Paul Anderson on Physical Culture Radio!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I do a podcast every week with Carl Lanore,
the host of SuperHuman Radio.

The show is called Physical Culture Radio.

We normally air on Thursday at 12:00 noon,
but sometimes we move the show to a
different day or time. This week's show aired
yesterday.

We talked about the best lift(s) to measure
your strength.

We also talked about Paul Anderson.

Carl had selected a photo of Paul Anderson
to preview the show. I think I freaked him
a little because I knew where the photo was
taken -- and when -- and I knew something
else that I believe happened on the same day.

It was a very famous impromptu lifting contest.

I heard about it from not one, but TWO gold
medal winners in weightlifting.

I also heard about it from one of our longtime
Dinos. He was there. He witnessed it.

Plus, there was a story about other events of
the same day in an old issue of Iron Man.

So we covered it on the show. It's a fun story
and a great piece of lifting history.

If you missed the live show, you can listen
to the download right here. That also let's
you see the photo of Big Paul:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1823-science-for-humans-huge-forearms-calves-physical-culture-radio-strength-power-botox-knee-pain.html

And here's some more fun for the Dino
Nation.

Trudi took some candid photos of yours
truly while we were doing the podcast.

I've shared them on Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram. So check them out on one
or the other. I'm on Facebook at Brooks
Kubik and on Twitter at #brookskubik
and #dinosaurtraining.

You can find me on Instagram right here:

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

Both photos show you how I talk with my
hands even when I'm on radio -- which
Trudi thinks is hilarious.

And one of them shows a side view of an
old wrestler's neck -- mine -- and I was
surprised to see how thick it is. I guess
that goes to show that barbell built muscle
lasts a long time.

In other news, I'm working on the March
issue of the Dinosaur Files. Be looking for
it soon. If you missed the December, January
or February issues, go here to grab them:

February 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_february2016.html

January 2016 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

December 2015 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

That's all for now. Let me know how you like
Physical Culture Radio, and what you think
about the photos -- and, of course, give me
your feedback on The Dinosaur Files!

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: "It's important to
know how to train, but it's just as important to
know how to teach it." -- Brooks Kubik

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

The Dinosaur Christmas Story -- And More!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes -- but they're all
very important.

1. The Dinosaur Christmas Story.

Here's part 2 of the Dinosaur Christmas
Story for 2015:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-strongmans-christmas-part-2.html

We'll run part 3 of the story tomorrow.
I hope you're enjoying it.

Have you figured out who the strongman
is?

2. Phyiscal Culture Radio.

We're doing something new and different
on Physical Culture Radio today. I'm going
to read one of my favorite Dinosaur
Christmas Stories from several years ago.

The whole show will be the Christmas
Story -- and it will be a good one.

Physical Culture Radio is part of the
SuperHuman Radio network -- and you
can find us right here at 12:00 EST
every Thursday:

http://superhumanradio.com/

If you miss the live show, catch the
download later on.

This is going to be a terrific show. I don't
think any other strength training podcasts
have ever featured anyone reading an
original Christmas story -- and I have to
tell you, it's a heck of a story.

3. The January Dinosaur Files.

We've released the January issue of the
Dinosaur Files -- and Dinos around the
world are grabbing the little monster.

And they're LOVING it. We're getting rave
reviews.

Go here to grab your copy of the January
Dinosaur Files:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html

Of course, if you missed the December issue
of The Dinosaur Files, you should start there
first. Go here to grab it:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html

If you have any questions, shoot me an email.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My other books and courses -- and my
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- and links to my
Kindle e-books -- are right here:

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

P.S.2. Thought for the Day: "Train hard. Train
heavy. Train smart. Train with full focus and
total concentration. You won't believe the
results." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Physical Culture Radio

Abe Boshes, old-school champion.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I do a regular weekly podcast with Carl Lanore, the founder of SuperHuman Radio. It's called Physical Culture Radio, and it's live at 12:00 EST on Thursdays.  If you miss the live show, you can listen to the podcast at your convenience.

Here's  a link to last week's show:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1739-physical-culture-radio-indian-clubs-the-10-000-kicks-rule-stretching-friend-or-foe-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-apples.html

Hope you enjoy it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

How I Set a New PR on My Birthday

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Thank You!

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. It made
my day to hear from so many Dinos around the
world.

2. A SuperHuman Contest -- and a Big Prize!

Carl Lanore is running a special "secret word"
contest on SuperHuman Radio. The prize is a
complete set of all five of my Legacy of Iron
books -- autographed by yours truly.

There will be one winner, and it might be you
if you listen to the show and enter the contest.

Tune into today's episode of Physical Culture
Radio at 12:00 EST for details:

http://superhumanradio.com/

If you miss the live show, download the podcast
later on. It's always agreat show, and I'm really
looking forward to today's episode.

3. Bodyweight Training DVD's

We found some of my Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
DVD's on a back shelf the other day -- there are 2
complete sets of all 7. If you're interested, email
me for details and price.

We also found some mindpower CD's, some
Seven Keys to Concentration CD's, and some
Iron Will CD's.  Again, shoot me an email
if you're interested.

4. How I Set a New PR on my Birthday.

I celebrated my birthday last night by hitting a
hard workout.

It was pretty good, because I hit a PR for 2015
in the split style snatch. In fact, it was the most
I had lifted in the split style snatch for the past
two years.

So that was a birthday present to myself.

I got there by using a simple variation of the old
Light, Medium and Heavy system.

It's a three week mini-cycle.

I use singles in all of my exercises, but it works
fine for sets of multiple reps, as well. Once you
understand the system, you can apply it to many
different kinds of workouts.

Here's how it goes:

Week 1 -- Light

I work up to 5 singles with my working weight.

I use a relatively light weight -- 70 to 75% of my
max.

Week 2 -- Medium

I work up to 2 or 3 singles with my working weight.

I go heavier this week, but not too heavy -- 80 to
85% of my max.

Week 3 -- Heavy

I work up to one single with my working weight.

This is my heavy week. I go as heavy as I can. If
I feel good, I try to lift my max or to set a new
max. However, I usually work up to 90 or 95%
of my max. As an older lifter, I can train heavy
but I can't push for a new max too often.

Week 4

Start the mini-cycle all over again.

And there you have it.

