What Builds the Most Strength?

"How do I build the most strength as fast as possible? he asked. So I thought I'd answer the question in today's Blog post.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We'll talk training in just a second - but
first, here's an important reminder - and
a call to action.

1. The Sept-Oct Dinosaur Files

The Sept-Oct 2018 issue of The Dinosaur
Files strength training newsletter has
been getting great reviews - and that's
no surprise.

It's another big issue - 12 pages - with
tons of training tips, exercises and great
workouts - including a very challenging
program featuring exercises with a heavy
duty strongman yoke.

There's also a great article on a new and
different progression system for 20 rep
breathing squats - and one Dino's true
story of how old-school strength training
saved his life one day.

You can grab the Sept-Oct Dino Files
right here:

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

Be sure to join your fellow Dinos by
grabbing this issue. It's a good one -
and you don't want to miss it.

2. What Builds the Most Strength?

Yesterday I answered a question from
a reader who wanted to know how
various sandbag and barrel lifts
compared to similar barbell lifts.

So I shared some numbers from my
own workouts 20 plus years ago -
comparing my top barbell clean
and press to my top sandbag or
barrel clean and press, and so
on.

That was part one of his question.

He also wanted to know what built
the most strength.

In other words, which is better -

1. Training with barbells and dumb-
bells,

or

2. Training with sandbags, barrels
and similar types of heavy awkward
objects?

So here's my answer.

They're both good - and they both
work.

But it's hard to say that one is better
than the other - or that one is more
effective than the other.

Instead, think of them as different
ways to do the same job.

That said, remember this:

1. If you plan to do powerlifting comps,
you need to train for powerlifting.

2. If you plan to do strongman comps,
you need to do a combination of basic
lifting (squats, deadlifts, presses or
push presses, etc.) along with training
for the events that you'll contest.

If your goal is to build all-around
strength and power, then you can
do whatever you enjoy the most,
be it barbell and dumbbell work or
heavy awkward objects.

Or . . . what I like the best . . . 
you can combine different training
tools.

In other words, use barbells, dumb-
bells, sandbags, barrels and other
fun training tools.

I cover workouts that do exactly this
in many of my books and courses,
including:

Chalk and Sweat

http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets
of Strength and Development

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

Gray Hair and Black Iron

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

And, of course, we cover these kinds
of workouts in the Dinosaur Files.
(As I noted before, the latest issue
includes a unique workout using a
strongman yoke as your primary
piece of equipment.)

Sept-Oct Dino Files

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

So don't limit yourself. Life's too short.

Have fun when you train. Use a variety
of different training tools and different
exercises - and use them to build tons
and tons of 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

Before You Leave - Check These Out! 

 

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Who's Stronger?

An old photo from 20 or 22 years ago - hitting a one-hand swing in the original Dinosaur  Dungeon with 151 pounds. I made the lifts I describe in today's Blog post at about the same time as this photo.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk
iron - as well as sandbags and barrels.

1. The Sept-Oct Dinosaur Files

The Sept-Oct 2018 issue of The Dinosaur
Files strength training newsletter has
been getting great reviews - and that's
no surprise.

It's another big issue - 12 pages - with
tons of training tips, exercises and workouts -
including a very challenging program that
uses a special combination of exercises
performed with a strongman yoke.

You can grab the Sept-Oct Dino Files right
here in a downloadable and printable PDF -
with immediate electronic delivery:

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

2. The Complete Physique Course
John Wood just released vol. 3 of the
excellent but very hard to find Complete
Physique Course.

This volume includes Lessons 5 and 6
of the Course - covering hand-balancing
and strand pulling (a/k/a cable training).

It's available right here at the Kindle
bookstore - and it's highly recommended!

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/complete-physique-03.html

3. Who's Stronger?

One of our Dinos posted the following
question for the The Dinosaur Training
Facebook Group. (BTW, if you're not a
member, go ahead and apply to join -
and include a note saying you read
about it here.)

Who's Stronger?

Need an opinion here. Who's stronger?

The man who can heave a 300 pound
barrel to his shoulder and squat with it
for reps - or the man who can squat
500 pounds for reps?

The man who can press 225 pounds for
reps or the man who can press a 150
pound sandbag for reps?

