Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Before we get into today's email, let me
again say THANK YOU for all of your kind
words and support following the loss of
our beloved Marcel. Trudi and I appreciate
it more than we can ever say.
By the way, Marcel used to lie on my desk,
next to my keyboard, when I was doing my
writing - so he played a major role in helping
me write all of my books, courses and blog
posts. So if I ever wrote something that you
particularly liked, Marcel probably deserves
at least some of the credit.
On the training front, let's answer some
questions from readers.
We've been talking about the "Essential Exercises"
this week, and I've been getting lots of feedback
from the Dino Nation. So let's cover some of the
more common questions.
Q. Why didn't Bradley J. Steiner include deadlifts
as one of the Essential Exercises?
A. Steiner preferred stiff legged deadlifts. Personally,
I prefer deadlifts. I think stiff legged deadlifts are
best done with a LIGHT weight, more for stretching
and flexibility than heavy strength training. Some
men (Dr. Ken) for example, thrive on heavy stiff
legged deadlifts. I guess it depends on your body
structure as much as anything else.
Q. Why didn't Steiner include Trap Bar Deadlifts on
his list of Essential Exercises?
A. Because the Trap Bar hadn't been invented then.
If it had been available, he might well have suggested
that readers try it. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the
Trap Bar. For more info on Trap Bar training, or to
order the original Gerard Trap Bar:
http://www.trapbartraining.com/
Q. What about dips? Don't you think they should
be on the list?
A. I know some of you are going to hate this answer,
but Steiner preferred the bench press and the
dumbbell incline press.
So do I. Dips are a great movement for young guys,
and many do them and use added weight and really
enjoy them -- but they are very hard on the shoulder
joint. I have rec'd many letters and emails over the
years from guys who hurt their shoulders doing dips.
If you simply MUST do them, do them slow and strict,
with no bouncing, and do NOT go for a deep stretch
at the bottom. And if you're an older and heavier
Dinosaur, you may want to skip them entirely.
If you don't like bench presses or dumbbell incline
presses, try the push-up variations in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
Steiner, by the way, liked push-ups quite a bit.
He thought they were better than bench presses
for martial artists.
Q. Steiner's list of Essential Exercises is pretty
old-school.
A. Right -- that's why I like it, and why I shared it
with you.
Q. What about Nautilus machines? I know those were
really big back in the 70's when Steiner compiled his
list.
A. They were indeed. Steiner actually thought they
were pretty good (he liked Arthur Jones' one set to
failure ideas), but he also noted (as did Jones) that
you could get great results with nothing other than
a barbell and a set of squat stands.
Steiner was at heart a home gym guy. He trained at
home, and he always wrote training programs that
worked for a home gym trainee. Cellar dwellers and
garage gorillas usually have barbells, dumbbells,
benches, and squats stands or a power rack --
but they don't have the space or the cash for
a set of a dozen expensive Nautilus machines.
So Steiner wasn't about to call them "essential"
even though he did like them.
Those are some of the more common questions
about the essential exercises. I'll cover some others
next week.
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. 1. For the best exercises for older trainees,
see Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino headquarters -- including
links to my Kindle e-books and the all-new
monthly Dinosaur Files with immediate
digital delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Exercises are
tools. Use the best you can find." -- Brooks
Kubik
************************************************************************************
All Out Exercises for Strength and Power!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Before we talk about sets and reps, I want
to thank everyone for all of the kind words
and emails about Marcel. Trudi and I
appreciate it enormously.
Carl Lanore let me dedicate yesterday's
episode of Physical Culture Radio to Marcel.
It turned out to be a great memorial for a
truly wonderful and amazing cat. If you
missed it, you can listen to it here:
http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1787-physical-culture-radio-living-life-like-marcel-almonds-10-grams-a-day-helps-keep-the-doctor-away.html
On the training front, let's talk a bit more
about Bradley J. Steiner's "Essential Exercises."
I covered this in an email on Monday.
If you missed it, go to the Dinosaur Training
Blog and read it there. By the way, I post all
of my emails on the Blog, so if you ever miss
an email, you can always find it at the Blog.
You can access the Blog from the drop down
bar at my website.
Anyhow, one of Steiner's essential exercises for
the back was the power clean.
I agree that the power clean belongs on the list,
but I'd go a bit further and add a number of
other weightlifting movements to the program.
Some people call these "All Out" exercises. That's
an excellent term for them.
And I'll tell you something else. I very much wish
that someone had taught me to focus on these
exercises when I was a kid. It would have been
the best thing ever for my wrestling. I was a
very good wrestler in high school -- I won a
state championship in Greco-Roman wrestling --
but I would have been twice as good if I had
trained with All Out exercises.