As I said, it's a simple system -- but it's been
very effective. It keeps me strong, helps me
improve my speed, form and technique, and
best of all, helps me avoid overtraining.

And so far (knock on wood), it's helped me
avoid dings and dents.

Give it a try and see how you like it -- and
shoot me an email with your results.

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 simple but very effective
cycling sytems in Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVD's -- Legacy of Iron
books -- and links to all of my e-books on
Kindle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "First, last and
foremost -- TRAIN!" -- Brooks Kubik

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

Four Left -- and Going Fast!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's my birthday, so I was going to
take the rest of the day off, but I
need to give you two quick updates:

1. Hoodies, Sweatshirts, T-shirts and
Muscle Shirts.

We're clearing out all of our current
inventory of sweatshirts, t-shirts,
muscle shirts, and hoodies, and
we're almost completely out of
stock.

We're not going to re-stock for
awhile, so if you want something,
you need to act now.

For example, we have just 4 Gray Hair
and Black Iron sweatshirts -- one XL
and three 3XL. That's it. No other
sizes.

We have very limited numbers of other
items -- and we're out of many sizes
and colors in them.

If you'd like something, send me an
email and ask if we have it in stock
before placing your order.

2. A Chance to Win 5 Free Books!

Carl Lanore, is running a special
contest on SuperHuman Radio this
week and next.

Here's how to enter the contest:

When you listen to SuperHuman Radio,
pay careful attention at the commercial
breaks.

During one of the commercial breaks
in each hour of the show, Carl will
announce the secret word.

He'll do this on each show.

When you hear it, you send Carl an email
identifying the secret word -- and that
enters you in the contest.

Note: Do NOT send me an email with the
secret word. Send it to Carl. He'll give you
the email address on air.

Carl will draw the winner's name at the
end of next week.

There will be one winner and one winner
only -- and the prize will be pretty darn
good.

How good?

Get this . . .

The prize is an autographed set of all
five of my Legacy of Iron books, starting
with this little monster:

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

With shipping and handling, that has a
retail value of something like 150 clams.
Plus, they're darn good books. Readers
love them.

I'll be on Physical Culture Radio at
12:00 noon EST tomorrow, so you
can listen to the show and learn
the secret word then:

http://superhumanradio.com/

Thanks for reading, and remember -- if
you want a shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt,
send an email asap and see if we have
your size in stock.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

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

Is This the Most Dangerous Exercise?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick note, and then we'll talk iron.

I'll be cohosting Physical Culture Radio with
Carl Lanore at 12:00 EST today. Catch the
show live or listen to it later on at your
convenience:

http://superhumanradio.com/

Carl has been on vacation, so we haven't
done a show for about two weeks. This
should be a good one.I'm looking forward
to it.

On the training front, let's cover what may
very well be the most dangerous exercise.

Amazingly, it's a very common exercise.

You've probably even seen people do it --
and perhaps YOU do it -- or are thinking
about doing it.

So pull up your chair and pay close
attention.

THE MOST DANGEROUS EXERCISE

Readers often ask about bench pressing
with a thumbless grip.

Does it help?

Can you use more weight?

Should you do it?

In response, I tell them about something
I saw at a powerlifting contest many years
ago.

It was a National Championship meet for
submasters and masters. So it had plenty
of very good, and very experienced lifters.

I remember watching one lifter who was
a National bench press champion and
American record holder in the bench
press. Which obviously means he was
very strong and had been lifting hard
and heavy for a very long time.

On his third attempt, he tried for a new
American record.

He used a thumbless grip.

He lowered the bar slowly and under
control -- paused at the chest -- got the
"Press!" command -- and started to drive
the bar upward.

As he hit the mid-point and started to
pull the bar back toward his head, his
elbows rotated up and his wrists went
back a little -- and the bar rolled right
out of his hands.

There were two experienced spotters, one
on either side of the lifter.

But it happened so fast, they didn't catch
the bar.

It smashed into his chest before anyone
could do anything.

Luckily, he got up and walked away from
it. As far as I could tell, nothing was broken.

But it could have been a very serious
accident.

And if he had been training alone, without
a spotter and without safety racks or a power
rack with bottom pins set to catch the bar
at the bottom, it could have been very
bad. The bar might have ended up on his
throat.

Or on his face.

And neither throat nor face are good places
for a barbell to land.

Nor do you make good progress if you
try training with a broken rib -- or a
severely bruised sternum.

And that's why I suggest that you skip the
thumbless bench press thing. Wrap your
thumbs around the bar, hold onto it, and
control it.

By the way, if you were a member of the
Iron League, you would have known the
answer -- because I cover it in a special
bench press course that I wrote as an
Iron League exclusive.

I did that because I think the Iron League
is a great idea -- and a great value for its
members -- and I'm trying to support it
by providing some exclusive content.

Kim Wood, Dennis Rogers and others are
doing the same thing.

The Iron League also features plenty of
great vintage material that you won't
find anywhere else -- making it (in the
words of one of our fellow Dinosaurs,
"the Library of Congress of strength").

Go here to take a look at what's available:

http://www.ironleague.com/

But to get back to the thumbless grip on
the bench press -- it's a bad idea.

There's a reason why we have thumbs.

It's called "holding onto things."

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. Readers have been asking for the
complete list of all of my Dinosaur Training
e-books on Kindle. Here it is:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-complete-list-as-of-july-13-2015.html

P.S. 2. My hard copy books and courses
(and Dinosaur Training DVDs) are available
at Dinosaur Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3 Thought for the Day: "Train hard and
train heavy -- but always train safe."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Physical Culture Radio -- A Tribute to My Father

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I do a regular podcast radio show with
Carl Lanore on Thursdays at 12:00 EST.

It's part of the SuperHuman Radio
Network. The name of the show is
Physical Culture Radio.

You can listen live or catch the down-
load later on, at your convenience.

Yesterday's show was a full two hours.

It was a tribute to my dad, and a very
frank, very candid discussion of what I
learned from his passing.

We also discussed how Dad got started
in weight training at age 38 -- how and
where he trained -- the results he got --
and how his training influenced the
lives of Dinosaurs around the world.

He never expected to influence anyone
by what he did with his 110-pound
barbell set -- but he ended up being
a positive influence on tens of
thousands of trainees around the
world.

