Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm going to keep this short, because we're
in the middle of a book signing, packing and
shipping frenzy here at Dino Headquarters.
We've been working steadily since Tuesday
to sign, pack and ship Knife, Fork, Muscle
to everyone who reserved a copy.
Yesterday was a 12 hour work day -- no
turkey dinner -- although Trudi did cook
a nice pot roast and let me have some
for dinner at about 8:00 or 8:30 --
after we had met the day's quota for
orders. It was pretty good, and I was
pretty darn hungry by then.
We're also filling orders for other products,
of course, including the first issue of the new
quarterly Dinosaur Files -- so feel free to skip
the Black Friday madness and do your shopping
right here at Dino Headquarters.
Anyhow, let's talk about the 8-week rule.
I'm reading a great book by Daniel Coyle:
The Little Book of Talent.
It's about how to develop or teach top-level
performance.
One of the points that Coyle makes is that it
takes at least 8 weeks of practice before you
begin to master a new skill.
For example, if you're trying to learn the
dumbbell exercises in Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training -- or the bodyweight exercises in
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training -- or if you're
trying to learn any new exercise -- you'll
need a minimum of 8 weeks before you
get good at it.
Of course, many people change their routine
more often than they change their socks.
And that makes it awfully hard to develop a
high level of skill in any particular exercise
or lift.
So give yourself enough time to master any
new exercise or lift -- or any new program.
And yes, I did say new program. I view any
new training program as a new skill. Even if
you use exercises you've done in the past,
you're doing them for different sets or reps,
and in combination with different exercises.
So take some time and learn how to perform
the new workout efficiently and effectively.
And then -- after you're familiar with the new
program -- start to push and to add weight to
the bar.
That's how the magic happens.
You start slow -- build the skill -- and then you
use it to trigger big gains in strength and muscle.
And speaking of magic -- I need to make another
big bunch of orders disappear out the door. So I
need to sign off now. More to follow tomorrow.
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. Go here to grab the first issue of the new
quarterly Dinosaur Files -- which has been getting
rave reviews:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_quarterly.html
P.S. Go here to grab a copy of Knife, Fork,
Muscle -- which is in stock and shipping right
now:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the day: "Effective strength
training is an acquired skill. Give it the time
it requires. Don't try to rush things."
-- Brooks Kubik
************************************************
Showing posts with label Basic Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basic Training. Show all posts
An Old-School Workout for Weight Gaining!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Here's a nice little workout
from Weight Training in Athletics
by James Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. It was published in
1956, so this definitely qualifies
as an old-school workout.
The workout is a weight-gaining
program. They wrote it for football
players who needed to add some extra
weight and strength during the off
season.
Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat.
1. Warm-up with light flip snatches
or the clean and press 1 x 8 - 10
2. Barbell curl 1 x 10
3. Military press 1 x 10
4. Barbell bent-over rowing 3 x 10
5. Bench press 3 x 10
6. Full squat 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8
7. Very light breathing pullover for
rib-cage expansion 1 x 10 after each
set of squats
The authors noted that this was not
intended to be a permanent program,
but rather, was to be used to pack
on some pounds and build some
strength. For that reason, they kept
it short and basic. The idea was to
avoid long workouts and undue
fatigue.
After a couple of months, the trainee
should be showing some good progress,
and be ready to move on to a more
advanced strength and power program.
In other words -- this was a program
for underweight beginners.
And for that purpose, it's pretty darn
good.
One take-away is the use of one set for
the curls and presses, followed by three
sets for the rowing, bench presses and
squats. I like that. It teaches the young
guys and the newbies to focus their effort
on the exercises that will build the most
strength and muscle.
If you want to give the program a try, you
might do best on a twice a week schedule.
Or you might try the Light/Medium/Heavy
system where you go light in one workout,
medium heavy in the second workout, and
heavy in the third workout. It's hard to
go heavy on the same exercises three times
in the same week.
We'll cover more old-school training tips
tomorrow, so be looking for them.
In the meantime, 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 some terrific weight-
gaining and mass-building workouts in
CHALK AND SWEAT and STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "A training
program doesn't need to be fancy. It needs
to work." -- Brooks Kubik
Here's a nice little workout
from Weight Training in Athletics
by James Murray and Dr. Peter
Karpovich. It was published in
1956, so this definitely qualifies
as an old-school workout.
The workout is a weight-gaining
program. They wrote it for football
players who needed to add some extra
weight and strength during the off
season.
Train three times per week. M/W/F or
T/Th/Sat.
1. Warm-up with light flip snatches
or the clean and press 1 x 8 - 10
2. Barbell curl 1 x 10
3. Military press 1 x 10
4. Barbell bent-over rowing 3 x 10
5. Bench press 3 x 10
6. Full squat 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8
7. Very light breathing pullover for
rib-cage expansion 1 x 10 after each
set of squats
The authors noted that this was not
intended to be a permanent program,
but rather, was to be used to pack
on some pounds and build some
strength. For that reason, they kept
it short and basic. The idea was to
avoid long workouts and undue
fatigue.
After a couple of months, the trainee
should be showing some good progress,
and be ready to move on to a more
advanced strength and power program.
In other words -- this was a program
for underweight beginners.
And for that purpose, it's pretty darn
good.
One take-away is the use of one set for
the curls and presses, followed by three
sets for the rowing, bench presses and
squats. I like that. It teaches the young
guys and the newbies to focus their effort
on the exercises that will build the most
strength and muscle.
If you want to give the program a try, you
might do best on a twice a week schedule.
Or you might try the Light/Medium/Heavy
system where you go light in one workout,
medium heavy in the second workout, and
heavy in the third workout. It's hard to
go heavy on the same exercises three times
in the same week.
We'll cover more old-school training tips
tomorrow, so be looking for them.
In the meantime, 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 some terrific weight-
gaining and mass-building workouts in
CHALK AND SWEAT and STRENGTH, MUSCLE
AND POWER:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "A training
program doesn't need to be fancy. It needs
to work." -- Brooks Kubik
Special Advice for Beginners!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We always have a lot of beginners
who start training in January - and
a lot of readers who are getting
back into their training after a
long lay-off.
So I thought I'd cover a beginner's
program.
It also doubles as a way to get
back into training after a long
(6 mos or more) lay-off.
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Use a total body workout.
3. Use barbells and dumbbells.
4. Start very light, and ease into
your workouts. Keep them short,
fast and easy.
4a. Do 8 to 12 exercises.
4b. Do one set of each exercise.
4c. Start with 5 reps for your upper
body exercises, and 10 reps for your
lower body exercises and your light
breathing pullovers after sets of
squats and deadlifts.
4d. Start with 10 reps for gut
work.
5. Make your workouts progressive.
5a. Use single progression or
double progression (as the terms
are defined in the old York courses).
5b. Single progression means you add
ONE rep to every exercise each workout
until you have doubled the original
number of reps. For example, you do
1 x 5 in the curl in workout number
one, 1 x 6 in workout number 2, and
so on, until you get to 10 reps.
Note: For lower body exercises, you
can add TWO reps per workout until
you double the original number of
reps.
5c. Once you double the original number
of reps, you add 5 pounds to the bar
for your upper body exercises and 10
pounds to the bar for your lower body
exercises. Then drop back to the
original number of reps (5 for upper
body exercises and 10 for lower body
exercises) and build back up.
5d, Double progression means you repeat
each workout one time without adding
reps - and then add the additional rep
in the next workout. So it's 1 x 5 in
the curl in workouts 1 and 2, 1 x 6 in
the curl for workouts 3 and 4, and so
on.
5e. Double progression is slower, but
it often builds a better foundation,
and thus, works better in the long run.
6. Stick with the basic program, doing
one set of each exercise and using your
choice of single or double progression
for the first three months of your
training. After that, you can either
try different exercises using the
same basic approach, or keep the same
exercises and start doing two sets of
each exercise. After two or three
months of two sets per exercise,
move up to three sets per exercise.
7. Here's a suggested program:
Barbell curl
Standing press (military press) with
barbell
Barbell squat (do full squats if possible;
at the least, go to parallel)
Very light breathing pullover with
two dumbbells (always use a light
weight on these - they are solely
a breathing exercise)
Barbell or two-dumbbell bench press
Note: Do pushups if you don't have a
bench - elevate your feet if you need
to make them more difficult)
Barbell bent-over rowing or pull-ups
Deadlifts
Very light breathing pullover with
two dumbbells (see above note)
Barbell shrugs
Standing calf raises (use a calf
machine if you train at a gym; do
one legged calf raises holding a
dumbbell in one hand if you train
at home)
Bent-legged sit-ups
Lying leg raises
There you go - a tried and true program
for beginners!
Feel free to share - there are lots of
newbies out there who need to get started
the right way. (And remember, we were
all newbies once - so help them, and
pay back whoever it was who got YOU
started the right way.)
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 more training advice for beginners,
grab CHALK AND SWEAT. (It also covers training
for intermediates, advanced lifters, and
Dinos who are training for maximum strength
and muscle mass):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Be a champion -
teach someone how to train the right way."
-- Brooks Kubik
We always have a lot of beginners
who start training in January - and
a lot of readers who are getting
back into their training after a
long lay-off.
So I thought I'd cover a beginner's
program.
It also doubles as a way to get
back into training after a long
(6 mos or more) lay-off.
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Use a total body workout.
3. Use barbells and dumbbells.
4. Start very light, and ease into
your workouts. Keep them short,
fast and easy.
4a. Do 8 to 12 exercises.
4b. Do one set of each exercise.
4c. Start with 5 reps for your upper
body exercises, and 10 reps for your
lower body exercises and your light
breathing pullovers after sets of
squats and deadlifts.
4d. Start with 10 reps for gut
work.
5. Make your workouts progressive.
5a. Use single progression or
double progression (as the terms
are defined in the old York courses).
5b. Single progression means you add
ONE rep to every exercise each workout
until you have doubled the original
number of reps. For example, you do
1 x 5 in the curl in workout number
one, 1 x 6 in workout number 2, and
so on, until you get to 10 reps.