So here are some exercises that I consider to
be "Essential Exercises" for athletes -- and for
anyone who wants to increase their strength
and power enormously:
1. Power cleans
2. Clean grip high pulls
3. Power Snatches
4. Snatch grip high pulls
5. The power clean and press
6. The power clean and push press
7. The power clean and jerk
8. Push presses
9. Jerks
10. Snatch grip deadlifts
11. Clean grip deadlifts
12. Snatch grip or clean grip deadlifts
with a shrug at the top of the movement
All of the exercises listed above provide a triple
benefit. They simultaneously:
1. Build your strength and explosive power.
2. Improve your speed, balance, coordination,
timing and athleticism.
3. Train the heck out of your legs, back, hips
and shoulder girdle (which are the true keys
to Herculean super strength).
4. Build strong, thick bones.
5. Strengthen your nervous system, and help
maintain a strong mind-muscle link and
athletic movement patterns -- which makes
them very important for healthy aging.
For details on how to work these movements
into your training programs, see:
1. Chalk and Sweat (50 workouts from beginners
to advanced men, with many workouts featuring
weightlifting exercises):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power (29 chapters covering
a huge variety of topics, including how to add Olympic
lifting to your programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (reveals World
and Olympic champion John Davis' actual training
programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course (how the 1953
World Weightlifting champion trained):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron (how older lifters can
train safely and effectively with Olympic lifting
movements):
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
6. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1 (covers many
different training approaches for cellar dwellers and
garage gorillas, including ssome excellent weightlifting
workouts):
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
If you need help on how to perform the movements,
see my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Again, thanks for the kind words about Marcel.
Trudi and I miss him terribly, but we are hanging in
there. Our other cat, Louie, misses Marcel, too. He
sits on the back porch, waiting for his friend to
come home. So we're being extra good to Louie.
It's a tough time for him. He and Marcel have been
together ever since Marcel joined us 10 years ago.
P.S. 2. You'd be surprised how many Dinosaurs are
big animal lovers. It seems to be a part of our Dino
DNA.
***********************************************************************************
Before we talk about sets and reps, I want
to thank everyone for all of the kind words
and emails about Marcel. Trudi and I
appreciate it enormously.
Carl Lanore let me dedicate yesterday's
episode of Physical Culture Radio to Marcel.
It turned out to be a great memorial for a
truly wonderful and amazing cat. If you
missed it, you can listen to it here:
http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1787-physical-culture-radio-living-life-like-marcel-almonds-10-grams-a-day-helps-keep-the-doctor-away.html
On the training front, let's talk a bit more
about Bradley J. Steiner's "Essential Exercises."
I covered this in an email on Monday.
If you missed it, go to the Dinosaur Training
Blog and read it there. By the way, I post all
of my emails on the Blog, so if you ever miss
an email, you can always find it at the Blog.
You can access the Blog from the drop down
bar at my website.
Anyhow, one of Steiner's essential exercises for
the back was the power clean.
I agree that the power clean belongs on the list,
but I'd go a bit further and add a number of
other weightlifting movements to the program.
Some people call these "All Out" exercises. That's
an excellent term for them.
And I'll tell you something else. I very much wish
that someone had taught me to focus on these
exercises when I was a kid. It would have been
the best thing ever for my wrestling. I was a
very good wrestler in high school -- I won a
state championship in Greco-Roman wrestling --
but I would have been twice as good if I had
trained with All Out exercises.
So here are some exercises that I consider to
be "Essential Exercises" for athletes -- and for
anyone who wants to increase their strength
and power enormously:
1. Power cleans
2. Clean grip high pulls
3. Power Snatches
4. Snatch grip high pulls
5. The power clean and press
6. The power clean and push press
7. The power clean and jerk
8. Push presses
9. Jerks
10. Snatch grip deadlifts
11. Clean grip deadlifts
12. Snatch grip or clean grip deadlifts
with a shrug at the top of the movement
All of the exercises listed above provide a triple
benefit. They simultaneously:
1. Build your strength and explosive power.
2. Improve your speed, balance, coordination,
timing and athleticism.
3. Train the heck out of your legs, back, hips
and shoulder girdle (which are the true keys
to Herculean super strength).
4. Build strong, thick bones.
5. Strengthen your nervous system, and help
maintain a strong mind-muscle link and
athletic movement patterns -- which makes
them very important for healthy aging.
