Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Couple of quick notes, and then we'll
talk training.
1. My new CD covering Dinosaur Mindpower
and how to develop it is now available --
and it's pretty darn good. For details,
go here:
http://www.dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/
2. If you have my Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training DVD, pls shoot me a brief
testimonial on Dino-style DB exercises.
I need them to help launch my new book,
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.
3. The final issue of year two of The
Dinosaur Files newsletter is running
late -- but it will go out soon. After
that, I'm going to switch to a new
format -- perhaps with bi-monthly or
quarterly publication dates.
And now -- training talk!
I've been getting a ton of questions
from readers, so let me give the answers
to some of the common ones in brief,
bullet points. This should help clear
up some things for many of you.
1. Yes, I really do think the mental
aspects of strength training are as
important as I've been saying.
2. No, you cannot dream yourself to a
500 pound lift -- but if you don't use
the power of your mind to help you get
there, the odds are good that it will
never happen.
3. No, I don't believe in squatting
heavy every day -- even if the Bulgarians,
the Chinese or the guys from Outer Congolia
do it.
3A. heck, I don't care if the guys from
Mars do it.
4. If you want to learn Olympic Weight-
lifting, order Jim Schmitz training manual
and DVD from IronMind.
5. Do NOT do high reps on OL movements or
related exercises.
5A. One reader had a"coach" tell him to
train his Olympic lifts for 30 to 100 reps
per set.
5B. Seriously! I kid you not!
6. After age 50 or 55, two workouts per
week may be best for you -- or do two
workouts with reasonable resistance and
one light workout.
7. At any age (but especially after age 40,
daily mobility drills and stretching are a
very good idea.
8. Yes, it is true that I don't take any
supplements -- unless you consider tons of
fresh green veggies, free range eggs and
free range grass fed beef and pork to be
a supplement (which they probably are).
9. Whatever your age, you can get good
results from your training. Older lifters
may not lift as heavy, build as much muscle
or gain as fast as the younger guys, BUT (and
this is huge, so pay attention):
A. Working out is much more important as you
grow older.
B. Working out is more fun than ever as you
get older.
C. Even moderate training is ten times better
than no training.
10. Beginners and intermediates should NOT do
partial movements or bottom position training
in the power rack because it's too demanding.
They need to wait until they are more advanced.
HOWEVER -- beginners can and should do squats
and benches in the rack or with safety bars
to catch the weight in case they miss a rep.
11. No, you don't need those energy drinks --
but you DO need plenty of water. Stay super
hydrated in the hot weather.
12. Yes, you can get very big, very muscular
and very strong with bodyweight training --
but it has to be the right kind of bodyweight
training -- as in, the kind I teach in
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.
That's enough for now -- I'll send another email
later in the day. Be looking for it.
In the meantime, and 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 is MUST READING for
anyone age 35 and up:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. For the best in old-school bodyweight
workouts, grab DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The most important
thing is to start. The next most important thing
is to keep going." -- Brooks Kubik
Now Available -- The Seven Keys to Concentration CD!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Big breaking news for Dinos!
Carl Lanore just put up the much
anticipated link to my new CD, The
Seven Keys to Concentration --
a recording of a terrific hour-long
seminar I did for Carl's SuperHuman
University.
In the program, I taught a seven
step program for developing your
power of concentration to the
absolute maximum for peak performance
in strength training -- meaning peak
performance in workouts and peak
performance in competition.
And no, it's not a course in hippy-
dippy meditation, and I'm not wearing
60's style prayer beads, and I'm not
sitting here munching on tofu and
carrot sticks.
This is POWER STYLE concentration.
WEIGHTLIFTER STYLE concentration.
The same type of concentration used
by the greatest strongmen, weightlifters,
powerlifters, and bodybuilders in the
history of the Iron Game.
There are two ways to place an order.
1. You can order the CD directly from
Carl Lanore. If you do that, you'll
pay the regular cost of the CD (19.95
clams) plus s&h. Carl will handle the
fulfillment (meaning, Carl will mail
it to you). Carl's link is right
here:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/component/jshopping/product/view/5/7.html
2. Order directly from me whenever you
order another Dinosaur Training product.
You'll pay for the other product or
products, and pay s&h for it/them.
You'll pay 19.95 clams for the CD, but
there will be no additional s&h charge,
since we can include the CD with the rest
of your order. If that's what you want
to do, shoot me an email and I'll tell
you how to place your order.
