Sets and Reps for Back Training (Part 2)

Rich Abbott hitting a Master's record in the deadlift. This is what a lifetime of hard, regular, consistent training can do for you.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Let's continue with my series of
training tips based on Bradley J.
Steiner's preferred exercises, sets
and reps for what he called THE
POWER ZONES.

We covered sets and reps for
pressing, squatting, power cleans,
power snatches and barbell bent-
over rowing last week. Now let's
continue with deadlifting and
high pulls.

Bent-legged Deadlifts

4 x 6

or

5 x 5

or

4 x 5

For working up to a max
single:

1 x 6

1 x 5

1 x 3

1 x 2

1 x 1

1 x 1

Stiff legged deadlifts

2 x 10 - 12

or

3 x 8

or

1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 5 (add weight on
each set)

Note: Steiner did not believe it was
necessary to do limit singles in the
stiff legged deadlift - and I agree.

Steiner also thought it was easy to
overtrain the low back by training
exclusively with bent-legged dead-
lifts. he preferred to mix things up,
which is why he suggested doing
power cleans, power snatches,
high pulls, and stiff legged
deadlifts,

Of course, you wouldn't do all of
these in one workout - or even
in the same program.

The point was, don't rely exclusively
on the bent-legged deadlift for
building back power.

High pulls

Note that you can do high pulls with
a clean grip or a snatch grip, which-
ever you prefer. Of course, it's best
to do both - clean grip in one work-
out, and snatch grip in the next.

Beginners -

3 x 6

Advanced trainees -

1 x 6

1 x 4

1 x 3

1 x 3

1 x 2

(Add weight on each set.)

That finishes up the advice on sets
and reps for back exercises. We'll
talk about Steiner's advice on sets
and reps for bench pressing in
another email. Be looking for it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Another terrific option for
training the back is old-school
dumbbell training - the kind I
teach in this little monster:

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

P.S. 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

"No one ever said it was easy, and
if they did, they lied."

- Brooks Kubik

 

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Effective Sets and Reps for Training the Back (Part 1)

Weightlifter Bernie Barron shows the look of power as he completes a heavy jerk. This photo is from 1940, and shows the kind of all-natural, drug-free strength and development the old-timers built with basic barbell and dumbbell training.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

My emails about Brad Steiner's old-

school ideas for training the Power

Zones are starting to turn into a

little book for you - and I hope

you're enjoying it!

Here are Steiner's thoughts on

the most effective set/rep systems

for his favorite back exercises for

strength and power training.

Note that he gave two different

options - one for what he called

"general development" (meaning

a high level of strength, muscular

development and conditioning) -

and the other for what he called

"power bodybuilding" (meaning

maximum strength and muscular

development).

Also note that Steiner recommended

different sets and reps for different

exercises - something that was quite

common in old-school workouts, but

which trainees seem to have

forgotten today.

People tend to think there is ONE

system of sets and reps that works

best for ALL exercises - and that's

just not true.

1. Power cleans

For general development -

2 x 10

For power bodybuilding -

5 x 5 or 4 x 6

For working up to a max

single -

1 x 6

1 x 6

1 x 4

1 x 3

1 x 2

1 x 1

1 x 1

2. Barbell bent-over rowing

For general development -

2 or 3 x 8-10

For power bodybuilding -

5 x5 or 5 x 6

or

1 x 8, 1 x 6, and 3 x 5

Steiner did not believe there was

value in doing singles in the bent-

over row. (I agree.)

3. Power snatches

For a basic, heavy workout:

1 or 2 x 6 (warm-up)

1 x 6

1 x 5

1 x 3

1 x 1

For advanced power training:

5 x 5

We'll cover Steiner's remaining back

exercises in my a follow-up email.

Be looking for it.

In the meantime, here's a great

little book that gives you tons of

information about old-school

training - and gives you 50

different workouts:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

 
BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

The Power Zones

 

Reg Park built tremendous strength and enormous muscle mass by specializing on the Power Zones.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

Today is the last day of our big t-shirt sale - so if you want one, place your order right now!

1. Last Chance for T-Shirts!

The big sale for our new Dinosaur
Training t-shirts ends today - and
we won't take any more shirt
orders after the sale is over.

So if you want one, go here and
grab it now:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-tshirt.html

If you have any questions, or
if you want the best rate for
shipping on an international
order, shoot me an email.

John Grimek in his greatest pose. At the time he won the Mr. America contest, and for a number of years before, Grimek trained exclusively on old-school weightlifting NOT on bodybuilding workouts.

