.

Also, let me know how you prefer to pay
for them.

Strength and Health was one of the best
ever strength training, weightlifting and
bodybuilding magazines - with tons of
awesome photos in every issue. And the
issues from the 1940's were just plain
wonderful.

I think you'll really like them.

So, as I said - if you're interested in buying
some of these timeless classics to add to
your Iron Game collection, shoot me an
email.

First come, first served - so don't sit on
the fence, think about it, scratch your
head, or kick the tires. Take immediate
action.

3. Important Advice for Older Trainees

Here's some important advice for older
trainees - courtesy of someone who, at
age 61, qualifies as an older trainee.

And don''t think, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard
this before."

The odds are good you haven't.

Today's advice isn't about exercises, sets
or reps.

It's not about workouts.

It's not about recovery and recuperation.

It's not about diet and nutrition.

Those are all very important, of course -
but this is something even more important.

It's about how the world looks at older
trainees - and about how you see yourself
as an older trainee.

When you're an older trainee, you tend to be
more or less invisible.

You fly under the radar screen.

No one notices you.

No one cares what you do at the gym - or
what you lift.

Instead, they focus on the current crop of
young champions, be they bodybuilders,
powerlifters, weightlifters, strongman
competitors, or whatever.

You often end up training alone - because
no one your own age is there, and the young-
sters never even think about working in with
"the old guy."

If you're not careful, that kind of thing can
start to wear on you.

It can start to make you feel "old."

But it doesn't have to be that way.

I often share the story of Bob Hoffman going
out to the West Coast on a business trip in
the 1940's, and seeing an old man training
by himself in the back corner of a huge gym
that Vic Tanny opened in an old airplace
hanger.

All of the young guys were hitting benches
and pull-downs together - and then there was
the old guy, all alone, training with just a barbell
and running through all four of the York courses
exercise by exercise.

In other words, training by himself - invisible
to everyone else - doing an "old-fashioned"
training program that no one else in the
place even remembered.

Hoffman noticed all that - but he also noticed
something else.

The old guy was in pretty good shape for
his age.

He was strong and well-coordinated. He
moved well. He was loose and limber. He
didn't handle huge weights, but he did
handle respectable weights - and he did
all of his exercises in perfect form.

He was having a very good workout - and
he worked up quite a good sweat doing it.

He also looked like he was having a pretty
good time.

In fact, as the end of his workout he had a
great big smile on his face.

It was very obvious that the old guy in the
back of the gym didn't think of himself as
old - and if he was invisible to the younger
guys, it didn't matter one bit.

He was there to train - and to have fun when
he did it - and to get a great workout that made
him feel like a million dollars. And that's exactly
what happened.

The moral to the story is pretty clear.

Be the guy at the back of the gym - and focus
on having fun - and getting a great workout
that makes you feel like a million dollars.

Do that every time you train - one workout
after another - and you'll find that your actual
age doesn't matter at all.

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 tons of advice for older trainees
in Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

I also have a terrific mini-course for older
trainees. It's Mini-Course No. 1 - in the
special section for PDF courses on our
products page:

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

"Regular training helps keep you young -
and if you do it with a smile, it works even
better."

- Brooks Kubik

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

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

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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