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| Going strong at age 61 - after more than a half century of physical training - and I'm able to do it because I've avoided unnecessary injuries. Here are some important safety tips for all Dinos to follow when they use thick-handled barbells and dumbbells. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Two quick notes and then we'll talk training -
as in, some very important thick bar safety
tips.
And pay attention, because these tips could
literally save your life.
1. Good Stuff for Dinos
We have some great new stuff for Dinos,
with more on the way soon.
The March Dino Files is right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-march2018pdf.html
Grab it and read it because the April
issue will be ready before you know it.
The John Wood Report is getting great
reviews - and you can grab the first two
issues right here:
Issue No. 1
https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-01.html
Issue No. 2
https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-02.html
And yesterday John Wood released Steve
Pulcinella's Iron Sport Gym 16-Week Power
Program - which is pretty good - and it's
available right here:
http://www.ironsport.com/shop/pdf/ironsport-workout-001/
So get ready for some great reading this
weekend!
2. Our Facebook Groups
John Wood has set up a terrific Facebook Group
called Strength Secrets. You have to apply for
membership, but if you tell John I sent you,
you should get in pretty easily.
In addition, Bill Hinbern and I are running a
Facebook Group called Dinosaur Training -
Brooks Kubik. You have to apply for member-
ship in that one, as well - but say you heard
about it here, and you'll be fine.
These are CLOSED groups to keep out the
bots, the snake-oil salesmen, and the roiders,
so they're pretty good. My advice is to join
both of them.
3. Some Thick Bar Safety Tips
I wrote about thick bars earlier in the week,
and I wanted to follow up with some very
important thick bar safety tips.
Don't do thick bar squats.
It's too easy to have the bar roll down your
back, and that could cause a very bad injury.
Plus, there's no benefit to them compared to
using a regular bar.
Be careful with overhead work.
If you use a thick bar for overhead presses,
push presses or jerks, be very careful. You
don't want to drop the bar on your head,
neck or upper back.
The same goes for overhead carries with
a thick bar.
Now, you may think this is an unnecessary
caution - but not long ago some high school
athletes were carrying a heavy log as part
of their workout - and something happened,
and the log fell, and it killed one of the kids.
Personally, I prefer to use thick bars for
deadlifts, curls, reverse curls and the
rectangular fix. I use a regular bar for
overhead work.
Use a power rack for thick bar bench
presses.
VERY IMPORTANT -- as in, life and death
important:
If you do thick bar bench presses, do them
in a power rack, with the pins set to catch the
bar if you drop it. A spotter won't be able to
catch a heavily loaded thick bar if it comes
crashing down suddenly.
And remember, I've seen experienced lifters
drop a regular bar on their chest - and that
was in a National Bench Press contest, with
two very experienced spotters - but it
happened so fast they couldn't catch the
bar.
So it can happen.
And do you remember the college football
player a few years ago - the one who dropped
a bar on his throat and almost died?
Not sure if that was a thick bar or not,
but again, it shows you what can happen.
Don't do thick bar dumbbell bench press
or incline press.
I would NOT do dumbbell bench press or
incline dumbbell bench press with thick-
handled dumbbells. Too easy to drop one,
and no way to catch it other than with your
teeth -- which would be bad.
And again, spotters may not be able to help.
Don't do double cleans or swings with
thick handled dumbbells.
If you do dumbbell cleans and swings with
a thick handled dumbbell, always use one
dumbbell at a time, so you can use your
non-lifting hand to help lower the
dumbbell.
It's very hard to hold onto a heavy
dumbbell when you lower it from above
your head or from your shoulder -- and
remember, your feet are directly beneath
the dumbbell. If you're holding a pair of
thick handled dumbbells, it is very
difficult to lower them safely.
I learned this when I cleaned a pair of
132 pound thick handled dumbbells. I'll
never forget the "What do I do now?"
thought that flashed through my mind
as I stood with the bells at my shoulders.
And that's it - unless you're thinking about
doing thick bar anything on roller-skates
or while standing on a Swiss ball - in which
case, you're on your own!
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. We're getting very close to the end of
the line for Strength, Muscle and Power -
and I'm not going to do another printing any
time soon - perhaps not ever - so if you want
a copy, grab it now:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
Hard-copy and PDF
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Kindle
http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:
"Train hard, but train smart - and try
to avoid unnecessary injuries."
-- Brooks Kubik
BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .
We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle
bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:
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