2. The Power Zones

Brad Steiner was one of the most
popular Iron Game authors of the
1960's, 1970's and 1980's.

He wrote about basic exercises,
and old-school strength training.

He advocated hard work on the
BIG exercises, three times a week,
for about an hour a workout.

Steiner emphasized training the
Power Zones.

He said that by specializing on the
Power Zones, you could transform
yourself into a human Hercules.

What were the Power Zones?

Steiner described them as follows:

1. The legs and hips

2. The back

3. The shoulder girdle

4. The chest area

Steiner always taught his readers
to focus on these four areas.

To train them hard and heavy.

To train them progressively.

To aim for maximum development
in these four areas.

Tomorrow I'll talk a bit about how
Steiner trained these four areas. Be
looking for it.

In the meantime, don't forge to
grab yourself a couple of our new
Dinosaur Training t-shirts - and
remember, today's the last
day to place your order:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-tshirt.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 2)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our Kindle E-Books.

We have over a dozen e-books available on
Amazon's Kindle site, and they're very popular.
Almost all of them have been in one or more
Top 10 Lists for Kindle books in their category,
and about half of them have been No. 1 in
their category.

Here are two of our most popular Kindle e-books:

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

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

You can find links to the others at our products
page:

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

We'll continue to put more material up there on
Kindle throughout the year. Be looking for it!

Important -- note that you can download a free
app to read Kindle books on any device -- so
you can read our books even if you don't
have a Kindle device.

2.  Another great e-book!

My buddy John Wood has a terrific e-book on
Kindle -- a modern reprint of Sig Klein's very
rare hand-balancing course. Klein was one of
the best hand-balancers of all time, and it
contributed mightily to his world record in
the military press -- so this is a gold mine
mine for Dinos:

http://www.amazon.com/Try-Hand-Balancing-Updated-Annotated-Edition-ebook/dp/B00LYM5I6E

3. The July Dino Files.

Is available in PDF format right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_july2016.html

We'll get the Kindle edition up  as soon as
we can. I'll send an email when it's ready.

4. Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 2).

On the training front, let's continue our
discussion of how to build the muscles of
posture.

The Hise shrug is excellent for the traps --
and for all of the muscles of posture.

You'll work up to heavy weights in this
one, but form is more important than
weight -- especially at the beginning!

Do it in a power rack.

Set the pins so you can dip down and get
under the bar in the quarter squat position.
Flat back is very important, of course.

Get set, and stand up with the bar high
on your shoulders -- as if you were going to
do high bar squats.

Stand straight. Don't round the shoulders.
Don't look down. Don't bend forward. All
of that defeats the entire purpose of the
exercise.

Now stand tall -- and take a huge, enormous,
rib-stretching breath -- and expand your lungs
to the utmost -- and as you do so, shrug your
shoulders as h-i-g-h as you can.

Try to touch your shoulders to your ears.
You won't be able to do it -- but try!

Pause in the top position with the lungs expanded
to the max and the shoulders as high as possible.

Slowly exhale, lowering the shoulders as you
do so.

Pause at the bottom -- and then repeat.

Make each rep a slow, deliberate, perfect
movement.

Try 5 x 5, 3 x 10 or 1 x 20. 10/8/6 also is
good.

If you want to do rest-pause reps, that's fine.

If you prefer to do singles, that's fine, too.

They all work -- and they're all good.

Do very light breathing pullovers after each
set (or series) of shrugs.

Joe Hise originated this neat little exercise.
He used it for chest expansion and gaining
weight -- but it's a terrific exercise for the
traps and other muscles of the upper back.
For some trainees, it's the best possible
exercise for the traps.

Start light and learn the movement -- add
weight slowly and sensibly -- gradually work
up to some serious iron.

Let me repeat that - START LIGHT! You
can work up to heavy iron in this exercise,
but do it gradually and progressively.

Have fun, and report on your 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. Any of the 20 leg and back specialization
programs in Chalk and Sweat would be great
for the muscles of posture:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
the Dinosaur Files quarterly -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are available right here at Dino
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for latitude as
well as longitude." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 1)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our Kindle e-books

Our e-books seem to be taking over the world.
We have over a dozen of them on Kindle now,
and most of them have been Kindle Best Sellers.
We've even had days where two or three of
them are in the Top 10 list. And many of them
have made it all the way to No. 1 in their
category at the Kindle bookstore.

That's amazing, because they deliver the same
sort of hard-nosed, tell it like is, straight from
the shoulder training advice that you find in our
hard-copy books and courses. And yet -- we're
beating the mainstream silly stuff.