Note: For lower body exercises, you
can add TWO reps per workout until
you double the original number of
reps.
5c. Once you double the original number
of reps, you add 5 pounds to the bar
for your upper body exercises and 10
pounds to the bar for your lower body
exercises. Then drop back to the
original number of reps (5 for upper
body exercises and 10 for lower body
exercises) and build back up.
5d, Double progression means you repeat
each workout one time without adding
reps - and then add the additional rep
in the next workout. So it's 1 x 5 in
the curl in workouts 1 and 2, 1 x 6 in
the curl for workouts 3 and 4, and so
on.
5e. Double progression is slower, but
it often builds a better foundation,
and thus, works better in the long run.
6. Stick with the basic program, doing
one set of each exercise and using your
choice of single or double progression
for the first three months of your
training. After that, you can either
try different exercises using the
same basic approach, or keep the same
exercises and start doing two sets of
each exercise. After two or three
months of two sets per exercise,
move up to three sets per exercise.
7. Here's a suggested program:
Barbell curl
Standing press (military press) with
barbell
Barbell squat (do full squats if possible;
at the least, go to parallel)
Very light breathing pullover with
two dumbbells (always use a light
weight on these - they are solely
a breathing exercise)
Barbell or two-dumbbell bench press
Note: Do pushups if you don't have a
bench - elevate your feet if you need
to make them more difficult)
Barbell bent-over rowing or pull-ups
Deadlifts
Very light breathing pullover with
two dumbbells (see above note)
Barbell shrugs
Standing calf raises (use a calf
machine if you train at a gym; do
one legged calf raises holding a
dumbbell in one hand if you train
at home)
Bent-legged sit-ups
Lying leg raises
There you go - a tried and true program
for beginners!
Feel free to share - there are lots of
newbies out there who need to get started
the right way. (And remember, we were
all newbies once - so help them, and
pay back whoever it was who got YOU
started the right way.)
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 more training advice for beginners,
grab CHALK AND SWEAT. (It also covers training
for intermediates, advanced lifters, and
Dinos who are training for maximum strength
and muscle mass):
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Be a champion -
teach someone how to train the right way."
-- Brooks Kubik
Long Term Training for Real Results!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
In the modern internet world, we all
expect instant everything.
Instant messaging instant access and
instant results.
That's fine for the tech stuff -- but
it's not so fine for strength training.
You see, good results from strength
training take time.
Let me repeat that.
Good results from strength training take
time.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was
any strong man.
Forget about the 30 day transformations,
six weeks to massive muscles, or 90 day
make-overs.
Focus on putting in one solid year of
training and gaining.
After that, repeat the process.
Then repeat it again.
A few years of the right kind of training
will work wonders.
That's not very much time -- but it's not
a couple of days or a couple of weeks.
So go ahead and do the instant messaging --
but forget about the instant training. Focus
on long term training. Give it some time.
And when you do, 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. My books and courses will teach you
how to train for long term gains -- and
they'll keep you motivated for many years
of hard work and heavy iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Squats build
everything, and they build character most
of all."
In the modern internet world, we all
expect instant everything.
Instant messaging instant access and
instant results.
That's fine for the tech stuff -- but
it's not so fine for strength training.
You see, good results from strength
training take time.
Let me repeat that.
Good results from strength training take
time.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was
any strong man.
Forget about the 30 day transformations,
six weeks to massive muscles, or 90 day
make-overs.
Focus on putting in one solid year of
training and gaining.
After that, repeat the process.
Then repeat it again.
A few years of the right kind of training
will work wonders.
That's not very much time -- but it's not
a couple of days or a couple of weeks.
So go ahead and do the instant messaging --
but forget about the instant training. Focus
on long term training. Give it some time.
And when you do, 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. My books and courses will teach you
how to train for long term gains -- and
they'll keep you motivated for many years
of hard work and heavy iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Squats build
everything, and they build character most
of all."
Important Training Advice for Dinos!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Happy Labor Day everyone! Whether
you're at work or at play, I hope
it's a good one.
On the training front, I want to
share an email from Larry Otero.
This was in response to my email
titled, "How to Get Back Into
Shape -- FAST!" If you missed it,
read it now -- it's posted at
the Dinosaur Training Blog.
(BTW, I always post my emails
on the Blog, so if you don't get
an email, go to the Blog. It's
the back-up system to stay in
touch with you.)
http://www.dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-get-back-into-shape-fast.html
Anyhow, here's the feedback from
Larry:
"Good morning. Great info. I found
out the hard way that this applies
to even getting back to an exercise.
I stopped doing Trap Bar deadlifts
while I went on a front squat program.
I must have stopped doing the Trap Bar
for about 6 to 8 weeks or so. I got
got back to Trap Bar deadlifts and
discovered two critical things.
First, I experienced a major de-training
effect on Trap Bar deadlifts.
Second, I went way too heavy on my first
Trap Bar workout. I felt like a truck
ran me over the next day.
Before dropping the Trap Bar deadlifts, I
was doing 450 pounds for my top work set.
When I started them again, I only did 340
pounds -- but it was still too heavy. I
should have done 30 or 315 pounds the
first day.
Since that workout, I have been adding 10
pounds every workout. I could add more,
but there's no sense in rushing things.
I'm up to 380 pounds now, and will hit
390 pounds next week. It is interesting
how that first workout felt heavier than
heck, and how terribly sore it made me.
The subsequent workouts only made me feel
tight.
So your advice about getting back into
training after a long lay-off or about
getting started if you are a beginner
also appears to be good for Dinos who
have been working out regularly but
are getting back to an exercise that
they haven't done for awhile -- or are
adding a new exercise. They need to
break it in slow and easy.
One other thing, the all-over body
soreness I felt from that first Trap
Bar workout made me realize just how
effective of an exercise it is. Even
though I had been doing front squats
and bent-legged deadlifts with a
regular bar, the Trap Bar still
kicked my you know what.
Larry"
Hi Larry -- Those are excellent points.
Going to hard and heavy on a new exercise
(or one you haven't done for awhile) is
a BIG mistake -- and a very common one.
Everyone has done it -- and many trainees
do it over and over and over.
Casse in point -- John Grimek. At one
point in his career, Grimek stopped
doing squats for many years because
he believed his legs were getting too
big and out of proportion with the
rest of his body.
Then he got back into them -- starting
with a hard, heavy session where he did
over 200 reps total (doing sets of 20,
15, and 10 reps). And he used heavy
weights.
The result?
Grimek was so sore he could barely walk.
He lurched around like a cripple -- or
like Boris Karloff in the original
Mummy movie. And that lasted for a
week or two.
As I said, I've done the same thing --
and I've done it more than once.
So learn from our mistakes. If you're
working a new exercise into your program,
start light and easy and build from there.
And if it's an exercise you used to do but
haven't done for awhile, treat it like a
new exercise.
In the long run, you'll gain faster and
do better by starting off slowly and
easily.
Larry -- thanks for sharing that!
To everyone -- 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. CHALK AND SWEAT is mandatory reading
for beginners -- but it has great workouts
and important advice for everyone:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. John Grimek fans will love this great
new training course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are
available right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "It's not where
you start, it's where you finish." -- Brooks
Kubik
Happy Labor Day everyone! Whether
you're at work or at play, I hope
it's a good one.
On the training front, I want to
share an email from Larry Otero.
This was in response to my email
titled, "How to Get Back Into
Shape -- FAST!" If you missed it,
read it now -- it's posted at
the Dinosaur Training Blog.
(BTW, I always post my emails
on the Blog, so if you don't get
an email, go to the Blog. It's
the back-up system to stay in
touch with you.)
http://www.dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-get-back-into-shape-fast.html
Anyhow, here's the feedback from
Larry:
"Good morning. Great info. I found
out the hard way that this applies
to even getting back to an exercise.
I stopped doing Trap Bar deadlifts
while I went on a front squat program.
I must have stopped doing the Trap Bar
for about 6 to 8 weeks or so. I got
got back to Trap Bar deadlifts and
discovered two critical things.
First, I experienced a major de-training
effect on Trap Bar deadlifts.
Second, I went way too heavy on my first
Trap Bar workout. I felt like a truck
ran me over the next day.
Before dropping the Trap Bar deadlifts, I
was doing 450 pounds for my top work set.
When I started them again, I only did 340
pounds -- but it was still too heavy. I
should have done 30 or 315 pounds the
first day.
Since that workout, I have been adding 10
pounds every workout. I could add more,
but there's no sense in rushing things.
I'm up to 380 pounds now, and will hit
390 pounds next week. It is interesting
how that first workout felt heavier than
heck, and how terribly sore it made me.
The subsequent workouts only made me feel
tight.
So your advice about getting back into
training after a long lay-off or about
getting started if you are a beginner
also appears to be good for Dinos who
have been working out regularly but
are getting back to an exercise that
they haven't done for awhile -- or are
adding a new exercise. They need to
break it in slow and easy.
One other thing, the all-over body
soreness I felt from that first Trap
Bar workout made me realize just how
effective of an exercise it is. Even
though I had been doing front squats
and bent-legged deadlifts with a
regular bar, the Trap Bar still
kicked my you know what.
Larry"
Hi Larry -- Those are excellent points.
Going to hard and heavy on a new exercise
(or one you haven't done for awhile) is
a BIG mistake -- and a very common one.
Everyone has done it -- and many trainees
do it over and over and over.
Casse in point -- John Grimek. At one
point in his career, Grimek stopped
doing squats for many years because
he believed his legs were getting too
big and out of proportion with the
rest of his body.
Then he got back into them -- starting
with a hard, heavy session where he did
over 200 reps total (doing sets of 20,
15, and 10 reps). And he used heavy
weights.
The result?
Grimek was so sore he could barely walk.
He lurched around like a cripple -- or
like Boris Karloff in the original
Mummy movie. And that lasted for a
week or two.
