Seven Tips for Strong and Healthy Shoulders

 

Old-timers like Bernie Baron (pictured above - in a photo from the early 1940's) built amazingly strong and healthy shoulders - and were able to avoid many of the shoulder problems that plague so many modern trainees.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've been getting a lot of questions about
shoulder issues -- dings, dents, exercises
that help, exercises that hurt, and possible
work-arounds.

It seems that many trainees - especially older
trainees - have shoulder problems that hold
them back - and that's a shame.

So I thought I'd cover some of the key points
in today's email. Hope it helps!

1. Use light Indian clubs every day.

Light Indian clubs -- not heavy ones! Five or
ten minutes of light club work is great for
shoulder health -- especially if you work at
a computer or keyboard all day long.

I got this tip directly from Tommy Kono, so
I think of it as "gold medal" training advice.

I use my Indian clubs every day, and it
really helps.

Get your clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

2. Focus on overhead pressing.

Focus on overhead pressing rather than bench
pressing. Bench pressing is much harder on the
shoulders. Old-time lifters had fewer shoulder
problems than modern lifters, in part because
they did lots of overhead work and very little
bench pressing or similar movements.

If overhead presses hurt, then try push
presses or use dumbbells - or kettlebells.

I've been using dumbbells a lot lately - and
I have to tell you, they are GREAT for older
Dinos.

John Grimek did heavy dumbbell pressing right into his 70's. Like many of us, he found that dumbbells are best as you grow older.

3. Avoid the "stretch."

If you do dumbbell bench presses, dips or
other movements where you can go really
low and "stretch" the chest and shoulders,
be very careful -- and DON'T over-do the
stretch. That's where many shoulder injuries
happen.

4. Skip those McDonald Bar bench
presses.

Bench press superstar Mike McDonald used a
special bench press bar in training. It allowed
a greater range of movement, i.e, a deep
stretch at the bottom. Don't do these --
they can hurt you. See point no. 3 above.

5. Stop doing the press behind neck.

This is a tough one for many of us, because
we grew up reading about Reg Park ramming
300 pounds overhead in the press behind
neck.

But the press behind neck leads to shoulder
problems for many of us. Military presses,
push presses and dumbbell presses are
much easier on the shoulders.

And again, let me repeat - for older Dinos
with shoulder problems, dumbbells are
usually way better and more forgiving
than barbells for your overhead work.

6. No machines!

Pullover machines and pec decs are certified
shoulder destroyers. This is especially true if
you "go for the stretch" when you do them.

7. Train your arms.

Your arms and shoulders work together - as
a unit - and your arms actually help keep your
shoulders healthy and strong.

That includes both your triceps and your
biceps.

So don't be afraid to include some arm
work. You don't have to do two hours of
curls and triceps pumpers - but do enough
arm training to help boost your shoulder
integrity.

A couple of sets of curls and some close
grip bench presses 2x a week can work
wonders.


So there you have it -- seven tips for shoulder
health. I hope they help -- and I hope you keep
your shoulders healthy and strong for a very,
very long time.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training
for older Dinos -- and if you're age 40 or older,
you need this book. It will help you enormously:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training has some
terrific shoulder builders - and remember, many
trainees find dumbbells much easier and more
forgiving than barbells:

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

P.S. 3.  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. 4. Thought for the Day:

"You only have two shoulders, and you
need both of them - so take care of them."

-- 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

Shoulder Rehab - Sorry for the Confusion!

Here's the 60-year old guy hitting some power cleans and jerks here at Dino Headquarters. It's hard to believe that 11 years ago I had a frozen shoulder that made it impossible to lift my arm over my head to comb my hair. But I fixed it with some common sense rehab work.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The Dinosaur Files

The Oct and Nov issues of the Dinosaur
Files are available right here in a quick
and easy PDF format with immediate
electronic delivery:

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

The PDF is printable, so if you prefer a
hard-copy, order the PDF and print it --
and you'll have an instant hard-copy to
save in your collection.

If you don't have a printer, send me
an email and we'll see what we can do
for you.

Also, if you prefer a one year, 12-issue
subscription, shoot me an email and
we'll make it happen.

I hope you enjoy the October and
November issues -- shoot me an email
and let me know how you like them!

Of course, I'm hard at work on the
December issue - and it should be
ready very soon. I'll send an email
as soon as the little monster is
available.

2. Sorry for the Confusion!

I got an email from an older Dino who,
like many (or most) (or perhaps ALL)
older Dinos, has some shoulder aches
and pains and dings and dents.

It's part of growing older - just part of
the territory - although many of us
didn't help our shoulders with bad
exercise choices when we were
younger - or with bad exercise
performance when we didn't know
any better.

Anyhow, in Gray Hair and Black Iron
I talk about the time I woke up one
morning somewhere around age 49
with a frozen shoulder.

The joint was so stiff and tight that I
couldn't raise my arm above parallel
to the floor.

I couldn't even comb my hair.

I had an orthopedic surgeon look at it.

He couldn't find anything wrong, but
suggested surgery anyway.

"Once we get inside and look around,
I'm sure we'll find something we can
do," he said (or words to that effect).

Well, thanks, but no thanks.

So I rehabbed it with a special program
of very light shoulder exercises, performed
for hundreds of reps, just to get my arm
moving, restore some mobility, and get
some blood flowing into the shoulder
joint and related muscle groups.

I did the program every day.

100's of reps.

Every kind of shoulder exercise you
ever saw, and many more that I
invented right then and there.