PLEASE NOTE: It makes no difference to me
whether you order the CD from me or from Carl
Lanore. I just want you to order it --
because it's important information, and
it will really help you in your training.
So order directly from Carl if you want
to do so -- or order from me if you're going
to order something else (and save on s&h).
But order the little monster!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the link again for Carl Lanore:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/component/jshopping/product/view/5/7.html
P.S. 2. And here's the link to all of my
Dinosaur training books, courses, DVD's,
and other Dino goodies:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Every obstacle is
an opportunity." -- Brooks Kubik
Big breaking news for Dinos!
Carl Lanore just put up the much
anticipated link to my new CD, The
Seven Keys to Concentration --
a recording of a terrific hour-long
seminar I did for Carl's SuperHuman
University.
In the program, I taught a seven
step program for developing your
power of concentration to the
absolute maximum for peak performance
in strength training -- meaning peak
performance in workouts and peak
performance in competition.
And no, it's not a course in hippy-
dippy meditation, and I'm not wearing
60's style prayer beads, and I'm not
sitting here munching on tofu and
carrot sticks.
This is POWER STYLE concentration.
WEIGHTLIFTER STYLE concentration.
The same type of concentration used
by the greatest strongmen, weightlifters,
powerlifters, and bodybuilders in the
history of the Iron Game.
There are two ways to place an order.
1. You can order the CD directly from
Carl Lanore. If you do that, you'll
pay the regular cost of the CD (19.95
clams) plus s&h. Carl will handle the
fulfillment (meaning, Carl will mail
it to you). Carl's link is right
here:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/component/jshopping/product/view/5/7.html
2. Order directly from me whenever you
order another Dinosaur Training product.
You'll pay for the other product or
products, and pay s&h for it/them.
You'll pay 19.95 clams for the CD, but
there will be no additional s&h charge,
since we can include the CD with the rest
of your order. If that's what you want
to do, shoot me an email and I'll tell
you how to place your order.
PLEASE NOTE: It makes no difference to me
whether you order the CD from me or from Carl
Lanore. I just want you to order it --
because it's important information, and
it will really help you in your training.
So order directly from Carl if you want
to do so -- or order from me if you're going
to order something else (and save on s&h).
But order the little monster!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here's the link again for Carl Lanore:
http://www.superhumanradio.com/component/jshopping/product/view/5/7.html
P.S. 2. And here's the link to all of my
Dinosaur training books, courses, DVD's,
and other Dino goodies:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Every obstacle is
an opportunity." -- Brooks Kubik
A Dinosaur Workout to Build Crazy Strength!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday we talked about CRAZY exercises
and INSANE workouts. In response, I rec'd
a ton of emails from readers who were
falling out of their chairs laughing
themselves silly -- and that's good,
because laughter, as we all know, is
good medicine.
I also received a number of emails where
someone -- usually one of the older Dinos --
said something like:
"I go to the gym and do squats, and the
young guys think I'm crazy."
"People look at a Dino, and they think
HE'S the crazy one!"
"When I train heavy, people say I'm crazy!"
And so on.
The point is, the same people who want to
do CRAZY exercises and INSANE workouts (using
those terms in the positive sense, i.e., crazy
is good) are the ones who say you're "crazy"
(using the term in a negative sense, i.e.,
crazy is bad) if you train hard and heavy
on the basics.
So let me suggest a crazy workout, Dino-style. Work
hard on this program and you'll build some crazy
strength:
Mon
1. Power clean and press -- do 5 to 7 progressively
heavier sets of three reps. (Do one clean and one
press on each rep. If you prefer, do push presses.)
2. Pull-ups or barbell bent-over rowing -- 5 x 5. If
you do pull-ups, add weight to the last couple of
sets if you can. if you do rowing, start light and
do five progressively heavier sets.
3. Gut, grip and neck work for several sets of each.
If that tires you out too much, do gut work on
Mon, grip work on Wed and neck work on Friday.
Wed
1. Clean grip high pulls -- do 5 to 7 progressively
heavier sets of three reps.
2. Back squat or front squat -- 5 x 5 or same as
high pulls.
3. Gut, grip and neck work.
Fri
1. Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts
2. Any finisher of your choice (e.g., the farmer's
walk, the sandbag carry, the sandbag lift to the
shoulder for reps) -- sets and reps will vary
depending on what you do and how heavy you go.
