This Is Better Than I Remembered!

 

Rich Abbott pulling a heavy deadlift. I think he was in his 60's in this photo. This is what a lifetime of physical training can do for you.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I wrote Chalk and Sweat seven years
ago.

I wrote it to try to save an hour a day.

That's how much time I spend answering
emails from readers who ask about training
programs and workouts.

"Can you give me a good workout to build
maximum muscle mass?"

"I'm a beginner. Can you give me a good
training program?"

"I've been training for two years, and now
I want to get serious about it. What sort of
workout should I follow?"

"I only have dumbbells and an exercise
bench? Can you give me a good workout?"

"I want to use barbells, dumbbells and
sandbags, but I don't know how to work
them into a program without over-training.
Can you give me a good workout?"

"I need a good bulking up program. Can
you help me? What should I do?"

"I want to train on Olympic lifting. Can you
give me a program?"

"I need something to build all-around
strength, muscle mass and really good
condition. Can you give me a workout?"

"I can only train three days a week for
about 45 minutes. What should I do?"

"I need a two-day a week program. Do
you have one you like?"

"I need a good program for powerlifting.
Can you give me one?"

And so on.

Now, these are all good questions, and
I'd love to be able to answer them all -
but it takes time, and I'm awfully busy.

So I thought I'd put together a book that
gives you a bunch of different workouts,
with detailed. step by step instructions on
how to do them.

The result was Chalk and Sweat.

50 different workouts, using a variety of
different kinds of equipment. Training
programs for beginners, intermediates
and advanced Dinos. Special programs
for building maximum strength and
muscle mass with leg and back
specialization workouts.

I was looking at it the other day, and I
thought, "This is better than I
remembered!"

Many of you already have a copy of the
little monster. If you do, pick it up and
take a look -- you'll probably see
something you missed the first time
you read it.

If you don't have a copy, you're missing a
great little book with a ton of terrific
workouts and training tips. So go here
to grab a copy:

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

By the way, Workout No. 41 is a pretty
good one for advanced Dinos looking to
build some serious strength and mass.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

2.  My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If something
is worth doing, it's worth learning how to
do it right." -- Brooks Kubik

If you enjoyed this Blog post, you'll love my Dinosaur Training books and courses. You can get them in PDF and hard-copy editions at my website or in Kindle editions at Amazon. 

For a complete list of my Kindle books, go here: http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html

"Would this Work?" He Asked

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Things have been moving at warp speed
here at Dino Headquarters.

We got the copies of my new "How Strong
Are You?" course from the printer, and we've
been stuffing envelopes and shooting them
out into the mail ever since.

We still have some more to pack and ship
today, so today will be busy as well.

A number of Dinos have already grabbed
and read the e-book version of the course,
and we're getting great feedback from them.
It looks like another home run.

The little monster made it into the Amazon
Top 10 in its category -- proving that there is
more of an interest in old-school, real world
strength training than I ever imagined.

Anyhow, if you've been waiting to grab the
course, do it now -- and then come back
and keep on reading, because we're going
to cover some important information:

a. For hard-copy, go here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html

b. For Kindle e-book, go here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html

On the training front, I'm getting a ton of
questions from Dinos about doing total body
workouts two or three times a week.

By total body, they mean five to ten different
exercises, including squats, deadlifts, and upper
body exercises in each workout.

"Would it work?" they ask.

And the answer is -- it depends.

Total body workouts are great for beginners.
It lets them do the same exercises often enough
to learn how to perform them properly and
efficiently. And beginners are not strong enough
to outrun their recovery ability with a total
body session. So for beginners, a total body
workout is an excellent idea.

For intermediates and advanced trainees, things
are different.

Intermediate and advanced trainees are strong
enough to handle weights that are so heavy that
it becomes very difficult to recover from a total
body workout.

You also have the problem of doing more sets
as you grow stronger -- because you need to
do more progressively heavier warm-up sets to
get to your working weight -- and that means
the workout grows longer and longer.

As I've often noted, I hit a pleateau in my 20's
where I could not gain an ounce of muscle or
add any weight to the bar no matter how hard
I tried.

At the time, I was doing a nine exercise total
body workout three times a week. I did 5 x 5
on almost all of the exercises. And I did squats
and deadlifts in every workout -- which really
over-trained my lower back.

I switched to abbreviated training and a divided
workout schedule, and made enormous progress,
both in strength and muscle mass.