With very light weights.

I think I started with soup cans for
weights, progressed to 2 1/2 pound
plates, and then moved up to five
pound dumbbells.

Over the course of a few months, I
worked up to 40 or 50 pound dumb-
bells on some of the exercises.

And after a couple of months, my
shoulder was pretty much okay.

At that point, I started doing barbell
work again.

Anyhow, one of our older Dinos is
having some shoulder problems,
and he tried a similar program -
and it was working well for him.

But then he read some other parts
of Gray Hair and Black Iron where I
recommended doing low reps in your
workouts.

So he stopped doing his high rep
shoulder exercises.

That was the wrong thing to do - but
it's my fault, not his.

I guess I wasn't clear enough - and I
ended up confusing him.

And maybe I've confused other Dinos,
as well.

So here's what I was trying to say:

1.For rehab work - or to help smooth
out some dings and dents - high reps
with light weights can be very helpful.

2. For general strength and muscle
building, low to medium reps are
best.

I hope that clears things up for our
Dino - and for anyone else who was
confused about my suggestions on
sets and reps.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Gray Hair and
Black Iron. It's the best book ever
written for older trainees:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -
and 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/kindle.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:

"Dings and dents are part of life, but
they don't have to derail your training
permanently."

-- 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

How to Keep Your Shoulders Healthy and Strong!

 

John Grimek military pressed 285 pounds at a bodyweight of 183 pounds - way back in 1940.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've been getting a lot of questions
about shoulder problems - dings,
dents, tightness, exercises that help,
exercises that hurt, and possible
work -rounds for exercises that
you just can't do any more.

It seems that many trainees -
especially older trainees - have
shoulder problems that hold
them back - and that's a
shame.

So I thought I'd cover some of
the key points in today's email.
Hope it helps!

1. Use light Indian clubs every
day.

Five or ten minutes of LIGHT
Indian club work every day is
great for the shoulders.


Use 1, 1.5 or 2 pound Indian
clubs.


These are especially good if
you sit in front of a computer
all day.

I got this tip from Tommy Kono,
the great two-time Olympic gold
medal winner in weightlifting -
so I think of it as "gold medal"
training advice.

I use my Indian clubs every day,
and it really helps - as in, it keeps
me doing Olympic lifting at 60
years of age.

Get your clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

2. Focus on overhead pressing.

Focus on overhead pressing rather
than bench pressing.

Bench pressing is much harder on
the shoulders.

Old-time lifters had fewer shoulder
problems than modern trainees, in
part because they did lots of over-
head work and little or no bench
pressing or similar movements.

If military presses hurt, try push
presses.

3. Avoid the "stretch."

If you do dumbbell bench presses,
dips or other movements where
you can go really low and "stretch"
your chest and shoulders, be VERY
careful.

Don't drop and bounce.

Don't go too low.

Don't pause in the low position.

It's better and safer to use a
limited range of movement,
especially on dips.

4. Skip those McDonald Bar
bench presses.

Bench press record holder Mike
McDonald used a special bench
press bar that allowed a much
greater range of movement,
with a very deep stretch at
the bottom.

My advice is to skip these. They
give you too much of a stretch,
and that can be a problem.

5. Stop doing the press behind
neck.

This is a tough one for many of us,
because we grew up reading about
Reg Park working out with 300
mind-boggling pounds in the
press behind neck - and we all
wanted to do the same!

The problem is, the press behind
neck leads to shoulder problems
for many of us.

Military presses, push presses, and
dumbbell presses are much easier
on the shoulders.

6. No pullover machines or
pec decs!

Pull-over machines and pec decs
are certified shoulder wreckers.

That's especially true if you "go
for the stretch" when you do
them.

7. No flies or pullovers.

Flies and pullovers can lead to
shoulder problems, especially if
(you guessed it) you do them
with a deep stretch at the
bottom.

They're not very good strength
and muscle builders anyway, so
why do them?

Note: I'm talking about heavy
pull-overs. Light breathing pull-
overs after a heavy set of
squats are okay because you
use a very light weight when
you do them.

So there you have it - seven
tips for shoulder health.

I hope they help - and I hope
you keep your shoulders strong
and healthy for a very long
time.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron
covers safe and effective training
for older Dinos. If you're age 35
or older, you need this book. It
will help you enormously:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training has some terrific
shoulder builders - and
remember, many trainees
find dumbbells to be much
more forgiving than barbells:

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

P.S. 3. 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/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day:
"Take care of your shoulders,
and they'll take care of you."
- Brooks Kubik

 

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

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

More Tips on Shoulder Health

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We received a ton of emails from the Dino
Nation in response to yesterday's email
about shoulder health.

I'm going to share a few because they include
some more great tips for keeping your shoulders
healthy and strong.

1. Overhead Presses and DB Benches Work!

"Great advice! I had stiff shoulders for over a
year. Three months ago, I injured my right pec
bending 5/8" rebar and stopped doing bench
presses due to the injury. During that time,
I kept doing overhead presses, and my
shoulders feel MUCH better.

I also emphasized back strength, and have
begun doing dumbbell bench press instead
of barbell bench press, which seems to be
much easier on my shoulders and my
injury. I am already back to the 100's
for 8 reps.

Dustin Jones"

Dustin -- Sorry to hear about the injury, but
it sounds like it taught you some important
things -- and that you're coming back stronger
than ever! Thanks for sharing your findings.

