Hail to the Dinosaurs!
This message is coming to you a little later
than intended. We had some wild weather in
Louisville -- a huge line of thunderstorms
with wild winds gusting up to 60 mph -- and
even some tornadoes.
A couple of tractor trailer rigs were blown
right off the expressway not very far from
Dino HQ.
So we've had to stay off-line, keep the
computer turned off, and maintain radio
silence for much of the day.
But now we're back -- so let's talk training!
One of our readers asked me about fitting grip
work into his schedule. He said he's been doing
super-sets where he does a primary exercise, such
as pull-ups or deadlifts, and then does a grip
exercise. He asked what I thought of the idea.
Frankly, I don't like it.
Here's why. If you train your grip as hard as you
SHOULD train it, you're not going to be able to
do grip work and then do any serious upper body
training -- or any deadlifts -- or anything else
where you need to hold onto some heavy iron or
hang from a chinning bar.
When you train your grip, you fry it for awhile.
If you don't you're not training hard enough.
Arthur Jones once noted that after a forearm and
grip workout, you could drop a key on the floor
and not be able to pick it up.
And if you can't pick a key up off the floor, you
sure as heck can't do pull-ups -- or do deadlifts.
That's why you train your grip at the END of your
workout -- AFTER all the primary exercises.
If you want to save time and speed things up, you
can super-set or tri-set grip work with gut work
and neck work. That's one reason I always end a
training program by noting that you should do
"gut, grip and neck work."
The exception would be gut work that requires
gripping power -- such as hanging leg raises,
hanging knees to chest, heavy dumbbell side-bends,
or Turkish get-ups. With those exercises, you would
need to do the gut work first, and then finish up
with the grip work.
I hope that helps figuring out where to slot in
the grip work!
As far as exercises go, the sky's the limit. I cover
some of the better ones in DINOSAUR TRAINING: LOST
SECRETS OF STRENGTH AND POWER and in STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER. Check them out -- they'll help you build
hands like iron claws!
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. You can find DINOSAUR TRAINING right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. Go here for STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Somewhere in your make-up
there lies SLEEPING the seed of achievement which, if
aroused and put into action, would carry you to heights
such as you may never have hoped to attain." -- Napoleon
Hill
News and Updates -- and Questions -- for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'll send an email covering a training topic a
a little later in the day, but first of all, let
me give you some quick updates, Dino news,
Dino notes and some questions -- and on the
questions, I'm going to ask for feedback from
you:
1. The Military Press Course
The printer is working on it, and we should be
able to drop the little monster in the mail on
Fri or Sat if all goes well. I apologize for
the delay on this. I kept finding more and more
material to add. So it's later than expected,
but has more info than expected, including
training tips from FOUR Olympic gold medal
winners!
2. The January Dino Files
Are also running late, but they should be
printed and mailed on Fri or Sat. It's another
great issue, with some terrific workouts and
detailed progressions for one of the very best
upper body exercises there is -- an exercise,
by the way, that most people never do.
So those of you who subscribe to the Dino
Files are in for a treat!
3. Dinosaur Training in London
This is BIG! I'm doing a Dinosaur training
seminar in London in June -- with Mike Mahler,
Cj Swaby and Sabina Skala. It will be two days
of hands-on small-group instruction, covering
kettlebells, olympic weightlifting, some fun
old-school lifts, Dinosaur dumbbell training,
Dinosaur bodyweight training and more. For
more info, or to sign up NOW (because there's
a limit on the number of attendees -- so that
we can work with everyone in small groups),
go to Mike Mahler's website:
http://www.mikemahler.com/events/dinosaur-training.html
Do NOT look for info or a link on the Dino
website -- it's all at Mike Mahler's website!
4. Dinosaur Training Seminars in the USA
TONS of readers have been asking if I'm going to
do any seminars in the USA. The answer is YES!
The dates, times, topics and locations are
currently under review -- so if you have any
ideas for places to hold a seminar, and topics
to cover,or if you just want to let me know
that you're interested, shoot me an email!
Obviously, the more folks from any one area
who want a seminar, the more likely it is that
I'll do one there.
5. Attention, Gym Owners!
If you want to book me for a seminar, shoot me
an email!
6. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training DVD's
You've been asking about them -- and the answer
is, they're ready, and they're in stock -- but
we don't have an order page for them yet.
However, you can still order the little monsters
(one or more of your choice or all 7 of them).
Shoot me an email for details.
7. Success Stories!
I get success stories from readers who've built great
strength, power and muscle mass with Dino Training --
but I'm always looking for more, so don't be shy, and
send them in.
I'm also looking for success stories from readers who:
a. Cleaned up their diet, trained Dino style, and
whacked the Lard Lumps.
b. Used diet and exercise to improve their health, as
measured by standard blood level tests (LDL cholesterol,
HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, etc.)
c. Used diet and exercise to improve chronic conditions
such as high blood sugar, diabetes, high blood pressure,
arthritis, inflammation, etc.