3. Gut, grip and neck work.
For a Dino, that's a pretty basic but very effective
workout. But to the rest of the world, it's CRAZY!
So I guess we've settled it.
I guess WE -- the Dinos -- are the crazy ones.
And why are we crazy?
Because we train hard. For real. Not for show,
but for real.
And because we train hard, we end up crazy strong --
and crazy strong is the good kind of crazy.
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 want to get crazy strong and insanely
powerful, my Dinosaur Training books and courses
will get you there:
a. DINOSAUR TRAINING: LOST SECRETS OF STRENGTH
AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
d. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
e. CHALK AND SWEAT
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. My Legacy of Iron books, Horatius, Black Iron: The
John Davis Story, my DVD's and my Dinosaur Training
courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
3. Order two or more products together and save BIG
CLAMS on s&h.
4. Thought for the Day: "The iron doesn't care about
labels. It just wants you to lift it." -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday we talked about CRAZY exercises
and INSANE workouts. In response, I rec'd
a ton of emails from readers who were
falling out of their chairs laughing
themselves silly -- and that's good,
because laughter, as we all know, is
good medicine.
I also received a number of emails where
someone -- usually one of the older Dinos --
said something like:
"I go to the gym and do squats, and the
young guys think I'm crazy."
"People look at a Dino, and they think
HE'S the crazy one!"
"When I train heavy, people say I'm crazy!"
And so on.
The point is, the same people who want to
do CRAZY exercises and INSANE workouts (using
those terms in the positive sense, i.e., crazy
is good) are the ones who say you're "crazy"
(using the term in a negative sense, i.e.,
crazy is bad) if you train hard and heavy
on the basics.
So let me suggest a crazy workout, Dino-style. Work
hard on this program and you'll build some crazy
strength:
Mon
1. Power clean and press -- do 5 to 7 progressively
heavier sets of three reps. (Do one clean and one
press on each rep. If you prefer, do push presses.)
2. Pull-ups or barbell bent-over rowing -- 5 x 5. If
you do pull-ups, add weight to the last couple of
sets if you can. if you do rowing, start light and
do five progressively heavier sets.
3. Gut, grip and neck work for several sets of each.
If that tires you out too much, do gut work on
Mon, grip work on Wed and neck work on Friday.
Wed
1. Clean grip high pulls -- do 5 to 7 progressively
heavier sets of three reps.
2. Back squat or front squat -- 5 x 5 or same as
high pulls.
3. Gut, grip and neck work.
Fri
1. Deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts
2. Any finisher of your choice (e.g., the farmer's
walk, the sandbag carry, the sandbag lift to the
shoulder for reps) -- sets and reps will vary
depending on what you do and how heavy you go.
3. Gut, grip and neck work.
For a Dino, that's a pretty basic but very effective
workout. But to the rest of the world, it's CRAZY!
So I guess we've settled it.
I guess WE -- the Dinos -- are the crazy ones.
And why are we crazy?
Because we train hard. For real. Not for show,
but for real.
And because we train hard, we end up crazy strong --
and crazy strong is the good kind of crazy.
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 want to get crazy strong and insanely
powerful, my Dinosaur Training books and courses
will get you there:
a. DINOSAUR TRAINING: LOST SECRETS OF STRENGTH
AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
d. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
e. CHALK AND SWEAT
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. My Legacy of Iron books, Horatius, Black Iron: The
John Davis Story, my DVD's and my Dinosaur Training
courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
3. Order two or more products together and save BIG
CLAMS on s&h.
4. Thought for the Day: "The iron doesn't care about
labels. It just wants you to lift it." -- Brooks Kubik
Crazy Exercises and Insane Workouts!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I just did a google search for "crazy exercises"
and got 19,800,000 hits.
"Crazy workouts" got 5,940,000 hits.
"Insane exercises" did pretty well, too. I got
7,450,000 hits on that one.
"Insane workouts" delivered 2,150,000 hits.
Now, I don't know about YOU -- but I'm not
interested in crazy exercises -- crazy
workouts -- insane exercises -- or insane
workouts.
But it seems everyone else in the world is.
And that, my friends and fellow dinosaurs,
is one of the biggest problems with modern
day training. It's not about the things that
matter -- basic exercises, hard work, short
(abbreviated) workouts, quality training, the
mind-muscle link, progression, adding weight
to the bar, etc. (i.e., the things I teach
in my Dinosaur Training books and courses).