For details on how to work these movements
into your training programs, see:
1. Chalk and Sweat (50 workouts from beginners
to advanced men, with many workouts featuring
weightlifting exercises):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
2. Strength, Muscle and Power (29 chapters covering
a huge variety of topics, including how to add Olympic
lifting to your programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
3. Black Iron: The John Davis Story (reveals World
and Olympic champion John Davis' actual training
programs):
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
4. The Doug Hepburn Training Course (how the 1953
World Weightlifting champion trained):
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
5. Gray Hair and Black Iron (how older lifters can
train safely and effectively with Olympic lifting
movements):
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
6. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1 (covers many
different training approaches for cellar dwellers and
garage gorillas, including ssome excellent weightlifting
workouts):
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
If you need help on how to perform the movements,
see my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
As always, thanks for reading, and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Again, thanks for the kind words about Marcel.
Trudi and I miss him terribly, but we are hanging in
there. Our other cat, Louie, misses Marcel, too. He
sits on the back porch, waiting for his friend to
come home. So we're being extra good to Louie.
It's a tough time for him. He and Marcel have been
together ever since Marcel joined us 10 years ago.
P.S. 2. You'd be surprised how many Dinosaurs are
big animal lovers. It seems to be a part of our Dino
DNA.
***********************************************************************************
Lessons from Marcel
 |
| Our beloved Marcel. The best cat ever. Everyone who knew him loved him. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I missed my daily email yesterday,
but I have a good excuse.
We had a death in the family.
Yesterday we lost our beloved Marcel,
a wonderful, active, adventurous, gray
cat who had been with us for ten
glorious, fun-filled years.
Marcel had the best life of any cat who
ever lived -- and it was an adventurous
life. He was an indoor and outdoor cat,
living in a house on a hill with a big
yard, a maze of garden boxes, a
mulberry tree to climb, and endless
birds, squirrels, and small critters to
chase.
The squirrels loved him. When he lay on
the railing on the back porch, the squirrels
would lie on the fence posts and mimic the
way he lay there, face down, with his four
legs dangling down.
It happened so often that we called him
"The Squirrel God."
When he was a small kitten, our daughter
kept him on a long leash when he went out.
He made a beeline for the magnolia tree,
and climbed up as high as he could. He
loved climbing. But climbing with a leash
around your neck can be dangerous, so
we let him off his leash.
Five minutes later I saw a tiny kitten
sitting on top of the neighbor's garage,
surveying what was to become his un-
disputed domain for the next 10 years.
Not long after, our daughter went off to
college, and Trudi and I became Marcel's
new parents. He wasn't sure we would do
a good job for him, so he ran away.
We searched everywhere, put up signs,
made calls, and paid the kids in the
neighborhood to try to find him.
Several days passed -- and there was no
sign of Marcel.
And then, while little Marcel was still out
there -- somewhere -- Louisville was hit
by a terrible storm with hurricane force
winds -- the remnants of a hurricane that
roared out of the Gulf of Mexico and into
Texas.
Trees were toppling everywhere -- branches
and wires were coming down -- and everyone
stayed in their basement, huddling in the
dark with their loved ones.
After the storm, Trudi got a call on her cell
phone.
A family several blocks away had found
Marcel. We raced over to get him -- passing
a dozen or more downed trees along the way.
When we got there, they told us the story.
When the storm hit, the little kitten did what
he thought was the safest thing.
He climbed a tree in their back yard.
And there he was for the entire storm, holding
on for dear life, 30 feet above the ground -- in
a hurricane. The family saw him, but there was
nothing they could do to help him. He had to
do it on his own. And he did.
After the storm had passed, the little kitten
climbed down the tree and stepped with
waery, wobbly legs onto the wet, green
grass.
Trudi wrapped him in an old sweater and
carried him home, holding him close. And
as you can guess, Marcel got a very big
dinner that night.
That was our Marcel. He was fearless. He
was an adventurer. He always loved
to climb as high as he could climb -- and
to spend long hours sitting with the sun and
wind on his face, watching what happened
below.
His favorite spot in the entire world was
the deck outside a third story apartment
in a house on the hill above us.
He would climb up the wooden steps and
sit and see for miles.
I learned many things from Marcel. You
always learn important things from a
special pet.
This is what Marcel taught me:
"Live every day to the fullest. Make time to
sit in the sun and the wind. Always look for
the high ground. Enjoy the far horizon,
and make everything you see your
own special kingdom."
And there was another important lesson:
"If you're caught in a tall tree in a
hurricane, hold on tight -- and enjoy
the adventure!"
Marcel is gone, but he's enjoying a new
adventure. He can fly now -- and I know
it's something he always wanted to do.
His spirit is free and unfettered.
Goodbye, Marcel. Thank you for the years of
love and laughter -- for the memories -- and
for the lessons you shared with us.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Of course, my next workout will be extra
hard and heavy to honor Marcel. Please join me
and do the same. He'll appreciate it.