Dad would be utterly amazed if he knew
how many lives he ahd enriched. He'd
be very proud -- and he'd be doubly
proud of each and every one of you
who trains HIS way: old-fashioned,
real world, and serious.

You can find the link to yesterday's
show right here -- and I hope you
enjoy it:

http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1626-physical-culture-radio-we-pay-homage-to-the-original-dinosaur-a-unique-perspective-on-mortality.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

10 Things that Don't Work!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Our New Products Page

We've added links to my new e-books to
the Dinosaur Training Products Page. That
makes it one-stop shopping for Dinos:

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

2. Physical Culture Radio

Today's show is dedicated to my Dad, and
will cover some things I've learned about
the end of life process. It will be a little
different than our regular shows, but it's
a very important topic for all of us.

Physical Culture Radio is part of the Super-
Human Radio network. We're on at 12:00
noon every Thursday. If you miss the live
show, catch the download ayc. Here's the
link:

http://superhumanradio.com/

3. A Very Big Thank You!

We've received 100's of emails from Dinos
around the world in response to my Dad's
passing. Thank you very much for your
thoughts, prayers, and support. It means
more than we can say.

On the training front . . .

You always like Top 10 Lists from
Dino Headquarters -- so here we go!

THE TOP TEN THINGS THAT DON'T WORK

10. Trying to build big arms by doing
nothing but arm work.

a. Not even if you do Hawaiian curls,
Himalayan curls or Hungarian
curls.

9. The ever-popular "All Upper
Body All the Time and No Squats
Workout."

a. Also known as the "Spot Me,
Bro!" workout.

b. On the plus side, lets you wear
a "Look, I'm a Stork!" teeshirt.

8. Anything you see in an info-
mercial.

a. Note that the only cure for watching
an infomercial is to do extra squats and
deadlifts for your next 10 workouts.

7. This month's version of the
"Pump til You Drop Workout for
Massive Muscles in Four Weeks."

a. Last month's version of ditto.

b. The month before that.

c. Next month's version.

6. The "No Effort" Workout.

a. The "No Effort" workout is probably
the most popular workout of all time.

5. The ever-popular geekster workout
where you start by hanging your gym
towel in the power rack and then do
your entire workout without ever using
the power rack.

4. Any workout where you talk more than
you train.

4a. The "Take Your Cell Phone to the
Gym Workout."

3. Squats on a stability ball.

3a. Squat or split snatches on a
stability ball.

3b. Rollerskating and downhill skiing on
a stability ball.

3c. Mud wrestling on a stability ball.

3d. Buffalo stampedes on a stability
ball.

2. Bunny training, a/k/a lots and lots of
silly isolation exercises with weights
my aunt Matilda could lift -- and she's
97!

And the number 1 thing that doesn't work:

1. Trying to catch a fish by thinking
about it.

1a. Or by wishing you could catch one.

1b. Or by arguing about the best way to
catch one.

Tomorrow, we'll cover the top 10 things
that WORK! See you then!

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. If you're looking for things that work,
try these exciting courses from Dinosaur
Headquarters:

a. The John Grimek Training Course

Hard-copy

http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html

Kindle e-book:

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

b. The Doug Hepburn Training Course

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

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

c. The Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

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

e. The Dinosaur Arm Training Course

Currently available in hard-copy only:

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

f. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, Exercises,
Workouts and Training Programs

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

g. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2, "How Strong
Are You?"

Hard-copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html

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

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

3. Thought for the Day: "You can't catch a fish
without fishing -- and you can't build strength
and muscle without training. But in both cases,
you have to do it the right way." -- Brooks Kubik



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

Catching Up with the Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As I mentioned in yesterday's email, I was with
my dad in his hospice room for most of last week,
and only got back in town on Sunday. There's a
lot going on, so let me catch you up on various
Dino news and projects.

1. Thank You!

We've been overwhelmed by the messages of
support after my dad's passing. Thank you very
much. It means more than I can say -- and Dad
would have been honored to know that he had
so many Dino friends around the world.

2. Our New Products Page

We've added links for our new e-books on our
products page, so you can go to the same page
for your choice of hard copy books or courses
or e-books. The e-book link takes you right to
the Amazon Kindle pages:

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

The link to my new Doug Hepburn e-book
needs to be added, so here it is if you've not
already seen the e-book. The cover is pretty
darn good:

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

3. Book Reviews

If you've read one of our e-books, please post
a review on the Amazon Kindle page. The
reviews really help us.

If you have a hard-copy version of one of our
e-books, you can still post a review if you have
an Amazon account.

Also -- you can help us by going to the Kindle
pages and reading and ranking the reviews.
Let us know which reviews are the most
useful, etc.

4. Kindle Readers

Several Dinos have asked if they need to buy
a Kindle to read one of our e-books. The answer
is "No." There's an app on the Amazon Kindle
site that you can download for free -- and then
you can read the e-book on any device.

Several readers have asked me which Kindle
device is best -- the answer is, I don't know
because I'm new to this. You'll have to consult
with an expert, i.e., a clerk at a store or any
millenial.

5. Facebook and Twitter

We're on both. Friend us and follow us.

6. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly

The Dinosaur Files Quarterly is a quarterly
jiournal devoted to Dino-style strength training
and muscle building. It contains my own original
articles, and original articles from your fellow
Dinos.

We offer the Dino Files Quarterly on an issue
by issue basis, NOT a subscrioption. Think of
each issue as a new training course (which is
what it really is).

Go here to see the table of contents for the
December 2014 and March 2015 issues:

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

The next issue will be coming out in June.

On a related note, if you want to submit an
article for the June Dino Files, please shoot
me an email.

If you have feedback about the last issue,
please send an email and let me hear it.

Also -- we're thinking about offering an e-book
version of The Dinosaur Files Quarterly. If that
sounds good, please let me know asap.

7. More E-Books Are Coming!

I'm working on several e-books. I would have
launched another one for you, but that ended
up being impossible due to my Dad's illness
and passing.

We'll try to finish one up in the next 7 to 10
days. Be looking for the announcement.

8. Physical Culture Radio

My weekly podcast with Carl Lanore will be on
Thursday at 12:00 noon EST. We're going to
dedicate the show to my Dad, and talk about
the end of life process and death with dignity.
That's a bit of a different topic, but as you can
imagine, it's on my mind. And it's an important
topic for all of us.