2. When Lowering the Bar Is the Problem

"I agree wholeheartedly with all of your tips
re: shoulder health. In addition, in my case,
I can press overhead without pain as long
as I stay in the proper groove.

However, I cannot find a way to lower the
bar from overhead without pain to my right
shoulder (which gets worse if I try to fight
through it) -- so I have solved the issue by
dropping every press from overhead."

Brian DeLong

Brian -- That's not so unusual for older Dinos.
Thank goodness for bumper plates!

In my own case, I do singles, and lower my
overhead lifts to the shoulders, bending my
legs at the knees a bit to help catch the weight.
From there, I lower the bar to my upper
thighs -- and then to the platform, as if I
were lowering the bar after a deadlift. It's a
three step process. Easier on the bar and on
the platform. And also easy on my body.

If that's not clear, shoot me an email and
I'll try to explain it in more detail.

3. A Tip for Narrow Grip Benches

"I feel you should add that full range narrow
grip benches are no different than a deep dip.
I coach narrow grip benches for everyone but
limit the range to a three board. I'm not a huge
board guy, but they serve a great purpose here."

Chris Clark

Chris -- That's a good tip for anyone with a
training partner who can help with the board.
In most cases, it's the last bit of ROM that can
cause problems in any exercise. Thanks for
the idea.

4. Try Bodyweight Training

Tons of readers emailed to note that they got
great results from the push-up and hand-stand
push-up variations in Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training -- and that they helped balance their
upper body development with the pull-up
variations in the book. They're right -- those
can really help.

5. Dumbbells, Dumbbells, Dumbbells!

We also had MANY Dinos report that their
shoulders improved when they switched from
barbell presses to dumbbell presses. That's
always been one of the benefits of dumbbell
work, and it's one of the reasons so many
of the old-timers (such as John Grimek) used
dumbbell presses almost exclusively as they
grew older.

So there you go -- more tips for protecting,
preserving and strengthening your shoulders!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
and Dinosaur Dumbbell Training:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "Train hard, but 
train smart. You're in it for the long haul."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Seven Tips for Healthy Shoulders

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've been getting a lot of questions about
shoulder issues -- dings, dents, exercises
that help, exercises that hurt, and possible
work-arounds.

So I thought I'd cover some of the key points
in one email. For more on the topic, see Gray
Hair and Black Iron and The Dinosaur Training
Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.

1. Use light Indian clubs every day.

Light Indian clubs -- not heavy ones! Five or
ten minutes of light club work is great for
shoulder health -- especially if you work at
a computer or keyboard all day long.

I got this tip directly from Tommy Kono, so
I think of it as "gold medal" training advice.

I use my Indian clubs every day, and it
really helps -- as in, it keeps me squat
snatching at close to 60 years of age.

Get your clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

2. Focus on overhead pressing.

Focus on overhead pressing rather than bench
pressing. Bench pressing is much harder on the
shoulders. Old-time lifters had fewer shoulder
problems than modern lifters, in part because
they did lots of overhead work and very little
bench pressing or similar movements.

3. Avoid the "stretch."

If you do dumbbell bench presses, dips or
other movements where you can go really
low and "stretch" the chest and shoulders,
be very careful -- and DON"T over-do the
stretch. That's where many shoulder injuries
happen.

4. Skip those McDonald Bar bench presses.

Bench press superstar Mike McDonald used a
special bench press bar in training. It allowed
a greater range of movement, i.e, a deep
stretch at the bottom. Don't do these --
they can hurt you. See point no. 3 above.

5. Stop doing the press behind neck.

This is a tough one for many of us, because
we grew up reading about Reg Park ramming
300 pounds overhead in the press behind neck.
The problem is, for many of us, the press behind
neck leads to shoulder problems. Military presses,
push presses and dumbbell presses are much
easier on the shoulders.

6. No machines!

Pullover machines and pec decs are certified
shoulder destroyers. This is especially true if
you "go for the stretch" when you do them.

7. No flies or pullovers.

Flies or pullovers can also lead to shoulder
problems. They're not very effective muscle
builders in any event, so why do them?

Note: I am referring to heavy pullovers.

Light, breathing pullovers after a set of
squats are okay because you use a very
light weight when you do them.

So there you have it -- seven tips for shoulder
health. I hope they help -- and I hope you keep
your shoulders healthy and strong for a very,
very long time.

See the links below for some Dino books and
courses that will help you build plenty of
strength and muscle while avoiding those
unnecessary dings and dents.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training for
older Dinos -- and if you're age 40 or older, you
need this book. It will help you enormously:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, and the
Dinosaur Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course are available in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Shoulders are like knees.
You only have two of them, so take care of them."
-- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************a

More Tips for Shoulder Health

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We received a ton of emails from the Dino
Nation in response to yesterday's email
 about shoulder health.

I'm going to share a few because they include
some more great tips for keeping your shoulders
healthy and strong.

1. Overhead Presses and DB Benches
Work!

"Great advice! I had stiff shoulders for over a
year. Three months ago, I injured my right pec
bending 5/8" rebar and stopped doing bench
presses due to the injury. During that time,
I kept doing overhead presses, and my
shoulders feel MUCH better.

I also emphasized back strength, and have
begun doing dumbbell bench press instead
of barbell bench press, which seems to be
much easier on my shoulders and my
injury. I am already back to the 100's
for 8 reps.

Dustin Jones"

Dustin -- Sorry to hear about the injury, but
it sounds like it taught you some important
things -- and that you're coming back stronger
than ever! Thanks for sharing your findings.