P.S. 2. Carl Lanore graciously agreed to let
me share Marcel's story on yesterday's
episode of Physical Culture Radio. Here's
the libnk to the download:
http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1787-physical-culture-radio-living-life-like-marcel-almonds-10-grams-a-day-helps-keep-the-doctor-away.html
***********************************************************************************
Build a Gorilla Grip with these Great Exercises!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday we talked about Bradley J. Steiner's
list of "the Essential exercises."
It was a pretty good list, but there are plenty
of other good exercises. So I'll go over some
other possible movements today and later in
the week.
In other words, we'll make this "The Week of
Good Exercises."
Today, let's cover forearm and grip exercises.
I often end a training program by saying:
"gut, grip and neck work." Readers often
ask what they should do to train their
grip. Here's the answer.
Forearms and grip
1.Thick bar deadlifts with a double overhand
grip and timed holds with the thick bar (also
using a double overhand grip)
a. Okay, that's two exercises -- but they're
good ones. And you can always combine
them by finishing any set of thick bar
deadlifts with a timed hold.
b. Do these at the end of your workout, as
a grip exercise. If you do deadlifts to build
all-around body strength, then train them
earlier, with a regular bar.
c. See Strength, Muscle and Power and
Dinosaur Training for more about thick bar
training. They're the books that put it on
the map!
2. Thick bar pull-ups
a. Yes, you can do timed holds on a thick
handled pull-up bar.
b. See Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for
some killer pull-up variations and grip
blasters.
3. The one-arm deadlift
a. Use a regular bar or a thick bar.
b. Use a dumbbell if you prefer.
c. See Strength, Muscle and Power for a
complete chapter on this terrific exercise
and how to use it.
4. The Farmer's Walk
a. These are one of the best all-around
exercises. They build strength, muscle
mass, conditioning, and a MONSTER
grip.
b. As in a "Frankenstein Meets the
Wolfman Meets King Kong Meets
Godzilla Grip."
5. Hand-grippers (Captains of Crush, etc.)
a. These are one of the best grip movements
you can do.
b. Get your grippers from John Wood at
Functional Hand Strength:
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/captains_of_crush_grippers.html
6. Rope climbing
a. This is one of the best upper body
exercises there is -- and it's a terrific
grip developer.
b. If you don't have room for a climbing
rope, use two short ropes for pull-ups, as
detailed in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.
c. Grab your ropes here:
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/climbing_ropes.html
7. Hammer curls (esp w/ thick handled dumbbells)
a. These work even better with thick handled
dumbbells.
8. The vertical bar lift
a. This is a very good, and greatly under-
rated movement.
9. Lever bar lifting
a. A classic old-time exercise.
b. Fun to do with sledge hammers.
10. Pinch grip lifting
a. Use plates, blobs, blocks with an attached
chain for extra weight -- they're all good.
11. Finger-tip pushups (with or without extra
weight)
a. A favorite of many old-time boxers
and wrestlers.
12. Two finger deadlifts
a. Use a regular bar for this.
b. You can use a reverse grip or a doublle
overhand grip.
c. Go light at first to build up the tendons
and ligaments.
So there you have it -- 12 great grip exercises.
Of course, you're not going to use them all at
the same time or in the same training program.
The best thing to do is to pick two or three
different exercises, and train ONE of them at
the end of each workout. Rotate the exercises
from workout to workout.
For example, let's say you train 3x per week on
M/W/F.
For your grip work, do this:
M - Thick bar deadlifts
W - Pinch grip lifting
F - The vertical bar lift
After 6 to 8 weeks, pick three new movements and
train them for awhile. Over time, you'll get plenty of
variety, without ever overdoing things.
And who knows -- after a few years of serious, Dino-
style grip training, you may be able to make it into
the Gorilla Grip Hall of Fame!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can find Dinosaur Training, Strength, Muscle
and Power, Dinosaur Dumbbell Training and Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training right here at Dino Headquarters.
They all have more great tips for building a Gorilla
Grip:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "A strong grip is the
mark of a strong man." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Yesterday we talked about Bradley J. Steiner's
list of "the Essential exercises."
It was a pretty good list, but there are plenty
of other good exercises. So I'll go over some
other possible movements today and later in
the week.
In other words, we'll make this "The Week of
Good Exercises."
Today, let's cover forearm and grip exercises.
I often end a training program by saying:
"gut, grip and neck work." Readers often
ask what they should do to train their
grip. Here's the answer.
Forearms and grip
1.Thick bar deadlifts with a double overhand
grip and timed holds with the thick bar (also
using a double overhand grip)
a. Okay, that's two exercises -- but they're
good ones. And you can always combine
them by finishing any set of thick bar
deadlifts with a timed hold.
b. Do these at the end of your workout, as
a grip exercise. If you do deadlifts to build
all-around body strength, then train them
earlier, with a regular bar.
c. See Strength, Muscle and Power and
Dinosaur Training for more about thick bar
training. They're the books that put it on
the map!