As I said, I've done the same thing --
and I've done it more than once.
So learn from our mistakes. If you're
working a new exercise into your program,
start light and easy and build from there.
And if it's an exercise you used to do but
haven't done for awhile, treat it like a
new exercise.
In the long run, you'll gain faster and
do better by starting off slowly and
easily.
Larry -- thanks for sharing that!
To everyone -- 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. CHALK AND SWEAT is mandatory reading
for beginners -- but it has great workouts
and important advice for everyone:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. John Grimek fans will love this great
new training course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are
available right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "It's not where
you start, it's where you finish." -- Brooks
Kubik
Strength Training Research -- Is It Helpful?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I was flipping through an issue of
Strength and Health from back in the
1960's, and I spotted an article that
summarized the then-current research
on building strength and muscle.
It was written by Dr. Richard A. Berger
of Texas Technological College, so if you
disagree with any of his conclusions,
complain to him, not to me!
Anyhow, Dr. Berger made the following
conclusions based on the state of the
research in 1965:
1. Two sub-maximal workouts per week
and one maximal training session per
week work just as well as three maximal
sessions per week.
(Note: In other words, the old Light,
Medium and Heavy system works.)
(Second note: These were total body
workouts, not divided workout programs.)
(Third note: These were based on studies
of previously untrained college students,
and in most cases the studies lasted no
longer than 12 weeks.)
2. Training with sub-maximal loads of
two-thirds max for one set, three times
per week will NOT increase strength.
(Note: Some of you will disagree with
this.)
(Second note: I thought ANYTHING worked
for previously untrained college students!)
3. The increase in strength that results from
two sub-maximal workouts per week (training
with two-thirds of your one rep max) and
one heavy workout (a single with your one
rep max) is the result of the workout where
you perform the one rep max.
(Note: In other words, if you use the Light,
Medium and Heavy system, it's the Heavy day
that builds strength.)
4. Sets of between three and ten reps are best
for building strength.
(Note: Not sure how this squares with point
no. 3.)
5. Six sets of two reps with your two rep
max is as effective as three sets of six reps
with your six rep max.
(Note: Is that a surprise?)
6. Three sets of six reps is more effective
than three sets of two reps or three sets of
ten reps.
(Note: Pair this with number five and it means
that six sets of two reps is better than three
sets of two reps.)
7. Training once per week for one set of
one rep with your one rep max will increase
strength significantly for at least six
weeks.
(Note: That one's interesting.)
(Note: I hope they were doing warm-up sets
before hitting a one rep max.)
8. Training two times per week for three sets
of ten reps is as effective as doing three
sets of ten reps three times per week.
(Note: In other words, two workouts per week
work as well as three workouts per week.)
(Second Note: Didn't I just write an email
about that?)
Put it all together and what do you get?
I'm not sure -- and that's one of the
problems with research studies based on
previously untrained college students. It
seems like everything works for them --
at least for awhile.
But here's a thought.
John Grimek started training at age 18 and
three years later he was one of the strongest
and best built men in the world. (And later he
grew enormously stronger and more muscular.)
Steve Stanko started training at age 17 or so,
and a few years later he was the strongest man
in the world -- and 80 pounds of muscle heavier
than when he started.
John Davis started training at age 15 or so,
and two years later he was the World weight-
lifting champion.
I don't know about you, but I want to train the
way Grimek, Stanko and Davis trained -- which
happens to be the Dino way: old-school, basic,
hard and heavy!
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 new John Grimek training course covers John
Grimek's life, lifting and training in detail:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Black Iron: The John Davis Story is a
detailed biography of the greatest weightlifter
of his generation -- and it gives you his actual
training program from 1940 -- week by week,
exercise by exercise, set by set and rep by
rep:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Theory is great,
but nothing beats experience." -- Brooks Kubik
I was flipping through an issue of
Strength and Health from back in the
1960's, and I spotted an article that
summarized the then-current research
on building strength and muscle.
It was written by Dr. Richard A. Berger
of Texas Technological College, so if you
disagree with any of his conclusions,
complain to him, not to me!
Anyhow, Dr. Berger made the following
conclusions based on the state of the
research in 1965:
1. Two sub-maximal workouts per week
and one maximal training session per
week work just as well as three maximal
sessions per week.
(Note: In other words, the old Light,
Medium and Heavy system works.)
(Second note: These were total body
workouts, not divided workout programs.)
(Third note: These were based on studies
of previously untrained college students,
and in most cases the studies lasted no
longer than 12 weeks.)
2. Training with sub-maximal loads of
two-thirds max for one set, three times
per week will NOT increase strength.
(Note: Some of you will disagree with
this.)
(Second note: I thought ANYTHING worked
for previously untrained college students!)
3. The increase in strength that results from
two sub-maximal workouts per week (training
with two-thirds of your one rep max) and
one heavy workout (a single with your one
rep max) is the result of the workout where
you perform the one rep max.
(Note: In other words, if you use the Light,
Medium and Heavy system, it's the Heavy day
that builds strength.)
4. Sets of between three and ten reps are best
for building strength.
(Note: Not sure how this squares with point
no. 3.)
5. Six sets of two reps with your two rep
max is as effective as three sets of six reps
with your six rep max.
(Note: Is that a surprise?)
6. Three sets of six reps is more effective
than three sets of two reps or three sets of
ten reps.
(Note: Pair this with number five and it means
that six sets of two reps is better than three
sets of two reps.)
7. Training once per week for one set of
one rep with your one rep max will increase
strength significantly for at least six
weeks.
(Note: That one's interesting.)
(Note: I hope they were doing warm-up sets
before hitting a one rep max.)
8. Training two times per week for three sets
of ten reps is as effective as doing three
sets of ten reps three times per week.
(Note: In other words, two workouts per week
work as well as three workouts per week.)
(Second Note: Didn't I just write an email
about that?)
Put it all together and what do you get?
I'm not sure -- and that's one of the
problems with research studies based on
previously untrained college students. It
seems like everything works for them --
at least for awhile.
But here's a thought.
John Grimek started training at age 18 and
three years later he was one of the strongest
and best built men in the world. (And later he
grew enormously stronger and more muscular.)
Steve Stanko started training at age 17 or so,
and a few years later he was the strongest man
in the world -- and 80 pounds of muscle heavier
than when he started.
John Davis started training at age 15 or so,
and two years later he was the World weight-
lifting champion.
I don't know about you, but I want to train the
way Grimek, Stanko and Davis trained -- which
happens to be the Dino way: old-school, basic,
hard and heavy!
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 new John Grimek training course covers John
Grimek's life, lifting and training in detail:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Black Iron: The John Davis Story is a
detailed biography of the greatest weightlifter
of his generation -- and it gives you his actual
training program from 1940 -- week by week,
exercise by exercise, set by set and rep by
rep:
http://www.brookskubik.com/blackiron_johndavis.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- including
Dinosaur Training, Chalk and Sweat, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training and Strength, Muscle and
Power -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Theory is great,
but nothing beats experience." -- Brooks Kubik
Revealed -- The Mystery Course!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We've had hundreds of responses to yesterday's
GUESS THE MYSTERY WORKOUT CHALLENGE.
Bob Hoffman.
Joe Weider.
Reg Park.
John Grimek.
Peary Rader.
Bruno Sammartino.
Mark Berry.
The BUR Barbell Company.
George F. Jowett.
Arthur Saxon.
Bradley J. Steiner.
Steve Stanko.
Brooks Kubik.
My father.
And many more. All of them good guesses.
But no one got the correct answer. Trudi
was right. It was impossible.
So here's the answer:
Mattel, Inc -- the toy company!
A week ago I saw something pretty cool on Facebook --
an ad for a junior barbell and dumbbell set for kids.
It was from 1961. Featured a weightlifter doing a
heavy military press, and a little boy doing the
same with the junior barbell - and a little girl
doing a two dumbbell press.
I thought that was pretty neat. Heck of a good toy.
Much better than Barbie and Ken. Even better than
GI Joe -- or Rockem-Sockem Robots.
I googled and found an antique dealer that had one of
those old kiddie barbells for sale. The bars are
hollow metal pipe. The plates are hollow black plastic,
designed to look just like real ten, five and 2 1/2
pound plates. Empty, the whole thing weighs one or
two pounds. You can fill them with water, dry sand
or wet sand. The weight will vary from 2 pounds to 20
pounds on the barbell.
Since I have grand-kids, and grand-kids like to do the
stuff that grandfather is doing when they come to visit,
I decided to grab the thing. Maybe someday they can train
with me.
The barbell arrived yesterday, and a little wall chart
came with it. The course is from the wall chart.
Hey, it's not a perfect training course, but it's not
half bad - especially for kids to use!
And that's the story of the MYSTERY COURSE. if you ever
come to Louisville and you're walking around and you see
an old guy tossing some heavy iron out in his garage --
with the grandkids using a little kiddie barbell to do
the same exercises that Grandpa is doing, you'll know
how it started.
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 close to the end of the pre-publication
special on the new John Grimek training course -- so if
you've not yet grabbed your copy, do it now so you get
the special bonuses:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Save some major wampum on s and h by ordering
two or more Dino goodies at one time. You can find all
of them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "There's no better gift
than the gift of strength and health." -- Brooks Kubik
We've had hundreds of responses to yesterday's
GUESS THE MYSTERY WORKOUT CHALLENGE.
Bob Hoffman.
Joe Weider.
Reg Park.
John Grimek.
Peary Rader.
Bruno Sammartino.
Mark Berry.
The BUR Barbell Company.
George F. Jowett.
Arthur Saxon.
Bradley J. Steiner.
Steve Stanko.
Brooks Kubik.
My father.
And many more. All of them good guesses.
But no one got the correct answer. Trudi
was right. It was impossible.
So here's the answer:
Mattel, Inc -- the toy company!
A week ago I saw something pretty cool on Facebook --
an ad for a junior barbell and dumbbell set for kids.