At a crossroads here. Please weigh in.

Jim

As you might expect, there were a ton
of responses - so I thought I'd cover it
in today's email and Blog post.

And I thought I'd cover it by giving you
the best numbers I hit in these lifts -
which should give you a good basis for
comparing the relative merits of the
various lifts Jim asked about.

Back around age 40, at a bodyweight of
220 to 225 pounds, I did the following
for one rep each after training on the
various lifts for a reasonable period of
time to develop the necessary skill to
perform them well:

1. Two dumbbell clean and press with a
pair of 121 pound dumbbells.

2. Two dumbbell clean and push press
with a pair of 126 pound dumbbells.

c. Note the total weight here - 242
pounds and 252 pounds respectively.

3. Clean and press with a 165 pound
anvil wrapped with 55 pounds of log
chain - total weight 220 pounds.

a. Working from memory here - it
may have been 60 pounds of log
chain for a total weight of 225
pounds.

b. I may have been able to do more,
but that was all the chain I had.

4. Clean and press with a 220 or 225
pound beer keg.

a. I also could shoulder this beer keg,
of course - and I think I worked up
to 250 in shouldering it.

5. Clean and press with a wooden
lifting log with handles in the center
and plates and chains on the ends -
250 pounds total weight.

6. Sandbag clean and press - 250
pounds.

a. I also could shoulder this sandbag.

7. Barbell clean and press - 275
pounds.

8. Bottom position squat - starting
with the tops of the thighs just below
parallel - no wraps or lifting suit -
500 pounds.

a. For me, a 500 pound bottom position
squat was the equivalent of a 600 pound
regular squat.

So my best barbell clean and press was
275 pounds - my best sandbag clean and
press was 250 pounds - and my best squat
(bottom position style) was 500 pounds.

This suggests that shouldering a 300
pound barrel is tougher than squatting
500 pounds.

Perhaps it's more like a 600 pound
squat (with no gear other than a belt).

Or perhaps more like 700 pounds.

It also suggests that if you clean and
press 225 with a barbell, you should be
able to handle about 180 to 200 pounds
in a sandbag clean and press.

Or vice-versa.

As for which type of equipment builds
the most strength - or builds strength
fastest - that's a different question -
and one that I'll answer tomorrow.

Anyhow, that's my answer. Hope it
helps!

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. Here's the book that started the
Dinosaur Revolution - and brought
heavy awkward objects, sandbags
and barrels into the mainstream:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

P.S. My other books and courses - and
links to my Kindle and PDF books - are
right here:

Hard-copy and PDF

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

Kindle

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day:

"Barbells work. Dumbbells work. So
do sandbags and barrels. It all works
if YOU work."

-- Brooks Kubik

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

Trudi, the Jiu Jitsu Champion, and the Best Steps in the World

A Victorian mansion in beautiful Port Townsend, Washington. Trudi visited Port Townsend a few weeks ago, and found the best stairs in the world.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Trudi took a little vacation
last month.

She went out to visit friends
on Whidbey Island off the
coast of Washington.

She then traveled by ferry
to Port Townsend, Washington,
where they've filmed
several movies, including
An Officer and a Gentleman,
and The Ring.

Trudi stayed in Port Townsend
for several days, and had a
great time.

She also had a great work-
out that included some very
cool steps.

The view from the bottom of the Port Townsend steps. It's hard to see from this angle, but there's over 100 steps.

They're about the best
steps for training in the
entire world.

She called me after her
workout to tell me about
them.

"These are great!" she said.
"They're the best steps in
the world."

And Trudi isn't the only
person who likes training
on those steps.

The view from the top of the Port Townsend steps. Going up and down them a couple of times gives you a pretty good leg workout.

It turns out that a very
famous strength coach
also likes them. And he
happens to be a world
champion in Jiu Jitsu.


You probably know him.

His name is Steve Maxwell.


Trudi took photos of the
steps, and I posted them on
Instagram - and one on our
Dinos posted a comment
saying that he recognized
the steps from one of Steve's
YouTube videos.

So here's the YouTube video.
Check it out, and you'll see
that they really are the very
same steps.

You'll also hear Steve describe
the steps. Sounds like he likes
them just as much as Trudi did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGD8k8LFuhQ

Another part of the story is that
Steve bought a copy of Dinosaur
Training way back in 1996, when
I first published the little monster.