2. Thick bar pull-ups
a. Yes, you can do timed holds on a thick
handled pull-up bar.
b. See Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for
some killer pull-up variations and grip
blasters.
3. The one-arm deadlift
a. Use a regular bar or a thick bar.
b. Use a dumbbell if you prefer.
c. See Strength, Muscle and Power for a
complete chapter on this terrific exercise
and how to use it.
4. The Farmer's Walk
a. These are one of the best all-around
exercises. They build strength, muscle
mass, conditioning, and a MONSTER
grip.
b. As in a "Frankenstein Meets the
Wolfman Meets King Kong Meets
Godzilla Grip."
5. Hand-grippers (Captains of Crush, etc.)
a. These are one of the best grip movements
you can do.
b. Get your grippers from John Wood at
Functional Hand Strength:
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/captains_of_crush_grippers.html
6. Rope climbing
a. This is one of the best upper body
exercises there is -- and it's a terrific
grip developer.
b. If you don't have room for a climbing
rope, use two short ropes for pull-ups, as
detailed in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.
c. Grab your ropes here:
http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/climbing_ropes.html
7. Hammer curls (esp w/ thick handled dumbbells)
a. These work even better with thick handled
dumbbells.
8. The vertical bar lift
a. This is a very good, and greatly under-
rated movement.
9. Lever bar lifting
a. A classic old-time exercise.
b. Fun to do with sledge hammers.
10. Pinch grip lifting
a. Use plates, blobs, blocks with an attached
chain for extra weight -- they're all good.
11. Finger-tip pushups (with or without extra
weight)
a. A favorite of many old-time boxers
and wrestlers.
12. Two finger deadlifts
a. Use a regular bar for this.
b. You can use a reverse grip or a doublle
overhand grip.
c. Go light at first to build up the tendons
and ligaments.
So there you have it -- 12 great grip exercises.
Of course, you're not going to use them all at
the same time or in the same training program.
The best thing to do is to pick two or three
different exercises, and train ONE of them at
the end of each workout. Rotate the exercises
from workout to workout.
For example, let's say you train 3x per week on
M/W/F.
For your grip work, do this:
M - Thick bar deadlifts
W - Pinch grip lifting
F - The vertical bar lift
After 6 to 8 weeks, pick three new movements and
train them for awhile. Over time, you'll get plenty of
variety, without ever overdoing things.
And who knows -- after a few years of serious, Dino-
style grip training, you may be able to make it into
the Gorilla Grip Hall of Fame!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can find Dinosaur Training, Strength, Muscle
and Power, Dinosaur Dumbbell Training and Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training right here at Dino Headquarters.
They all have more great tips for building a Gorilla
Grip:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "A strong grip is the
mark of a strong man." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Steiner's Top 21 Exercises -- Do You Do Them?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was a kid, my favorite Iron Game
author was Bradley. J. Steiner. His work
appeared regularly in Strength and Health,
Muscular Development and Iron Man.
One of Steiner's classic series of articles
was a four-part opus titled, "The Essential
Exercises." It ran in Iron Man way back in
1969 or 1970.
For those of you who missed these articles
the first time around, here are Bradley J.
Steiner's "Essential Exercises." Note that
there aren't too many of them -- and that
they don't require much in the way of
equipment -- and they can be performed
in most home gym settings. Steiner was
a home gym trainer, and believed that
it was best to train at home whenever
possible. At the time he wrote his four-
part series, he trained in an apartment
in Brooklyn -- using thick rubber pads
to keep from disturbing the neighbors
when he lowered the bar to the floor!
Arms and shoulders
1. Barbell curls (strict)
2. Dumbbell curls (standing, seated or lying
back on an incline bench)
3. Press behind neck (standing or
seated)
Note: This was Steiner's favorite shoulder
exercise, by far.
4. Military press (strict)
5. Dumbbell presses (both arms together
or alternate arm style)
Note: Steiner did not believe in doing direct
exercises for the triceps, such as french presses
or triceps extensions. He believed they put too
much stress on the elbow joints. he also believed
(as did John Grimek) that overhead presses in
strict form were the very best exercise for the
triceps. Steiner also believed that bench pressing
was a great exercise for the triceps.
Chest
1. Light breathing pullovers with dumbbells
(performed after squats, with light weights
and lots of deep breathing, solely as a way
to help expand the ribcage)
2. Bench press (strict!)
3. Dumbbell incline press (strict and heavy)
Back
1. Power cleans
Note: Steiner also liked high pulls.
2. Stiff-legged deadlifts
Note: this was Steiner's favorite exercise
for the low back.