2. When Lowering the Bar Is the Problem.

"I agree wholeheartedly with all of your tips
re: shoulder health. In addition, in my case,
I can press overhead without pain as long
as I stay in the proper groove.

However, I cannot find a way to lower the
bar from overhead without pain to my right
shoulder (which gets worse if I try to fight
through it) -- so I have solved the issue by
dropping every press from overhead.

Brian DeLong

Brian -- That's not so unusual for older Dinos.
Thank goodness for bumper plates!

In my own case, I do singles, and lower my
overhead lifts to the shoulders, bending my
legs at the knees a bit to help catch the weight.
From there, I lower the bar to my upper
thighs -- and then to the platform, as if I
were lowering the bar after a deadlift. It's a
three step process. Easier on the bar and on
the platform. And easy on my body.

3. A Tip for Narrow Grip Benches.

"I feel you should add that full range narrow
grip benches are no different than a deep dip.
I coach narrow grip benches for everyone but
limit the range to a three board. I'm not a huge
board guy, but they serve a great purpose here.

Chris Clark"

Chris -- That's a good tip for anyone with a
training partner who can help with the board.
In most cases, it's the last bit of ROM that can
cause problems in any exercise. Thanks for
the idea.

4. Try Bodyweight Training.

Tons of readers emailed to note that they got
great results from the push-up and hand-stand
push-up variations in Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training -- and that they helped balance their
upper body development with the pull-up
variations in the book. They're right -- those
can really help.

5. Dumbbells, Dumbbells, Dumbbells!

We also had MANY Dinos report that their
shoulders improved when they switched from
barbell presses to dumbbell presses. That's
always been one of the benefits of dumbbell
work, and it's one of the reasons so many
of the old-timers (such as John Grimek) used
dumbbel presses almost exclusively as they
grew older.

So there you go -- more tips for protecting,
preserving and strengthening your shoulders!

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
and Dinosaur Dumbbell Training:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "Train hard, but
train smart. You're in it for the long haul."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

How to Keep Your Shoulders Healthy and Strong

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've been getting a lot of questions about
shoulder issues -- dings, dents, exercises
that help, exercises that hurt, and possible
work-arounds.

It seems that many trainees - especially older
trainees - have shoulder problems that hold
them back - and that's a shame.

So I thought I'd cover some of the key points
in today's email. Hope it helps!

1. Use light Indian clubs every day.

Light Indian clubs -- not heavy ones! Five or
ten minutes of light club work is great for
shoulder health -- especially if you work at
a computer or keyboard all day long.

I got this tip directly from Tommy Kono, so
I think of it as "gold medal" training advice.
I use my Indian clubs every day, and it
really helps -- as in, it keeps me doing
Olympic lifting at close to 60 years of
age.

Get your clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

2. Focus on overhead pressing.

Focus on overhead pressing rather than bench
pressing. Bench pressing is much harder on the
shoulders. Old-time lifters had fewer shoulder
problems than modern lifters, in part because
they did lots of overhead work and very little
bench pressing or similar movements.

If overhead presses hurt, then try push
presses or use dumbbells - or kettlebells.

3. Avoid the "stretch."

If you do dumbbell bench presses, dips or
other movements where you can go really
low and "stretch" the chest and shoulders,
be very careful -- and DON"T over-do the
stretch. That's where many shoulder injuries
happen.

4. Skip those McDonald Bar bench presses.

Bench press superstar Mike McDonald used a
special bench press bar in training. It allowed
a greater range of movement, i.e, a deep
stretch at the bottom. Don't do these --
they can hurt you. See point no. 3 above.

5. Stop doing the press behind neck.

This is a tough one for many of us, because
we grew up reading about Reg Park ramming
300 pounds overhead in the press behind neck.

The problem is, for many of us, the press behind
neck leads to shoulder problems. Military presses,
push presses and dumbbell presses are much
easier on the shoulders.

6. No machines!

Pullover machines and pec decs are certified
shoulder destroyers. This is especially true if
you "go for the stretch" when you do them.

7. No flies or pullovers.

Flies or pullovers can also lead to shoulder
problems. They're not very effective muscle
builders in any event, so why do them?

Note: I am referring to heavy pullovers.
Light, breathing pullovers after a set of
squats are okay because you use a very
light weight when you do them.

So there you have it -- seven tips for shoulder
health. I hope they help -- and I hope you keep
your shoulders healthy and strong for a very,
very long time.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training for
older Dinos -- and if you're age 40 or older, you
need this book. It will help you enormously:

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

P.S. 2.Dinosaur Dumbbell Training has some
terrific shoulder builders - and remember, many
trainees find dumbbells much easier and more
forgiving than barbells:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Shoulders are like
knees. You only have two of them, so take care
of them." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Danger -- These Are Shoulder Wreckers!

Dumbbell presses were one of John Grimek's favorite exercises.

 
Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The Dinosaur Training Strength
Archive

We have a new e-book for you at our
Amazon Kindle page:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.html

This is the e-book version of book 1
in my new series, The Dinosaur Training
Strength Archive, which collects the best
of my articles from the original Dinosaur
Files monthly newsletter that I began
publishing way back in 1997.

If you prefer hard-copy, go here to
grab it:

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

2. Indian Clubs

We've been talking a bit about Indian Clubs,
and many readers have asked where to get
them and what weight to use.