He liked the chapter on sandbag
training, so he made some sandbags
and started doing some very serious
workouts with them.

He even sent a letter, which I
published in an early issue of
The Dinosaur Files, noting
that he gained 10 pounds of
muscle in two weeks after
starting the sandbag training.

Which is a good reason to
give Dino-style sandbag
training a try.

Anyhow, I guess I need to go
up to Port Townsend sometime
and give those steps a try. They
sound like fun.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Do you have a copy of Dinosaur
Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development? If not, go here to grab
a copy of the book they call "The Bible
of Strength Training":

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

Do Mounties Lift Sandbags?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick reminder, and then we'll talk training.

1. The October Dinosaur Files

We released the October Dinosaur Files in PDF
format several days ago, and the little monster
is selling like hotcakes - and getting rave reviews
from Dinos around the world.

Go here to grab the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_october2016.html

And, of course - shoot me an email and
let me know how you like this issue - and
what you'd like to see in future issues!

2. Do Mounties Lift Sandbags?

Do Mounties lift sandbags?

Well, actually, they do. So do others in Canadian
law enforcement -- and in the Canadian military.

Almost 10 years ago, I received an email from a
man who taught close combat to Canadian law
enforcement officers. He loved the sandbag training
and other types of heavy, awkward object training
that I teach in Dinosaur Training, and he had his
students use them extensively.

He thought it was perfect for unarmed combat.
And that's not surprising, because Dino-style
sandbag training goes back to old-school
wrestlers -- from the 1890s to the 1930s.

They made great use of sandbags in their
training.

So all martial artists and wrestlers should
take note - and use sandbags as a regular part
of their training!

Anyhow, to continue the story -- I received an
email from a young man in Canada who is
training to get into the Canadian military.

He sent me a link to the Canadian Military
physical fitness tests and asked if Dino-style
training would help him prepare for the test.

Turns out it would.

Why?

Because in 2013 Canada adopted new physical
fitness tests for the military -- and for law
enforcement.

The military test has four parts:

1. Sandbag lift

2. Sandbag loaded shuttles

3. 20-meter bursts

4. Sandbag drag

In short, 75% of the physical fitness test is a
form of Dino-style finishers with sandbags!

So when our reader asked if Dinosaur Training
would help him with the Canadian military's
physical fitness test, the answer is "You're
darn right it will."

I would suggest that our reader follow a
basic abbreviated training program. The
workouts in Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, would be perfect for him:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

He's currently benching 140 lbs., squatting
130 lbs., and deadlifting 145 lbs. for 3 - 5
reps at a bodyweight of 162 lbs. I'd like
to see him increase all of those training
weights by 50 to 75 pounds.

That should not be hard. He's young, and
in good health, and the gains should come
quickly.

He should finish each workout by doing
at least two of the four parts of the Canadian
military test. He should do the test exactly
the way it is administered -- and he should
work it to the point where he can blast
through the different segments easily and
effortlessly.

He also should train the farmer's walk
once a week. This will carry-over very
well to the military tests.

If necessary, he can start by using lighter
sandbags than he will use when he takes the
test. He can gradually progress to heavier
sandbags as he gets stronger.

And he can probably work up to training
with sandbags that are heavier than what
he will use when he takes the test -- which
should make the actual test pretty darn
easy for him.

His goal is not simply to pass the test --
it is to ace the test.

And when he does, I want to hear about it!

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. I cover sandbag training, finishers and
similar strength and condition builders in
Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Training Secrets
vol. 1, and Strength, Muscle and Power:

a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

(Note that this one is also available in PDF
and Kindle editions - see our products page
for the links.)

b. Strength, Muscle and Power

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

c. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and development

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

P.S. 2. For older trainees, I cover a special
variation of "finishers" in Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Choose your
adventure -- and train for it!" -- Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

George Eiferman's Super Leg Training Workout

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then I'll tell you
about one of the most unusual - and
most difficult - leg workouts of all time.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

Is available in your choice of Kindle or
PDF - and it's been getting great reviews
from Dinos around the world:

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Kindle edition

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

Shoot me an email and let me know how
you like the little monster!