It was from 1961. Featured a weightlifter doing a
heavy military press, and a little boy doing the
same with the junior barbell - and a little girl
doing a two dumbbell press.
I thought that was pretty neat. Heck of a good toy.
Much better than Barbie and Ken. Even better than
GI Joe -- or Rockem-Sockem Robots.
I googled and found an antique dealer that had one of
those old kiddie barbells for sale. The bars are
hollow metal pipe. The plates are hollow black plastic,
designed to look just like real ten, five and 2 1/2
pound plates. Empty, the whole thing weighs one or
two pounds. You can fill them with water, dry sand
or wet sand. The weight will vary from 2 pounds to 20
pounds on the barbell.
Since I have grand-kids, and grand-kids like to do the
stuff that grandfather is doing when they come to visit,
I decided to grab the thing. Maybe someday they can train
with me.
The barbell arrived yesterday, and a little wall chart
came with it. The course is from the wall chart.
Hey, it's not a perfect training course, but it's not
half bad - especially for kids to use!
And that's the story of the MYSTERY COURSE. if you ever
come to Louisville and you're walking around and you see
an old guy tossing some heavy iron out in his garage --
with the grandkids using a little kiddie barbell to do
the same exercises that Grandpa is doing, you'll know
how it started.
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 close to the end of the pre-publication
special on the new John Grimek training course -- so if
you've not yet grabbed your copy, do it now so you get
the special bonuses:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 2. Save some major wampum on s and h by ordering
two or more Dino goodies at one time. You can find all
of them right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "There's no better gift
than the gift of strength and health." -- Brooks Kubik
Can You Identify the Mystery Workout?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Can anyone identify the following workout
from way back some 40 or 50 years ago?
It was written by a pretty well-known outfit
(as in, one of the biggest in the business),
but the answer will surprise you.
So for bragging rights -- take a guess.
Who wrote it?
Who used it?
Where did it come from?
Did any of you follow it?
What do you think about it? Good program for
beginners? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?
THE MYSTERY WORKOUT
1. Warm-up exercise -- Power snatch. Do one set
of as many reps as it takes to feel nice and loose
and warmed up.
2. Military press with barbell 1 x 10
3. Barbell curl 1 x 5
4. Full deep knee bend 1 x 5
5. Light barbell pullover with deep breathing 1 x 6
6. Floor press 1 x 5
7. Two dumbbell press 1 x until tired
8. Two dumbbell curl and press 1 x until tired
On each exercise, you added one rep at a time as
your strength permitted (two reps on squats).
You have 24 hours to guess the source of the MYSTERY
WORKOUT. The first Dino with the correct answer gets
a free copy of Legacy of Iron -- and bragging rights
for a job well done!
By the way, I just read this email to Trudi -- she
knows the answer, of course -- and she's laughing
because she doesn't think anyone can get it. So
take that as a challenge! (And don't bother to
ask her -- she's not telling!)
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. As I mentioned, the first reader with the
correct answer gets a free copy of Legacy of Iron.
For the newbies out there, or for anyone who's not
been paying attention, go here for more info about
Legacy of Iron and the other four books in the
Legacy of Iron series:
1. Legacy of Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
2. Legacy of Iron 2, Clouds of War
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
3. Legacy of Iron 3, The 1000 Pound Total
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
4. Legacy of Iron 4, York Goes to War!
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
5. Legacy of Iron 5, Barbells in the Pacific
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
And yes, that's John Grimek on the cover of books
2 and 5 in the series -- and yes, you'll see plenty
of John Grimek in these fast-paced, high octane
sagas!
By the way, you can grab all five of the Legacy
of Iron books at a special five-book discount. See
the info page for Legacy of Iron 5, Barbells in the
Pacific. Any questions, shoot me an email!
Can anyone identify the following workout
from way back some 40 or 50 years ago?
It was written by a pretty well-known outfit
(as in, one of the biggest in the business),
but the answer will surprise you.
So for bragging rights -- take a guess.
Who wrote it?
Who used it?
Where did it come from?
Did any of you follow it?
What do you think about it? Good program for
beginners? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?
THE MYSTERY WORKOUT
1. Warm-up exercise -- Power snatch. Do one set
of as many reps as it takes to feel nice and loose
and warmed up.
2. Military press with barbell 1 x 10
3. Barbell curl 1 x 5
4. Full deep knee bend 1 x 5
5. Light barbell pullover with deep breathing 1 x 6
6. Floor press 1 x 5
7. Two dumbbell press 1 x until tired
8. Two dumbbell curl and press 1 x until tired
On each exercise, you added one rep at a time as
your strength permitted (two reps on squats).
You have 24 hours to guess the source of the MYSTERY
WORKOUT. The first Dino with the correct answer gets
a free copy of Legacy of Iron -- and bragging rights
for a job well done!
By the way, I just read this email to Trudi -- she
knows the answer, of course -- and she's laughing
because she doesn't think anyone can get it. So
take that as a challenge! (And don't bother to
ask her -- she's not telling!)
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. As I mentioned, the first reader with the
correct answer gets a free copy of Legacy of Iron.
For the newbies out there, or for anyone who's not
been paying attention, go here for more info about
Legacy of Iron and the other four books in the
Legacy of Iron series:
1. Legacy of Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron.html
2. Legacy of Iron 2, Clouds of War
http://www.brookskubik.com/clouds_of_war.html
3. Legacy of Iron 3, The 1000 Pound Total
http://www.brookskubik.com/1000pound_total.html
4. Legacy of Iron 4, York Goes to War!
http://www.brookskubik.com/legacy_of_iron4.html
5. Legacy of Iron 5, Barbells in the Pacific
http://www.brookskubik.com/barbells_pacific.html
And yes, that's John Grimek on the cover of books
2 and 5 in the series -- and yes, you'll see plenty
of John Grimek in these fast-paced, high octane
sagas!
By the way, you can grab all five of the Legacy
of Iron books at a special five-book discount. See
the info page for Legacy of Iron 5, Barbells in the
Pacific. Any questions, shoot me an email!
An Experiment that Failed!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
In my interview on SuperHuman radio yesterday,
I mentioned my experience with Nautilus training.
It's important, so I thought I'd share it with
you in today's email. The story begins long ago --
back in the summer of 1978.
I was in college then, and that summer I got an
out of town job working as a grill cook at a
hamburger joint in a place called Lakeside on
Lake Erie. Fun job -- I still have scars from
the grease burns.
There was no place to train, and I didn't have any
equipment, so I didn't train for the entire summer.
(Note: amazingly, I never thought about doing body-
weight training. If I were to do it again, I'd hit
it hard and heavy with the exercises in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training.)
In addition to zero training, I also didn't eat very
much. Not because I wasn't hungry -- I was. But I was
saving every penny for school, and I didn't have very
much to spend on food. I ate oatmeal for breakfast,
a cheeseburger/fries/shale combo from the grill for
lunch, and Kraft macaroni and cheese for dinner.
The oatmeal was cheap, the cheeseburger combo was
free as part of the job, and the Kraft macaroni and
cheese dinners were five for a buck, so they were
pretty cheap, too.
Sometimes I would have beef liver with dinner (69 cents
a pound), and I'd wash everything down with powdered
skim milk, which I mixed with water and stored in the
fridge. It was much cheaper than regular milk.
It was a pretty lousy diet, and it wasn't very tasty or
very satisfying, and I got nowhere near enough calories
or enough protein for a 19 year old guy with a high
metabolism. So I was hungry all summer long, and my
weight dropped and dropped.
By the end of the summer, I weighed 163 pounds.
When I got back home, I started eating again, and started
lifting again, and gained back the lost weight pretty
quickly.
The next summer, I took another out of town job, and once
again saved every penny and bought very little food --
and once again I was hungry all summer and my weight
dropped and dropped, and I ended up weighing 163 pounds.
I went to law school in the Fall, started lifting again at
the university weight room, started eating in the school
cafeteria, and quickly got up to 180 pounds.
My final year of law school, I was super busy with school,
working as an editor on the law review, and working three
part-time jobs to make enough for tuition, books, rent
and -- if anything was left over -- for food. I was too
busy to train, so I hardly lifted at all -- and I was too
poor to buy very much to eat -- and by the time I graduated
at age 25 I was back down to (you guessed it) 163 pounds.
Anyhow, I got a job, moved to Louisville, started lifting
again, and started eating again (because I could afford to
buy food again) -- and my weight shot right back up to
180 pounds.
Two or three years later, we bought a house on the other
side of town, and I switched from the gym I had been training
at -- where I was doing basic barbell and dumbbell stuff --
to a Nautilus club where I spent the next twelve months
using all of the latest and greatest Nautilus machines,
doing the pre-exhaustion workouts, going to momentary
muscular failure on each and every set -- and sometimes
doing negatives and negative accentuated training. It was
all right out of the Nautilus play-book.
I trained so hard that after two sets for my legs I
would fall off the leg machine -- and I wouldn't be able
to walk right for 10 minutes.
I trained like clockwork, three times per week, busting
my you know what in every workout. And when I wasn't
training, I ate HUGE meals.
After doing this for about a year, I stepped on the scales
one day -- and discovered that my weight had dropped all
the way from 180 pounds to -- here we go -- 163 pounds.
That's right -- one year of super training on the super
machines brought my down to my "no training and no food"
bodyweight.
I went back to the old heavy iron gym the very next day,
and started doing squats, deadlifts, presses, bench
presses, and similar exercises -- using the 5 x 5
system -- and my weight went right back up to 180
pounds. (And later, as I learned more about the kind
of training I cover in Dinosaur Training and my other
books and courses, my weight went up and up until I
finally weighed around 225 pounds -- but that's
another story. If you're interested, read about it
in Strength, Muscle and Power.)
The point is, the super machines DIDN'T WORK!
I shared that yesterday on SuperHuman Radio -- and
as I said, I thought I should share it again today.