Instead, it's about CRAZY stuff. INSANE stuff.
Stuff that is new, different, and no one else
in thew world is doing it other than the guy
on YouTube and the 77 million people who saw
his clip and decided to go out and try his
brand new exercise.
Squats?
Forget it! Everyone wants to do Bulgarian
split squats on a well-oiled stability ball
perched on top of a wobble-board floating in
a pool of water. The guy on YouTube said it
was great for the exernometer muscles and
the gluteus radiculous. And it sure looked
CRAZY!
Deadlifts?
Not on your life. Everyone wants to do downhill
tire flips on 60 degree slope, while pulling
one of those parachute things and wearing a
World War I era gas mask and roller skates.
Hey, it looked INSANE in the video clip!
The clean and press?
No way! Not unless you stand on a mini-
trampoline while you do it. That looked
crazy AND insane in the video.
Five sets of five reps?
That's SO old-fashioned. The big thing this
month is 500 sets of 500 reps. It's gotta
work -- it's too CRAZY not to work!
Training two or three times a week -- for
45 to 60 minutes per workout?
PUH-LEEZE! That's not crazy. It's too
old-fashioned to be crazy. CRAZY is training
three or four times a day (five is better)
for a couple of hours per session -- and
doing it seven days a week. Everyone on
Facebook will say you're INSANE when
you tell them about it.
Abbreviated workouts? Quality training?
Nuts to that. It doesn't come anywhere
near the ASYLUM FACTOR!
In short, everything that WE do -- THEY
don't like. It's not crazy. It's not
insane. In fact, it's probably not even
cool.
So there we are. A small army of extremely
strong, very well-conditioned, old-school
strength trainers -- sticking to the basics,
doing the boring stuff, and ignoring the
world of the CRAZY and the INSANE.
I guess that makes us old-fashioned.
It also makes us Dinosaurs.
And that's why I start every email message
the very same way:
HAIL TO THE DINOSAURS! If it wasn't for
you, crazy and insane is all there would be.
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 want crazy and insane, I can't help
you. But if you want old-school strength training
that REALLY WORKS, you can find it in any of
my Dinosaur Training books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save some wampum on s&h by ordering two
or more books and courses at the same time.
P.S. 3. My new book, Dinosaur Dumbbell Training,
is coming soon. Be looking for the big announcement!
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Simple works."
-- Brooks Kubik
I just did a google search for "crazy exercises"
and got 19,800,000 hits.
"Crazy workouts" got 5,940,000 hits.
"Insane exercises" did pretty well, too. I got
7,450,000 hits on that one.
"Insane workouts" delivered 2,150,000 hits.
Now, I don't know about YOU -- but I'm not
interested in crazy exercises -- crazy
workouts -- insane exercises -- or insane
workouts.
But it seems everyone else in the world is.
And that, my friends and fellow dinosaurs,
is one of the biggest problems with modern
day training. It's not about the things that
matter -- basic exercises, hard work, short
(abbreviated) workouts, quality training, the
mind-muscle link, progression, adding weight
to the bar, etc. (i.e., the things I teach
in my Dinosaur Training books and courses).
Instead, it's about CRAZY stuff. INSANE stuff.
Stuff that is new, different, and no one else
in thew world is doing it other than the guy
on YouTube and the 77 million people who saw
his clip and decided to go out and try his
brand new exercise.
Squats?
Forget it! Everyone wants to do Bulgarian
split squats on a well-oiled stability ball
perched on top of a wobble-board floating in
a pool of water. The guy on YouTube said it
was great for the exernometer muscles and
the gluteus radiculous. And it sure looked
CRAZY!
Deadlifts?
Not on your life. Everyone wants to do downhill
tire flips on 60 degree slope, while pulling
one of those parachute things and wearing a
World War I era gas mask and roller skates.
Hey, it looked INSANE in the video clip!
The clean and press?
No way! Not unless you stand on a mini-
trampoline while you do it. That looked
crazy AND insane in the video.
Five sets of five reps?
That's SO old-fashioned. The big thing this
month is 500 sets of 500 reps. It's gotta
work -- it's too CRAZY not to work!
Training two or three times a week -- for
45 to 60 minutes per workout?