Get the one pound clubs -- that's all you
need -- and get them from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

3. Danger -- These Are Shoulder Wreckers!

Shoulder problems are very common among
trainees of any age, and in particular, among
older trainees.

Some of that is due to age-related wear and
tear -- some to dings and dents going back
to an old accident or injury --  and some to
our modern lifestyle where we spend so much
time hunched over a keyboard.

But some of it is the direct result of the
exercises we do.

Like it or not, some exercises are very
tough on our shoulders.

Here are the seven exercises that seem to
cause or contribute to shoulder problems
more often than any others:

1. The Pull-over Torso machine

The original version of the Nautilus pull-
over torso machine had an enormous
range of motion, and pulled your upper
arm way back behind your head -- which
led to serious problems for many trainees.

You weren't stretching the muscles in that
position. You were literally pulling the
shoulder joint apart on every rep.

I believe that later models of the pull-over
torso machine use a reduced ROM -- but
I think back to the problems the original
machine caused for me, and I say, "Thanks,
but no thanks."

2. Straight Arm Pull-overs

Same problem if you do these with heavy
weight. If you do them with very light weight
and use them solely as a chest expansion
exercise after your squats, that's okay --
just don't go crazy with the stretch!

3. Bent Arm Pull-overs

Same problem. Skip them.

4. Parallel Bar Dips

Some trainees can do these with no problem,
and others have hurt themselves badly by
doing dips. The problem seems to be when
you go too low. That deep stretch position
may feel like you're hitting the deep fibers
of the chest, but you're over-stretching
your shoulder joints every time you do it.

If you MUST do dips, don't go too low -- and
don't drop and bounce!

5. The press behind neck

I used to love the press behind neck. It's a
great shoulder builder -- but it, too, can lead
to shoulder problems. Skip it, and stick to
military presses and dumbbell presses.

6. Behind the neck pull-downs

These were hugely popular when I was a
kid, but there's not much point in doing them.
They're not a very good exercise, and they're
very hard on the shoulders. Pull-downs and
pull-ups to the chest are much safer and
more effective.

7. McDonald Bar Bench Presses

The McDonald Bar is a special bench press bar
that allows you to lower your elbows way far
down on each rep. The idea is that the increased
ROM stimulates more muscle fibers. In fact, it
over-stretches the shoulder joints.

There you have it. Seven shoulder wreckers.

Do yourself a big favor, and replace them with
other, safer and more effective exercises.

And yes, dumbbell flies and pec dec squeezes
almost made the list -- except I doubt that many
Dinos ever do them.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Many Dinos have found that Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training is easier on their shoulders than
anything else:

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train hard, but
train smart. You're in it for the long haul."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

A Gold Medal Tip for Healthy Shoulders

The Dinosaur Dungeon. Note the Indian clubs back against the far wall.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's a gold medal training tip for
shoulder health.

I call it a gold medal tip because I
got it from Tommy Kono -- and Tommy
Kono is a two-time Olympic gold medal
winner and six-time World champion in
weightlifting.

We were talking about the neoprene
knee sleeves that so many lifters use
to help sore knees. Tommy invented
them back in the 1960s. The first ones
were made from an old scuba suit.

I told Tommy that the knee sleeves had
probably saved more lifting careers than
anything else ever invented -- and then
I said, "I wish there was something
similar for the shoulders."

"Do you have shoulder problems?" he
asked.

"I do," I said. "I hurt my right shoulder
when I was in high school, and it's
bothered me ever since."

"Well, I know something that might help,"
he said. "It's something that I do every
day. It's really good for the shoulders."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Indian clubs," said Tommy.

"Indian clubs?"

"That's right. I swing them every day. They
make my shoulders feel great."

Well, as I said, that was a gold medal tip.

And you don't get too many gold medal
tips in life.

So I ordered a pair of light wooden Indian
clubs from John Wood -- and I started to
swing them -- and they've been a regular
part of my training program ever since.

In fact, I hit the iron last night -- a workout
consisting of all squat style snatches, which
require strong and flexible shoulders -- and
I started the workout with 10 minutes of
club swinging to get my shoulders nice and
loose.

It worked, too. I had a great workout.

I wish I had started to use Indian clubs when
I was a kid. They might have saved me from
some of the shoulder problems that I've had
over the years.

Still, as they say, it's better late than never.

And I'm very happy that I'm using them now.
Dinos need heavy iron -- but they also need
some light wooden Indian clubs. The clubs
are a very simple training tool -- but they
can make all the difference in the world.

And that's your gold medal tip of the day.

I hope it helps -- especially for anyone who
has nagging shoulder problems of one sort
or another.

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 bought my Indian clubs from John
Wood. The one-pounders are probably
best; if you want to go heavier, grab the
two-pounders:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "There's nothing
wrong with old-fashioned and simple as long
as it works." -- Brooks Kubik

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

More Tips on Shoulder Health for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We received a ton of emails from the Dino
Nation in response to yesterday's email
 about shoulder health.

I'm going to share a few because they include
some more great tips for keeping your shoulders
healthy and strong.

1. Overhead Presses and DB Benches Work!

"Great advice! I had stiff shoulders for over a
year. Three months ago, I injured my right pec
bending 5/8" rebar and stopped doing bench
presses due to the injury. During that time,
I kept doing overhead presses, and my
shoulders feel MUCH better.

I also emphasized back strength, and have
begun doing dumbbell bench press instead
of barbell bench press, which seems to be
much easier on my shoulders and my
injury. I am already back to the 100's
for 8 reps.