Hopefully, it will help someone out there -- or
more than one someone -- avoid the mistakes I made
when I was young.
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. If you're interested in getting REAL RESULTS from
your training, follow the programs in Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, Strength, Muscle and Power, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training, and my other books and courses.
Unlike the super systems, they WORK! You can find them
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save big clams on s&h by ordering two or more
books, courses or other Dino Products at the same time.
I love the Post office, but there's no sense paying more
than you have to pay for postage!
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Experience is a great
teacher, but you have to pay attention." -- Brooks Kubik
In my interview on SuperHuman radio yesterday,
I mentioned my experience with Nautilus training.
It's important, so I thought I'd share it with
you in today's email. The story begins long ago --
back in the summer of 1978.
I was in college then, and that summer I got an
out of town job working as a grill cook at a
hamburger joint in a place called Lakeside on
Lake Erie. Fun job -- I still have scars from
the grease burns.
There was no place to train, and I didn't have any
equipment, so I didn't train for the entire summer.
(Note: amazingly, I never thought about doing body-
weight training. If I were to do it again, I'd hit
it hard and heavy with the exercises in Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training.)
In addition to zero training, I also didn't eat very
much. Not because I wasn't hungry -- I was. But I was
saving every penny for school, and I didn't have very
much to spend on food. I ate oatmeal for breakfast,
a cheeseburger/fries/shale combo from the grill for
lunch, and Kraft macaroni and cheese for dinner.
The oatmeal was cheap, the cheeseburger combo was
free as part of the job, and the Kraft macaroni and
cheese dinners were five for a buck, so they were
pretty cheap, too.
Sometimes I would have beef liver with dinner (69 cents
a pound), and I'd wash everything down with powdered
skim milk, which I mixed with water and stored in the
fridge. It was much cheaper than regular milk.
It was a pretty lousy diet, and it wasn't very tasty or
very satisfying, and I got nowhere near enough calories
or enough protein for a 19 year old guy with a high
metabolism. So I was hungry all summer long, and my
weight dropped and dropped.
By the end of the summer, I weighed 163 pounds.
When I got back home, I started eating again, and started
lifting again, and gained back the lost weight pretty
quickly.
The next summer, I took another out of town job, and once
again saved every penny and bought very little food --
and once again I was hungry all summer and my weight
dropped and dropped, and I ended up weighing 163 pounds.
I went to law school in the Fall, started lifting again at
the university weight room, started eating in the school
cafeteria, and quickly got up to 180 pounds.
My final year of law school, I was super busy with school,
working as an editor on the law review, and working three
part-time jobs to make enough for tuition, books, rent
and -- if anything was left over -- for food. I was too
busy to train, so I hardly lifted at all -- and I was too
poor to buy very much to eat -- and by the time I graduated
at age 25 I was back down to (you guessed it) 163 pounds.
Anyhow, I got a job, moved to Louisville, started lifting
again, and started eating again (because I could afford to
buy food again) -- and my weight shot right back up to
180 pounds.
Two or three years later, we bought a house on the other
side of town, and I switched from the gym I had been training
at -- where I was doing basic barbell and dumbbell stuff --
to a Nautilus club where I spent the next twelve months
using all of the latest and greatest Nautilus machines,
doing the pre-exhaustion workouts, going to momentary
muscular failure on each and every set -- and sometimes
doing negatives and negative accentuated training. It was
all right out of the Nautilus play-book.
I trained so hard that after two sets for my legs I
would fall off the leg machine -- and I wouldn't be able
to walk right for 10 minutes.
I trained like clockwork, three times per week, busting
my you know what in every workout. And when I wasn't
training, I ate HUGE meals.
After doing this for about a year, I stepped on the scales
one day -- and discovered that my weight had dropped all
the way from 180 pounds to -- here we go -- 163 pounds.
That's right -- one year of super training on the super
machines brought my down to my "no training and no food"
bodyweight.
I went back to the old heavy iron gym the very next day,
and started doing squats, deadlifts, presses, bench
presses, and similar exercises -- using the 5 x 5
system -- and my weight went right back up to 180
pounds. (And later, as I learned more about the kind
of training I cover in Dinosaur Training and my other
books and courses, my weight went up and up until I
finally weighed around 225 pounds -- but that's
another story. If you're interested, read about it
in Strength, Muscle and Power.)
The point is, the super machines DIDN'T WORK!
I shared that yesterday on SuperHuman Radio -- and
as I said, I thought I should share it again today.
Hopefully, it will help someone out there -- or
more than one someone -- avoid the mistakes I made
when I was young.
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. If you're interested in getting REAL RESULTS from
your training, follow the programs in Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, Strength, Muscle and Power, Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training, and my other books and courses.
Unlike the super systems, they WORK! You can find them
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Save big clams on s&h by ordering two or more
books, courses or other Dino Products at the same time.
I love the Post office, but there's no sense paying more
than you have to pay for postage!
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Experience is a great
teacher, but you have to pay attention." -- Brooks Kubik
Get Them Started The Right Way!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I published DINOSAUR TRAINING way back in 1996,
so I've been doing this for a long time now.
One of the great things about having been in the
strength and muscle business for so many years is
that readers from the early days are now fathers
and grandfathers -- which means they're starting
to teach their sons and daughters -- or grandsons
and granddaughters -- how to train.
That's pretty cool. It's a classic example of
passing the torch (or rather, the barbell) to the
next generation. And it's great to see some
youngsters who are training the right way --
Dino style -- instead of the mass market muscle
media way.
If you're starting to train your son or daughter,
grandson or granddaughter -- or any other newbie,
let me offer some tips:
1. Teach by example. You can't just tell them what
to do, you have to show them. Which means YOU have
to keep up with your training.
1A. Note: The workouts in GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
are great for older lifters, but easily adaptable to
youngsters who want to train with you -- especially
the lugging and loading drills!
2. Make it fun. Dino style strength training is
hard work -- but it's FUN! What could be better
than training with dad (or granddad) and doing
stuff like lifting rocks, sandbags and barrels --
using thick handled barbells and dumbbells --
using lots of different grip blasters -- and
doing exercises like squats and deadlifts where
you can pack some serious weight on the bar
instead of doing endless sets of bunny blaster
curls like all of your friends do?
3. Make it progressive. Start light and easy, let
the kid build some confidence, and gradually let
him (or her) add reps -- and then add weight to
the bar.
4. Include bodyweight training. It's perfect for
getting started on the right foot. See DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING for details.
5. Combat the mass market muscle media nonsense
by setting a good example AND by pointing the
newbie to books and courses that give them good
old-fashioned, no-nonsense strength training
and muscle building instruction. If they read
the GOOD STUFF at an early age, it will make
an impression -- and they'll train the right
way for the rest of their lives.
5A. CHALK AND SWEAT is an excellent first book
for beginners. For guys who have been training for
awhile, start with DINOSAUR TRAINING.
6. Teach them about the great strongmen of the
past. It's important that they have role models
from the pre-drug era. That's one of the reasons
I cover the old-timers in my books and courses.
It's also one of the reasons I started the LEGACY
OF IRON series, and why I wrote BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY. If your son or grandson is
going to be the next John Grimek, the next Steve
Stanko, or the next John Davis, he has to begin
by knowing who they were, what they did and how
they trained.
7. Teach perfect form. Get them started doing
every rep of every exercise in letter perfect
form. Don't worry about weight at first -- focus
on form. That's absolutely the most important
thing for a beginner -- and as "the Coach"
teaching your beginner to lift in perfect form
is one of your most important jobs!
I hope that helps -- and I hope that you and your
beginner have great fun training together -- and
that you both achieve outstanding success.
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. All of the books and courses mentioned in
this message are available at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. If you order a book or course and you want
me to autograph it for you, include a note in the
Special Instructions section of the on-line order
form -- and give me the name to use when I autograph
it (Mike or Michael, Bob or Robert, etc.). There's
no charge for autographs, and it makes a book or
course extra-special.
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start them young, and
grow them strong!" -- Brooks Kubik
I published DINOSAUR TRAINING way back in 1996,
so I've been doing this for a long time now.
One of the great things about having been in the
strength and muscle business for so many years is
that readers from the early days are now fathers
and grandfathers -- which means they're starting
to teach their sons and daughters -- or grandsons
and granddaughters -- how to train.
That's pretty cool. It's a classic example of
passing the torch (or rather, the barbell) to the
next generation. And it's great to see some
youngsters who are training the right way --
Dino style -- instead of the mass market muscle
media way.
If you're starting to train your son or daughter,
grandson or granddaughter -- or any other newbie,
let me offer some tips:
1. Teach by example. You can't just tell them what
to do, you have to show them. Which means YOU have
to keep up with your training.
1A. Note: The workouts in GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
are great for older lifters, but easily adaptable to
youngsters who want to train with you -- especially
the lugging and loading drills!
2. Make it fun. Dino style strength training is
hard work -- but it's FUN! What could be better
than training with dad (or granddad) and doing
stuff like lifting rocks, sandbags and barrels --
using thick handled barbells and dumbbells --
using lots of different grip blasters -- and
doing exercises like squats and deadlifts where
you can pack some serious weight on the bar
instead of doing endless sets of bunny blaster
curls like all of your friends do?
3. Make it progressive. Start light and easy, let
the kid build some confidence, and gradually let
him (or her) add reps -- and then add weight to
the bar.
4. Include bodyweight training. It's perfect for
getting started on the right foot. See DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING for details.
5. Combat the mass market muscle media nonsense
by setting a good example AND by pointing the
newbie to books and courses that give them good
old-fashioned, no-nonsense strength training
and muscle building instruction. If they read
the GOOD STUFF at an early age, it will make
an impression -- and they'll train the right
way for the rest of their lives.
5A. CHALK AND SWEAT is an excellent first book
for beginners. For guys who have been training for
awhile, start with DINOSAUR TRAINING.
6. Teach them about the great strongmen of the
past. It's important that they have role models
from the pre-drug era. That's one of the reasons
I cover the old-timers in my books and courses.