Physical Culture Radio is part of the SuperHuman
Radio network. You can find us right here:

http://superhumanradio.com/

 9. Legacy of Iron

If you're a Legacy of Iron fan, please shoot me
an email with a one-line review for the little
monster.

10. Shipping for Multiple Items

We can save you some big clams if you order
two or more items and we ship them together.
This is especialy true for overseas orders and
orders to Canada.

Email and ask for a shipping quote for any
multiple item order.

The Wrap-Up

That catches us up. 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. Don't forget to check out the new
products page -- and the new Doug
Hepburn e-book -- and the Dinosaur
Files quarterly:

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

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

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you made every
workout count, how fast would you gain?"
-- Brooks Kubik

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

How to Train for Lifelong Strength and Health!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let me start with some big breaking news, and
then we'll talk training.

I'm going to be doing a regular weekly podcast
on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio.

The show will be called Physical Culture Radio.
It will air every Thursday at 12:00 noon EST.

You can listen to the live show or listen to
the download later on.

You can find us right here -- every Thursday --
at 12:00 noon:

http://superhumanradio.com/

We're going to start out by covering a very
interesting topic -- healthy aging, which I
define as staying strong and healthy and
active and fit for your entire life.

We'll discuss various aspects of healthy
aging in a series of shows. Listen to them,
and if you have questions, shoot them in
to me by email. We'll try to work them into
later shows.

On the training front -- since we're going to
be talking about healthy aging on the show,
let's prime the pump a bit by covering an
important aspect of it right now.

The training component.

A couple of nights ago, I saw a very interesting
interview.

It featured a man named Randy Lewis, who
happens to be one of the greatest wrestlers
of all time.

He won the NCAA championships 2x while
wrestling for Dan Gables' legendary Iowa
Hawkeyes -- and went on to win the Olympic
gold medal in 1984.

I actually saw him wrestle in the Junior
Nationals. He was probably the best high
school wrestler I ever saw.

Anyhow, in the interview, he was talking
about how he got the itch to compete again.

This was when he was in his 40's. Not old,
but almost twice as old as his competitors
would have been.

He had continued to work out after he
retired from competition -- but there's
a big difference between the kind of
workouts he did when he was training
to win the Olympic gold medal and the
kind of workouts he did after he retired.

So when he got the competition bug,
he decided to ramp things up.

And, of course, he started to train hard,
and put in lots of mat time and lots of
time on other work -- running and lifting
and cardio work, and so on -- and he
ended up overdoing things and getting
hurt.

So he tried again another time.

Same result.

After this happened a few times, he began
to wonder if it would ever be possible to
compete again.

That's when someone made a very good
suggestion.

"Don't train for it -- just compete."

So he did -- and he entered the Olympic
try-outs at age 50 -- and beat two younger
athletes before losing a close match to a
third wrestler.

And all of the men he wrestled were 20
or 25 years younger than he was. And
they were top wrestlers in their own right.
So notching a couple of wins at age 50
was pretty darn impressive. In fact, it
was absolutely remarkable.

But the interesting thing is how he got
there -- not by gearing up and going
crazy and training 8 hours a day and
doing the full-bore Eye of the Tiger
thing -- but by easing up in his training
and doing just enough to be effective
on the mat -- but not so much that he
hurt himself.

That's a vitally important lesson for all
older athletes -- and for all older trainees.
At a certain time in your life, you do better
with less -- and you do better by balancing
hard work with plenty of time for recovery
and recuperation.

And that's the message of the day. If you're
an older trainee, take it to heart -- and if
you're a younger trainee, file it away for
future reference. There will come a time
when you will need it.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one -- and be sure to catch me on
Physical Culture Radio!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you're an older trainee, be sure to read
Gray Hair and Black Iron -- and the Dinosaur
Files quarterly, which includes plenty of great
workouts and training ideas for older Dinos:

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

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

P.S. 2. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Go here to grab them:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.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: "You can train at any
age -- but you need to train smarter as you grow
older." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Do You Want to Be a Monster?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Breaking news -- I'll be on Carl Lanore's
SuperHuman Radio at 12:00 noon today
(that's EST). Catch it live or listen to the
download ayc. It will be a good show.

In other news, issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly was printed on Friday. We
mailed some of the issues on Saturday,
and we'll try to get the rest of them out
the door today. If you forgot to order a
copy, do it now -- we have extras:

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

On the training front, let's talk about one
of the most interesting advertising
campaigns in barbell history.

Back in the mid-1950's, Harry Paschall
came up with an ad for the York Barbell
Company. This was at the height of the
Hoffman-Weider feud, and you can see
very quickly that Harry was supporting
the York side in his ad.

But he was also supporting old-school
physical culture as opposed to modern
bodybuilding.

What he says is worth reading -- and
worth thinking about. Particularly today,
when everyone wants to look "freaky"
or look like a "monster" -- and when
so many turn to roidskies to try to
achieve that look.

Harry's barbell ad read like this:

"Without question barbells offer you the
quickest and surest means of developing
your body, strengthening your muscles and
improving your athletic ability. BUT consider
carefully before you buy a barbell. A sensible
buyer should first investigate the claims of
the various competing manufacturers. There
are many good reasons why York is the
oldest, largest and best known company
in this field.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A MONSTER?

A barbell in inexperienced hands may well
become an instrument of destruction and
distortion. Therefore, a barbell is only as
good as the course of instruction behind it.
There are certain 'muscle-bulging' courses
marketed today that create monsters instead
of men.

The natural, trim, well-proportioned athletic
lines of the body are distorted by unnatural
exercise methods into ugly lumps, varicose
veins, ruptured and swollen tissues.

Men trained by such methods lose speed,
range of movement, flexibility and muscular
coordination.

We are reluctant to believe that any young
man in his right mind wants to look like a
freak."

Harry was almost 60 years old when he came
up with this ad -- and although I love Harry
Paschall dearly and view him as a mentor and
as a friend, I think he was behind the times on
this one.

Not because his message (or warning) was
wrong -- but because by 1956, when Harry
wrote, this, it was already too late. The horse
was out of the barn. The young guys all wanted
to look like freaks and monsters.

I think that's continued to the present day --
and I think it's a problem for physical culture.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there are still
plenty of trainees who are more interested in
strength and health than in looking like a
monster. What do you think?