Dustin Jones"

Dustin -- Sorry to hear about the injury, but
it sounds like it taught you some important
things -- and that you're coming back stronger
than ever! Thanks for sharing your findings.

2. When Lowering the Bar Is the Problem

"I agree wholeheartedly with all of your tips
re: shoulder health. In addition, in my case,
I can press overhead without pain as long
as I stay in the proper groove.

However, I cannot find a way to lower the
bar from overhead without pain to my right
shoulder (which gets worse if I try to fight
through it) -- so I have solved the issue by
dropping every press from overhead.

Brian DeLong

Brian -- That's not so unusual for older Dinos.
Thank goodness for bumper plates!

In my own case, I do singles, and lower my
overhead lifts to the shoulders, bending my
legs at the knees a bit to help catch the weight.

From there, I lower the bar to my upper
thighs -- and then to the platform, as if I
were lowering the bar after a deadlift. It's a
three step process. Easier on the bar and on
the platform. And also easy on my body.

If that's not clear, shoot me an email and
I'll try to explain it in more detail.

3. A Tip for Narrow Grip Benches

"I feel you should add that full range narrow
grip benches are no different than a deep dip.
I coach narrow grip benches for everyone but
limit the range to a three board. I'm not a huge
board guy, but they serve a great purpose here.

Chris Clark"

Chris -- That's a good tip for anyone with a
training partner who can help with the board.
In most cases, it's the last bit of ROM that can
cause problems in any exercise. Thanks for
the idea.

4. Try Bodyweight Training

Tons of readers emailed to note that they got
great results from the push-up and hand-stand
push-up variations in Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training -- and that they helped balance their
upper body development with the pull-up
variations in the book. They're right -- those
can really help.

5. Dumbbells, Dumbbells, Dumbbells!

We also had MANY Dinos report that their
shoulders improved when they switched from
barbell presses to dumbbell presses. That's
always been one of the benefits of dumbbell
work, and it's one of the reasons so many
of the old-timers (such as John Grimek) used
dumbbell presses almost exclusively as they
grew older.

So there you go -- more tips for protecting,
preserving and strengthening your shoulders!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a good
one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
and Dinosaur Dumbbell Training:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: "Train hard, but
train smart. You're in it for the long haul."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Seven Tips for Shoulder Health

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I've been geting a lot of questions about
shoulder issues -- dings, dents, exercises
that help, exercises that hurt, and possible
work arounds.

So I thought I'd cover some of the key points
in one email. For more on the topic, see Gray
Hair and Black Iron and The Dinosaur Training
Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.

1. Use light Indian clubs every day.

Light Indian clubs -- not heavy ones! Five or
ten minutes of light club work is great for
shoulder health -- especially if you work at
a computer or keyboard all day long.

I got this tip directly from Tommy Kono, so
I think of it as "gold medal" training advice.

I use my Indian clubs every day, and it
really helps -- as in, it keeps me squat
snatching at close to 60 years of age.

Get your clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

2. Focus on overhead pressing.

Focus on overhead pressing rather than bench
pressing. Bench pressing is much harder on the
shoulders. Old-time lifters had fewer shoulder
problems than modern lifters, in part because
they did lots of overhead work and very little
bench pressing or similar movements.

3. Avoid the "stretch."

If you do dumbbell bench presses, dips or
other movements where you can go really
low and "stretch" the chest and shoulders,
be very careful -- and DON"T over-do the
stretch. That's where many shoulder injuries
happen.

4. Skip those McDonald Bar bench presses.
Bench press superstar Mike McDonald used a
special bench press bar in training. It allowed
a greater range of movement, i.e, a deep
stretch at the bottom. Don't do these --
they can hurt you. See point no. 3 above.

5. Stop doing the press behind neck.

This is a tough one for many of us, because
we grew up reading about Reg Park ramming
300 pounds overhead in the press behind neck.
The problem is, for many of us, the press behind
neck leads to shoulder problems. Military presses,
push presses and dumbbell presses are much
easier on the shoulders.

6. No machines!

Pullover machines and pec decs are certified
shoulder destroyers. This is especially true if
you "go for the stretch" when you do them.

7. No flies or pullovers.

Flies or pullovers can also lead to shoulder
problems. They're not very effective muscle
builders in any event, so why do them?

Note: I am referring to heavy pullovers.
Light, breathing pullovers after a set of
squats are okay because you use a very
light weight when you do them.

So there you have it -- seven tips for shoulder
health. I hope they help -- and I hope you keep
your shoulders healthy and strong for a very,
very long time.

See the links below for some Dino books and
courses that will help you build plenty of
strength and muscle while avoiding those
unnecessary dings and dents.

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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training for
older Dinos -- and if you're age 40 or older, you
need this book. It will help you enormously:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, and the
Dinosaur Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course are available in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Shoulders are like knees.
You only have two of them, so take care of them."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Did John Grimek Use a Log Bar?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk training:

1. Knife, Fork, Muscle

Is printed, in stock, and we're shipping all
orders within 24 hours. I'm signing all copies,
and if you want a personal message when I sign
your book,  just ask for it -- and tell me who to
sign it to:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

Of course, you can ask for an autograph
with any book or course. If someone is ordering
a book or course for you for Christmas, be sure
they ask for an autograph and be sure they
give me YOUR name so I can sign it to YOU.