It's both amazing and encouraging. Maybe there
are more Dinos out there than we knew.

Here are links to two of our most popular
Kindle e-books:

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

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

You can find links to the others at our products
page:

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

We'll continue to put more material up there on
Kindle throughout the year. Be looking for it!

2. The Dinosaur Files

The PDF version of the July Dino Files is
ready to go:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_july2016.html

We'll put the Kindle edition up as soon
as we can. I'll send an email when it's
ready.

3. Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 1)

And now -- let's talk training.

Yesterday we were talking about the muscles
of posture -- the spinal erectors and the upper
back muscles -- including the traps.

Here's one of my favorites to work the heck
out of them. It's one of the best I ever did
for the traps.

It's the partial deadlift from blocks or in the
power rack.

But here's the kicker.

Finish the exercise by shrugging as high as
you can -- which might not be very high at
all -- in fact, the bar might not even move.

With a truly heavy weight, you might pull
the bar up and try as hard as you can to
shrug it even higher -- and the bar might
move half an inch -- or a quarter of an inch --
or not at all -- or it might press down on
you as if it were the weight of the earth,
and you might actually feel that it's starting
to slip down even as you try to shrug it up.

But shrug upward with all your might -- and
hold that shrug position (whatever it is) for
the count.

Lower slowly and under control, get set, and
repeat.

How long do you hold the *top* position?

At least two seconds -- and five seconds is
better.

Or do 5/4/3/2/1 -- five seconds on the first
rep, and one second less on each of the
following reps.

Start light, add weight on each set, and work
up to one to three to five sets with your top
weight for the day.

Don't go too heavy the first time or you'll
end up so sore you won't be able to move
very well for a few days.

But after a month or so of break-in training,
you can start going heavier -- and you can
work up to some BIG weights.

Grip is a challenge on this exercise. Use a
reverse grip and alternate your hands from
set to set.  If you prefer straps and an over-
hand grip, that's okay, too.

And yes, it works with your choice of a
regular bar or a Trap Bar. If you use a
Trap Bar, use blocks to position the weight
where you want it.

The only draw-back is this -- after a few
months of working this exercise hard, you'll
probably need a new wardrobe. But
that's part of the game, isn't 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. The one-hand deadlift is another good
exercise for the muscles of posture. I cover
it in detail -- along with lots of other great
exercises and workout ideas -- in Strength,
Muscle and Power:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stand tall and
lift heavy." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Exercises for Great Backs -- And Some Advice that Helped Save My Life!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The July 1970 issue of Peary Rader's IronMan
magazine had a ton of great articles --
including "Exercises for Great Backs" by
Bradley J. Steiner.

It was part of Steiner's famous four-part
series on "The Essential Exercises" -- and
it was a real eye-opener for a 12-year old
kid named Brooks Kubik.

Steiner was 100% old-school in his exercise
choices -- and his recomendations were VERY
different than what most people were doing
or advocating.

But, of course, his ideas worked. In fact,
they worked GREAT!

I read that article over and over until I
almost memorized it. To this day, 45 years
later, I can still tell you every exercise that
Steiner suggested -- and I can tell you some
exercises that he decided were only second-
best -- and some of the exercises on the "do"
and "don't do" list will surprise you.

In addition, Steiner suggested one exercise
that just might save your life someday. It's
an exercise for the neck -- and back then,
very few Iron Game authors bothered to
mention neck training, much less teach
their readers how to do it safely and
effectively.

In fact, many authors of the day told
their readers NOT to train the neck --
because a small neck would make their
arms and shoulders look bigger!!!

I thought it over and decided that the
"small neck is good" argument was a
very large barrel of hog-wash. So I
ignored it.

I followed Steiner's advice, and I trained
my neck hard. And seven years later, I
was in a horrendous auto accident -- a
head on collision with me driving a
Pinto station wagon and the other guy
driving a Thunderbird.

For the record, a Pinto station wagon
was a very bad vehicle to be driving
if you get into a high speed head on
collision.

Especially if the other guy is driving one
of those old model T-birds. Those things
were built like tanks.

He fell asleep at the wheel right as we
both went into a curve on a country
road in southwestern Ohio late at
night.

I was going about 60 miles an hour. He
was probably doing the same.

He moved right into my lane at exactly
the moment that our cars were about
to pass each other -- and pieces of my
little Pinto ended up scattered through
the corn fields on both sides of the
road.

To say it was totalled would be an
understatement. It was hard to tell
it had been a car. It looked like a
tin can that had been smashed with
a heavy hammer a couple of times.