I know that MANY of you have success stories that would
be helpful and inspiring to others -- so, as I said, don't
be shy. Share your diet and training experiences!
That's it for now, but be looking for an email with some
training tips a little later in the day.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The top selling Dinosaur training products of 2012
(so far, at least), are Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
and the Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.
You can find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. Remember, if you're interested in seeing a Dinosaur
Training seminar in the USA -- or in Canada -- shoot me
an email!
I'll send an email covering a training topic a
a little later in the day, but first of all, let
me give you some quick updates, Dino news,
Dino notes and some questions -- and on the
questions, I'm going to ask for feedback from
you:
1. The Military Press Course
The printer is working on it, and we should be
able to drop the little monster in the mail on
Fri or Sat if all goes well. I apologize for
the delay on this. I kept finding more and more
material to add. So it's later than expected,
but has more info than expected, including
training tips from FOUR Olympic gold medal
winners!
2. The January Dino Files
Are also running late, but they should be
printed and mailed on Fri or Sat. It's another
great issue, with some terrific workouts and
detailed progressions for one of the very best
upper body exercises there is -- an exercise,
by the way, that most people never do.
So those of you who subscribe to the Dino
Files are in for a treat!
3. Dinosaur Training in London
This is BIG! I'm doing a Dinosaur training
seminar in London in June -- with Mike Mahler,
Cj Swaby and Sabina Skala. It will be two days
of hands-on small-group instruction, covering
kettlebells, olympic weightlifting, some fun
old-school lifts, Dinosaur dumbbell training,
Dinosaur bodyweight training and more. For
more info, or to sign up NOW (because there's
a limit on the number of attendees -- so that
we can work with everyone in small groups),
go to Mike Mahler's website:
http://www.mikemahler.com/events/dinosaur-training.html
Do NOT look for info or a link on the Dino
website -- it's all at Mike Mahler's website!
4. Dinosaur Training Seminars in the USA
TONS of readers have been asking if I'm going to
do any seminars in the USA. The answer is YES!
The dates, times, topics and locations are
currently under review -- so if you have any
ideas for places to hold a seminar, and topics
to cover,or if you just want to let me know
that you're interested, shoot me an email!
Obviously, the more folks from any one area
who want a seminar, the more likely it is that
I'll do one there.
5. Attention, Gym Owners!
If you want to book me for a seminar, shoot me
an email!
6. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training DVD's
You've been asking about them -- and the answer
is, they're ready, and they're in stock -- but
we don't have an order page for them yet.
However, you can still order the little monsters
(one or more of your choice or all 7 of them).
Shoot me an email for details.
7. Success Stories!
I get success stories from readers who've built great
strength, power and muscle mass with Dino Training --
but I'm always looking for more, so don't be shy, and
send them in.
I'm also looking for success stories from readers who:
a. Cleaned up their diet, trained Dino style, and
whacked the Lard Lumps.
b. Used diet and exercise to improve their health, as
measured by standard blood level tests (LDL cholesterol,
HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, etc.)
c. Used diet and exercise to improve chronic conditions
such as high blood sugar, diabetes, high blood pressure,
arthritis, inflammation, etc.
I know that MANY of you have success stories that would
be helpful and inspiring to others -- so, as I said, don't
be shy. Share your diet and training experiences!
That's it for now, but be looking for an email with some
training tips a little later in the day.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. The top selling Dinosaur training products of 2012
(so far, at least), are Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development, Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
and the Dinosaur Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.
You can find them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. Remember, if you're interested in seeing a Dinosaur
Training seminar in the USA -- or in Canada -- shoot me
an email!
The Royal Road to Muscle and Might!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
On a wooden lifting platform, a lifter
chalks his hands, steps to the bar --
crouches down -- gets set -- and performs
a perfect squat snatch.
Elsewhere -- a kettlebell lifter finishes
a hard set of swings with a menacing,
monster-sized black bell.
In a different gym -- another lifter swings
a heavy kettlebell. When she finishes, she
hits some heavy squats and deadlifts -- and
them grinds out three sets of hanging leg
raises -- for 15 reps per set. One of the
guys at the gym shakes his head in disbelief
as he watches her.
And elsewhere -- a thickly muscled man in
heavy sweats heaves a 150 pound sandbag to
his shoulder, drops it down, and heaves it
back up again.
In a different gym -- a lifter grinds his
way through a heavy set of squats. After
the squats, he does heavy quarter squats
in the power rack.
In yet another gym -- a lifter performs the
two dumbbell clean and press -- working up
to sets of five with a pair of 80 pounders.
And in another gym -- a training stands with
a heavy barbell on his shoulders, panting like
a racehorse as he finishes a heavy set of 20
rep breathing squats.