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. Our Dinosaur Training e-books are getting
off-the-chart reviews. Go here to grab them:

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

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

And please post a review for us -- the reviews really
help!

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for lifelong strength
and health, and everything else will be just fine. "
-- Brooks Kubik

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

What It Means to Look Like a Greek Statue!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

Continues to be a top 10 best-seller in its
category at the Amazon Kindle site -- and
continues to get rave reviews.

If you don't have the little monster, sprint
on over and grab it now:

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

And please be sure to give us a review!
They really help us -- and we really
appreciate them.

BTW, this is the first in a continuing series --
all of which will be avsilable in your choice of
hard-copy or Kindle e-book. Be looking for
number 2 in the series in the very near
future -- and for other e-books from me
in the Kindle bookstore. We're going to
bring you tons of great training information
in 2015.

2. The Dinosaur Files Quarterly Journal

Issue no. 2 is just about ready to go. We'll
put up an order button later today. It will
include the table of contents with all the
different articles for the issue. Be looking
for an update later on when the order button
is ready to go.

On the training front, I was a guest on Carl

Lanore's SuperHuman Radio Show yesterday,
and for the second week in a row we talked
a bit about famous classical statues -- such
as the statue of the Farnese Hercules.

 

If you missed the show and would like to hear
it, here's the link -- it's episode 1578:

http://superhumanradio.com/

The statues came up last week, when Carl noted
that the ancient Greeks and Romans built some
remarkable physiques without any roidskies and
without any supplements. They did it with hard
training and a diet of all natural foods.

And they ended up looking like the very best of
today's bodybuilders and weightlifters.

You can see it in those marvellous old statues.
Put one of them on the stage at any bodybuilding
show, and he just might walk away with first
place.

Yesterday, I noted that those old statues were
not merely the result of the sculptor's imagination.
No one thought, "I'm going to sculpt a statue of
a warrior and make him look the way I think
athletes might look 500 years from now."

Nor did they say, "I'm going to sculpt a man who
never lived -- who doesn't exist -- and who never
will exist -- and make it up as I go along."

No, they did what artists have always done --
they used actual models.

The models they used were champion athletes
and seasoned warriors.

And you can see this in the resulting sculptures.
The sculptures show thick, heavy abdominal
and oblique development.

Why?

Because back then, men trained with many
different twisting and turning movements --
which you would use in throwing a javelin or
a spear, swinging an axe or a sword, throwing
a discus, or in throwing an opponent in a
wrestling match.

The models had powerful, corded forearms and
thick, powerful hands.

Why?

Because they did so much work with heavy
weapons. It must have built a ferocious grip
over the years.

In short, the men who were used as models for
statues such as the Farnese Hercules were men
who trained to be the best athletes and the most
powerful warriors of their era.

They weren't imaginary. They were real.

And they did it Dino-style -- with hard work and
healthy food. They probably did lots of old-school
bodyweight exercises, as well as dumbbell training.
So their workouts may have been very similar to
those in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training and
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.

And they quite likely did some stone lifting. Men
have been lifting stones for thousands of years.
And as I noted, they ran, wrestled, swung heavy
weapons and threw things.

And that was all they needed.

I don't know about you, but I find that to be very
encouraging. It shows us what we can do -- and
what we can achieve.

And it reminds us that it doesn't take very much
in the way of equipment to get a great workout.

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. Here's the link again for Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1:

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

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training and Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training -- are available right here
at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Learn from the past,
live in the present, lift for the future." Brooks Kubik

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

The Day My Glasses fell Into the Chalk Box

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. My Interview with Nik Hawks

Many of you enjoyed Nik Hawk's comments
about my Power of One email -- including
the terrific quote from Lord Grizzly. I've
done two podcast interviews with Nik,
and I think you'll enjoy them:

http://paleotreats.com/blogs/paleo-treats/18083027-episode-25-brooks-kubik

http://paleotreats.com/blogs/paleo-treats/18217047-episode-26-brooks-kubik-round-2

The first one covers influences on my
training, and traces Dinosaur Training
back through a long line of famous
Iron Game authors.

The second deals with the mental aspects
of strength training.

2. SuperHuman Radio Interview

I'll be on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio
at 1:00 EST today -- talking diet and nutrition
for Dinos on the go. Catch it live or listen to the
podcast AYC at the SHR site:

http://superhumanradio.com/

And now-- let's talk training.

Yesterday we were talking about bad workouts,
and how to get past them.

How about a bad competition?

I entered a bench press contest in Jacksonville,
Florida once. The goal was to hit 405 pounds --
a World Record in the 220 pound class, Submaster's
age group, in that particular organization.

I smoked 365 on my first attempt and did the
same with 385.

I felt strong. I knew I could hit the 405.

I got super-psyched for the lift -- chalked up --
slapped the side of my face for good measure --
and knocked my glasses right into the chalk box.

Now, remember, this was Florida -- and it was hot --
and my glasses were covered with sweat -- and the
chalk stuck to them like snow, and there was no
way in the world to wear them and see anything.

And there was no time to wash them off, because
I needed to do the lift. The clock was running.

So I went out and did the lift with no glasses.

And me with no glasses means I'm almost blind.

I had to peer at the bar, look for the knurling, and
figure out where to grip the bar -- and then ask the
hand-off guy to mark the spot with his fingers,
because I couldn't see it when I lay down on the
bench.

Long story short -- I gave it a real good try, but I
missed the lift.

And I was furious with myself.

I fumed about it all the way home -- and it's a long
drive from Jacksonville to Louisville.

When I got home, I sent in an entry form for another
meet in that organization -- this time in Edison, New
Jersey.

It was two weeks away.

I had six workouts to get ready for it.

In each workout, I benched 405 pounds, starting
from the bottom position in the power rack (pins
set so the bar was on my chest) -- or from two inches
higher -- or four inches higher -- or six inches higher.

The idea was to work the sticking points -- and to
destroy the mental barrier that missing 405 had
set up.

In other words, I wanted to OWN 405 pounds.

And I did.

At the contest in New Jersey, I nailed the 405 --
and made that World Record.

And that's another way to deal with a setback or a
sticking point -- use partials in the power rack and
smash it to pieces.