The steering wheel was bent to a
90 degree angle -- and one of the
tires ended up a couple of hundred
feet down the road.

But I lived through it. In fact, I walked
away from the accident.

All I had were cuts and scratches from
the broken glass.

No broken bones. No soft tissue injuries.
No whiplash. No concussion.

And that was due in part to reading
Steiner's article in that old issue of
IronMan -- and doing a lot of serious
neck training because Steiner said to
do it.

I was thinking about this today because
that old issue of IronMan is now available
at The Iron League member site.

And not just Steiner's article.

The whole issue.

Along with a a ton of other great old-time
books, courses and magazines.

And more is being added all the time.
Go ahead and scoot on over and take a
look at what's available. I guarantee you
will see things you've never seen before --
and things you're going to want to read:

http://www.ironleague.com/

One of our fellow Dinosaurs has called
The Iron League the "Library of Congress
of Strength." That's a good name for it.

And who knows -- some 12 year old kid
might join The Iron League and read that
old article by Brad Steiner -- and he might
start training his neck -- and it just might
save his life someday.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Training the Muscles of Posture (Part 2)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Three quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our New E-Books

We have two e-books available on Amazon's
Kindle site, and they're getting great reviews.

Both are certified top 10 best-sellers in their
category at the Amazon site, which is more
than a little amazing. Go here to grab the
little monsters -- and please post a review:

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

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

Important -- note that you can download a free
app to read Kindle books on any device -- so
you can read our courses even if you don't
have a Kindle device.

2. Dinosaur Podcast Today!

I'll be a guest on Ken O'Neill's Trans-Evolutionary
Fitness Radio today. Listen live at 12:00 EST, or
catch the download later on:

http://superhumanradio.com/

3. Another great e-book

My buddy John Wood has a terrific e-book on
Kindle -- a modern reprint of Sig Klein's very
rare hand-balancing course. Klein was one of
the best hand-balancers of all time, and it
contributed mightily to his world record in
the military press -- so this is a gold mine
mine for Dinos:

http://www.amazon.com/Try-Hand-Balancing-Updated-Annotated-Edition-ebook/dp/B00LYM5I6E

On the training front, let's continue our
discussion of how to build the muscles of
posture.

The Hise shrug is excellent for the traps --
and for all of the muscles of posture.

You'll work up to heavy weights in this
one, but form is more important than
weight -- especially at the beginning!

Do it in a power rack.

Set the pins so you can dip down and get
under the bar in the quarter squat position.

Flat back is very important, of course.

Get set, and stand up with the bar high
on your shoulders -- as if you were going to
do high bar squats.

Stand straight. Don't round the shoulders.
Don't look down. Don't bend forward. All
of that defeats the entire purpose of the
exercise.

Now stand tall -- and take a huge, enormous,
rib-stretching breath -- and expand your lungs
to the utmost -- and as you do so, shrug your
shoulders as h-i-g-h as you can.

Try to touch your shoulders to your ears.

You won't be able to do it -- but try!

Pause in the top position with the lungs expanded
to the max and the shoulders as high as possible.

Slowly exhale, lowering the shoulders as you
do so.

Pause at the bottom -- and then repeat.

Make each rep a slow, deliberate, perfect
movement.

Try 5 x 5, 3 x 10 or 1 x 20. 10/8/6 also is
good.

If you want to do rest-pause reps, that's fine.
If you prefer to do singles, that's fine, too.

They all work -- and they're all good.

Do very light breathing pullovers after each
set (or series) of shrugs.

Joe Hise originated this neat little exercise.
He used it for chest expansion and gaining
weight -- but it's a terrific exercise for the
traps and other muscles of the upper back.

For some trainees, it's the best possible
exercise for the traps.

Start light and learn the movement -- add
weight slowly and sensibly -- gradually work
up to some serious iron.

Have fun, and report on your results!

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, stay warm --
and make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Any of the 20 leg and back specialization
programs in Chalk and Sweat would be great
for the muscles of posture:

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
the Dinosaur Files quarterly -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- and shirts and sweatshirts
and hoodies -- are available right here at Dino
Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Train for lattitude as
well as longitude." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Building the Muscles of Posture (Part One)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk training.

1. Our e-books

Our e-books seem to be taking over the world.

We had two e-books in the Amazon top 10 list
in our category yesterday -- and one of them
(our Military Press course in kindle format)
made it all the way up to number 2!