PUH-LEEZE! That's not crazy. It's too
old-fashioned to be crazy. CRAZY is training
three or four times a day (five is better)
for a couple of hours per session -- and
doing it seven days a week. Everyone on
Facebook will say you're INSANE when
you tell them about it.
Abbreviated workouts? Quality training?
Nuts to that. It doesn't come anywhere
near the ASYLUM FACTOR!
In short, everything that WE do -- THEY
don't like. It's not crazy. It's not
insane. In fact, it's probably not even
cool.
So there we are. A small army of extremely
strong, very well-conditioned, old-school
strength trainers -- sticking to the basics,
doing the boring stuff, and ignoring the
world of the CRAZY and the INSANE.
I guess that makes us old-fashioned.
It also makes us Dinosaurs.
And that's why I start every email message
the very same way:
HAIL TO THE DINOSAURS! If it wasn't for
you, crazy and insane is all there would be.
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 want crazy and insane, I can't help
you. But if you want old-school strength training
that REALLY WORKS, you can find it in any of
my Dinosaur Training books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save some wampum on s&h by ordering two
or more books and courses at the same time.
P.S. 3. My new book, Dinosaur Dumbbell Training,
is coming soon. Be looking for the big announcement!
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Simple works."
-- Brooks Kubik
DinoMan Needs Help from Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday we shot hundreds of photos for
my new book on Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.
It was a heck of a workout!
We'll shoot several hundred more today.
So, yes, the book is coming together very,
very fast. And it's looking pretty darn
good.
I'm going to do my standard pre-publication
special to launch it -- and in that regard,
I have a favor to ask:
If you've seen my original Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training DVD -- or if you saw me
teach Dinosaur Dumbbell Training in London
last month -- please send me an email with
a brief testimonial or endorsement.
I'll use these to help promote the book, so
by sending a testimonial, you'll be helping
to support the cause.
If you're a professional coach, trainer,
author or whatever, include one line of
background info and the link for your
website, title of your book, name of your
gym, or whatever. That will let me give you
a little free publicity if I use your
testimonial.
In addition, the BEST testimonial (my choice)
gets a free Dinosaur Training t-shirt!
So put on your thinking cap -- and send me a
testimonial for Dino-style Dumbbell Training!
And to everyone who responds -- THANK YOU!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you've never seen my original DVD
on Dino-style Dumbbell Training, you missed
a real treat. Here's how to grab it:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. Not to worry. No dumbbells were killed
in the making of this DVD.
Yesterday we shot hundreds of photos for
my new book on Dinosaur Dumbbell Training.
It was a heck of a workout!
We'll shoot several hundred more today.
So, yes, the book is coming together very,
very fast. And it's looking pretty darn
good.
I'm going to do my standard pre-publication
special to launch it -- and in that regard,
I have a favor to ask:
If you've seen my original Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training DVD -- or if you saw me
teach Dinosaur Dumbbell Training in London
last month -- please send me an email with
a brief testimonial or endorsement.
I'll use these to help promote the book, so
by sending a testimonial, you'll be helping
to support the cause.
If you're a professional coach, trainer,
author or whatever, include one line of
background info and the link for your
website, title of your book, name of your
gym, or whatever. That will let me give you
a little free publicity if I use your
testimonial.
In addition, the BEST testimonial (my choice)
gets a free Dinosaur Training t-shirt!
So put on your thinking cap -- and send me a
testimonial for Dino-style Dumbbell Training!
And to everyone who responds -- THANK YOU!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. If you've never seen my original DVD
on Dino-style Dumbbell Training, you missed
a real treat. Here's how to grab it:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. Not to worry. No dumbbells were killed
in the making of this DVD.
How to Train for Lifting Longevity!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I sent out an email about
intelligent training for lifting
longevity.
Later in the day, I saw a new photo
of Jim Schmitz doing a split clean at
a recent contest. (I posted this on my
Facebook page -- so go see it.)
Jim Schmitz is one of the top Olympic
weightlifting coaches in the country.
He has been the head coach of the USA
weightlifitng team at the Olympic
Games not once, not twice, but THREE
times.
He was born in 1945, so he's 67 years
old.
And there he was -- out on the platform --
snapping the bar up to his shoulders as
he dropped into the split.
That's pretty impressive for a 67 year
old man. Most men that age have trouble
walking -- or bending over and tying
their shoes. Heck, some of them have
trouble sitting down.