Meanwhile, in a garage -- a man finishes a
set of 50 perfect pushups, jumps up, grabs
a pull-up bar, and begins performing a set
of 20 perfect pull-ups.
In another garage -- a man hangs from a 2"
thick pull-up bar, with 40 pounds of heavy
log chain wrapped around his body -- and
performs a set of 5 perfect pull-ups.
And in a different garage -- a man approaches
a heavy block of iron -- and lifts it off
the ground with a powerful pinch grip.
Meanwhile -- a young athlete sprints up a steep
hill. It's the first of five 50 yard sprints
for him.
And not far away -- older trainee finishes
his Trap Bar deadlifts, and cools down with 20
minutes on a step machine at an easy pace.
Tomorrow he'll take things easy, and go for
a 3 mile walk.
In another city -- a man works on a one arm
pull-up. He can't do one yet -- but he's
working to get there!
Elsewhere -- in a different city -- an athlete
drives a barbell overhead in a letter-perfect
clean and jerk. Her first lifting contest is
in two weeks, and she plans to be ready for it!
In another gym -- a trainee finishes a heavy set
of barbell curls with more weight than many
trainees use for squats or deadlifts (assuming
they even perform squats or deadlifts).
They all train differently. But they all train
the same.
They train with strength, power and passion.
They train progressively. Whatever they do, they're
always trying to improve their performance.
They train regularly and consistently. They don't
miss workouts and they don't make excuses.
They train to get stronger -- faster -- more
powerful -- healthier -- and better conditioned.
They follow different paths, but all of them are
headed in the same direction. They're all on the
Royal Road to Muscle and Might.
All of them are Dinosaurs -- and I'm incredibly
proud of each and every one of them.
If you're reading this, you're a Dinosaur as well.
You train YOUR way -- but you train the Dino Way!
For that I salute you -- and I THANK YOU!
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. Wherever you train, and whatever your favorite
style of training, we've got you covered with Dinosaur
Training books, courses and DVD's -- and with the world
famous Dinosaur Files (hardcopy) newsletter. You can
finds them right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Dinos are all different,
but Dinos are all the same." -- Brooks Kubik
On a wooden lifting platform, a lifter
chalks his hands, steps to the bar --
crouches down -- gets set -- and performs
a perfect squat snatch.
Elsewhere -- a kettlebell lifter finishes
a hard set of swings with a menacing,
monster-sized black bell.
In a different gym -- another lifter swings
a heavy kettlebell. When she finishes, she
hits some heavy squats and deadlifts -- and
them grinds out three sets of hanging leg
raises -- for 15 reps per set. One of the
guys at the gym shakes his head in disbelief
as he watches her.
And elsewhere -- a thickly muscled man in
heavy sweats heaves a 150 pound sandbag to
his shoulder, drops it down, and heaves it
back up again.
In a different gym -- a lifter grinds his
way through a heavy set of squats. After
the squats, he does heavy quarter squats
in the power rack.
In yet another gym -- a lifter performs the
two dumbbell clean and press -- working up
to sets of five with a pair of 80 pounders.
And in another gym -- a training stands with
a heavy barbell on his shoulders, panting like
a racehorse as he finishes a heavy set of 20
rep breathing squats.
Meanwhile, in a garage -- a man finishes a
set of 50 perfect pushups, jumps up, grabs
a pull-up bar, and begins performing a set
of 20 perfect pull-ups.
In another garage -- a man hangs from a 2"
thick pull-up bar, with 40 pounds of heavy
log chain wrapped around his body -- and
performs a set of 5 perfect pull-ups.
And in a different garage -- a man approaches
a heavy block of iron -- and lifts it off
the ground with a powerful pinch grip.
Meanwhile -- a young athlete sprints up a steep
hill. It's the first of five 50 yard sprints
for him.
And not far away -- older trainee finishes
his Trap Bar deadlifts, and cools down with 20
minutes on a step machine at an easy pace.
Tomorrow he'll take things easy, and go for
a 3 mile walk.
In another city -- a man works on a one arm
pull-up. He can't do one yet -- but he's
working to get there!
Elsewhere -- in a different city -- an athlete
drives a barbell overhead in a letter-perfect
clean and jerk. Her first lifting contest is
in two weeks, and she plans to be ready for it!
In another gym -- a trainee finishes a heavy set
of barbell curls with more weight than many
trainees use for squats or deadlifts (assuming
they even perform squats or deadlifts).
They all train differently. But they all train
the same.
They train with strength, power and passion.
They train progressively. Whatever they do, they're
always trying to improve their performance.
They train regularly and consistently. They don't
miss workouts and they don't make excuses.
They train to get stronger -- faster -- more
powerful -- healthier -- and better conditioned.
They follow different paths, but all of them are
headed in the same direction. They're all on the
Royal Road to Muscle and Might.