3. The good morning exercise
4. Barbell bent-over rowing (strict!)
Note: This was Steiner's favorite
exercise for the upper back.
5. Dumbbell bent-over rowing (strict!)
6. Shoulder shrugs (barbell or
dumbbell)
7. Bridging (for neck development)
Note: This was the first time I ever saw
anyone recommend neck training in a
muscle magazine.
Legs
1. Squats
Note: As you might imagine, steiner believed
that squats were the single best exercise.
2. The straddle lift
Note: I think Steiner liked this exercise
because John Grimek did them. He was
a big Grimek fan.
3. Calf raises
Midsection
1. Leg raises -- preferably with iron boots
2. Dumbbell side-bends
3. Sit-ups with weight resistance -- preferably
on a sit-up board
And that was it. A total of 21 exercises. In Steiner's
opinion, the 21 BEST exercises. The "Essential
Exercises."
You may or may not agree with Steiner's choices,
although you probably agree with many of them.
But I like the idea of picking THE BEST exercises
and building your training programs around them.
There are literally thousands of exercises to do, but
you only have so much time and energy -- so why
not focus on the very best movewments?
By the way, the fact that Steiner selected 21
"Essential exercises" did not mean you were
supposed to do all 21. You might use only five
or six in any one training program. But that's
a topic for another day.
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. The new monthly Dinosaur Files newsletter
is getting rave reviews from Dinos around the
world.
Go here to grab your copy of the January
Dinosaur Files:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html
And go here to grab the December issue:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.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: "For best results,
focus your effort on the best exercises."
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
When I was a kid, my favorite Iron Game
author was Bradley. J. Steiner. His work
appeared regularly in Strength and Health,
Muscular Development and Iron Man.
One of Steiner's classic series of articles
was a four-part opus titled, "The Essential
Exercises." It ran in Iron Man way back in
1969 or 1970.
For those of you who missed these articles
the first time around, here are Bradley J.
Steiner's "Essential Exercises." Note that
there aren't too many of them -- and that
they don't require much in the way of
equipment -- and they can be performed
in most home gym settings. Steiner was
a home gym trainer, and believed that
it was best to train at home whenever
possible. At the time he wrote his four-
part series, he trained in an apartment
in Brooklyn -- using thick rubber pads
to keep from disturbing the neighbors
when he lowered the bar to the floor!
Arms and shoulders
1. Barbell curls (strict)
2. Dumbbell curls (standing, seated or lying
back on an incline bench)
3. Press behind neck (standing or
seated)
Note: This was Steiner's favorite shoulder
exercise, by far.
4. Military press (strict)
5. Dumbbell presses (both arms together
or alternate arm style)
Note: Steiner did not believe in doing direct
exercises for the triceps, such as french presses
or triceps extensions. He believed they put too
much stress on the elbow joints. he also believed
(as did John Grimek) that overhead presses in
strict form were the very best exercise for the
triceps. Steiner also believed that bench pressing
was a great exercise for the triceps.
Chest
1. Light breathing pullovers with dumbbells
(performed after squats, with light weights
and lots of deep breathing, solely as a way
to help expand the ribcage)
2. Bench press (strict!)
3. Dumbbell incline press (strict and heavy)
Back
1. Power cleans
Note: Steiner also liked high pulls.
2. Stiff-legged deadlifts
Note: this was Steiner's favorite exercise
for the low back.
3. The good morning exercise
4. Barbell bent-over rowing (strict!)
Note: This was Steiner's favorite
exercise for the upper back.
5. Dumbbell bent-over rowing (strict!)
6. Shoulder shrugs (barbell or
dumbbell)
7. Bridging (for neck development)
Note: This was the first time I ever saw
anyone recommend neck training in a
muscle magazine.
Legs
1. Squats
Note: As you might imagine, steiner believed
that squats were the single best exercise.
2. The straddle lift
Note: I think Steiner liked this exercise
because John Grimek did them. He was
a big Grimek fan.
3. Calf raises
Midsection
1. Leg raises -- preferably with iron boots
2. Dumbbell side-bends
3. Sit-ups with weight resistance -- preferably
on a sit-up board
And that was it. A total of 21 exercises. In Steiner's
opinion, the 21 BEST exercises. The "Essential
Exercises."
You may or may not agree with Steiner's choices,
although you probably agree with many of them.
But I like the idea of picking THE BEST exercises
and building your training programs around them.
There are literally thousands of exercises to do, but
you only have so much time and energy -- so why
not focus on the very best movewments?
By the way, the fact that Steiner selected 21
"Essential exercises" did not mean you were
supposed to do all 21. You might use only five
or six in any one training program. But that's
a topic for another day.
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. The new monthly Dinosaur Files newsletter
is getting rave reviews from Dinos around the
world.