But Jim Schmitz is still lifting. And
that's pretty darn impressive.
Part of Jim's lifting longevity may be
the result of his training methods. He's
never gone in for the bizarre or the
over the top extreme stuff.
In his training manual, "Olympic Style
Weightlifitng for the Beginner & Inter-
mediate Weightlifter" (available from
IronMind, and highly recommended -- and
ditto for the companion DVD), Jim Schmitz
promotes THREE TIMES PER WEEK TRAINING!
Yes, you read that correctly.
Not the Russian system -- not the Bulgarian
system -- not the Chinese system -- not
any off the internet program where you
train six days a week -- but THREE workouts
per week.
He promotes relatively low tonnage for an
Olympic weightlifter. Beginners do the 5 x 5
system, and as they advance, they move up
to programs like 3 x3, 3 x 2 and 3 x 1 (a
total of nine sets and 18 reps).
The exercises, of course, are the basics
for Olympic weightlifters: cleans, snatches,
clean and jerk, back squat, front squat,
pulls, etc. Nothing fancy.
That's what Jim Schmitz teaches, and it's
how he trains, and it's how he's always
trained -- and there he is, still training
and still competing at age 67!
This is a GREAT example of common sense in
training -- and an example of how keeping
things simple and training intelligently
(rather than ego-driven training or following
the latest program you find in cyberspace)
pays lifetime dividends!
So whatever your age, stop and reflect on
what you're doing and how you're training.
Are you positioning yourself for lifelong
strength and health? Will YOU be hitting
it like Jim Schmitz when you're 67?
The bottom line is this. I want to be like
Jim Schmitz when I'm 67. That's MY goal. It
should be YOUR goal as well.
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. All of my books and courses promote old
school, no nonsense strength training and
muscle building. All of them will make you
strong and well-conditioned -- and they'll
help you achieve your goal of lifelong
lifting. You know where to find them -- so
what are you waiting for?
a. DINOSAUR TRAINING: LOST SECRETS OF STRENGTH
AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
d. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
e. CHALK AND SWEAT
2. My Legacy of Iron books, Horatius, Black Iron: The
John Davis Story, my DVD's and my Dinosaur Training
courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
3. Order two or more products together and save BIG
CLAMS on s&h.
4. Thought for the Day: "Train smart, and as you get
older, train even smarter." -- Brooks Kubik
Yesterday I sent out an email about
intelligent training for lifting
longevity.
Later in the day, I saw a new photo
of Jim Schmitz doing a split clean at
a recent contest. (I posted this on my
Facebook page -- so go see it.)
Jim Schmitz is one of the top Olympic
weightlifting coaches in the country.
He has been the head coach of the USA
weightlifitng team at the Olympic
Games not once, not twice, but THREE
times.
He was born in 1945, so he's 67 years
old.
And there he was -- out on the platform --
snapping the bar up to his shoulders as
he dropped into the split.
That's pretty impressive for a 67 year
old man. Most men that age have trouble
walking -- or bending over and tying
their shoes. Heck, some of them have
trouble sitting down.
But Jim Schmitz is still lifting. And
that's pretty darn impressive.
Part of Jim's lifting longevity may be
the result of his training methods. He's
never gone in for the bizarre or the
over the top extreme stuff.
In his training manual, "Olympic Style
Weightlifitng for the Beginner & Inter-
mediate Weightlifter" (available from
IronMind, and highly recommended -- and
ditto for the companion DVD), Jim Schmitz
promotes THREE TIMES PER WEEK TRAINING!
Yes, you read that correctly.
Not the Russian system -- not the Bulgarian
system -- not the Chinese system -- not
any off the internet program where you
train six days a week -- but THREE workouts
per week.
He promotes relatively low tonnage for an
Olympic weightlifter. Beginners do the 5 x 5
system, and as they advance, they move up
to programs like 3 x3, 3 x 2 and 3 x 1 (a
total of nine sets and 18 reps).
The exercises, of course, are the basics
for Olympic weightlifters: cleans, snatches,
clean and jerk, back squat, front squat,
pulls, etc. Nothing fancy.
That's what Jim Schmitz teaches, and it's
how he trains, and it's how he's always
trained -- and there he is, still training
and still competing at age 67!
This is a GREAT example of common sense in
training -- and an example of how keeping
things simple and training intelligently
(rather than ego-driven training or following
the latest program you find in cyberspace)
pays lifetime dividends!