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 power rack training in detail in Strength,
Muscle and Power -- and in my power rack training
DVD (which also shows my lifting at that New Jersey
meet):

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

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and the
Dinosaur Files quarterly -- are right here at Dino
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If it doesn't work as
planned, regroup, re-apply yourself, and try again."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

"Amazingly Effective for Strength and Muscle Mass!"

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Breaking news -- I'll be on Carl Lanore's
SuperHuman Radio Show at 12:00 EST today.

Catch it live or listen to the download later
on.

On the training front . . .

Last week a reader asked me about bodyweight
training, and whether you could use it to build
strength and muscle mass.

My answer probably surprised him.

"Bodyweight training is amazingly effective for
building strength and muscle mass."

And yes, those were my exact words -- and I
don't use "amazingly" very often. When I do,
I mean it.

But -- and this is important -- it has to be the
right kind of bodyweight training.

Here's an example -- and it's something I found
in the yellowed pages of a very old magazine,
buried far at the back, where it was easy to
miss.

A reader asked John Grimek about handstand
pushups.

Grimek told him they were pretty good -- and
noted that at one period of his life, when he was
traveling and working as an artists's model, he
found it very difficult to do any weight training
for about two years.

What did he do instead?

Handstand pushups and tiger bends.

Freestanding. Not balanced with the feet against
the wall.

For many, many sets.

A total of 200 reps per day of each exercise.

Grimek didn't mention any pull-ups, but I bet
he was doing plenty of pull-ups at the same
time. Remember, this was the man with the
original baseball biceps.

And quite likely, he  some deep knee bends to
work his legs. Grimek liked leg work, and it's
hard to imagine him not doing something to
work his lower body.

Grimek's experience is hardly unusual. Back in
the day, quite a few bodybuilding and lifting
champions got started with handbalancing,
gymnastics, and bodyweight training. And
many of them continued to include their
favorite bodyweight exercises -- such as
pushups, pull-ups, handstand pushups or
tiger bends -- for their entire career.

I've done it myself, and I know it works.

I had a stretch of about four years where I
did nothing but bodyweight training. Lots
of advanced pushup variations -- lots of
advanced pull-up variations -- and tons
of handstand pushups.

Plus various types of deep knee bends and
hyperextensions -- and bridging and gut
work.

How did it work?

Pretty darn well.

In my late 40's, I was bigger, thicker and more
muscular than I was when I was doing heavy
powerlifting in my 30's.

Of course, you don't have to use bodyweight
training exclusively. You can combine it with
barbell and dumbbell training, and have the
best of both worlds.

And it's easy to learn how to do it -- and how
to put it together into effective, result-producing
workouts.

I offer a complete course in old-school body-
weight training -- along with 50 different
workouts -- in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.

And I'll also include a  special bulletin that
tells you how to combine bodyweight
training with barbell and dumbbell work.

It's good stuff.

In fact, it's amazingly good stuff.

And remember -- I don't use that word very
often.

Go here to grab a copy:

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

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including
Knife, Fork, Muscle and the new quarterly Dinosaur
Files -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Simple and effective
beats complicated and useless every time."
-- Brooks Kubik

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

Answers to the "Who Said It?" Challenge

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Last Friday I sent you a special Dinosaur
Challenge -- to guess "Who said it?" for
10 quotes from famous Iron Game figures.

I said it would be hard, and it was. Several
Dinos got a couple of them -- but no one
came near getting all of them.

So here are the answers -- see if you were
close on them:

WHO SAID IT?

1. "Unfortunately, dreams and reality are
different states. Just to dream that you can
lift 300 lbs is no sign that you can do it."

Harry Paschall, Development of Strength

Harry went on to note that bigger dreams will
lead to bigger lifts -- after you put in the
work!

2. "Provided you are not organically sick,
a heavy training program, sensibly organized
and built around teeth-grinding squats, can
start you growing in size and strength like
a Dinosaur!"

Bradley J. Steiner, July 1969 IronMan

I had forgotten about that Dinosaur reference,
but I sure as heck like it! And Steiner was spot
on about the squats.

3. "Most men will gain fine on two heavy
workouts per week, especially if there is plenty
of heavy leg and back work included."

Peary Rader -- July 1969 IronMan

This was revolutionary back then -- but now,
many of us use divided workouts and hit any
given exercise only once per week. It's taken
a long time to learn that less is better.

4. "How shall we determine the proper amount
of exercise? This, in our opinion, becomes the
question of most vital import between the
instructor and the enthusiastic seeker after
results in physical improvement."

Mark Berry, Physical Training Notes, vol. II,
no. 5, 1937

Note that Berry was asking the question in
1937, and Rader was asking the same question
in 1969. It's one of the really important questions.

5. "The man who tries to develop all his body
by the use of a pair of light dumb-bells, is
laboring under a tremendous handicap."

Alan Calvert, Milo Barbell Company brochure,
date unknown, but probably 1910 - 1920.

Light dumbbells were all the rage back then,
and it was hard to sell the idea that you needed
to lift heavy iron -- or to do heavy leg and back
exercises. I guess some things never change.

6. "To build really big arms, the chest, lungs,
heart and other internal organs must be
strengthened and enlarged first."

Billy Van -- Superhealth course -- 1956

This was impossible to guess, but I put it
in because it expresses the point so well.
Back in the day, it was widely recognized
that strength training built muscle because
it strengthened and improved the internal
organs, improved digestion and assimilation,
increased the metabolism, etc. In other words,
with proper training you built your body from
the inside out. A key point, and one that is
largely forgotten today.

7. "Poundage progression is critical. Never be
satisfied with any particular weight in any
particular exercise. This is NOT new information,
but modern trainees seem to have lost sight of it
entirely."

Brooks Kubik -- in the Dinosaur Strength Training
Notebook (1998)

Been saying this for years . . .

8. "To build muscles and strength, to build
stronger attachments, tendons, ligaments,
and cartiliges, it is necessary to use heavy
poundages."

Bob Hoffman -- Strength and Health, Dec.
1940

Compare to no. 5. People need to hear this over
and over.

BTW, I covered this exact point in an interview
on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio yesterday.
If you missed it, scoot on over to SHR and listen
to the podcast.

9. "To be free from winter ailments this year,
two things are highly essential for you to
observe, and I reiterate: Diet and exercise."

John Grimek -- Strength and Health, Dec. 1940

Since it's winter now -- snow on the ground here
in Louisville -- I thought this was worth noting.
It's good advice.