I cover the details in Strength, Muscle and Power
and in Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, Exercises,
Workouts and Training Programs. If you're thinking
about a total body workout, you ought to give them
a read. What you learn might save you years of
wasted training.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day. If you train today, make it a good one. In the
meantime, I'm going to get back to packing orders
for the new course!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab Strength, Muscle and Power:

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

P.S. 2. For Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1, go here:

a.  Hard-copy

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

b. Kindle e-book

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.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: "What works best in your
training will change over time. That often takes a long
time to understand." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Does this Sound like YOU?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Paul Murray shot in a great response
to yesterday's email about John Grimek's
backyard barbell gym -- and about Grimek
training alone in the wee hours of the
morning.

See if this sounds a little like YOU.
I know it sounds a lot like ME -- and
a lot like many Dinosaurs.

Paul wrote: 

"There was a time when I had all the
"advantages".

I had a lots of people to train with,
good, motivated, serious people.

I trained in wonderful gyms in locales
over half the world.

I personally had, or had at gyms, all
kinds of equipment.

I had lots of personal time to train,
and did so, morning and night.

But my training (and my maturity) went
to the next level when:

I started training alone;

I quit all the gyms;

I reduced equipment to the basics (bench,
bb, db, and rack);

I had little time to train due to outside
responsibilities (work and family).

Go figure. Best always. PM

P.S. As Draper says, the secret is, there
is no secret.

P.P.S. As Murray says, the more advanced
I became, the simpler (not easier) it got.
(Or maybe it's the other way around: the
simpler it got, the more I could advance?)"

Paul -- thanks for sharing. You said it
pretty darn well.

Everyone else -- 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 nothing more basic than
lifting a heavy barbell over your head --
and here's a great course on old-school
military pressing and shoulder power:

http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.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: "The secret of
training is training." -- Brooks Kubik

How to Stay Two Steps Ahead of Father Time!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of our older (age 60 or so) Dinos
had a question.

He's been training for pretty much his
entire life, he's in good health, and
he's always been pretty strong. He's
still pretty strong -- for example,
he pulls 405 pounds for two sets of
five reps in the deadlift.

He asked if he can expect BIG GAINS
given his current strength level, his
forty-plus years of training and his
age.

The answer depends on what you mean by
BIG GAINS.

If you're talking about adding fifty
pounds of muscle and hundreds of pounds
to your squat, bench press, and deadlift
(and fifty or more pounds to your press),
then, no, it's not going to happen.

Not after forty or fifty years of training.

The younger guys -- especially the newbies
or the guys who are new to serious Dino-style
training -- can do it. But the veterans have
already made those kind of fast, flashy
gains. They did it when they were coming
up the ladder.

An older lifter with many years of lifting
experience can make good gains, but they'll
be slower.

But for an older lifter, slow but steady
progress is pretty impressive.

Why?

Because most people stop training in their
teens or twenties. If you keep on training,
you are doing way better than most -- and
by age 50 or 60 you'll be so far ahead of
the other guys your age that's not even a
close contest.

I mean, just look at the other guys.

You look down, see a heavy barbell, and lift
it.

They look down, see nothing but a big belly,
and waddle off to the dinner table for a
couple of Blimpo Burgers, a double order of
Triple Size Me Fries and some sort of death
by sugar cola drink.

If they're SKINNY older guys instead of FAT
older guys, then the difference is this:

You toss heavy iron around like it was made
out of feathers.

They'd struggle to lift the feathers.

That's a pretty big difference -- and it's a
pretty good reason to keep on training. Your
training is what got you where you are today
(light years ahead of your peers), and it's
what's going to keep you there.

In my book, the gains you make in your fifties
and sixties -- or beyond -- are the ones that
count the most.

So whatever your age, keep on lifting -- and
keep on staying strong!

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 best book ever written about
serious strength training and muscle building
for older lifters:

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

P.S. 2. Many older trainees like to combine
weight training  and bodyweight training -- and
they love the bodyweight exercises and workouts
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "The best way to stay
ahead of Father Time is to outlift him." -- Brooks
Kubik

From Mouse to Moose to Megasaurus!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I get tons of questions from readers
who ask me to outline a training program
for them. I'd love to be able to answer all
of these emails, but I can't. There are way
too many of them, and I'd spend all day doing
nothing but writing programs.

So I came up with a way to solve the problem.

I wrote a book that gives you 50 different
training programs.