2. The Dinosaur Files quarterly

Is also in stock, and we're shipping it everywhere,
and getting rave reviews. It's a full-size magazine
now, with tons of great training articles. Note that
we are offering the Dinosaur Files on a single issue
basis, not a subscription -- we think that's better for
a quarterly journal. So grab it issue by issue, just as
if it were a new training course:

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

On the training front . . .

I assume you're familiar with Dr. Ken's Log Bar. My
buddy John Wood sells them. Many of you have the
little monster, and use it all the time. I get lots of
good feedback on it. I have one myself, and used
it to rehab a bad shoulder injury 7 or 8 years ago.

The Log Bar is a barbell with parallel handles. You
can use it to perform presses and bench presses
with a parallel grip. It also works great for bent-over
rowing and hammer curls.

Now, you may not think that a parallel grip makes
much of a difference -- but for some trainees,
particularly those with nagging shoulder problems
(which includes most older trainees), it may be
the difference between being able to do presses
and bench presses and NOT being able to do
them.

In other words, the parallel grip is one of those
little things that seems to be too simple to matter --
but makes a BIG difference for some trainees.

And that brings me to a question from a reader.

I got this a year ago when I mentioned the Log
Bar in a post about protecting and preserving
your shoulders.

A reader asked me if John Grimek ever used a
Log Bar.

And that was an interesting question.

I've never seen a picture of Grimek using a Log
Bar, although it certainly may have happened.

It would not have been one of Dr. Ken's Log Bars,
because no one made them back then. (If they
did, I'm not aware of it.)

But Grimek was a highly resourceful man, who
made lots of his own equipment, and actually
designed a few pieces of equipment for his own
personal use.

Grimek liked equipment that had the right "feel."
Thus, for example, he designed a special pulley
for 45 degree rows. It fit his body exactly -- and
that's what he wanted. A tailor-made, perfect
fitting unit. So Grimek clearly understood the
importance of details -- meaning the importance
of little things.

Grimek always did lots of dumbbell presses, and
there are photos showing him doing alternate
dumbbell presses with the bells in a parallel
grip position.

That leads me to suspect that he would have at
least tried the Log Bar if it had been available to
him.

And remember, there are some great photos of
Grimek doing curls with an EZ Curl bar -- which
is sort of the first cousin to a Log Bar.

So the answer to the question is this: I don't
know if Grimek ever used a Log Bar -- but I
bet he would have liked it.

Go here to see photos and read more about the
Log Bar -- and remember, it can be a shoulder
saver:

http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/log_bar.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. I cover other ways to protect and strengthen
your shoulders in the Dinosaur Training Military
Press and Shoulder Power Course and in Gray
Hair and Black Iron:

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

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
DVD's, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hoodies -- are right
here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "In training, as in anything
else, pay attention to the little things. They add up --
and make a big difference in your results." -- Brooks
Kubik

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

New Shoulders in a Box!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We were talking about preserving and
protecting your shoulders last week,
and that reminded me of some things
that are awfully good for them.

They're tools that I use, and they're
tools that many Dinos use -- particularly,
many older Dinos. I've suggested them to
readers before, and whenever I do, I always
get emails a month or two later from someone
who says, "Took your advice -- and it
really helped."

But they're also important tools for younger
Dinos. If you start using them NOW, your
shoulders will be in better shape when
you're older.

So here they are:

1. The Dave Draper Top Squat

Many older trainees find it hard to
hold onto a squat bar when they do back
squats -- and some can't even get into
position to do the movement. Their
shoulders just aren't flexible enough.

So they end up doing front squats or
Trap Bar squats -- or skipping their
leg work -- or doing second and third
rate exercises like leg extensions or
leg presses.

Enter the Dave Draper Top Squat.

This is a simple device that fits onto
your barbell and allows you to hold the
bar in position with your hands out to
the front.

You're tight, solid and in complete
control -- and there's no problem
getting into proper position, even
if you have the tightest shoulders
in the world.

You can buy this direct from Dave Draper,
or order it from John Wood (who sells the
Top Squat under a license with Dave Draper).

To order from Dave Draper:

http://www.davedraper.com/top-squat.html

To order from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/dave-drapers-top-squat-1

2. Indian Clubs

Indian clubs are light (1 to 2 pound)
wooden clubs that look a little like
skinny bowling pins.

They were popular in the 1880's, 1890's
and early 1900's, and many of you my age
can recall seeing them lying around a
school gym or YMCA when you were young.

You use them to perform a variety of
shoulder exercises, using rotational
movements and moving the shoulder joints
through a wide range of motion.

They're not a strength builder. They're
a way to keep your shoulders loose,
flexible and supple.

Note that you do NOT need heavy clubs.
You want them light. One pound clubs
are plenty, and 1.5 pounders are also
good. Two pound clubs are as heavy as I
would recommend.

I started to use them on the advice of
Tommy Kono -- so you can say that this is
a Gold Medal Training Tip -- coming from
a two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner and
six-time World Champion.

I use the clubs as a part of my regular
warm-up in every workout, and they work
GREAT.

How great?

Well, I'm 57, and I've had more than my
share of shoulder problems - starting with
a bad injury when I was a high school
wrestler 40 years ago.

But I can do squat snatches -- and that
requires pretty darn flexible (and strong
and health) shoulders.

And the Indian clubs have helped me do it.

I ordered my clubs from John Wood:

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/classic-wooden-indian-clubs

So there you have it. Two unique tools
to help preserve and protect your shoulders.