So whatever your age, stop and reflect on
what you're doing and how you're training.
Are you positioning yourself for lifelong
strength and health? Will YOU be hitting
it like Jim Schmitz when you're 67?
The bottom line is this. I want to be like
Jim Schmitz when I'm 67. That's MY goal. It
should be YOUR goal as well.
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. All of my books and courses promote old
school, no nonsense strength training and
muscle building. All of them will make you
strong and well-conditioned -- and they'll
help you achieve your goal of lifelong
lifting. You know where to find them -- so
what are you waiting for?
a. DINOSAUR TRAINING: LOST SECRETS OF STRENGTH
AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
b. STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
d. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
e. CHALK AND SWEAT
2. My Legacy of Iron books, Horatius, Black Iron: The
John Davis Story, my DVD's and my Dinosaur Training
courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
3. Order two or more products together and save BIG
CLAMS on s&h.
4. Thought for the Day: "Train smart, and as you get
older, train even smarter." -- Brooks Kubik
How to Train for Lifelong Strength and Health!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of my favorite authors is a man
named James Kunstler. He writes about
the modern world, and where things
are going (and why they're going
there). If you're interested in that
sort of thing, google for him and
check out his blog -- but please
note that the title of the blog
is NSFW.
In his July 2, 2012 blog post, he
wrote about diminishing returns from
modern technology -- and gave a
personal example.
Nine years ago, in his mid-fifties, he
got an artificial hip. It was made of a
modern "state of the art" metal alloy
made from chromium, titanium, and cobalt.
Several years ago, he began experiencing
all kinds of health problems. Serious
stuff. His GP couldn't help him, so he
ended up going to a lyme disease specialist
because his symptoms seemed like lyme
disease.
The specialist ran blood tests.
They came back negative for lyme disease --
but off the charts for cobalt poisoning.
So he took another test -- for chromium
posoning -- and that came back off the
charts positive, as well.
Apparently, his artificial hip was grinding
somewhere, and it was releasing metal
particles into his body. The result appears
to be some really bad physical problems.
In effect, systemic poisoning.
Now he has to have the thing fixed, removed,
replaced -- or something. So he's seeing a
surgeon who specializes in that sort of thing.
I share this because so many readers are older
lifters -- or will be older lifters someday --
and it suggests a couple of important things
for all of us to keep in mind:
1. You only have one set of joints, so treat
them well.
2. Live your life and doing your lifting so you
don't need artificial joints when you're older.
That means doing some simple things to help
preserve and protect your body:
1. Keep your bodyweight under control. Yes,
you want to be big and thick and muscular
(and strong), but make sure the extra weight
is muscle. The Lard Lumps just put extra and
unnecessary stress on your body. Carrying 20
pounds of Lard Lumps all day long adds up to
plenty of extra wear and tear on your hips,
knees, ankles, feet and lower back.
2. Eat plenty of fresh green veggies. They're
your very best source of minerals, and your
body needs minerals.
3. Train hard and heavy, but use abbreviated
workouts (the kind I teach in my books and
courses). Abbreviated training lets you build
strength and muscle without exceeding your
body's recovery ability. In short, it helps
prevent over-training -- and over-training
will wear you down, not build you up.
3A. If you can build strength and muscle by
squatting once a week (and you CAN -- I know,
because I've done it, and so have many other
Dinos), then why squat three times a week? Or
five times a week? Or six times a week?
3B. Ditto for deadlifts, and every other
exercise under the sun. Learn to do enough
to gain, and then STOP and focus on rest,
recovery and recuperation.
4. If you're over the age of 35, use the type
of training programs I describe in Gray Hair
and Black Iron -- including the simple cycling
system I teach in the book. These give you
enough work (and the right kind of work) to
make good gains, without putting your body at
risk from too much training.
5. Conventional cardio training can wear you
down -- especially if you're a 200 pound lifter
(or heavier). There are better and safer cardio
training options for lifters. I call them
"Cardio Training for IronHeads" -- and again,
I cover them in Gray Hair and Black Iron.
6. Stay away from steroids and similar drugs.
7. Be aware that as you grow older, some exercises
that once worked great for you may start to cause
more trouble than they're worth. If it hurts,
drop it -- and find a replacement exercise that
doesn't hurt. Pain is your body's way of helping
you avoid a long-term problem.
