Swing for the Fences!

Hitting it hard at age 61 - having more fun than ever - and still swinging for the fences!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes to start the week - and
then a true story that I think you're really
going to like.

1. The Dinosaur Files

My layout and design guy is formatting
the March issue of The Dinosaur Files -
so it should be ready pretty soon.

I'll email when the little monster is
ready to go.

In the meantime, go here to grab any
issues you may have missed:

Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues

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

Feb issue

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-february2018pdf.html

BTW, if you prefer to grab a one-year,
12-issue subscription, shoot me an
email - we can make it happen.

2. A Strength Secrets Exclusive

John Wood has done a killer t-shirt
specially designed for members of
the Strength Secrets Facebook
Group.

If you're interested in seeing it, join
the group - which you can do by going
right here - and be sure to tell John I
sent you:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

3. Swing for the Fences!

One of the very best lawyers in Louisville
passed away several days ago at the age
of 82. His name was Bob.

I used to work with Bob when I was a
young lawyer fresh out of law school.

We handled a lot of cases, and did a
number of trials together. I learned a
lot from him - not just about how to
try cases, but other things, as well.

Including some very important life
lessons.

Bob was a terrific softball player as
a young man. He was even on a team
that played in the World Series of
Softball - but that's another story,
for another day.

Today's story involves an old softball
field just south of Covington, Kentucky -
which is on the Ohio River, right across
from Cincinnati.

Bob and I had gone up to Cincinnati
for an oral argument in the Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals.

Afterwards, we drove back to Louisville.

Bob was driving - and when we were just
past Covington, he got off the interstate
and drove down a side road - and then
another one - and another - and over a
bridge - past some farms - and down a
dusty little two-lane highway.

He stopped at a softball field surrounded
by corn fields.

"There it is," he said.

"What?" I asked.

I didn't see anything. Just a ball field.

"That's where I hit my very best home
run," he said.


And then he told me how it happened.

Bob's team had a line-up of home run
hitters - and some terrific pitchers - so
they usually won by a huge margin.

But one day, they played a team that
had the best pitcher they had ever seen.

No one could hit him.

He struck almost everyone out.

But so did the pitcher on Bob's team.

And in the bottom of the ninth, they were
tied at 0-0.

The first two batters on Bob's team struck
out.

Bob went to the plate.

The pitcher wound up - and threw a blazing
comet that moved too fast for the eye to
see.

Bob swung - and missed.

Strike one!

They stared at each other - and then the
pitcher threw the ball again - another
rocket - and Bob swung - and missed.

Strike two!

Bob stepped out of the batter's box -
rubbed some dirt on his hands - and
stepped back in.

The pitcher wound up - and threw another
bolt of lightning.

And Bob closed his eyes and swung as
hard as he could.

Crack!

The ball sailed over the left field fence -
and out into the corn field behind it.

It was a massive home run.

And it was the winning run.

There's a lesson there - and it applies to
anything and everything, not just to soft-
ball.

Sometimes, you just have to close your
eyes and swing for the fences.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Be sure to grab the March issue of
The Dinosaur Files as soon as it's ready -
and the same for any earlier issues you
may have missed:

Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues

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

Feb issue

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-february2018pdf.html

And remember - if you prefer a one-
year, 12-issue subscription, shoot me
an email. I know a subscription is much
easier and more convenient for many of
you.

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters - including
links to my PDF courses and my Kindle
books:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:

"Yes, you can do it - you absolutely
can do it." 

- 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

Is the Bar Half Loaded or Half Empty?

A classic photo of weightlifter Bernie Baron from back in the early 1940's. Bernie was a very strong man (and a very well-developed man), but he never won the Senior National Weightlifting Championship or the Mr. America title. Nevertheless, he trained hard and heavy - and I bet he had tons of fun in his workouts!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

You've probably heard it many times.

The optimist and the pessimist look at
a glass of water that's filled right to the
halfway mark.

The optimist thinks the glass is half full.

The pessimist thinks the glass is half
empty.

It's the same when they look at a
barbell loaded with plates - but not
loaded with every possible plate.

The optimist thinks the bar is half
loaded.

The pessimist thinks the bar is half
empty.

How you look at the bar determines
how you look at yourself - how you
look at your training - how much
you enjoy your training - and how
much satisfaction you get from
your workouts.

I think it's very important to try to
improve your current level of
strength and lifting ability - but
it's also important to give yourself
a pat on the back for what you've
accomplished.

Always remember - you may not be
the strongest man in the world - but
you're a heck of a lot stronger than
most people!