The title of the book is CHALK AND SWEAT. I
chose the title because the workouts in the
book are Dino style workouts. When you're
finished with one of them, you're going to
be covered in chalk and sweat.

I began with 10 progressively more difficult
programs for beginners. So if you're a beginner,
you start with one of the easier programs, and
follow it for 6 to 8 weeks. Then you move on to
one of the next programs in the the beginner's
section. Follow that for 6 to 8 weeks. And then
move on to one of the other programs for beginners,
and hit that one for 6 to 8 weeks.

At that point, you'll be showing some really good
progress -- and you'll be ready for more difficult
programs.

So I included 10 different programs for
intermediates.

After you train on a few of the intermediate
programs (for 6 to 8 weeks per program), you'll
be ready for some even more demanding programs --
so I included 10 programs for advanced trainees.

It's a simple, sure-fire way to take you from
beginner -- to intermediate -- to advanced.

But what do you do after you've worked up to
the advanced programs and trained on a few of
them for 6 to 8 weeks per program?

How about going on a specialization program to
build maximum muscle mass and maximum strength
and power?

You guessed it -- I included 20 different programs
to help you build maximum muscle mass, maximum
strength, and maximum power.

You do it with leg specialization programs and
with back specialization programs. I included 10
of each -- and I teach you how to use them for
maximum results as quickly and efficiently as
possible.

So if you want to go from mouse to moose
to megasaurus, CHALK AND SWEAT will teach
you how to do it.

I tried to make the book work for everyone. It
includes programs you can follow at any decently
equipped commercial gym or school weight room --
or in your home gym. It includes programs for
those who enjoy Olympic lifting -- for those
who enjoy powerlifting -- for those who enjoy
strongman training -- for those who enjoy
bodyweight workouts -- and for those who like
to mix things up.

So nowadays, when someone asks me to give them
a workout, I tell them I already gave them 50
workouts. They're right there in CHALK AND
SWEAT -- and if you're looking for some serious
gains, this is the answer.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Go here to grab your copy of CHALK AND
SWEAT -- and get ready for some great workouts
and some great gains:

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

P.S. Save some clams on s&h by ordering two or more
Dinosaur Training products at the same time:

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

Something for Everyone!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We're heading into the Holiday season, and
I'm getting lots of "What should I get?"
questions.

Meaning that someone looks at all of the
different books and courses -- and DVD's --
that we offer here at Dino Headquarters, and
they want to know which to grab first.

So I thought I'd cover that topic and give
you some guidance.

Let me begin with something that tends to fly
under the radar screen. It's a 354 page book
called STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER. I chose the
title because the book tells you how to build
exactly that. And it contains material for
trainees at all levels, from beginners to
intermediates to advanced lifters -- so there's
quite literally something for everyone.

Just take a peek at the table of contents:

1. Abbreviated Training Works!

2. Power Rack Training for Advanced Gains, Pt. 1

3. Power Rack Training for Advanced Gains, Part 2

4. Sensible Training for Advanced Lifters, Pt. 1

5. Sensible Training for Advanced Lifters, Pt. 2

6. How to Design a Productive Training Program,
Pt. 1

7. How to Design a Productive Training Program,
Pt. 2

8. How to Design a Productive Training Program,
Pt. 3

9. Rest-Pause Training, Pt. 1

10. Rest-Pause Training, Pt. 2

11. Body Part Specialization, Pt. 1

12. Body Part Specialization, Pt. 2

13. There Are No Hopeless Cases!

14. In Praise of Cellar Dwellers

15. A Hodgepodge of Training Advice

16. Ultra-abbreviated Strength Training Routines

17. Simplify -- Simplify -- Simplify!

18. The Essence of Strength

19. Believe in Yourself!

20. Scotland in a Barrel

21. One on One with Arthur Saxon

22. Finishers

23. Thick Bar Training

24. The One Hand Deadlift

25. An Island Gym

26. Goerner's Deadlift Variations

27. Barbell Basics

28. Another Abbreviated Training Program

29. Some Closing Remarks

As you can see, that's a ton of information -- and
it gives you MANY different ways to build strength,
muscle and power. And that's important -- because
when it comes to strength training, there's no one
size fits all program. Most people need to try
different approaches before they find what works
best for them -- and that's exactly why STRENGTH,
MUSCLE AND POWER is such a valuable book.

As I said, it tends to fly under the radar screen --
and some of you may not even have known it existed --
but it's a great book for anyone interested in real
world, no-nonsense, EFFECTIVE training programs.