All of them are Dinosaurs -- and I'm incredibly
proud of each and every one of them.
If you're reading this, you're a Dinosaur as well.
You train YOUR way -- but you train the Dino Way!
For that I salute you -- and I THANK YOU!
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. Wherever you train, and whatever your favorite
style of training, we've got you covered with Dinosaur
Training books, courses and DVD's -- and with the world
famous Dinosaur Files (hardcopy) newsletter. You can
finds them right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Dinos are all different,
but Dinos are all the same." -- Brooks Kubik
Write It Down!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Three quick updates, and then we'll talk
training!
1. The Military Press Course
The Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course ran late because I added some
extra material. It is at the printer
now, and we'll be shipping it sometime
next week.
I apologize for the delay here -- I
underestimated how long it took to
finish the little monster. Of course,
the good news for YOU is that it's
going to be bigger and better than
expected.
2. The January Dino Files
Is also running late. We'll drop it in
the mail sometime next week. It's a
pretty good issue with some great
training articles and workouts.
3. The London Seminar
If you haven't heard the news, I'm doing a
seminar in London -- with Mike Mahler,
CjSwaby and Sabina Skala -- and if you
live in the UK or Europe, you're DEFINITELY
going to want to be there. For more info,
or to reserve a spot, follow this link:
http://www.mikemahler.com/events/dinosaur-training.html
Several readers have asked questions about
keeping a workout log. One of the questions is:
"Do you write down what you're going to do
(exercises, sets, reps and weights) before
you go to the gym? If so, do you ever change
what is scheduled?"
The answer is YES and YES.
I ALWAYS write down the entire workout from
warm-ups to working sets -- including all the
different weights I'll use -- BEFORE I go out
to the garage to train.
Writing it down is the first step in getting
your brain into your workout. It actually serves
as a form of visualization. And it starts to get
you to concentrate and focus on your training.
Before you do anything else, you need to have a
very detailed, very vivid, very clear picture
of what you are going to do in your workout.
Writing it down helps to create that picture.
Remember, Dinosaur Training is GOAL DIRECTED
TRAINING. You don't just go to the gym and
do stuff. You go to the gym with a definite
goal: to lift more weight than before, to
do more reps than before to add a work set,
to improve your technique in a complex lift
(such as a squat snatch, a dumbbell swing or
a bent press), to train with better focus and
greater concentration than ever before, to do
the same workout you did last time but do it
FASTER than before, etc.
The point is, you're always training with a
definite purpose. And writing it down helps
that process. Helps it more than you can
imagine.
Do I ever change what I do?
Absolutely. If I'm having an off day and nothing
is working the way it should, I go lighter than
planned.
If I'm having a great day, I may do more working
sets or I may go heavier in my working sets. I
may even go for a PR. Or (and pay attention,
because this is important), I may do exactly
what I had scheduled in my workout log and focus
on making every single rep as PERFECT as possible.
That's often a better confidence builder than
anything else you could do.
Start keeping a workout journal. It's a simple thing
to do -- but it's one of the secrets to getting great,
super-productive workouts!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today -- write it down! -- and make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. As noted, the Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course will be shipping next week -- but
you can still get in the door and reserve a copy during
the pre-publication special -- which means you'll get a
special bonus when we fill your order:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and DVD's -- and
the world famous Dino Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If it means something, write
it down!" -- Brooks Kubik
Three quick updates, and then we'll talk
training!
1. The Military Press Course
The Military Press and Shoulder Power
Course ran late because I added some
extra material. It is at the printer
now, and we'll be shipping it sometime
next week.
I apologize for the delay here -- I
underestimated how long it took to
finish the little monster. Of course,
the good news for YOU is that it's
going to be bigger and better than
expected.
2. The January Dino Files
Is also running late. We'll drop it in
the mail sometime next week. It's a
pretty good issue with some great
training articles and workouts.
3. The London Seminar
If you haven't heard the news, I'm doing a
seminar in London -- with Mike Mahler,
CjSwaby and Sabina Skala -- and if you
live in the UK or Europe, you're DEFINITELY
going to want to be there. For more info,
or to reserve a spot, follow this link:
http://www.mikemahler.com/events/dinosaur-training.html
Several readers have asked questions about
keeping a workout log. One of the questions is:
"Do you write down what you're going to do
(exercises, sets, reps and weights) before
you go to the gym? If so, do you ever change
what is scheduled?"
The answer is YES and YES.
I ALWAYS write down the entire workout from
warm-ups to working sets -- including all the
different weights I'll use -- BEFORE I go out
to the garage to train.
Writing it down is the first step in getting
your brain into your workout. It actually serves
as a form of visualization. And it starts to get
you to concentrate and focus on your training.
Before you do anything else, you need to have a
very detailed, very vivid, very clear picture
of what you are going to do in your workout.