Go here to grab your copy of the January
Dinosaur Files:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_januaryr2016.html
And go here to grab the December issue:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.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: "For best results,
focus your effort on the best exercises."
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
The Squats on Roller Skates with Power Bands Thing
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
As you might imagine, a lot of training
videos pop up in my Facebook feed --
and the other day I saw one that
featured a ton of cool looking and
exotic exercises for the lower body.
It looked like someone had combined
yoga moves, pilates, ice skating,
sprinting, high jumping, hurdling,
savate, and kung fu with barbells,
dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance
bands, wobble boards, stability
balls, tires, chains and Atlas
stones.
You moved forward, backward,
sideways, up and down.
You jumped, hopped, skipped,
and ran in place.
You did one-legged stuff and
two-legged stuff.
You twisted your body like a
contortionist.
You didn't do squats on roller skates
with chains and resistance bands,
but you came darn close to it.
I guess the idea was to keep from
missing anything important. You
know, the old "hit the muscles
from all angles thing."
But there was one problem.
One very good exercise was
missing.
There were no back squats.
Not squats on roller skates.
No regular squats. The "bar on the
upper back, feet on the floor, squat
down, drive back up and be ready
for plenty of puffing, panting and
perspiring" kind of squat. The kind
that Reg Park, John Grimek, Paul
Anderson, Tommy Kono, Norb
Schemansky, John Davis and
Doug Hepburn did.
I guess that's because squats are
old-fashioned.
They're too basic.
They're last year's news -- or
perhaps the last century's news.
Of course, you see lots of other
training videos.
Some feature the strongest men and
women on the planet. World and
Olympic champions, even.
And guess what?
They do squats.
In fact, the really strong men and
women stick to the basics. They
may play around with other stuff
(or they may skip it entirely), but
they put most of their time and
energy into the basics.
There's a reason for that.
The basic exercises have been
building strength and muscle for
a very long time -- and they'll be
building strength and muscle long
after this year's crop of funky new
exercises is long forgotten.
If you're looking for new and exotic
exercises, stop.
Stick to the basics. Train them hard.
Work up to some serious weight. And
give them your all.
You won't believe the 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. This was one of our most popular
training courses of 2015:
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1
This course covers exercises, sets, reps,
workouts, and training programs for
Dinosaurs. It's great for new Dinosaurs,
and it's a great refresher for longtime
Dinos.
It's available in hard-copy, Kindle
e-book or a PDF with immediate
electronic delivery.
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
Kindle e-book
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol1_digital.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and the
new MONTHLY Dinosaur Files newsletter -- are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Super glue and
duct tape are wonderful things, but if it ain't
broke, don't fix it." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
As you might imagine, a lot of training
videos pop up in my Facebook feed --
and the other day I saw one that
featured a ton of cool looking and
exotic exercises for the lower body.
It looked like someone had combined
yoga moves, pilates, ice skating,
sprinting, high jumping, hurdling,
savate, and kung fu with barbells,
dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance
bands, wobble boards, stability
balls, tires, chains and Atlas
stones.
You moved forward, backward,
sideways, up and down.
You jumped, hopped, skipped,
and ran in place.
You did one-legged stuff and
two-legged stuff.
You twisted your body like a
contortionist.
You didn't do squats on roller skates
with chains and resistance bands,
but you came darn close to it.
I guess the idea was to keep from
missing anything important. You
know, the old "hit the muscles
from all angles thing."
But there was one problem.
One very good exercise was
missing.
There were no back squats.
Not squats on roller skates.
No regular squats. The "bar on the
upper back, feet on the floor, squat
down, drive back up and be ready
for plenty of puffing, panting and
perspiring" kind of squat. The kind
that Reg Park, John Grimek, Paul
Anderson, Tommy Kono, Norb
Schemansky, John Davis and
Doug Hepburn did.
I guess that's because squats are
old-fashioned.
They're too basic.
They're last year's news -- or
perhaps the last century's news.
Of course, you see lots of other
training videos.
Some feature the strongest men and
women on the planet. World and
Olympic champions, even.
And guess what?
They do squats.
In fact, the really strong men and
women stick to the basics. They
may play around with other stuff
(or they may skip it entirely), but
they put most of their time and
energy into the basics.
There's a reason for that.
The basic exercises have been
building strength and muscle for
a very long time -- and they'll be
building strength and muscle long
after this year's crop of funky new
exercises is long forgotten.
If you're looking for new and exotic
exercises, stop.
Stick to the basics. Train them hard.
Work up to some serious weight. And
give them your all.
You won't believe the 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. This was one of our most popular
training courses of 2015:
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1
This course covers exercises, sets, reps,
workouts, and training programs for
Dinosaurs. It's great for new Dinosaurs,
and it's a great refresher for longtime
Dinos.