2. George Eiferman's Super Leg Workout

You probably know that George Eiferman
won the Mr. America Contest in 1948 --
and that he had one of the thickest, most
massive physiques of any of the old-time
bodybuilding champions.

He was strong, too -- and a good musician.
He used to do a stunt where he played a
trumpet with one hand while hoisting a
135 pound Olympic barbell over head with
the other hand.

And if a barbell wasn't handy, sometimes he
hoisted a pretty girl overhead with one hand,
while playing the trumpet with the other. Nice
work if you can get it -- and if you're strong
enough to do it!

When he won the Mr. America title, he was
training at John Fritshe's Gym in Philadelphia.
Fritshe was big on heavy leg training, so
George did plenty of squats. Sets of 10 and
sets of 20 were the order of the day.

But before that, he devised a unique leg
training workout of his own -- and I thought
I would share it with you.

Here's the story.

When he was 17, George joined the United
States Navy.

He had already started training, so he trained
with barbells and dumbbells whenever he was
on a ship that had a set of weights.

If there were no weights on board the ship,
he did curls with buckets of water.

He also did his special leg exercise.

He would go down to the "hold" and find a
100 pound bag of sugar and a 50 pound bag
of flour, and wrestle them up and onto his
back.

Then he would climb the ladder from the hold
to the main deck -- with the 150 pounds of
sugar and flour on his back.

And then he'd climb back down -- still carrying
the extra weight.

And he'd go up and down the ladder as many
times as he could.

It sounds like a pretty good workout -- and clear
proof that "Where' there's a will, there's a weight --
and a way to train for strength, muscle and
power!"

You may not have access to a large ship, so
you may not be able to duplicate Eiferman's
workout exactly -- but you can get a heck of
a workout by putting a heavy sandbag on your
back and going out for a run -- or a walk -- or
walking (or running) up a hill or up some
stadium steps -- or by doing squats with it.

And when you do, think of George Eiferman
going up and down that ladder.

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. Here are the links again for the May-June
issue of the Dinosaur Files:

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016.html

Kindle edition:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_mayjune2016-kindle.html

P.S.2. My other books and courses - and
links to all of my Kindle e-books and PDF
products - are right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Where there's
a will, there's a way to train." - Brooks Kubik

***********************************************************************************

Train Hard, Eat Well, Enjoy the Weekend!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I hope you're having a great weekend.

It's been pretty good here at Dino
Headquarters.

We had our granddaughters over on Sat
night, which is always an adventure. They
had us outnumbered two to two, but we
managed to survive until their mom came
over and picked them up.

I managed to sneak in a hard workout
yesterday afternon before they arrived,
and followed it up with a great dinner.

My legs are sore today, but that's all part
of the fun of training hard and heavy. And
it entitles me to more great meals today.

We took the girls to the park, and saw a
fitness boot camp in action. It wasn't
Dino, but it was pretty good for that
sort of thing. It looked like everyone
was having fun and working up a good
sweat, and that's a heck of a lot better
than being a weekend coach potato.

The bootcamp even used some sandbags,
although they were small ones.

I wondered if they had any idea that
the old guy pushing his granddaughters
on the swingset was one of the people
who helped put sandbag training on
the map -- and that he got the idea
from an NFL strength coach named
Kim Wood -- and that it dated back to
the old-time strongmen and wrestlers
over 100 years ago -- including Arthur
Saxon and his 300-pound Challenge
Sack that no one else could lift.

Or that George Hackenschmidt trained
for wrestling matches well over 100
years ago by getting down on his
hands and knees, and having a
couple of very strong helpers place
a 600 pound (not a typo, that's SIX
HUNDRED) sandbag on his back so
he could practice resisting a heavy
opponent in a match.

I probably should tell them. They might
move up to heavier sandbags in the
next bootcamp!

Anyhow, I hope it's been a good weekend
for you. If you train today or tomorrow,
train hard, and follow it up with some
great food. Pay attention to recovery
and recuperation. Have fun, and spend
some time with your favorite people.

And remember to synchronize your
watches for 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday
morning -- we're going to launch vol. 3
in our series of new Dinosaur Training
Courses, and I think you're really going
to like it.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

***************************************

Do Mounties Lift Sandbags?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Do Mounties lift sandbags?