It's also one of the reasons I started the LEGACY
OF IRON series, and why I wrote BLACK IRON: THE
JOHN DAVIS STORY. If your son or grandson is
going to be the next John Grimek, the next Steve
Stanko, or the next John Davis, he has to begin
by knowing who they were, what they did and how
they trained.
7. Teach perfect form. Get them started doing
every rep of every exercise in letter perfect
form. Don't worry about weight at first -- focus
on form. That's absolutely the most important
thing for a beginner -- and as "the Coach"
teaching your beginner to lift in perfect form
is one of your most important jobs!
I hope that helps -- and I hope that you and your
beginner have great fun training together -- and
that you both achieve outstanding success.
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. All of the books and courses mentioned in
this message are available at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. If you order a book or course and you want
me to autograph it for you, include a note in the
Special Instructions section of the on-line order
form -- and give me the name to use when I autograph
it (Mike or Michael, Bob or Robert, etc.). There's
no charge for autographs, and it makes a book or
course extra-special.
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Start them young, and
grow them strong!" -- Brooks Kubik
Old Gold from the Living Legend!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Before I cover the Bruno Sammartino
course, let me say something very
important:
THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up,
took action, and grabbed a copy of the
Dinosaur Training Military Press Course!
We had a great response, and we've been
getting great feedback on it -- and as
I've said before, I can't do this without
you -- so once again, THANK YOU!
And now -- in response to 20 bazillion
emails -- more info on the Bruno Sammartino
Course.
The course is long out of print, and it's
more or less impossible to find -- so the
following summary is "old gold" (to quote
my mentor, Bradley J. Steiner):
1. This was a course for beginners, so Bruno
kept the volume pretty low. You did 3 x 6 on
all of your exercises. As you got stronger,
you could add a warmup set on heavier exercises
such as squats and bench presses, so you'd do
4 x 6 on them.
2. You trained with wts 3x per week -- and on
two other days you did a bodyweight workout.
3. You made progress by gradually adding weight
to the bar. Bruno emphasized the importance of
SMALL increases in weight. Over time, the small
increases in weight would add up to BIG GAINS!
The weight work was as follows:
1. Parallel squat
2. Bench press
3. Barbell curl
4. Press behind neck
5. Upright rowing
6. Sit-ups
The bodyweight work looked like this:
1. Hindu squats 1 or 2 sets
2. Hindu pushups 1 or 2 sets
3. Behind the neck pull-ups 2 sets
4. Calf isometrics
5. Neck isometrics
On the bodyweight work, you did whatever reps
you could do at the beginning and gradually
added reps, working up to 100 reps in Hindu
squats and Hindu pushups, and 15 reps in
pull-ups.
Also, Bruno urged trainees to include some
running or jogging -- perhaps a mile or two
a couple of times a week. he said this was
particularly important if you were trying out
for a high school sports team.
Now, a couple of quick notes, so don't flood
me with emails:
1. I would suggest adding a heavy pulling
movement such as deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts.
2. Older lifters will probably find that this is
too much work for them. Consider training one day,
resting the next, and so on. Weights in one
session, bodyweight in the next.
2A. Older lifters often find that jogging or
running is too hard on their knees, ankles, hips
and feet. Other forms of conditioning work that
spread the load and protect the joints work better
for them. See GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON for some
ideas on conditioning work that is better suited
to older guys.
2B. Walking is good. Don't underestimate the
benefit of walking.
2C. The above also applies to younger trainees
who are carrying 200 pounds or more. Even if
it's muscle, it's a lot of weight to be carrying
for a 2 mile run. Lifters are not long distance
runners, and they need to train accordingly.
3. After you get past the beginner stage, most
of you will do better with divided workouts, as
I describe in DINOSAUR TRAINING, CHALK AND
SWEAT, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON, and STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER.
4. The pull-up and pushup variations in DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING -- as well as the bridging
exercises and rope squats -- would work well
on the bodyweight days.
5. Be careful with press behind neck -- I'd
suggest military presses instead.
6. Ditto for behind neck pull-ups -- they're
tough on the shoulders. Do pull-ups to the chest.
7. Bruno emphasized that the key to getting good
results was to STICK WITH YOUR TRAINING. He noted
that many of his friends started training -- but
then quit. Bruno didn't quit. He stuck with it.
That was the secret to his success.
All in all, this was a basic, simple course for
beginners -- back when weight training was new
to most people -- and it did an excellent job
of getting young guys started the right way.
I don't know how many guys got into training as
a result of this little course -- and I don't
know how many tons of muscle it built or how
much lifting power it developed -- or how
many star athletes it created -- but I bet
the results would surprise us!
Oh, and before I forget -- my buddy Jan Dellinger
got started with this very same course "back in
the day." He covers it in detail in a chapter
in THE DELLINGER FILES, VOL. I. You can find
it here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/dellinger-files-volume-i-0
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, DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON,
CHALK AND SWEAT, and STRENGTH MUSCLE AND POWER
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
2. Go here to grab a copy of THE DINOSAUR
MILITARY PRESS AND SHOULDER POWER COURSE:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
3. The DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING COURSE is one of
our best-sellers -- and it's right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: ""I could go on
infinitely offering more reasons why weight
lifting is beneficial for men and women of all
ages." -- Bob Hoffman
Before I cover the Bruno Sammartino
course, let me say something very
important:
THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up,
took action, and grabbed a copy of the
Dinosaur Training Military Press Course!
We had a great response, and we've been
getting great feedback on it -- and as
I've said before, I can't do this without
you -- so once again, THANK YOU!
And now -- in response to 20 bazillion
emails -- more info on the Bruno Sammartino
Course.
The course is long out of print, and it's
more or less impossible to find -- so the
following summary is "old gold" (to quote
my mentor, Bradley J. Steiner):
1. This was a course for beginners, so Bruno
kept the volume pretty low. You did 3 x 6 on
all of your exercises. As you got stronger,
you could add a warmup set on heavier exercises
such as squats and bench presses, so you'd do
4 x 6 on them.
2. You trained with wts 3x per week -- and on
two other days you did a bodyweight workout.
3. You made progress by gradually adding weight
to the bar. Bruno emphasized the importance of
SMALL increases in weight. Over time, the small
increases in weight would add up to BIG GAINS!
The weight work was as follows:
1. Parallel squat
2. Bench press
3. Barbell curl
4. Press behind neck
5. Upright rowing
6. Sit-ups
The bodyweight work looked like this:
1. Hindu squats 1 or 2 sets
2. Hindu pushups 1 or 2 sets
3. Behind the neck pull-ups 2 sets
4. Calf isometrics
5. Neck isometrics
On the bodyweight work, you did whatever reps
you could do at the beginning and gradually
added reps, working up to 100 reps in Hindu
squats and Hindu pushups, and 15 reps in
pull-ups.
Also, Bruno urged trainees to include some
running or jogging -- perhaps a mile or two
a couple of times a week. he said this was
particularly important if you were trying out
for a high school sports team.
Now, a couple of quick notes, so don't flood
me with emails:
1. I would suggest adding a heavy pulling
movement such as deadlifts or Trap Bar deadlifts.
2. Older lifters will probably find that this is
too much work for them. Consider training one day,
resting the next, and so on. Weights in one
session, bodyweight in the next.
2A. Older lifters often find that jogging or
running is too hard on their knees, ankles, hips
and feet. Other forms of conditioning work that
spread the load and protect the joints work better
for them. See GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON for some
ideas on conditioning work that is better suited
to older guys.
2B. Walking is good. Don't underestimate the
benefit of walking.
2C. The above also applies to younger trainees
who are carrying 200 pounds or more. Even if
it's muscle, it's a lot of weight to be carrying
for a 2 mile run. Lifters are not long distance
runners, and they need to train accordingly.
3. After you get past the beginner stage, most
of you will do better with divided workouts, as
I describe in DINOSAUR TRAINING, CHALK AND
SWEAT, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON, and STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER.
4. The pull-up and pushup variations in DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING -- as well as the bridging
exercises and rope squats -- would work well
on the bodyweight days.
5. Be careful with press behind neck -- I'd
suggest military presses instead.
6. Ditto for behind neck pull-ups -- they're
tough on the shoulders. Do pull-ups to the chest.
7. Bruno emphasized that the key to getting good
results was to STICK WITH YOUR TRAINING. He noted
that many of his friends started training -- but
then quit. Bruno didn't quit. He stuck with it.
That was the secret to his success.
All in all, this was a basic, simple course for
beginners -- back when weight training was new
to most people -- and it did an excellent job
of getting young guys started the right way.
I don't know how many guys got into training as
a result of this little course -- and I don't
know how many tons of muscle it built or how
much lifting power it developed -- or how
many star athletes it created -- but I bet
the results would surprise us!
Oh, and before I forget -- my buddy Jan Dellinger
got started with this very same course "back in
the day." He covers it in detail in a chapter
in THE DELLINGER FILES, VOL. I. You can find
it here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/dellinger-files-volume-i-0
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, DINOSAUR
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING, GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON,
CHALK AND SWEAT, and STRENGTH MUSCLE AND POWER
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
2. Go here to grab a copy of THE DINOSAUR
MILITARY PRESS AND SHOULDER POWER COURSE:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
3. The DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING COURSE is one of
our best-sellers -- and it's right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: ""I could go on
infinitely offering more reasons why weight
lifting is beneficial for men and women of all
ages." -- Bob Hoffman
Focus on the Important Things!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was 11 years old, I joined
the Boy Scouts, and became a full-
fledged camping nut.
I used to get mail order catalogs
of camping gear -- such as the LL Bean
catalog, which was nothing but serious
camping, hiking, hunting, fishing
and outdoor gear back then -- and I
would go through them carefully and
make long lists of everything I wanted
to take on my next camping trip.