10. "To maintain youthful spirits, the great
muscles of the body -- in fact all the muscles --
must be used with a certain amount of
regularity. That does not necessarily mean
daily -- most people hate a routine, but they
should be used frequently and vigorously
enough to thoroughly stir the circulatory
processes."

Bernarr MacFadden -- Physical Culture, Dec.
1944

Compare to no. 6. This is very similar. The
leaders in physical culture have been saying
this for a long, long time.

As I said, this one was TOUGH. We'll do it
again sometime and see if we have any
winners.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

1. We're coming to the end of the pre-publication
special for Knife, Fork, Muscle, so if you've
not already reserved a copy, do it now:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

NOTE: I will be in touch with my printer today
and tomorrow and will update you on when I'll be
getting the books. We should be getting the
shipment sometime next week, and we'll fire
them on out to everyone as soon as we have
them.

2. Go here to order the first issue of the new
quarterly Dinosaur Files:

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

3. My other books and courses are right here:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Train for strength,
eat for health, and live your life to the fullest."

-- Brooks Kubik


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

Your Favorite Exercises -- the Dinos Respond!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes - and then we'll talk about your
favorite exercises.

1. My fingers are NUMB from writing personal "Thank
You" notes to everyone who reserved a copy of Knife,
Fork, Muscle. Once we get the books from the printer,
we'll fire them on out at Dino-Double-Warp speed,
with the Thank You notes and the bonuses. I'll keep
you posted as I get more info from the printer.

I am writing many Thank You notes to readers who
bought the first edition of Dinosaur Training back
in 1996, when I signed and numbered every copy --
so that makes almost 20 years together. It's been
fun.

2. The order page for the new quarterly Dino Files
should go up very soon. I'll forward a link when it's
up there.

3. I'll be on the 1:00 hour with Carl Lanore's Super-
Human Radio today. Listen live or catch the download
later on.

And now -- I asked about your favorite exercises --
and you responded!

And you had some good ones:

Trap Bar deadlifts (very popular)

Handstand pushups (free-standing -- which is a bear)

Deadlift (with regular bar) (also very popular)

Back squats (super popular)

Dips

Bench press

Kettle-bell swings or snatches

Power cleans with barbell (a big favorite)

Back hyperextensions on a hyperextension bench

High bar squats

Military Press (popular!)

Two dumbbell clean and press (also very popular)

Parallel squats (powerlifting style)

Gorilla pushups (from Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training)

Pull-ups (quite popular)

Car or truck pushing

One-arm pushups

Barbell bent-over row or Pendlay row

Overhead squats

Bottom position squats

Heavy barbell curls (emphasis on "heavy")

Rope planks (from Dinosaur Bodyweight Training)
Walking on hands (another toughie)

Swinging on the flying rings at Venice Beach's outdoor
training area (that sounds like fun -- with great
werather - and great scenery)

Medicine ball exercises

Swimming

Kettle-bell Turkish get-ups (or barbell, dumbbell
or sandbag ditto)

Spiderman crawling

Barbell split snatches (one of my current favorites --
and a favorite of Steve Stanko)

Barbell clean and press (one of John Grimek's favorites)

Sandbag bear hug and walk

The farmer's walk

Heavy hip belt squats (a John MacCallum favorite)

Log clean and press

Stone lifting

Two dumbbell curl and press ala Peter Cortese (a big
favorite of Grimek and Stanko)

Bottom position squat in the power rack

Sandbag curls (which reminds me -- anvil curls
are great fun)

Sledgehammer swings

Punching the heavy bag

Inverted rows

Heavy-duty wrist roller work

Snatch grip high pulls

One-hand dumbbell hang clean and push press

"All of them." (A very common response.)

and last but not least --

Car flip with a Smart car or Prius!

Thanks to everyone who fired out a response, and
as always, thanks for reading. If you train today,
make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Hard training on your favorite exercises requires
plenty of high quality nutrition -- which is why I wrote
Knife, Fork, Muscle:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

P.S. 2. Many of your favorite exercises come straight
from Dinosaur Dumbbell Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight
Training:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

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

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur Training
DVD's - are right here:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Make your training hard and
demanding, but make it fun." -- Brooks Kubik

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

20 Rep Squats for Older Trainees -- Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, then we'll talk about 20 rep
squats for older trainees.

1. Go here to reserve your copy of Knife, Fork,
Muscle as we wind down the pre-publication
special:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

1a. Researchers at UCLA just issued a break-through
paper on Alzheimer's that follows the diet and
nutrition advice in Knife, Fork, Muscle VERY
closely. In other words, Knife, Fork, Muscle
is cutting-edge stuff -- even though it also
includes many old-school ideas.

2. If you are a former subscriber to the Dinosaur
Files newsletter, shoot me an email with a brief
testimonial to help launch the sales page for
the new quarterly Dinosaur Files -- which will
be going up sometime mext week!

2a. THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in a
testimonial for the Dinosaur Files!

3. I'll be on Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio at
12:00 noon today -- listen live or catch the down-
load later on.

And now . . . the question of the day.

Is the 20 rep squat a good idea or a bad idea for
older trainees?

Several readers asked this question in response to
yesterday's email about the 100,000 Squats Club.
One reader in his late 40's noted that he had a bad
shoulder and was going to focus on squats and
deadlifts while it healed up. He said he had been
surfing the Interwebs (oh-oh) and found an article
by a guy in his 20's talking about the 20 rep squat
program -- and was thinking about trying it.

And he asked if I thought that was a good idea.

Frankly, I don't .

I know that many younger trainees have done very
well with the 20 rep squat. But it's a very difficult
and demanding program -- and it's hard to recover
from your workouts -- and it requires you to whip
yourself into a frenzy before your 20 rep Death
Set -- and push yourself into the ground, so you
finish the set and lie on the floor for 10 or 15
minutes before you can move.

That's one thing for guys in their teens or 20's.

It's another thing entirely for an older trainee.

John Davis did 15 and 20 rep squats when he was
building himself from a 181 pound lifter to a full-
fledged Heavyweight. But then he switched to 5 x 5.

In one of his books, Tommy Kono talks about doing
20 rep squats when he was younger. A few years
later, while still in his 20's or 30's, he tried them
again but switched back to lower reps. He just
didn't have the drive to do them any more. And
I think that's probably true of most older trainees.
You work hard, and that's great -- but you don't
need or want to do those 20 rep Death Sets.