Writing it down helps to create that picture.
Remember, Dinosaur Training is GOAL DIRECTED
TRAINING. You don't just go to the gym and
do stuff. You go to the gym with a definite
goal: to lift more weight than before, to
do more reps than before to add a work set,
to improve your technique in a complex lift
(such as a squat snatch, a dumbbell swing or
a bent press), to train with better focus and
greater concentration than ever before, to do
the same workout you did last time but do it
FASTER than before, etc.
The point is, you're always training with a
definite purpose. And writing it down helps
that process. Helps it more than you can
imagine.
Do I ever change what I do?
Absolutely. If I'm having an off day and nothing
is working the way it should, I go lighter than
planned.
If I'm having a great day, I may do more working
sets or I may go heavier in my working sets. I
may even go for a PR. Or (and pay attention,
because this is important), I may do exactly
what I had scheduled in my workout log and focus
on making every single rep as PERFECT as possible.
That's often a better confidence builder than
anything else you could do.
Start keeping a workout journal. It's a simple thing
to do -- but it's one of the secrets to getting great,
super-productive workouts!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today -- write it down! -- and make it
a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. As noted, the Dinosaur Training Military Press and
Shoulder Power Course will be shipping next week -- but
you can still get in the door and reserve a copy during
the pre-publication special -- which means you'll get a
special bonus when we fill your order:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and DVD's -- and
the world famous Dino Files newsletter -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If it means something, write
it down!" -- Brooks Kubik
Frank Spellman: A Hero for the Ages!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Frank Spellman won a gold medal in weightlifting
at the 1948 Olympic Games. He was 26 years old.
He lifted in the 165 pound class.
By the way, he was lucky to be there. He fought
in the Army in World War II -- in the bloody
hedgerows of Normandy -- and one day the Germans
launched a surprise attack, and a German tank ran
right over Frank's fox-hole. "That was an exciting
day," he says.
But the Olympics were also exciting for Frank.
He went 9 for 9 that day, making 245 1/2, 253 1/2,
and 259 in the military press -- 248, 259 and
264 1/2 in the snatch, and 314 1/4, 330 1/2, and
336 in the clean and jerk.
He says "It was a perfect day. Everything went
perfect for me. I felt like I could do anything."
That's interesting because I've run a biorhythm
chart on Frank, and on the day he won the gold
medal he was in a triple low crossing pattern.
That should have given him one of the worst
days of his life. Go figure.
Fifteen years later, Frank lifted in his last
contest -- the United States Senior Nationals
in Santa Monica. At the of 40, he WON the
contest!
His lifts at the 1961 championships were 260 in
the press, 230 in the snatch and 310 in the
clean and jerk. Not quite what he lifted at
age 26, but pretty close.
After his last contest, Frank continued to
train, doing squats, bench press, curls,
dumbbell presses and deadlifts. He trained
hard, too. When he squatted, he did 8 sets
of 5 reps with a heavy weight.
At age 73, Frank was training in his garage
with two buddies (both 77 years of age). One
of his training partners began working out
at age 69. For squats, all he could handle
was a 20 pound bar. Five years later, at age
74, he was squatting 220 pounds!
Frank was doing pretty good, as well. His
workout at age 73 consisted of 3 x 10 in the
bench press with 150 pounds -- 3 x 10 in the
squat with 185 pounds -- 60 leg raises and
situps -- 20 calf raises with 70 pounds extra
weight -- 3 x 10 in the barbell curl with 80
pounds -- and one set of upright rows (pulling
the bar to eye-level) with 80 pounds.
Not very long ago, I interviewed Frank to
get his old-school training secrets for my
new Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.
In addition to covering his training for the
military press, we talked about his current
training.
Get this -- at the age of 89, Frank is still
training. He does leg press, seated press,
barbell curls and deadlifts. And he still trains
heavy -- for example, he does 1 x 10 in the
barbell curl with 60 pounds!
"It's an ego thing," he said. "I like having
big arms."
Frank still weighs in at 165 pounds -- his
competition weight when he won the Olympic gold
medal at age 26!
Two years ago, Frank hurt his back and had to
have surgery to remove two disks. His doctor
told him to stop lifting weights.
"I guess you didn't listen to him, did you?" I
said.
Frank chuckled.
"Well, you know what it's like -- if someone tells
an iron-head he can't do something, he takes it as
a challenge."
All of which makes Frank Spellman an American hero --
and an inspiration to Dinosaurs everywhere!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today, pretend you're training with
Frank Spellman -- and make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn more about Frank Spellman's training
in The Dinosaur Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. By the way, Frank Spellman trained with John
Davis at the South Phillie Weightlifting Club -- and
you can read all about it in Black Iron: The John
Davis Story:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. If you're an older trainee (age 35 and up),
here's the book that will keep you lifting for a long,
long time -- just like Frank Spellman:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Once a lifter, always
a lifter." -- Brooks Kubik
Frank Spellman won a gold medal in weightlifting
at the 1948 Olympic Games. He was 26 years old.
