Hail to the Dinosaurs!
To start things off – Happy New Year!
For just about everyone else, the New Year officially started on January 1 – but for me, it started on January 2.
That was the day I had my first workout of 2011.
That’s always the real beginning of the New Year – the first workout. At least, that’s how I count the start of the New Year. And if you’re reading this message, it’s probably how you count things as well.
It was a pretty good one, too. I slipped into my workout gear, headed out to the garage, and did about ten minutes of warm-up drills.
After that, it was power snatches for triples – push presses for triples -- and front squats for triples, followed by some gut, grip and neck work.
The next workout will be power cleans, split jerks and back squats – for triples – followed by gut, grip and neck work.
Nothing fancy, but it’s fun and it’s effective. It keeps me strong and it keeps me young.
As we move forward into the year, I’m going to do several things to make my training more progressive. These are things that anyone can do with any training program, so you might want to give them a try.
1. Add sets.
Last night, I did a series of progressively heavier sets, followed by one top set on each exercise. Gradually, I’ll move from one top set to two top sets – and then to three top sets.
2. Add exercises.
Over time, I’ll work in snatch grip high pulls and clean grip high pulls. Then I’ll work in snatch grip high pulls from boxes, and clean grip high pulls from boxes – as well as power snatches from boxes and power cleans from boxes.
Note that I may change from two basic workouts to three or four basic workouts when I add exercises. In other words, I may change from Workout A and Workout B to Workout A, Workout B, Workout C and Workout D.
3. Add weight.
As noted above, I’ll move from one set with my top weight to two sets, and then to three sets. After that, I’ll add weight, drop back to one top set, and build back up.
Note that you can do something similar by adding reps. For example, you can gradually work from three reps to four reps with a given weight – and to five reps – and then add weight.
4. Train faster
Last night’s workout took exactly one hour. One way to make my training more progressive will be to work a little faster. When I can do the same workout in 50 minutes, I’m training more efficiently, and with greater intensity. And if I can do more sets and more exercises in that same one-hour period, then I’m really starting to improve. So as I add sets, exercises, and weight, my goal is to keep everything within one hour of hard, heavy, concentrated training.
4a. Note that I am NOT talking about doing “bodybuilding” style workouts when I’m talking about training faster. I’m talking about Dino-style stuff like power snatches, power cleans, push presses, front squats, back squats, etc. Low reps, heavy weight and multiple sets. Tommy Kono used to get terrific workouts in an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes back in the 1950’s – and he trained HARD and HEAVY. That’s what I’m talking about.
4b. To help accomplish no. 4, I’m going to work in some simple cardio 2x or 3x per week with the goal of improving my overall condition. Training your heart and lungs so that you are both strong AND well conditioned is a good way to help you train faster when you’re hitting the iron.
5. Faster and better reps
Since I do power snatches, power cleans and other exercises that require fast and precise movements, one of the best ways to make my workouts more progressive is to strive to perform each rep in letter perfect form – and as fast as possible – and then to try to use better and better form and to move faster and faster.
For exercises like squats or front squats, you don’t move as fast – but you certainly should aim for perfect form on each rep.
One great goal for 2011 is to perform every rep for the entire year in perfect form. (Think about what a difference that one simple thing would make in your training.)
5a. For older lifters, part of faster and better reps is to do enough flexibility work to maintain good mobility and a full range of movement in all of your joints.
6. Concentration
I’m going to concentrate on each and every rep I perform in 2011 – and I’m going to work to improve my powers of concentration from workout to workout. This is nothing new – I’ve been doing it for many years – but it always helps to go back and work on “the basics” – and intense mental focus and deep concentration is one of the basics.
7. Visualization
I’m going to use visualization regularly before, during and after my workouts – and on off days. Again, this is something I’ve been doing for a long time – but it’s always good to reinforce your visualization techniques.
So that’s how my 2011 got started – and that’s what’s going to be happening out in the garage over the next 12 months. I expect that something very similar is going to be happening in your training world – and when it does, 2011 is going to be a GREAT year for you.
As always, thanks for reading – and if you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For other training ideas for 2011 – and for some GREAT Dino-style workouts for beginners, intermediates and advanced lifters – or for advanced lifters who want to build maximum possible strength and muscle mass – grab a copy of my new book, Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2 For Dinosaur Training, Gray Hair and Black Iron, Strength, Muscle and Power, Dinosaur Files subscriptions and other great products for serious lifters, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