Well, actually, they do. So do others in Canadian
law enforcement -- and in the Canadian military.

Almost 10 years ago, I received an email from a
man who taught close combat to Canadian law
enforcement officers. He loved the sandbag training
and other types of heavy, awkward object training
that I teach in Dinosaur Training, and he had his
students use them extensively.

He thought it was perfect for unarmed combat.

And that's not surprising, because Dino-style
sandbag training goes back to old-school
wrestlers -- from the 1890s to the 1930s.
They made great use of sandbags in their
training.

Anyhow, to continue the story -- I received an
email from a young man in Canada who is
training to get into the Canadian military.

He sent me a link to the Canadian Military
physical fitness tests and asked if Dino-style
trainig would help him prepare for the test.

Well, it would.

Because in 2013 Canada adopted new physical
fitness tests for the military -- and for law
enforcement.

The military test has four parts:

1. Sandbag lift

2. Sandbag loaded shuttles

3. 20-meter bursts

4. Sandbag drag

In short, 75% of the physical fitness test is a
form of Dino-style finishers with sandbags!

So when our reader asked if Dinosaur Training
would help him with the Canadian military's
physical fitness test, the answer is "You're
darn right it will."

I would suggest that our reader follow a
basic abbreviated training program. The
workouts in Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, would be perfect for him:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

He's currently benching 140 lbs., squatting
130 lbs., and deadlifting 145 lbs. for 3 - 5
reps at a bodyweight of 162 lbs. I'd like
to see him increase all of those training
weights by 50 to 75 pounds.

That should not be hard. He's young, and
in good health, and the gains should come
quickly.

He should finish each workout by doing
at least two of the four parts of the Canadian
military test. He should do the test exactly
the way it is administered -- and he should
work it to the point where he can blast
through the different segments easily and
effortlessly.

He also should train the farmer's walk
once a week. This will carry-over very
well to the military tests.

If necessary, he can start by using lighter
sandbags than he will use when he takes the
test. He can gradually progress to heavier
sandbags as he gets stronger.

And he can probably work up to training
with sandbags that are heavier than what
he will use when he takes the test -- which
should make the actual test pretty darn
easy for him.

His goal is not simply to pass the test --
it is to ace the test.

And when he does, I want to hear about it!

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. I cover sandbag training, finishers and
similar strength and condition builders in
Dinosaur Training, Dinosaur Training Secrets
and Strength, Muscle and Power:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

P.S. 2. For older trainees, I cover a special
variation of "finishers" in Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Choose your
adventure -- and train for it!" -- Brooks Kubik

*********************************************

George Eiferman's Super Leg Workout!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

You probably know that George Eiferman
won the Mr. America Contest in 1948 --
and that he had one of the thickest, most
massive physiques of any of the old-time
bodybuilding champions.

He was strong, too -- and a good musician.

He used to do a stunt where he played a
trumpet with one hand while hoisting a
135 pound Olympic barbell over head with
the other hand.

And if a barbell wasn't handy, sometimes he
hoisted a pretty girl overhead with one hand,
while playing the trumpet with the other. Nice
work if you can get it -- and if you're strong
enough to do it!

When he won the Mr. America title, he was
training at John Fritshe's Gym in Philadelphia.

Fritshe was big on heavy leg training, so
George did plenty of squats. Sets of 10 and
sets of 20 were the order of the day.

But before that, he devised a unique leg
training workout of his own -- and I thought
I would share it with you.

Here's the story.

When he was 17, George joined the United
States Navy.

He had already started training, so he trained
with barbells and dumbbells whenever he was
on a ship that had a set of weights.

If there were no weights on board the ship,
he did curls with buckets of water.

He also did his special leg exercise.

He would go down to the "hold" and find a
100 pound bag of sugar and a 50 pound bag
of flour, and wrestle them up and onto his
back.

Then he would climb the ladder from the hold
to the main deck -- with the 150 pounds of
sugar and flour on his back.

And then he'd climb back down -- still carrying
the extra weight.

And he'd go up and down the ladder as many
times as he could.

It sounds like a pretty good workout -- and clear
proof that "Where' there's a will, there's a weight --
and a way to train for strength, muscle and
power!"