As always, thanks for reading -- and if you train
today (as I will), make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. You can find STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER here:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- Dinosaur Training
DVD's -- and the Dinosaur Files newsletter -- are here:

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

P.S. 3. "Learn to be your own coach. Study different
training methods, and read as much as you can about
real world strength training, but think for yourself.
Use the exercises, weight, sets and reps that work best
for YOU based on your past experience." -- Brooks Kubik

The Problem with Super Programs

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In yesterday's radio interview on SuperHuman
Radio I answered training questions from
readers and listeners. It was a pretty good
show. If you missed it, head over to the
SuperHuman radio (or my Facebook page -- or
Carl Lanore's Facebook page) and listen to
the download.

One of the questions was from a reader who
did a Bulgarian style program where he did
a max in the squat, deadlift and overhead
press TWICE every day for five or six days
a week.

He said he did well for about five weeks,
and then he crashed and burned.

And that's a story that I've seen and heard
so many times over the past 30 or 40 years
that if I had a penny for every time I heard
it I could pile them up one on top of the
other until they reached the moon -- or
possibly even Mars.

EVERYBODY has done it. EVERYBODY has tried
some variation of the latest and greatest
super program -- and it worked great for a
short period of time and then they burned
out.

It's even happened to guys who know better.

I know a man who wrote great training articles,
with real world, no-nonsense training advice.
Lots of basic exercises, squats, deadlifts,
presses, bench presses, rowing, etc. 3x per
week programs using divided workout schedules.
For the most part, multiple sets of low reps.
Good stuff. Much like Dino training. (No, it
wasn't me -- I've made plenty of mistakes over
the years, but this story is about someone
else.)

Anyhow, when he was younger, he corresponded
(by letter -- this was before the days of
email) -- with ANOTHER top writer and expert --
and this man suggested that he train five or
six days per week on a program that included
some form of heavy pressing every day.

My friend tried that program as a young lifter.
He did standing presses, presses from eye-level
in the rack, lockout presses in the rack, incline
presses, bench presses, behind the neck presses,
close grip bench presses, dumbbell presses,
dumbbell bench presses -- you name it, if it
was a heavy duty pressing movement, he did it.

And remember -- he trained 5 or 6 days per
week -- he hit a pressing movement every day --
and he worked really hard and really heavy.

It worked great for about five weeks.

And then he crashed and burned.

Big time crash and burn. he was so stale and
burnt out that it took months to work back up
to his top lifts.

He went back to a more sensible program -- with
rest days -- and he started to feel better, and
then he started to grow again, and he started to
get bigger and stronger -- and finally, after a
number of months, he was back to where he had
been BEFORE he started the super program.

A couple of years later, he hit a plateau in his
training and remembered the super program -- so
he tried it again.

Same result. Five weeks of good progress -- and
then the crash and burn -- and then massive
staleness -- and he lost everything he had
worked so hard to gain.

Believe it or not, this happened to him
several more times.

You see, that super program SOUNDED so perfect --
so compelling -- so "It's got to work!" -- that he
kept on trying it over and over again -- even
AFTER he had tried it and failed, tried it and
failed, tried it and failed.

And that's what happens with the super programs.

They SOUND great.

But they don't work. They don't deliver. They
just burn you out.

In all of my books and courses I emphasize HARD
WORK and PROGRESSIVE POUNDAGES. I advocate the
use of the BIG exercises. There's nothing EASY
about my training methods.

But I also do something else. I give you training
programs that allow plenty of time for recovery
and recuperation. They're not super programs --
they're real world, real life training programs
for real people.

And unlike the super programs, Dino programs really
work.

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 about hard, heavy but SENSIBLE strength
training and muscle building, grab any of my books and
courses -- and subscribe to the Dinosaur Files
newsletter:

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

P.S. 2 The new Dino Training muscle shirts have been
flying out the door. You can grab yours right here:

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

Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter -- Which Are You?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you missed yesterday’s email message, Happy New Year!

It’s 2011 – another year made to order for great workouts, great lifting and great results.

In that regard, I’ve been receiving tons of training questions from readers. Here’s one of the most common questions over the past couple of weeks.

“Your new book, Chalk and Sweat, has training programs for beginners, intermediates and advanced lifters. How do I know which category I fall into?”

BEGINNERS

If you’ve never trained before, or you used to train but you haven’t done so for a long time, you’re a beginner.