He lifted in the 165 pound class.
By the way, he was lucky to be there. He fought
in the Army in World War II -- in the bloody
hedgerows of Normandy -- and one day the Germans
launched a surprise attack, and a German tank ran
right over Frank's fox-hole. "That was an exciting
day," he says.
But the Olympics were also exciting for Frank.
He went 9 for 9 that day, making 245 1/2, 253 1/2,
and 259 in the military press -- 248, 259 and
264 1/2 in the snatch, and 314 1/4, 330 1/2, and
336 in the clean and jerk.
He says "It was a perfect day. Everything went
perfect for me. I felt like I could do anything."
That's interesting because I've run a biorhythm
chart on Frank, and on the day he won the gold
medal he was in a triple low crossing pattern.
That should have given him one of the worst
days of his life. Go figure.
Fifteen years later, Frank lifted in his last
contest -- the United States Senior Nationals
in Santa Monica. At the of 40, he WON the
contest!
His lifts at the 1961 championships were 260 in
the press, 230 in the snatch and 310 in the
clean and jerk. Not quite what he lifted at
age 26, but pretty close.
After his last contest, Frank continued to
train, doing squats, bench press, curls,
dumbbell presses and deadlifts. He trained
hard, too. When he squatted, he did 8 sets
of 5 reps with a heavy weight.
At age 73, Frank was training in his garage
with two buddies (both 77 years of age). One
of his training partners began working out
at age 69. For squats, all he could handle
was a 20 pound bar. Five years later, at age
74, he was squatting 220 pounds!
Frank was doing pretty good, as well. His
workout at age 73 consisted of 3 x 10 in the
bench press with 150 pounds -- 3 x 10 in the
squat with 185 pounds -- 60 leg raises and
situps -- 20 calf raises with 70 pounds extra
weight -- 3 x 10 in the barbell curl with 80
pounds -- and one set of upright rows (pulling
the bar to eye-level) with 80 pounds.
Not very long ago, I interviewed Frank to
get his old-school training secrets for my
new Military Press and Shoulder Power Course.
In addition to covering his training for the
military press, we talked about his current
training.
Get this -- at the age of 89, Frank is still
training. He does leg press, seated press,
barbell curls and deadlifts. And he still trains
heavy -- for example, he does 1 x 10 in the
barbell curl with 60 pounds!
"It's an ego thing," he said. "I like having
big arms."
Frank still weighs in at 165 pounds -- his
competition weight when he won the Olympic gold
medal at age 26!
Two years ago, Frank hurt his back and had to
have surgery to remove two disks. His doctor
told him to stop lifting weights.
"I guess you didn't listen to him, did you?" I
said.
Frank chuckled.
"Well, you know what it's like -- if someone tells
an iron-head he can't do something, he takes it as
a challenge."
All of which makes Frank Spellman an American hero --
and an inspiration to Dinosaurs everywhere!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today, pretend you're training with
Frank Spellman -- and make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can learn more about Frank Spellman's training
in The Dinosaur Training Military Press and Shoulder
Power Course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. By the way, Frank Spellman trained with John
Davis at the South Phillie Weightlifting Club -- and
you can read all about it in Black Iron: The John
Davis Story:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. If you're an older trainee (age 35 and up),
here's the book that will keep you lifting for a long,
long time -- just like Frank Spellman:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Once a lifter, always
a lifter." -- Brooks Kubik
The Growing Machine!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of the ways to kick your training
into maximum overdrive is to try something
new.
And one of the best things to try is a
Dino-style power rack training program.
If you use it the right way, the power
rack is a growing machine!
I should know -- because power rack training
made me grow like nothing I'd ever tried.
In my late 20's, I weighed 180 pounds,
and was able to do a touch and go bench
press with 355 pounds any day of the week.
My best in competition (at a local meet
where they let us do a touch and go rather
than a paused lift), I did 365. That was
my best back then.
I did 315 x 5 in the squat. I don't recall
if I ever did singles in the squat back then.
I don't think. If I did, my top squat was about
the same as my bench press.
Try as I might, I could not increase any of
my lifts. The bench stayed the same for years --
and so did the squat -- and so did my bodyweight.
At about that point in time, the owner of the gym
asked a retired steel worker named Carl Flannigan
to build an extra big, extra heavy duty power rack
for the gym.
Carl, by the way, was nicknamed "Big Carl," and he
deserved the nickname. He was a mountain of a man,
and even in his late 60's he was handling huge
weights in partial movements on the leg press
machine and in quarter squats. And when he shook
hands with you, it felt like you were shaking hands
with a gorilla.
Anyhow, Carl built a MONSTER power rack -- and it
stood there unused by anyone other than Carl for
a very long long time.
