Hail to the Dinosaurs!
In response to yesterday's post, I rec'd a ton
of questions about received a ton of questions
about John Grimek and his training. I'll try to
answer some of the most common ones in this email.
1. Grimek's 190 Pound Barbell Curls
A number of readers wanted to know if Grimek did
strict curls with 190 lbs. or if he did "cheat" or
"swinging" curls.
They were strict curls -- and they were performed
as a WARM-UP prior to going on stage to pose at
the Mr. Universe contest.
THAT's how strong the man was!
2. Handbalancing and Gymnastics
Many readers asked if Grimek did handbalancing and
gymnastics.
Absolutely!
There's a great old photo where Grimek and Bob Hoffman
are out in a canoe one day -- on a river close to York.
Grimek is in the bow of the canoe -- and he performs a
perfect handstand while balancing on the sides of the
canoe.
Even with 265 pounds of Bob Hoffman weighting down the
stern of the canoe, you can imagine how tricky the
balance must have been!
Grimek also enjoyed performing giants and other stunts
on the horizontal bar.
3. Grimek's Bench Press
Several other readers asked how Grimek could bench press
over 400 pounds if he rarely or never did the lift.
The answer is simple.
Grimek did TONS of heavy military presses. When you can
military press close to 300 pounds, you can bench press
400 pounds with no trouble. (Note that the reverse is not
true.)
The bench press is primarily a shoulder and triceps lift.
The shoulder and triceps strength built by heavy overhead
pressing will always assure a lifter of a good bench press.
4. What is the Legacy of Iron series?
I'm working on a series of books where I cover the life
and lifting (and the training) of John Grimek, Steve Stanko,
and the other Golden Age Champions. It's the Legacy of Iron
series, and it captures the Golden Age of Strength in a way
that you won't see anywhere else.
I call them novels, but it might be more accurate to think
of them as dramatizations. The story lines track actual events,
such as weightlifting championships and the Mr. America contests.
Think of them as historical fiction.
There are currently five books in the series, with more coming.
You can find them here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
5. Who Was Stronger?
The final question came from several readers.
Who was stronger -- John Grimek or John Davis?
Well, the two men actually lifted against one another on several
occasions in the 1930's. Grimek failed to total in one contest,
won the second, and Davis beat him in the third meeting.
I cover the contests in detail in my upcoming
biography of John Davis, which you can find here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
6. A Final Thought
Men like John Grimek and John Davis achieved amazing things
with nothing more than a barbell, a lifting platform and squat
stands. And they did it with an ordinary diet, no drugs, and no
supplements.
Maybe, just maybe, the training methods of the 1930's, 1940's and
1950's were something extra-special.
Maybe, just maybe, most of what followed just isn't as good.
Maybe, just maybe, that's why I cover the old-time training
methods in my books and courses -- and why I'm writing the Legacy
of Iron books -- and why I've written a 450 page book about John
Davis.
And maybe, just maybe, the training programs that worked so well
for the lifters of the 1930's, 40's and 50's would work just as well
for 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. For Dinosaur Training and my other books and courses, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