Grab them now. It will be like getting new
shoulders in a box.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover plenty of other  tips about
preserving and protecting your shoulders
in Gray Hair and Black Iron and the Dinosaur
Military Press and Shoulder Power Course:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.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: "Treat your
shoulders right. They deserve it." -- Brooks
Kubik

Is this Overtraining?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note before today's message:

I'll be on SuperHuman Radio today from
12:00 to 1:00 EST. Catch the show live
or listen to the download.

The SuperHuman Radio homepage is right
here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

Hope you can join us!

On the training front, here's an email
from Rob Richley with a training question.

"Hi Brooks,

I always train before wok at 6:30am and
as I am pressed for time I prefer a 4 day
routine with only a few movements per
session.

I`m currently doing this:

Mon - Incline DB press

Tue - Row or weighted pullup

Thursday - Press

Fri - Squat / Trap Bar Deadlift

Recently I`ve read this routine could
be bad for the shoulders because they
are actually being hit three times per
week on Mon, Tues and Thursday.

Is there any other way of structuring
it to keep it short and productive
without hitting the shoulders too
much?

Rob"

Rob -- Thanks for the email and the
question. It's similar to many emails
I get about workout frequency.

I do NOT think you're training your
shoulders too often!

The Mon and Tues workouts involve the
shoulders, but the only day where you
hit the shoulders hard with a direct
exercise is Thurs, when you do the
overhead press. That's not too much
work at all. Especially if you're
only doing one exercise per workout,
and using sensible sets and reps.

Now, if your shoulders are bothering
you, there's a problem and you need to
figure out what it is. It's not too
much training -- but it might be how
you perform your exercises, or you may
be going too heavy too often, or you may
need to change exercises a bit.

For example -- if you go heavy on the
DB incline press and lower the bells
too far to "get a stretch" - you can
hurt your shoulders. In fact, that's
not at all uncommon.

Or -- on weighted pull-ups, you might
drop too fast, twist as you pull your
body up, or stretch too much at the
bottom of the rep -- and hurt yourself.
Again, that's not uncommon.

Or -- you might find that barbell presses
are hard on your shoulders -- but push
presses are fine -- or dumbbell presses
are fine.

Anyhow, your program looks good. Don't
change it just because of something
you read on the interwebs. (Which is
a whole other discussion . . .you can't
imagine how many guys and gals get off
course because of stuff they read on
the interwebs. But we'll cover that
topic another day.)

To everyone -- 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 advice about building
strong, powerful shoulders -- and about
avoiding shoulder problems -- grab this:

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

P.S. 2. For more about shoulder wreckers
and other exercises to avoid, grab this:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "Do what works,
and pay no attention to anything else."
-- Brooks Kubik

Try this Old-School Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note, and then I'm going to
share a really nice workout with you.

QUICK NOTE:

I'm going to be interviewed on SuperHuman
Radio at 1:00 p.m. EST today. Catch it
live or listen later on the download
at the SHR website.

THE WORKOUT:

Here's a short, sweet but effective
workout from one of my favorite books:
Weight Training in Athletics, written
by Jim Murray and Dr. Peter Karpovich
and published way back in 1956.

It's a training program for shot putters,
but it makes a pretty good all-around
strength and power program. Not perfect,
but pretty good.

I'll give you the workout first, and then
some comments.

1. Light clean and press -- 1 x 10

Note: This is your warm-up exercise.
Keep it light.

2. Alternate dumbbell press, performing
five reps with each hand -- 4 x 5 

Note: Start light and add weight on each
set. The final set should be hard and
heavy.

3. Squat 4 x 5

Note: Same weight progression as the
dumbbell presses.

4. Light pullover -- 1 x 10

Note: This is a breathing exercise, so
keep it light.

5. Twisting sit-up, knees bent -- 1 x 20

Note: Use an abdominal board if possible,
and add weight when you can.

6. Incline press -- 4 x 5

Note: Same weight progression as dumbbell
presses and squats.

Some comments:

1. The program needs a heavy back exercise.
Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts would work
well. So would power cleans, high pulls or
power snatches.

2. The program is designed as a three day
per week program. It might would work better
use a divided workout schedule, especially if
you add a back exercise. For example, try doing
the dumbbell presses, squats and pullovers in
one workout, and do your back exercise, incline
presses and sit-ups another day.

3. This program would work well as a strength
and muscle mass program.

4. Some grip work would be a nice addition.

5. If you prefer to do 5 x 5 or 6 x 5 or even
7 x 5, that's fine.

6. If you do power cleans, high pulls or power
snatches, you may do better by using lower reps.
Triples, doubles and singles would work well.

7. Note that the program is short enough to
include your choice of a finisher, or some
sprints or other cardio work, at the end of
the workout.

All in all, this is an excellent program.
Give it a try and see how you like it!

For other super-effective, Dino-style
workouts, see Dinosaur Training, Chalk
and Sweat, and Strength, Muscle and Power:

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

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

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

Older trainees (age 35 and up) can find over
50 killer workouts in Gray Hair and Black Iron --
which is mandatory reading for older lifters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.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. For other old-school workouts, grab my
Dinosaur Training Courses:

1. Dinosaur Arm Training

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

2. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 1, Doug Hepburn

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

3. History's Strongest Men and How They Trained,
Vol. 2, John Grimek

http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html

4. The Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course

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

Note: Save wampum on shipping and handling by
ordering two or more books or courses together.

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Effective training is
like a knockout punch: short and hard." -- Brooks
Kubik