Anyhow, I'll be pulling for Jim and hoping that
he ends up okay. And in the meantime, I'll be
taking a bit of my own advice, and training hard,
but training intelligently. I want to hold onto
my knees, hips and shoulders (and everything else)
for as long as I can.
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 a copy of Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- and learn the secrets of successful training
for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older lifters use bodyweight exercises
or a combination of bodyweight exercises and weight
training. For the best in bodyweight training, grab
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind,
but it's still a good idea to train intelligently."
-- Brooks Kubik
One of my favorite authors is a man
named James Kunstler. He writes about
the modern world, and where things
are going (and why they're going
there). If you're interested in that
sort of thing, google for him and
check out his blog -- but please
note that the title of the blog
is NSFW.
In his July 2, 2012 blog post, he
wrote about diminishing returns from
modern technology -- and gave a
personal example.
Nine years ago, in his mid-fifties, he
got an artificial hip. It was made of a
modern "state of the art" metal alloy
made from chromium, titanium, and cobalt.
Several years ago, he began experiencing
all kinds of health problems. Serious
stuff. His GP couldn't help him, so he
ended up going to a lyme disease specialist
because his symptoms seemed like lyme
disease.
The specialist ran blood tests.
They came back negative for lyme disease --
but off the charts for cobalt poisoning.
So he took another test -- for chromium
posoning -- and that came back off the
charts positive, as well.
Apparently, his artificial hip was grinding
somewhere, and it was releasing metal
particles into his body. The result appears
to be some really bad physical problems.
In effect, systemic poisoning.
Now he has to have the thing fixed, removed,
replaced -- or something. So he's seeing a
surgeon who specializes in that sort of thing.
I share this because so many readers are older
lifters -- or will be older lifters someday --
and it suggests a couple of important things
for all of us to keep in mind:
1. You only have one set of joints, so treat
them well.
2. Live your life and doing your lifting so you
don't need artificial joints when you're older.
That means doing some simple things to help
preserve and protect your body:
1. Keep your bodyweight under control. Yes,
you want to be big and thick and muscular
(and strong), but make sure the extra weight
is muscle. The Lard Lumps just put extra and
unnecessary stress on your body. Carrying 20
pounds of Lard Lumps all day long adds up to
plenty of extra wear and tear on your hips,
knees, ankles, feet and lower back.
2. Eat plenty of fresh green veggies. They're
your very best source of minerals, and your
body needs minerals.
3. Train hard and heavy, but use abbreviated
workouts (the kind I teach in my books and
courses). Abbreviated training lets you build
strength and muscle without exceeding your
body's recovery ability. In short, it helps
prevent over-training -- and over-training
will wear you down, not build you up.
3A. If you can build strength and muscle by
squatting once a week (and you CAN -- I know,
because I've done it, and so have many other
Dinos), then why squat three times a week? Or
five times a week? Or six times a week?
3B. Ditto for deadlifts, and every other
exercise under the sun. Learn to do enough
to gain, and then STOP and focus on rest,
recovery and recuperation.
4. If you're over the age of 35, use the type
of training programs I describe in Gray Hair
and Black Iron -- including the simple cycling
system I teach in the book. These give you
enough work (and the right kind of work) to
make good gains, without putting your body at
risk from too much training.
5. Conventional cardio training can wear you
down -- especially if you're a 200 pound lifter
(or heavier). There are better and safer cardio
training options for lifters. I call them
"Cardio Training for IronHeads" -- and again,
I cover them in Gray Hair and Black Iron.
6. Stay away from steroids and similar drugs.
7. Be aware that as you grow older, some exercises
that once worked great for you may start to cause
more trouble than they're worth. If it hurts,
drop it -- and find a replacement exercise that
doesn't hurt. Pain is your body's way of helping
you avoid a long-term problem.
Anyhow, I'll be pulling for Jim and hoping that
he ends up okay. And in the meantime, I'll be
taking a bit of my own advice, and training hard,
but training intelligently. I want to hold onto
my knees, hips and shoulders (and everything else)
for as long as I can.
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 a copy of Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- and learn the secrets of successful training
for older lifters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older lifters use bodyweight exercises
or a combination of bodyweight exercises and weight
training. For the best in bodyweight training, grab
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind,
but it's still a good idea to train intelligently."
-- Brooks Kubik
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