Pup tent, sleeping bag, ground cloth,
lantern, flashlight, survival kit with
waterproof matches, Hudson Bay style 3/4
axe, hatchet, pocket knife, hunting knife,
fishing knife, rope, fishing line, fish
hooks, mess kit, bow and arrows, targets,
canteen, folding wood saw, knapsack,
knapsack frame, tump-line, canoe paddles,
dehydrated rations, sterno, more matches,
beef jerky, pemmican, aluminum foil for
cooking, camp shovel, string -- it was a
pretty long list.
Of course, I could only afford a couple
of things, but I still jammed that knapsack
full of all kinds of important, necessary
and downright critical gear.
I put the thing on my back and almost fell
to the ground. It was HEAVY!
Needless to say, I only used about five
percent of the stuff I lugged around.
The Scoutmaster knew his stuff.
he didn't say anything to the new scouts,
but let us stagger off into the woods with
ten times more stuff than we needed.
Then he let us camp for the weekend, pack
up and stagger back home.
And then he told us the secret.
"When you get home, empty everything out of
your knapsack and make three piles," he said.
"The first pile is for the stuff you never
used at all. That will be the biggest pile."
We nodded. he was right.
"The second pile is for stuff you used once
during the entire weekend. That will be a
fairly big pile, as well."
Again, we nodded.
"The third pile is the stuff you used more
than once. It will be a pretty small pile."
Once again, he was right.
"The next time we go camping, just take the
stuff in pile no. 3. It's all you need."
So that's what we did -- and guess what? He
was right.
There's a parallel to strength training.
Like tenderfoot campers who always take too
much unnecessary gear and end up exhausting
themselves lugging it around, tenderfoot
exercisers always try to do too many
exercises and end up exhausting themselves.
If they're lucky, they finally learn the
secret:
1. You don't need very many different
exercises.
2. You don't need to perform endless sets
and reps.
3. You don't need to spend hours and hours
in the gym.
4. You don't need to train every day.
5. The important thing is QUALITY TRAINING --
which means working hard and heavy on the
important exercises and then stopping, going
home and getting rested for your next workout.
6. Less is more. Do less but do it better.
7. Use abbreviated training programs that allow
you to focus on QUALITY rather than QUANTITY.
So if you want to make 2012 the best year ever
for building strength and muscle, focus on the
important stuff -- the exercises that count.
Drop everything else, and devote yourself to
QUALITY TRAINING -- and 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. There's still time to order my new Military
Press and Shoulder Power Course and get the special
pre-publication bonus. You can find it right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Last week I mentioned that we have Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training DVD's. We don't have a sales
page for them yet -- but if you're interested,
shoot me an email and I'll tell you how to place
an order for them.
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Wherever you train,
and whatever equipment is available, make the most
of it!" -- Brooks Kubik
When I was 11 years old, I joined
the Boy Scouts, and became a full-
fledged camping nut.
I used to get mail order catalogs
of camping gear -- such as the LL Bean
catalog, which was nothing but serious
camping, hiking, hunting, fishing
and outdoor gear back then -- and I
would go through them carefully and
make long lists of everything I wanted
to take on my next camping trip.
Pup tent, sleeping bag, ground cloth,
lantern, flashlight, survival kit with
waterproof matches, Hudson Bay style 3/4
axe, hatchet, pocket knife, hunting knife,
fishing knife, rope, fishing line, fish
hooks, mess kit, bow and arrows, targets,
canteen, folding wood saw, knapsack,
knapsack frame, tump-line, canoe paddles,
dehydrated rations, sterno, more matches,
beef jerky, pemmican, aluminum foil for
cooking, camp shovel, string -- it was a
pretty long list.
Of course, I could only afford a couple
of things, but I still jammed that knapsack
full of all kinds of important, necessary
and downright critical gear.
I put the thing on my back and almost fell
to the ground. It was HEAVY!
Needless to say, I only used about five
percent of the stuff I lugged around.
The Scoutmaster knew his stuff.
he didn't say anything to the new scouts,
but let us stagger off into the woods with
ten times more stuff than we needed.
Then he let us camp for the weekend, pack
up and stagger back home.
And then he told us the secret.
"When you get home, empty everything out of
your knapsack and make three piles," he said.
"The first pile is for the stuff you never
used at all. That will be the biggest pile."
We nodded. he was right.
"The second pile is for stuff you used once
during the entire weekend. That will be a
fairly big pile, as well."
Again, we nodded.
"The third pile is the stuff you used more
than once. It will be a pretty small pile."
Once again, he was right.
"The next time we go camping, just take the
stuff in pile no. 3. It's all you need."
So that's what we did -- and guess what? He
was right.
There's a parallel to strength training.
Like tenderfoot campers who always take too
much unnecessary gear and end up exhausting
themselves lugging it around, tenderfoot
exercisers always try to do too many
exercises and end up exhausting themselves.
If they're lucky, they finally learn the
secret:
1. You don't need very many different
exercises.
2. You don't need to perform endless sets
and reps.
3. You don't need to spend hours and hours
in the gym.
4. You don't need to train every day.
5. The important thing is QUALITY TRAINING --
which means working hard and heavy on the
important exercises and then stopping, going
home and getting rested for your next workout.
6. Less is more. Do less but do it better.
7. Use abbreviated training programs that allow
you to focus on QUALITY rather than QUANTITY.
So if you want to make 2012 the best year ever
for building strength and muscle, focus on the
important stuff -- the exercises that count.
Drop everything else, and devote yourself to
QUALITY TRAINING -- and 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. There's still time to order my new Military
Press and Shoulder Power Course and get the special
pre-publication bonus. You can find it right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Last week I mentioned that we have Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training DVD's. We don't have a sales
page for them yet -- but if you're interested,
shoot me an email and I'll tell you how to place
an order for them.
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Wherever you train,
and whatever equipment is available, make the most
of it!" -- Brooks Kubik
How to Gain Muscular Bodyweight
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I received an email yesterday from a reader
who wanted to know "the best diet for gaining
muscular bodyweight."
So here it is.
1. Start doing some serious weight training.
2. Do plenty of squats, deadlifts, presses,
bent-over rowing or pull-ups,shrugs, bench
presses or incline presses (barbell or
dumbbell), and some curls and close grip
bench presses.
3. Finish each session with some neck, gut
and grip work.
4. Train progressively. That means, as you grow
stronger, do more reps or add more weight. If
you really want to increase your muscle size
and your bodyweight, you need to get much stronger
than you are now. As in, add 100 pounds or more to
your squats and deadlifts -- 50 to 75 pounds
to your bench presses -- and 50 pounds to everything
else.
5. Use abbreviated workouts as described in Dinosaur
Training, Chalk and Sweat, Gray Hair and Black Iron
and Strength, Muscle and Power.
6. Going back to point no. 4 -- always use good form.
Never sacrifice good form for weight on the bar. yes,
you want to add weight to the bar, but you need to
EARN those weight increases.
7. A further point about adding weight to the bar.
Don't expect to add 100 pounds overnight. It may take
a couple of years to get there. Rome wasn't built in
a day, and neither was any great strongman. Give yourself
some time to grow bigger and stronger, and don't try to
rush things.
8. If you want to add muscle mass, train to add muscle
mass, NOT to get lean and defined. High rep endurance
workouts will NOT help you add muscle mass.
9. For advanced lifters, power rack and single rep
workouts as described in Strength, Muscle and Power can
be extremely productive.
10. Another good idea for advanced lifters would be to
alternate leg specialization programs with back
specialization programs. I give ten of each in Chalk
and Sweat. If you don't already have it, order a copy.
And there you are. That's the very best diet for gaining
muscular bodyweight.
I'm sorry -- what did you say?
You say you wanted a special diet? You wanted to know
what to eat? How many grams of protein, how many calories,
etc.?
Well, okay.
Train hard and heavy -- do lots of heavy compound
exercises -- specialize on your legs and back -- and eat
plenty of good, healthy, nutritious food. Eat lots of
high quality protein foods. Aim for one gram of protein
per pound of bodyweight. In other words, if you weigh
150 pounds, eat 150 grams of protein (or more) per day.
Let your appetite be your guide. The harder and heavier
you train, the more you'll eat.
No junk food. It will just make you fat. And it won't build
an ounce of muscle.
There you go. Simple stuff. The basics. But the basics are
what build strength, muscle and power.
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. Any of my books and courses will help you ENORMOUSLY
in your quest for might and muscle. You can find them right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I received an email yesterday from a reader
who wanted to know "the best diet for gaining
muscular bodyweight."
So here it is.
1. Start doing some serious weight training.
2. Do plenty of squats, deadlifts, presses,
bent-over rowing or pull-ups,shrugs, bench
presses or incline presses (barbell or
dumbbell), and some curls and close grip
bench presses.
3. Finish each session with some neck, gut
and grip work.
4. Train progressively. That means, as you grow
stronger, do more reps or add more weight. If
you really want to increase your muscle size
and your bodyweight, you need to get much stronger
than you are now. As in, add 100 pounds or more to
your squats and deadlifts -- 50 to 75 pounds
to your bench presses -- and 50 pounds to everything
else.
5. Use abbreviated workouts as described in Dinosaur
Training, Chalk and Sweat, Gray Hair and Black Iron
and Strength, Muscle and Power.
6. Going back to point no. 4 -- always use good form.
Never sacrifice good form for weight on the bar. yes,
you want to add weight to the bar, but you need to
EARN those weight increases.
7. A further point about adding weight to the bar.
Don't expect to add 100 pounds overnight. It may take
a couple of years to get there. Rome wasn't built in
a day, and neither was any great strongman. Give yourself
some time to grow bigger and stronger, and don't try to
rush things.
8. If you want to add muscle mass, train to add muscle
mass, NOT to get lean and defined. High rep endurance
workouts will NOT help you add muscle mass.
9. For advanced lifters, power rack and single rep
workouts as described in Strength, Muscle and Power can
be extremely productive.
