A Great New Training Program for 2019!

We've got something fun, new and different for Dinos. Read today's Blog post for the details!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you're looking for a great new
training program for 2019, I've
got just what you need.

It's a brand new Bodyweight Training
course - and you can find it right here -
along with links to some of my other
new courses from earlier in the year:

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

The new course has a ton of info.

Exercises.

Sets and reps.

Special tips on how to modify your
exercises to get maximum benefit
from them.

Fun photos showing some of my
favorite exercises.

Questions and answers.

A special new workout.

A complete 12-week training program
that includes week to week progression.

You start out slow and easy, gradually
ramp things up, and by the end of
the program, you're knocking it out
of the ball park in every workout.

It's a great program - fast, fun
and effective - and I know you're
going to like it.

I also know this.

If you go through the complete 12-
week program, you're going to look
and feel GREAT at the end of the
12 weeks.

Here's the link again - so sprint on
over and grab Dinosaur Strength
and Power Course No. 3:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

A Brand New 12-Week Training Program!

We've got something new and fun for you -with a brand new 12-week training program that's fast, fun and effective!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Earlier today I mentioned that we have
a great new training course for you -
and that we were hoping to launch it
today.

Well, we did!

It's a brand new Bodyweight Training
course - and you can find it right here -
along with links to some of my other
new courses from earlier in the year:

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

This course has a ton of info.

Exercises.

Sets and reps.

Special tips on how to modify your
exercises to get maximum benefit
from them.

Fun photos showing some of my
favorite exercises.

Questions and answers.

A special new workout.

A complete 12-week training program
that includes week to week progression.

You start out slow and easy, gradually
ramp things up, and by the end of
the program, you're knocking it out
of the ball park in every workout.

It's a great program - fast, fun
and effective - and I know you're
going to like it.

I also know this.

If you go through the complete 12-
week program, you're going to look
and feel GREAT at the end of the
12 weeks.

Here's the link again - so sprint on
over and grab Dinosaur Strength
and Power Course No. 3:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The Simplest Bodyweight Program in the World

We have something very, very good for you - and I think you're really going to like it.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

You've probably seen plenty of super-
complicated bodyweight training
programs.

They're all pretty much the same.

They feature exotic exercises.

Exercises with funny names - that you
never saw before.

Super high volume.

Tons of sets and reps.

Movements so difficult, only a world-
class gymnast could perform them.

And sometimes, a bodyweight program
seems to require as much equipment -
or more - than a weight training work-
out.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

One of our Dinos has been getting great
results with a very basic bodyweight
program.

He calls it the Simplest Bodyweight
Workout in the World - and that's a
very good name for it.

Best of all, it's simple, but effective.

It's been working for him for many
years.

Today, in his 50's, it's still working for
him.

In fact, it's working better than ever.

And he's able to do it in his home - no
equipment other than a simple door-way
chinning bar that you can get anywhere
and set up in 5 or 10 minutes. (Or go
to the park - or find a tree with a low-
hanging branch for pull-ups.)

And - get this - it's a two day a week
program.

In other words, it's as close as you can
come to a NO EXCUSES training program
that you can do anytime, anywhere, even
when you're busy as heck and totally
strapped for time.

So it's well-worth checking out - and well
worth adding to your arsenal of great work-
outs.

It's covered in a feature article in the May-
June issue of The Dinosaur Files - which
you can grab right here:



http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html

Check it out - and let me know how
you like it.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The Simplest Bodyweight Workout in the World - and Much More!

The May-June issue of The Dinosaur Files strength training newsletter has some killer articles - including The Simplest Bodyweight Workout in the World.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The May issue of The Dinosaur Files
strength training newsletter ran late,
so we're doing a combined issue for
May and June.

If you're fingers are itching to place
your order and grab the little monster,
here's the link:



http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html

It's an extra big issue with some great
articles, including:


The Simplest Bodyweight Workout
in the World

One Dino’s super-simple bodyweight work-
out - fast, fun and effective – and it really
works!

It's abbreviated - stripped to the essentials -
and very, very good. You'll definitely want
to give it a try.

And, as you might imagine - it's great for
home gym or on the road training.