And, most importantly, you're a heck
of a lot stronger than you would be
if you didn't train.

So keep on training - keep on gaining -
and stay hungry - but also recognize
that you've done a pretty good job so
far.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you ever need a major dose of
kick-in-the-pants motivation, as well as
tons of strength training advice, grab
the original little blue monster - the one
they call the "Bible of strength training":

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day:

"Climb the mountain, but enjoy the
journey."

- 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

Training Programs for Beginners - My Top Recommendations!

Chalk and Sweat ranks high on my list of recommended books for beginners.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A reader asked about the best
training books for his teenage
son to use to get started in the
Iron Game.

That's a great question, because
the kid needs some good advice.

Otherwise, he'll get buried in the
endless sea of training insanity
out there.

And he'll be a sucker for the super
supplements, the silly pumping
programs, the goofy YouTube
exercises (a/k/a "squats on roller-
skates"), and the steroids and
other drugs that infest the Iron
Game.

So let's help him avoid that stuff -
and try to get him training the
right way from the very beginning.

My advice would be to start with
the beginner's programs in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training. These will lay
the foundation for good results when
he moves on to barbell and dumbbell
training.

They also will teach him how to get
on a training schedule and stick to
it - as well as helping him develop
the Success Habit and start to under-
stand and use the mind-muscle
connection.

Next, he should use the beginner's
barbell and dumbbell programs in
Chalk and Sweat. Those would be
perfect for him at this stage of his
career.

I'd also suggest getting the Legacy
of Iron books, and letting him read
about Jim Miller and how he got
started in the Iron Game - and
how it worked for him.

There's nothing like a little bit of
motivation and inspiration, and
the Legacy of Iron books will
provide plenty of it.

They'll also help him learn about
the true champions of the Iron
Game - the men who did it without
drugs and super supplements. That's
very important for a young man to
know about.

Next, he should read my three-volume
series, Dinosaur Training Secrets I, II
and III. These will give him a terrific
overview of sane, sensible and effective
training - the old-school, all-natural,
drug-free way.

Another excellent book for younger
trainees and newbies is A Complete
Guide to Effective Barbell Training,
by Bradley J. Steiner. My buddy Bill
Hinbern has done a modern reprint
edition (with Steiner's express
permission). I recommend it highly.

The Complete Guide came out in the
early 1970's, but in my opinion it's
one of the very best training books
ever written.

Anyhow, those are my top recommend-
ations - and I wish the young man
the very best of success!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. With the exception of Brad Steiner's
Complete Guide, you can find all of the
books and courses I mentioned right here
at Dino Headquarters:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Go here to grab Brad Steiner's
Complete Guide to Effective Barbell
Training - and tell Bill Hinbern I sent
you:

http://superstrengthtraining.com/complete-guide-effective-barbell-training-bradley-steiner

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day

"The most important thing is to
start training, but it's a good idea
to get started the right way."

-Brooks Kubik

Stronger and Stronger

 

Keep on training - make it a regular part of your life - and stick with it from now until the end of your days. It's the best thing in the world.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Zail Khalsa, one of our longtime

Dinos, is just about my age (I'm

60), and he's been training for

pretty much his whole life.

He sent an email last week in

response to my comments

about quitters - and about

how important it is to keep

on training as you grow older.

He wrote:

Brooks,

Thank you for your no-nonsense

approach.

To quote Emile Coue:

"Every day, in every way, I'm

getting better and better."

Just depends on how you look at

"better."

Thank you again!

Zail Khalsa

I thought that was worth sharing -

for two reasons.

First, the focus on how to define

"better" is important.

I define "better" as "better than I

was the day before."

That puts the focus on the present -

and on progress.

Which are two very important

things.

Also, someone once used the

famous Emile Coue quote for

strength training.

Instead of "better and better"

he changed it to "stronger and

stronger."

Every single day, he looked in

the mirror and told himself:

"Every day, in every way, I'm

growing stronger and stronger."

And he ended up doing pretty

darn well - as in, World and

Olympic champion.

If you think you know who he

was, shoot me an email!

We'll see if anyone knows the

answer.

In other news, Amazon has

bundled all three of my Dinosaur

Training Secrets books in the

Kindle bookstore.

That means that you can grab

Dinosaur Training Secrets,

Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 with

one purchase:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-training-secrets.html

That's fast, easy and convenient -

and it leaves more time for

training!

If you prefer hard-copy or PDF

editions, we have them at my

website:

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

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

We have over 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore. 