That's amazing, because they deliver the same
sort of hard-nosed, tell it like is, straight from
the shoulder training advice that you find in our
hard-copy books and courses. And yet -- we're
beating the mainstream silly stuff.

It's both amazing and encouraging. Maybe there
are more Dinos out there than we knew.

You can grab our e-books right here:

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

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

We'll continue to put more material up there on
Kindle throughout the year. Be looking for it!

2. The Dinosaur Files quarterly

Issue no. 2 of the Dinosaur Files quarterly
looks GREAT -- go here to grab a copy of the
best strength training and muscle building
journal anywhere:

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

And now -- let's talk training.

Yesterday we were talking about the muscles
of posture -- the spinal erectors and the upper
back muscles -- including the traps.

Here's one of my favorites to work the heck
out of them. It's one of the best I ever did
for the traps.

It's the partial deadlift from blocks or in the
power rack.

But here's the kicker.

Finish the exercise by shrugging as high as
you can -- which might not be very high at
all -- in fact, the bar might not even move.

With a truly heavy weight, you might pull
the bar up and try as hard as you can to
shrug it even higher -- and the bar might
move half an inch -- or a quarter of an inch --
or not at all -- or it might press down on
you as if it were the weight of the earth,
and you might actually feel that it's starting
to slip down even as you try to shrug it up.

But shrug upward with all your might -- and
hold that shrug position (whatever it is) for
the count.

Lower slowly and under control, get set, and
repeat.

How long do you hold the *top* position?

At least two seconds -- and five seconds is
better.

Or do 5/4/3/2/1 -- five seconds on the first
rep, and one second less on each of the
following reps.

Start light, add weight on each set, and work
up to one to three sets with your top weight
for the day.

Don't go too heavy the first time or you'll
end up so sore you won't be able to move
very well for a few days.

But after a month or so of break-in training,
you can start going heavier -- and you can
work up to some BIG weights.

Grip is a challenge on this exercise. Use a
reverse grip and alternate your hands from
set to set.  If you prefer straps and an over-
hand grip, that's okay, too.

And yes, it works with your choice of a
regular bar or a Trap Bar. If you use a
Trap Bar, use blocks to position the weight
where you want it.

The only draw-back is this -- after a few
months of working this exercise hard, you'll
probably need new a new wardrobe. But
that's part of the game, isn't 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. The one-hand deadlift is another good
exercise for the muscles of posture. I cover
it in detail -- along with lots of other great
exercises and workout ideas -- in Strength,
Muscle and Power:

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stand tall and
lift heavy." -- Brooks Kubik

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

Deadlifting Q and A for Dinos!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A reader asked me if he needed to do
any back exercises other than the
deadlift.

So here's the answer.

Yes, you do -- and here's why.

If you want to build maximum muscle
mass from head to toe, the deadlift
is definitely one of the exercises
you should include in your program --
but you also should include barbell
or dumbbell bent-over rowing, pull-ups
or pull-downs, and shoulder shrugs.

You need those exercises because you
need to develop the upper back to the
maximum -- and deadlifts alone won't
do the trick.

Rowing and pull-ups (or pull-downs)
are also important because they help
to work the shoulder girdle from a
variety of different angles -- and
that helps to keep your shoulders
healthy and strong.

If you did nothing but deadlifts and
bench presses, for example -- as some
powerlifters will do -- you often
start to run into shoulder problems
caused by unbalanced shoulder
development.

That's not to say that deadlifts are
not important. They are. It's just
that you should include other basic
back-building exercises, as well.

Of course, there are exceptions to
the rule.

One of them is a deadlift specialization
program. I outline this kind of program
on Chalk and Sweat. It's an advanced
program for advanced trainees, and it's
a SPECIALIZATION program -- which means
you use it for a limited period of time
(usually six weeks to three months) --
and then you go back to a balanced
workout program.

Back in the day, a top strongman went
on a specialized deadlift-only program,
and in a short period of time, gained
something like 20 pounds of muscle and
increased his deadlift to the point
where he was able to set a world record
in the lift.

But he didn't stay on the deadlift program
forever -- he used it for a brief period of
super-intense, focused specialization.

And then he took the strength and muscle
mass he built on the deadlift program,
and used it to build all of his lifts
when he went back to more balanced
workouts.

That's an old-school way of doing things --
and it's a good way of training for 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. You can read more about deadlift
specialization in Chalk and Sweat --
along with plenty of other result-
producing workouts to build maximum
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: "There is a
time and a place for everything under the
sun -- including a time in your training
career to do some serious specialization
on the deadlift." -- Brooks Kubik