And then one day i read an article about power rack
training, and decided to give it a try -- and so
I started to experiment with different ways of using
the power rack.
I soon discovered that much of what was written about
power rack training didn't work very well. But I also
discovered some unique twists on rack training that
worked GREAT.
And suddenly, I started to grow bigger and stronger.
My weight climbed up to 188 -- and then 193 -- and
then 198 -- 202 -- 207 -- 210 -- 220 and up to 225.
My bench shot up to a 400 pound touch and go lift --
and then a paused bench in competition with 396 --
which I later increased to 407 (in competition).
I started doing bottom position bench presses (starting
from a dead stop with the bar positioned on pins set
so it was just brushing my chest when I wedged myself
underneath it -- and worked up to 435 pounds using a
3" thick barbell.
And my squat increased way more than my bench press.
It went all the way up to 605 pounds for a single.
And it was all the result of heavy rack work -- or
rather, the result of heavy DINO-STYLE rack work.
I detail my favorite systems of power rack training
in two books:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
If strength and power is your thing -- or if you're
looking to build some serious muscle mass in 2012 --
then give Dino-style power rack training a try. You
may find (as I did), that it works better than anything
else you've ever tried!
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. My other books, courses, DVD's -- and sweatshirts
and hoodies (which are great for cold weather training --
are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "There's a reason why they
call it the power rack." -- Brooks Kubik
One of the ways to kick your training
into maximum overdrive is to try something
new.
And one of the best things to try is a
Dino-style power rack training program.
If you use it the right way, the power
rack is a growing machine!
I should know -- because power rack training
made me grow like nothing I'd ever tried.
In my late 20's, I weighed 180 pounds,
and was able to do a touch and go bench
press with 355 pounds any day of the week.
My best in competition (at a local meet
where they let us do a touch and go rather
than a paused lift), I did 365. That was
my best back then.
I did 315 x 5 in the squat. I don't recall
if I ever did singles in the squat back then.
I don't think. If I did, my top squat was about
the same as my bench press.
Try as I might, I could not increase any of
my lifts. The bench stayed the same for years --
and so did the squat -- and so did my bodyweight.
At about that point in time, the owner of the gym
asked a retired steel worker named Carl Flannigan
to build an extra big, extra heavy duty power rack
for the gym.
Carl, by the way, was nicknamed "Big Carl," and he
deserved the nickname. He was a mountain of a man,
and even in his late 60's he was handling huge
weights in partial movements on the leg press
machine and in quarter squats. And when he shook
hands with you, it felt like you were shaking hands
with a gorilla.
Anyhow, Carl built a MONSTER power rack -- and it
stood there unused by anyone other than Carl for
a very long long time.
And then one day i read an article about power rack
training, and decided to give it a try -- and so
I started to experiment with different ways of using
the power rack.
I soon discovered that much of what was written about
power rack training didn't work very well. But I also
discovered some unique twists on rack training that
worked GREAT.
And suddenly, I started to grow bigger and stronger.
My weight climbed up to 188 -- and then 193 -- and
then 198 -- 202 -- 207 -- 210 -- 220 and up to 225.
My bench shot up to a 400 pound touch and go lift --
and then a paused bench in competition with 396 --
which I later increased to 407 (in competition).
I started doing bottom position bench presses (starting
from a dead stop with the bar positioned on pins set
so it was just brushing my chest when I wedged myself
underneath it -- and worked up to 435 pounds using a
3" thick barbell.
And my squat increased way more than my bench press.
It went all the way up to 605 pounds for a single.
And it was all the result of heavy rack work -- or
rather, the result of heavy DINO-STYLE rack work.
I detail my favorite systems of power rack training
in two books:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
If strength and power is your thing -- or if you're
looking to build some serious muscle mass in 2012 --
then give Dino-style power rack training a try. You
may find (as I did), that it works better than anything
else you've ever tried!
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. My other books, courses, DVD's -- and sweatshirts
and hoodies (which are great for cold weather training --
are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "There's a reason why they
call it the power rack." -- Brooks Kubik
The Chalk and Sweat Phenomenon!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Something very interesting has happened over
the past couple of weeks. It ties into the
end of the old year and to the fact that in
December 2010 I launched a new book called
CHALK AND SWEAT, which gives readers a series
of 50 different workouts: 10 workouts for
beginners, 10 for intermediates, 10 for
advanced trainees, 10 leg specialization
programs and 10 back specialization programs.
I wrote the book for a very simple reason.
I get tons of emails with training questions,
and many of them are from:
1. Beginners who need a good workout and have
no idea how to put a program together -- and
who always do WAY TOO MUCH -- meaning too many
exercises,too many sets, and too many training
days per week.
2. Intermediates who try to do a more
advanced program than their bodies can handle.