It's available in hard-copy, Kindle
e-book or a PDF with immediate
electronic delivery.
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
Kindle e-book
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol1_digital.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and the
new MONTHLY Dinosaur Files newsletter -- are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Super glue and
duct tape are wonderful things, but if it ain't
broke, don't fix it." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Make 2016 the Best Year Ever for Strength and Health!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
The New Year is here, and it's time
to start working on it.
Time to make 2016 the best year
ever for strength and health.
Here's how to do it:
1. Start training. If you're already training,
then keep it up.
a. Use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells,
bodyweight training, sandbags or other
heavy awkward objects, or a combination
of these tools.
2. Make your training progressive.
a. In other words, start light and easy and
gradually increase the difficulty of your
workouts.
b. Don't try to do it overnight. Rome wasn't
built in a day. Building serious levels of
strength and muscle mass takes time.
3. Make haste slowly.
a. Don't try to make 20 or 30 pound jumps
in your lifts. Aim for small but regular
increases. Do it one rep at a time --
or one pound at a time.
b. Over time, small but steady increases
add up to big gains. Imagine what would
happen if you added one pound per week
to every exercise you do -- and you did that
for an entire year!
c. See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3, for
the very best in old-school progression
programs:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.html
4. Set long term goals and work toward them
with unflagging determination.
a. Make them high and challenging -- but
achievable.
b. Poundage and performance goals are best.
They are easy to measure.
c. For a detailed list of real-world strength
goals for drug-free trainees and how to
adapt them to your age and weight, see
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol2_digital.html
5. Break your long term goals into short term
goals.
a. Give yourself the satisfaction of hitting your
short term goals on a regular basis. It helps
keep you motivated to work toward your long
term goal.
b. See 4b.
6. Make a plan, put it into action, and make
adjustments as you move forward.
a. You won't get it perfect, and you'll need to
make changes and modifications as you move
forward. That's fine. It's part of the Iron Game
and it's something that every champion has had
to do.
7. When in doubt, do less.
a. The vast majority of trainees limit their gains
by over-training.
b. Monitor your progress carefully. Keep a detailed
training journal. If you are making good progress,
then keep on doing what you are doing. If not,
make adjustments -- and that usually means,
DO LESS, NOT MORE!
So there you have it. Seven keys for success
in 2016. Use them wisely -- and best wishes for
great gains in 2016!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My other books and courses are right here
at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Day by day,
and step by step, move forward to achieve
your goals and dreams." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
The New Year is here, and it's time
to start working on it.
Time to make 2016 the best year
ever for strength and health.
Here's how to do it:
1. Start training. If you're already training,
then keep it up.
a. Use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells,
bodyweight training, sandbags or other
heavy awkward objects, or a combination
of these tools.
2. Make your training progressive.
a. In other words, start light and easy and
gradually increase the difficulty of your
workouts.
b. Don't try to do it overnight. Rome wasn't
built in a day. Building serious levels of
strength and muscle mass takes time.
3. Make haste slowly.
a. Don't try to make 20 or 30 pound jumps
in your lifts. Aim for small but regular
increases. Do it one rep at a time --
or one pound at a time.
b. Over time, small but steady increases
add up to big gains. Imagine what would
happen if you added one pound per week
to every exercise you do -- and you did that
for an entire year!
c. See Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3, for
the very best in old-school progression
programs:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol3_digital.html
4. Set long term goals and work toward them
with unflagging determination.
a. Make them high and challenging -- but
achievable.
b. Poundage and performance goals are best.
They are easy to measure.
c. For a detailed list of real-world strength
goals for drug-free trainees and how to
adapt them to your age and weight, see
Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2:
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
PDF with electronic delivery
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol2_digital.html
5. Break your long term goals into short term
goals.
a. Give yourself the satisfaction of hitting your
short term goals on a regular basis. It helps
keep you motivated to work toward your long
term goal.
b. See 4b.
6. Make a plan, put it into action, and make
adjustments as you move forward.
a. You won't get it perfect, and you'll need to
make changes and modifications as you move
forward. That's fine. It's part of the Iron Game
and it's something that every champion has had
to do.
7. When in doubt, do less.
a. The vast majority of trainees limit their gains
by over-training.
b. Monitor your progress carefully. Keep a detailed
training journal. If you are making good progress,
then keep on doing what you are doing. If not,
make adjustments -- and that usually means,
DO LESS, NOT MORE!
So there you have it. Seven keys for success
in 2016. Use them wisely -- and best wishes for
great gains in 2016!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My other books and courses are right here
at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Day by day,
and step by step, move forward to achieve
your goals and dreams." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
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