For a complete list and links to all of them, go here: 

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

The Best Training Program for Beginners

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I got an email the other day from a reader
who wanted to know where to find a good
training program for a beginner.

He wasn't actually a beginner, because he's
done some training in the past -- but he's
been doing it stop and start style (or on
again, off again style) for a few years.

So he needs to get on a beginner's
program -- and stay on it. He needs
to get into the training habit. No more
stopping and starting.

Similar logic applies to someone who used
to train but is coming back after a long
layoff. In that case, you're not a true
beginner, but you'll do best with a
beginner program.

The key elements of a good training
program for beginners are:

1. The program should be light and easy.

a. Light and easy makes it easy to stick
to the program.

b. Light and easy helps the beginner avoid
undue muscular soreness.

c. True story: John Grimek thought his thighs
were getting too big so he didn't do squats for
8 years. When he started doing them again,
he did a workout that involved 200 or more
reps (with heavy weights) -- and he almost
crippled himself. He should have broken
back into it much lighter and easier.

2. Train three times per week on alternate
days, such as M/W/F.

3. Train for 30 to 45 mins per workout.

4. Use basic barbell and dumbbell exercises.

5. Use low volume. ONE set of 8 to 10
exercises is plenty.

6. Use a simple progression system.

a. Progression builds strength and muscle.

b. Progression also teaches you the Success
Habit -- i.e., it teaches you that strength
training works.

7. You can (and should) double your strength
on a basic beginner's program. So there's no
reason to do anything longer or more difficult
or more demanding. Save the longer, more
difficult and more demanding programs for
when you are more advanced.

As for specific workouts, try any of the 10
beginner programs in Chalk and Sweat:

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

Combine the workout with the progression
system for beginners in chapter 3 of Dinosaur
Training Secrets, Vol. 3:

Hardcopy

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

Kindle E-book

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

PDF

See the list of PDF courses at the Dinosaur
Training site:

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

And that's how to get it done.

Oh, and do me a favor. Share this with
someone who is just getting started --
or is getting back into training.

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. Remember to grab your copy of my
new training course, Brooks Kubik's Old
School Q & A:

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool_01-kindle.html

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool_01-kindle.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start at the
beginning and move forward slowly but
steadily." -- Brooks Kubik

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The Magic of Strength Training

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In the Middle Ages, alchemists tried to
find a way to change iron to gold.

Some men spent their entire lives in a
fruitless search for the magic formula
that would change ordinary iron into
beautiful, shining gold -- gold that would
make them wealthier and more
powerful than emperors and kings.

They never succeeded.

Iron was iron, and gold was gold.

But hundreds of years later, other men
made a remarkable discovery.

They learned how to unleash the magic of
iron.

These were men like Alan Calvert, Mark
Berry, Harry Paschall, George F. Jowett,
Sig Klein, Bob Hoffman and Peary Rader.

The men who put barbells and dumbbells --
and the secret of how to use them --
into the hands of thousands of eager
trainees around the world.

And make no mistake about it. Barbells and
dumbbells are quite literally miracle tools.

Properly used, they can transform your
physique, adding many pounds of muscle,
and building enormous strength and power.

With the right kind of training, you can double
or even triple your starting levels of strength
and development. And some trainees do even
better than that.

To me, that's magic. Far more magic than
turning iron to gold.

But it doesn't stop there.

Barbell and dumbbell training works because it
is a form of progressive resistance training. You
start by handling weights that are manageable but
challenging -- and you gradually increase your
reps in each exercise -- and then you add weight
to the bar, drop back on the number of reps, and
build back up again.

And you repeat the process over and over.

It's a series of small steps -- but every step is a
step forward. With every step, you move forwards
toward more strength, more muscle and more
power. Every step is a victory.

You end up transforming your body -- but more
than that, you end up transforming your mind,
your heart and your entire being.

You learn some of the most important lessons
a person can learn.

You learn that hard work leads to great results.
That success occurs step by step.

That whatever you can conceive and believe, you
can achieve.

That nothing can stop you.

And that you and you alone control your destiny
and your future.

And that's REAL magic.

If you train, you know what I'm talking about. If
you don't train, or if you stopped training, now's
the time to start (or start again) -- and to grab
some of that magic.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. More than any book ever written, Legacy
of Iron captures the magic of barbell and dumbbell
training -- by taking you back to the 1930's and
letting you share the magic with a young man
named Jim Miller -- who needed a miracle -- and
found it when he discovered barbell training:

http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.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: "If you're looking
for magic, look no further than the nearest
barbell." -- Brooks Kubik

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