3. Advanced men who get off track somehow (usually
as the result of too many muscle comics or too
much time reading about training on the internet)
and who are stuck in the dreaded STICKING POINT
zone.
4. Guys who want to build as much muscle and bulk
as fast as possible -- but don't know how to do it.
(Hint: leg and back specialization!)
I don't have time to give personal answers to
everyone who needs a good training program --
so I wrote a book that lays it all out and
gives enough variety that there's literally
"something for everyone."
So here's what happened, based on emails that have
come in the door over the past few weeks.
A number of readers grabbed a copy of CHALK AND
SWEAT back in December 2010 -- and started off
on one of the programs in the book at the beginning
of 2011 -- and trained on different programs from
the book over the course of the year -- and did
ALL of their training for the entire year using
programs from the book -- and then, at the end
of the year, they shoot me an email and say, "I
can't believe the gains I made over the past
year!"
Well, I can believe it.
As I said In Dinosaur Training: "Strength training
works!" You just have to do it RIGHT! And part of
"doing it right" is using the right kind of training
program -- a training program that is based on real
world, real life STUFF THAT WORKS rather than on
something some guy writes for a muscle comic because
he needs to make his deadline for the upcoming issue
and he needs to make it "new and different" because
that's what sells magazines.
And -- very important -- you need to follow a
program suited to your current level of
development.
The bottom line is this -- the idea of writing a
book that gives a series of progressively more
difficult training programs for Dinos was a GREAT
idea -- and there are a bunch of Dinos walking
around who are bigger and stronger today than
ever before -- and its the result of the
programs in the book -- including those
leg and back programs that seem to have worked
pretty darn well for everyone who tried them.
So, to everyone who ordered CHALK AND SWEAT and
gave the programs a try and got great results --
THANK YOU! And DOUBLE THANK YOU to everyone
who wrote in to report their 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. You can experience the CHALK AND SWEAT phenomenon
for yourself by grabbing a copy of the little monster
from the Dinosaur Training bookstore:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books, courses and DVD's are
available at the usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Most people don't plan
to fail; they fail to plan." -- John L. Beckley
Something very interesting has happened over
the past couple of weeks. It ties into the
end of the old year and to the fact that in
December 2010 I launched a new book called
CHALK AND SWEAT, which gives readers a series
of 50 different workouts: 10 workouts for
beginners, 10 for intermediates, 10 for
advanced trainees, 10 leg specialization
programs and 10 back specialization programs.
I wrote the book for a very simple reason.
I get tons of emails with training questions,
and many of them are from:
1. Beginners who need a good workout and have
no idea how to put a program together -- and
who always do WAY TOO MUCH -- meaning too many
exercises,too many sets, and too many training
days per week.
2. Intermediates who try to do a more
advanced program than their bodies can handle.
3. Advanced men who get off track somehow (usually
as the result of too many muscle comics or too
much time reading about training on the internet)
and who are stuck in the dreaded STICKING POINT
zone.
4. Guys who want to build as much muscle and bulk
as fast as possible -- but don't know how to do it.
(Hint: leg and back specialization!)
I don't have time to give personal answers to
everyone who needs a good training program --
so I wrote a book that lays it all out and
gives enough variety that there's literally
"something for everyone."
So here's what happened, based on emails that have
come in the door over the past few weeks.
A number of readers grabbed a copy of CHALK AND
SWEAT back in December 2010 -- and started off
on one of the programs in the book at the beginning
of 2011 -- and trained on different programs from
the book over the course of the year -- and did
ALL of their training for the entire year using
programs from the book -- and then, at the end
of the year, they shoot me an email and say, "I
can't believe the gains I made over the past
year!"
Well, I can believe it.
As I said In Dinosaur Training: "Strength training
works!" You just have to do it RIGHT! And part of
"doing it right" is using the right kind of training
program -- a training program that is based on real
world, real life STUFF THAT WORKS rather than on
something some guy writes for a muscle comic because
he needs to make his deadline for the upcoming issue
and he needs to make it "new and different" because
that's what sells magazines.
And -- very important -- you need to follow a
program suited to your current level of
development.
The bottom line is this -- the idea of writing a
book that gives a series of progressively more
difficult training programs for Dinos was a GREAT
idea -- and there are a bunch of Dinos walking
around who are bigger and stronger today than
ever before -- and its the result of the
programs in the book -- including those
leg and back programs that seem to have worked
pretty darn well for everyone who tried them.
So, to everyone who ordered CHALK AND SWEAT and
gave the programs a try and got great results --
THANK YOU! And DOUBLE THANK YOU to everyone
who wrote in to report their 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. You can experience the CHALK AND SWEAT phenomenon
for yourself by grabbing a copy of the little monster
from the Dinosaur Training bookstore:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books, courses and DVD's are
available at the usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Most people don't plan
to fail; they fail to plan." -- John L. Beckley
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