10. Another good idea for advanced lifters would be to
alternate leg specialization programs with back
specialization programs. I give ten of each in Chalk
and Sweat. If you don't already have it, order a copy.
And there you are. That's the very best diet for gaining
muscular bodyweight.
I'm sorry -- what did you say?
You say you wanted a special diet? You wanted to know
what to eat? How many grams of protein, how many calories,
etc.?
Well, okay.
Train hard and heavy -- do lots of heavy compound
exercises -- specialize on your legs and back -- and eat
plenty of good, healthy, nutritious food. Eat lots of
high quality protein foods. Aim for one gram of protein
per pound of bodyweight. In other words, if you weigh
150 pounds, eat 150 grams of protein (or more) per day.
Let your appetite be your guide. The harder and heavier
you train, the more you'll eat.
No junk food. It will just make you fat. And it won't build
an ounce of muscle.
There you go. Simple stuff. The basics. But the basics are
what build strength, muscle and power.
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. Any of my books and courses will help you ENORMOUSLY
in your quest for might and muscle. You can find them right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
The Basic Six
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It was well over 40 years ago when a
skinny little kid with thick glasses
found a magic book on the shelves of
the public library in the town where
he lived.
It was written by a man named Myles
Callum. (No relation to John McCallum,
who wrote the popular "Keys to Progress"
series in Strength and Health.)
The title of the book was BODY-BUILDING
AND SELF-DEFENSE.
It was written in 1962 and published by
Barnes and Noble. It must have been pretty
popular, because it went through least 8
printings.
Now, if you haven't already guessed, that
little kid was me. And you're reading this
email message because that little book got
me going in the Iron Game.
I recently found a copy of that little book,
and went back and re-read it. Even though
it was written in 1962, it has some pretty
good advice.
For example, the weight training section of
the book featured THE BASIC SIX.These were
the six best exercises -- the ones that did
the most good for you, and the ones that would
give you a complete total body workout. As
Callum noted, there were hundreds of different
exercises that you could do, but these were the
ones you should concentrate on.
What were they?
Here's the list, exactly the way that Callum
presented it:
1. The bench press is the best single exercise
for chest development. Specifically, it builds
up the pectoral muscles, frontal deltoids and
triceps.
2. The regular press develops the arms (triceps)
and shoulders.
3. Squats are the best-known leg developers -- a
popular exercise in paratrooper training units.
Squats are excellent for building up the thighs,
lungs and rib cage.
4. The rowing motion builds a strong back by
developing the latissimus dorsi muscles, trapezius,
and rear deltoids.
5. Curls are the famous biceps-builders, essential
for strong arms.
6. Deadlifts take care of the all-important lower
back muscles, or spinal erectors.
So here we are today -- almost 50 years after the
publication of Callum's book -- and THE BASIC SIX
is still a pretty darn good list of exercises. In
fact, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a better
list!
As always, thanks for reading, and if you know anyone
who wants to get started on a weight training program,
be sure to tell them about the basic six.
Have a great day -- and if you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik.
P.S. If I had been able to read Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, and the Legacy of Iron series when
I was a kid -- wow! There would have been no stopping
me. Consider yourself lucky -- you can grab any of them
right now:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
It was well over 40 years ago when a
skinny little kid with thick glasses
found a magic book on the shelves of
the public library in the town where
he lived.
It was written by a man named Myles
Callum. (No relation to John McCallum,
who wrote the popular "Keys to Progress"
series in Strength and Health.)
The title of the book was BODY-BUILDING
AND SELF-DEFENSE.
It was written in 1962 and published by
Barnes and Noble. It must have been pretty
popular, because it went through least 8
printings.
Now, if you haven't already guessed, that
little kid was me. And you're reading this
email message because that little book got
me going in the Iron Game.
I recently found a copy of that little book,
and went back and re-read it. Even though
it was written in 1962, it has some pretty
good advice.
For example, the weight training section of
the book featured THE BASIC SIX.These were
the six best exercises -- the ones that did
the most good for you, and the ones that would
give you a complete total body workout. As
Callum noted, there were hundreds of different
exercises that you could do, but these were the
ones you should concentrate on.
What were they?
Here's the list, exactly the way that Callum
presented it:
1. The bench press is the best single exercise
for chest development. Specifically, it builds
up the pectoral muscles, frontal deltoids and
triceps.
2. The regular press develops the arms (triceps)
and shoulders.
3. Squats are the best-known leg developers -- a
popular exercise in paratrooper training units.
Squats are excellent for building up the thighs,
lungs and rib cage.
4. The rowing motion builds a strong back by
developing the latissimus dorsi muscles, trapezius,
and rear deltoids.
5. Curls are the famous biceps-builders, essential
for strong arms.
6. Deadlifts take care of the all-important lower
back muscles, or spinal erectors.
So here we are today -- almost 50 years after the
publication of Callum's book -- and THE BASIC SIX
is still a pretty darn good list of exercises. In
fact, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a better
list!
As always, thanks for reading, and if you know anyone
who wants to get started on a weight training program,
be sure to tell them about the basic six.
Have a great day -- and if you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik.
P.S. If I had been able to read Dinosaur Training,
Chalk and Sweat, and the Legacy of Iron series when
I was a kid -- wow! There would have been no stopping
me. Consider yourself lucky -- you can grab any of them
right now:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Sticking to It
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Back when I was a kid, all the guys I ran around with got bit by the barbell bug sooner or later.
We all pestered our parents until they bought us those 110-pound barbell sets from Sears, with the gold-colored plastic plates filled with concrete. They all came with little instruction courses to explain the exercises and give you your beginner’s workout program.
And then we took our barbells and our instruction courses into our rooms, where no one could see us, and started to train.
Everyone trained like a madman – for a week or two. And then the weather got nice, and the other guys started playing softball and baseball out in the park, and the pretty little girl in the house by the corner started to do cartwheels and summersaults in her front yard all the time (which meant you always had to find reasons to ride your bike past her house, slowly).
And it was a good time for hunting and camping and fishing, and we had to cut the grass and do all kinds of yard work, and walk the dog, and the teachers gave us more home work, and there were some great new shows on TV, and there was a new John Wayne movie at the theaters, and Spidey was fighting Doc Octopus and we all started reading comic books again – and some kids started to collect butterflies, and some started stamp collections, and all the rest of us swapped baseball cards.
And all but one kid stopped working out with his little Sears barbell set.
That one kid was me – and if you’re my age or older (I’m 54), and you’re reading this message, you were probably the only kid in YOUR neighborhood who stuck with his training.
We were always looking for the SECRET – how to get big and strong.
But we already knew the answer. Or rather, we were already doing the right thing.
We were training.
We were sticking to it.
We were keeping at it.
And when you get right down to it, that’s the most important thing you need to do.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day – and a great week. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. One way to help stick to your training is to fill your mind with the right kind of training info. Books – courses – DVD’s – the Dino Files newsletter – and the Legacy of Iron books. Feed your mind, fuel your motivation, train hard, and GROW! You can grab some serious motivation right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Back when I was a kid, all the guys I ran around with got bit by the barbell bug sooner or later.
We all pestered our parents until they bought us those 110-pound barbell sets from Sears, with the gold-colored plastic plates filled with concrete. They all came with little instruction courses to explain the exercises and give you your beginner’s workout program.
And then we took our barbells and our instruction courses into our rooms, where no one could see us, and started to train.
Everyone trained like a madman – for a week or two. And then the weather got nice, and the other guys started playing softball and baseball out in the park, and the pretty little girl in the house by the corner started to do cartwheels and summersaults in her front yard all the time (which meant you always had to find reasons to ride your bike past her house, slowly).
And it was a good time for hunting and camping and fishing, and we had to cut the grass and do all kinds of yard work, and walk the dog, and the teachers gave us more home work, and there were some great new shows on TV, and there was a new John Wayne movie at the theaters, and Spidey was fighting Doc Octopus and we all started reading comic books again – and some kids started to collect butterflies, and some started stamp collections, and all the rest of us swapped baseball cards.
And all but one kid stopped working out with his little Sears barbell set.
That one kid was me – and if you’re my age or older (I’m 54), and you’re reading this message, you were probably the only kid in YOUR neighborhood who stuck with his training.
We were always looking for the SECRET – how to get big and strong.
But we already knew the answer. Or rather, we were already doing the right thing.
We were training.
We were sticking to it.
We were keeping at it.
And when you get right down to it, that’s the most important thing you need to do.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day – and a great week. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. One way to help stick to your training is to fill your mind with the right kind of training info. Books – courses – DVD’s – the Dino Files newsletter – and the Legacy of Iron books. Feed your mind, fuel your motivation, train hard, and GROW! You can grab some serious motivation right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Keep It Simple!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I hit a hard, heavy workout in the garage last night.
It was nothing like anything you read about in the muscle comics – and it wasn’t very high tech – and no one would label it “space age,” “super duper” or “the final breakthrough” in strength training. No “trainer of champions” would claim it for his own.
But it was effective. And the other stuff isn’t.
And that’s pretty much the way it is – and the way it has always been.
The more high tech and sophisticated a training program – the more bells and whistles it has – the more fancy stuff that’s in it – the more exotic the exercises – the more it’s crammed with 17-syllable training principles – and the longer it takes to do it – the worse it is.
The simple fact of the matter is this: if you work HARD on a simple training program, you’ll get terrific results.
If you follow one of the high tech super programs, you’ll end up dragging your tail in the dust.
Simple programs allow you to train HARD.
They allow you to FOCUS your energy.
They allow you to CONCENTRATE.
The key to strength training success is to pick a couple of truly productive exercises – and train them HARD and HEAVY. Give them everything you have. Work them into the ground. Add weight to the bar whenever you can.
Leave the space age mumbo-jumbo programs to the guys who are more interested in glitz and glamour than in REAL RESULTS.
Keep it simple. In strength training, as in so much else in life, simple is best.
Thanks for reading – and if you train today – well, heck, I just told you what to do!
Yours in Strength,
Brooks Kubik
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