If you’ve been working out, but not using basic, compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and presses, then you’re a beginner as far as the workouts in Chalk and Sweat are concerned.

Chalk and Sweat has ten different training programs for beginners. They feature different exercises and different types of equipment, and some are more difficult than others. A true beginner – no training at all – should start on one of the easier programs and follow it for 4 to 6 weeks in order to get started. Then he can try one of the other programs for 4 to 6 weeks.

If a beginner worked his way through 4 or 5 of the beginner programs, training progressively and adding weight to the bar on a regular basis, he’d be ready for one of the ten intermediate schedules in the book.

If you’re not sure where to start, and you’re not very experienced in training, then follow one of the beginner programs. It’s much better to start out light and easy and progress from there than to jump into a program that is too advanced and too strenuous and do the crash and burn thing.

As I’ve said many times, strength training is a life-long pursuit. You’re in it for the long haul. It doesn’t matter where you start – what matters is where you finish. And the best way to finish strong is to begin at the right place – with a program that is fun, interesting and progressive – NOT a program that knocks you flat on your you know what. THAT kind of program is for later on, when you’re more experienced.

INTERMEDIATES

An intermediate is someone who can move respectable weight in PERFECT FORM for SETS AND REPS in the basic compound exercises.

Something like this – in strict form, performed as part of your regular workouts:

1. Squat 2-3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with bodyweight

2. Deadlift 2 -3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 20 pounds over bodyweight

3. Standing (Military) press 2 -3 sets of 5 reps with 60 percent of bodyweight

4. Bench press 2 -3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 80 percent of bodyweight

5. Barbell bent-over row 2 – 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 70 percent of bodyweight

In addition, an intermediate is someone who has been training regularly and progressively for a period of at least three months, and who can handle three hard weekly workouts of 45 to 75 minutes without undue fatigue. In other words, an intermediate is in good lifting condition.

The above numbers are not exact because there are many individual factors that come into play here. These are ballpark numbers. General guidelines. Rules of thumb.

ADVANCED LIFTERS

An advanced lifter can do the following in strict style as part of his regular workouts:

1. Squat 2 - 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with bodyweight plus 50 to 75 pounds

2. Deadlift 2 – 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with bodyweight plus 100 pounds

3. Standing (Military) press 2 – 3 sets of 5 reps with 80 percent of bodyweight

4. Bench press 2 – 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with bodyweight plus 20 pounds

5. Barbell bent-over row 2 – 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 90 percent of bodyweight

In addition, an advanced lifter will have at least one year of regular, progressive training under his belt, and will be in excellent condition for lifting. This is a MINIMUM, and for many of you, it’s going to be more like two or three years before you reach advanced status.

And once again, the above numbers are ballpark – so treat them as general guidelines.

Note that you may find it easy to reach intermediate or advanced status in some exercises, and more difficult in others. This is the result of past training and individual differences. Some people are naturally stronger in certain exercises.

That should help decide where you are now – beginner, intermediate or advanced – and it should help give you some training goals for the coming year. I want all beginners to move up to intermediate status in 2011 – and all intermediates to move up to advanced status.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day – and if you train today, make it a good one! Remember, you achieve success from one good workout after another.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik


P.S. Dinosaur Training books and courses – and the Dinosaur Files monthly newsletter -- will take you to the top of the iron mountain in 2011:

1. Chalk and Sweat: Dinosaur Training Workouts for Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced Lifters – the brand new book from Dino Headquarters, and already a huge hit with Dinos around the world:

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

2. The Dinosaur Files newsletter – 20 pages, hard copy, mailed to you monthly, with great photos and full of terrific training articles. Sub now, and ask me to start your subscription as of May 2010 so that you don’t miss an issue of this great newsletter:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html

3. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development – the book that started the Dinosaur Revolution – the book they call “the bible of strength training”:

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

4. Strength, Muscle and Power – a great new book from Dinosaur Headquarters – it’s an encyclopedia of strength training and muscle building secrets – with dozens of hard-hitting, no nonsense training programs for cellar-dwellers and garage gorillas of all ages:

http://brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

5. Gray Hair and Black Iron: Secrets of Successful Strength Training for Older Lifters – the first book ever written about serious strength training for older lifters – featuring more than 50 workouts specially designed for older lifters:

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

6. History’s Strongest Men and How They trained – Vol 1: Doug Hepburn. A big 32 page training course covering the life and lifting – and the training programs – of the Canadian Hercules, Doug Hepburn:

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