There's also the shoulder issue. Most older trainees
have some degree of shoulder problems. That makes
high rep squatting difficult.

Heck, it makes any kind of squatting difficult.

Which reminds me -- if you have bad shoulders,
this little device will save your squat workouts:

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

There's also the recovery issue. Younger trainees can
recover from 20 rep squats. Older trainees may not be
able to do so.

And then there's the issue of form. Older trainees should
ALWAYS perform every rep of every set of every exercise
in perfect form. Younger trainees can sometimes get
away with sloppy reps, but they often lead to injury
for an older trainee.

Lower reps allow you to perform your exercises in
strict form. But doing 20 reps in the squat makes it
very difficult to maintain good form for the entire set.
Finally, I will note that most Masters weightlifters do
low reps in squats or front squats -- and the older they
are, the fewer reps they do. They find that too many
reps make their knees sore.

Of course, if you have been doing 20 rep squats your
entire life, and you enjoy doing them, then keep on
doing what you're doing. But if you're thinking about
"giving them a try" at age 50 or 60 -- that's probably
not a good idea. It's better to dance with who brung
ya.

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

And remember to send in those testimonials for the
Dinosaur Files!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more training advice for older Dinos, grab
this:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- including Knife,
Fork, Muscle -- are right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Never try to change
horses in mid-stream -- or mid-workout." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Carved in Iron -- 10 Iron Nuggets from Bob Hoffman!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As promised, here's the link to my 9/30 interview on
Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio Show:

http://superhumanradio.com/

It's show no. 1500. I'm in the second hour.

I also did a podcast recently with longtime Dino
Bill Kociaba. We covered my new book, KNIFE,
FORK, MUSCLE. You can find it here:

http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_an_interview_with_brooks_kubik

I'm working with my layout and design team to get the
book to the printer and ship it in mid-Oct. I'll keep you
posted.

On the training front, I thought I'd share some more
Iron Nuggets with you.

These come from Bob Hoffman. Hence the title of this
email message: Carved in Iron. I think Bob would
have liked that.

10 Iron Nuggets from Bob Hoffman

1. "A chain is no stronger than it's weakest link."

2. "You get our of exercise what you put into it."

3. "Your exertion can easily be measured by your
puffing, panting and perspiring."

4. "A Home Gymnasium or special training room
which can be beneficially used by all the family,
by father and mother, by the children, by the old
folks too, for exercise is highly beneficial at any
age."

5. "Your strength, your endurance, and your
recuperative powers will quickly improve if you
follow the rules of health."

6. "Don't neglect your dumbbell training."

7.  "Read and study the course at intervals. You
will discover or rediscover some important training
advice you have overlooked or not quite
understood."

8. "Constantly strive to handle more and more
weight."

9. "Progression is the only way to succeed in building
your body."

10. "Set a goal. You must set a goal . . . Don't let
anything prevent your success."

Personally, I think those are all pretty good. I hope
you enjoyed them -- and I hope you enjoy the Dino
interviews on the links I shared!

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. Here's the link to reserve your copy of KNIFE,
FORK MUSCLE:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.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: "When you stand on the
shoulders of giants, you can see pretty darn far."
-- Brooks Kubik

Another Podcast for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I just finished a podcast with Carl Lanore on
the SuperHuman radio Shiow, and it was
pretty darn good. If you missed it on the
live broadcasy, be sure to listen to the
download. It's in the second hour of the
program.

I'll send the link tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've been doing a number
of podcasts, including one with long-time
Dino Bill Kociaba. We did that one last
week, and the link just went up today,
so it's brand new.

Bill is a former gym owner, longtime lifter,
and a guy who is very knowledgeable about
training, bodybuilding, lifting, health and
firness -- and the real deal, behind the
scenes stuff in professional wrestling,
which has always had many curious
links to the Iron Game.

Bill has a nice website and has had some great
podcasts, including one with Clarence Bass and
another with Steve Maxwell.

Here's the link to the one that Bill and I did:

http://kociaba-fitness.com/blog_an_interview_with_brooks_kubik

Bill is just starting to get his website and his
podcast going, so run on over and check it out,
say hello, leave comments and hit the LIKE
button and the SHARE button.

Anyhow, it was a fun interview, and I hope
you enjoy it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. The interview with Bill Kociaba covered my
new book, KNIFE, FORK, MUSCLE. You can go
here to reserve your copy of the little monster:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.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: "Lift for strength,
and eat for health." -- Brooks Kubik

The Lifter, the Boulder and the Butterfly

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Breaking news -- I'll be doing a 1:00 show on
Carl Lanore's SuperHuman Radio today. Listen
live or catch the download later on:

http://superhumanradio.com/

On the training front, let's talk about the lifter,
the boulder and the butterfly.

There's a big boulder lying at the bottom of
a tall mountain.

There's a lifter -- and there's a butterfly.

And for some reason, they decide to push the
boulder to the top of the mountain.

To roll it right on up there, inch by excruciating
inch.

The lifter chalks his hands, leans forward, and
starts pushing.

The butterfly follows along behind them for
awhile, then loses interest and flutters away,
floating aimlessly from flower to flower and
tree to tree.

Meanwhile, the lifter keeps on pushing the
boulder.

It goes on like that for a very long time.

The lifter keeps on pushing the boulder,
moving it upward inch by inch. Slowly,
steadily, surely.

The butterfly floats and flutters and flies
and flits from one thing to another.

Finally, after a very long struggle, the lifter
shoves the boulder the very last inch, lodging
it firmly into a rocky crevasse at the top of
the mountain.

He raises his hands high overhead and roars
in triumph.

The butterfly hears him, looks up, and
thinks:

"That looks cool -- I should do that!"

And then the butterfly sees a bright flower
dancing in the breeze and floats away.

And then another flower.

And another.

The butterfly never makes it to the top of the
mountain.

Only lifters make it to the top of the mountain.

And they do it inch by inch -- with persistence,
focus, and determination.

Some call it obsession.

I call it single-minded purpose.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Be a lifter, not a butterfly.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. There's still time to reserve your copy of my
new book, KNIFE, FORK, MUSCLE during our big
pre-publication special:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You get to the top
of the mountain one step at a time." -- Brooks
Kubik