You may not have access to a large ship, so
you may not be able to duplicate Eiferman's
workout exactly -- but you can get a heck of
a workout by putting a heavy sandbag on your
back and going out for a run -- or a walk -- or
walking (or running) up a hill or up some
stadium steps -- or by doing squats with it.

And when you do, think of George Eiferman
going up and down that ship's ladder.

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 issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur
Files quarterly -- the best strength training and
muscle building magazine out there:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_quarterly.html

Note that we have copies of issue no. 1 of the
Dinosaur Files quarterly -- so if you missed it,
grab both of them. You'll want the complete
set.

P.S. 2. My new course, Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. 1, is selling like hot-cakes. Go here to grab a
copy in your choice of hard-copy or Kindle e-book:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- and the world-famous Legacy of
Iron novels -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Wherever you are,
and whatever the circumstances, you can always
find a way to train." -- Brooks Kubik

*****************************************

Dino Style Cardio!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

When I was a kid, all the coaches
used cardio training  as a form of
punishment.

They called it "running laps." When
a coach was mad at you, you ran laps.

If he was real mad, you ran many
laps.

The freshman football coach was
the worst. If the team lost a
game, he made all the players
honorary members of the Thousand
Yard Club.

The Thousand Yard Club was twenty
50 yard sprints in full football
gear, with hardly any rest between
sprints. It was brutal. They needed
to keep plenty of puke buckets handy
on the day we did it.

If you lost another game, the coach
added two additional 50 yard sprints.

The freshman team was TERRIBLE my
year. We lost 8 games and tied one.
By the end of the season the Thousand
Yard Club had morphed into the 1800
Yard Club.

The whole thing was self-defeating,
because that many sprints just wore
legs out, and we were stiff and sore
and tired and slow on game day. It
would have been a lot better to have
made us run some sprints, and then
stopped and called it a day. Our
recovery would have been better,
and we would have played better.

And that's the problem with cardio
training for Iron Heads. You need
to do enough cardio -- but not too
much. And you need to do the right
kind of cardio.

So here are some ideas:

1. Dumbbell swings, cleans and
snatches, as described in Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training. Sets of five will
get your heart and lungs working big
time.

2. Lugging and loading drills, as
described in Gray Hair and Black
Iron. These are great -- they're
lots of fun, and they involve
lugging, lifting, loading and
carrying heavy stuff -- which
is PERFECT for Dinos. Kudos to
Dr. Ken for this idea.

3. Finishers, as described in
Strength, Muscle and Power. These
are like number two, but you go
harder and heavier.

4. PHA training, where you combine
five or six different exercises for
different parts of the body and
perform one set of each back to
back with no rest. Let's you use
basic barbell and dumbbell (or
kettlebell or sandbag) exercises
for a great cardio workout. See
Gray Hair and Black Iron for
details and for routines.

5. Bodyweight training where you
do medium to high reps and focus
on conditioning. Or -- one of my
personal favorites -- supersetting
two advanced bodyweight exercises
for low to medium reps and doing
five to ten sets of each. Builds
strength, builds muscle and gives
you a great cardio workout all in
one.

6. Death sets, as described in
Dinosaur Training. Those 20 rep
sets of squats and deadlifts will
work your heart and lungs like
you won't believe.

As with anything else, you start
easy and build up gradually and
more progressively to harder
training. Do NOT go out and jump
into full bore cardio training.
(That's especially important for
older trainees and for heavier
trainees.)

Or -- you could go run laps or sign
up for the Thousand Yard Club. But
trust me, that's not nearly as much
fun!

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 the various books
mentioned in this email right here
at Dino Headquarters:

1. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (currently
at the printer, and out very soon):

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

2. Gray Hair and Black Iron

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html

3. Strength, Muscle and Power

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

4. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "The air we breathe
is life itself, and so is the iron we lift."
-- Brooks Kubik

Did You Ever Try this Exercise?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I hope everyone had a great weekend --
and for those who trained, I hope you had
a great workout!

We're going to cover a great exercise that some
of you may never have tried before. But before
we do that, I need to ask a favor.

I'm thinking about doing something new and
different -- and very exciting -- in 2012:

DINOSAUR TRAINING SEMINARS!

So I need to know:

1. Are you interested in attending a Dinosaur
Training Seminar?

2. What topic(s) would you like me to cover?

3. Where do you live, and what major cities would
work for you for a one day or two day seminar?

4. Do you know of any gyms in your neck of the
woods that might let us do a seminar?

Shoot your responses to me at Dino Headquarters --
and thanks in advance for your feedback!

On the training front, a reader asked "What is
the BEST sandbag exercise for Dinosaurs?"

That's a hard one to answer, because the "best"
exercise for one Dino may not be the best for
another Dino.

But here's a good one.

Set a 50 to 100 pound loosely packed sandbag in
front of a sturdy work bench or the back of a
pick-up truck. You need loose material to hold
onto at the top of the sandbag.

Grab the sandbag by the loose material at the top
of the bag, and lift it in a two hand hammer curl
(with the hands touching, left hand over right hand)
and place it on the bench or platform.

Pause briefly, and then lower it to the floor.

Reverse your grip and repeat.

Do 20 -- 50 -- or 100 reps.

If you don't have a workbench or pick-up truck,
string a rope four or five feet off the ground
and lift the sandbag up and over the rope on each
rep.

If you use the rope, you can drop the bag and then
lift it -- or (tougher) you can hold it just above
the rope and then lower it slowly.

If setting up a rope is too much trouble, then do
this: just curl the bag until your hands touch the
top of your forehead as you lean slightly forward.
Pause for a two count and then lower slowly.

Start with a light sandbag because this one is
really tough. Be ready for some severely fried arms,
forearms, hands, fingers and shoulders.

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. It's Cyber Monday, which means it's time to place
your Holiday orders. Remember, if you want me autograph
a Dinosaur training book or course, all you need to do
is ask! (Use the special instructions section of the
on-line order form.):

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 2. Thought for the day: "It's not the equipment you
use, it's how you use it that counts!" -- Brooks Kubik

P.S. 3. Don't forget to give me your thoughts and
feedback on Dinosaur Training Seminars!

HOW TO GAIN 40 POUNDS OF MUSCLE

Over the years, I've received thousands of letters and emails from Dinos around the world, reporting on the results they achieved with the type of hard, heavy, abbreviated, QUALITY training I teach in Dinosaur Training and my other books, courses and DVD’s.

The letters and emails continue to roll in. Here's one from Dan Helgeson, who has gained 40 pounds of muscle in less than a year of hard-hitting, twice a week Dino Training. Forty pounds of muscle in your first year of training is pretty close to a record:

"Hello and greetings! I want to tell you that I love your books and everything that you do!

I wanted to tell you my story real quick: My name is Dane Helgeson, I am 26 years old and I live in Cincinnati. For about a year I was a hardcore cyclist, doing miles everyday and horribly unhealthy.

I smoked and drank and rode bike. Terrible idea. My skin was awful and I was sick all the time. Then in August of 2009 I quit smoking and drinking. I stopped bike riding and began hitting the plates. Hard. I followed a few different routines and had great success with them.

I found your book and it changed my life. I built my own thick barbell (2'' thick – weight around 70 lbs), a keg, sand bag, and the most basic stuff my little salary could buy. Wow! When I started squatting it was a little less than the bar and I am now up to 220lbs, my deadlift is 200 (had to drop the weight because of the bar thickness), and I can clean and press my keg that is 1/3 full of sand. I couldn't imagine my life without lifting. Only a few more months and I'll have a year under my lifting belt.

My routine:

Sandbag work (choice of three)
Dips (weighted)
Squats
Lever Lifts
Barrel press
Sit Ups
Deadlifts
Curls
Hand Gripper
Farmers Walk

That's about it and it-s done twice a week. I was once 180 lbs and I am now a good healthy 220. I have always been a big guy and I can't wait to see where I can go! Thank you so much. It’s interesting to note that in Zen you pass through the gateless gate and you stand ear to ear with Bodhidharma. This is kind of the same thing. Thanks!"

Dane Helgeson

Dane – Thanks for the training report. You’ve made tremendous progress over the past year! Keep it up – you are headed toward T-Rex status.

Yours in Strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You may not gain 40 pounds of muscle after you read Dinosaur Training -- but you're sure as heck going to pack on some serious strength and size. After all, look what it did for Dane!