The Valhalla Challenge

This special Challenge Workout comes
to you straight from the Land of the
Vikings - and you know what that
means!

It's hard, tough and demanding.

Not old-school - but ANCIENT-school.

The exact Challenge the Viking
warriors used to see who was the
strongest of the strong.

It makes a terrific Challenge - and a
super-effective workout for building
all-around, total body strength and
power.

Plus, it's scaled by age - so Dinos of
any age can give it a try.

When Things Don't Go Well

A candid, "from the trenches" article by
a longtime Dino about dealing with - and
overcoming - adversity in life and lifting -
and about staying motivated for training
and gaining as you grow older - something
that speaks to many of us.


The Deadlift from Hell

This comes from one of our many
Dino powerlifting champs - and it's
one of the most interesting and
motivating lifting stories you'll
ever read.

Best of all - it's a true story.

And I guarantee that just reading
it - and thinking about it - will add
some pounds to your own PR in the
deadlift.

Bob Hoffman's Favorite Workout

This is my article for the issue - a
detailed review of Bob Hoffman's
favorite workout.

Exercises.

Sets.

Reps.

How to perform the workout.

The exact weights that Hoffman
used.

Bronze, silver and gold medal
standards if you want to see if
you can go past Hoffman's
numbers.

How to combine the workout
with other training programs.

And best of all - it's perfect for
home gym training.

There's much more, of course,
but those are some of the high-
lights of the May-June issue.

So what are you waiting for?

Go ahead and grab the little
monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html


Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

A Real Life Spiderman

Strength, power and functional fitness  can come in handy when you least expect it. Read today's Blog post for the true story - with a video link - of a real world Spiderman - who happened to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I don't usually share videos from the
web, but this one is an exception.

It shows a real life Spiderman climbing
four stories up the side of a building in
Paris to rescue a little boy who fell off
the balcony of his apartment and was
hanging on for dear life.

If you ever wondered why it's important
to train hard and be ready for anything
life might throw at you, this is why.

https://www.facebook.com/sbsnews/videos/1976891375663835/UzpfSTEwMDAwMTczNTg5MjI0NzoxODY1ODk2MzA2ODExNTQ4/

Let me know what you think!

Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik

P.S. And yes, this is an excellent reason
to do your pull-ups - and to include some
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training in your
workouts:

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

A complete course in old-school body-
weight training - with plenty of killer
exercises - and more than 50 workouts.

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

P.S. Thought for the Day

"Always be ready - for anything."

- Brooks Kubik

How to Deal With Low Energy Days

Everyone has days when it's hard to get started and hard to get going - but there are ways to deal with it. Here's one of them.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's important to get your head into
your training - and to perform your
workouts with total concentration
and deep focus.

But sometimes it's hard to do that.

There are days when you feel tired,
stressed, or rushed - and you're just
not ready to flip the switch and hit
the iron.

What do you do?

One of our longtime Dinos sent me an
email that addresses this very point.

It's pretty good, so I thought I would
share it with you:

I agree 100 percent with your recent
emails on keeping things simple, and
focusing on your workouts. A lot of
people over-think training and
exercise.

But sometimes you can begin your
training not fully focused, and then,
as you start to do more, you begin
to get "into" the workout.

Example - some days I'm a bit more
tired than other days when training
time rolls around.

So I say to myself, "I'm not going to
hit the weights today - but I will do
one set of push-ups."

So I do one set of 15 to 20 push-ups,
and I try to concentrate and focus and
make it a good set.

The next thing you know, I've done 3 or
4 sets each of push-ups, bodyweight
squats, and ab wheel roll-outs. Then
I go outside and do 3-4 sets of chin-ups.

It may take 15 to 20 minutes, but I get
a good workout in.

Jim F.

Thanks, Jim - that's a good suggestion.

Remember, a fast, light, easy workout
is always better than no workout at all.

And if you have to coax yourself into a
workout, that's fine, too.

It's very easy to talk yourself into doing
"just one set of push-ups" - and it's
even easier to talk yourself into doing
a second set - and then a third set -
and then some other fun exercises.

It's a good trick - one that all of us can
use from time to time.

Thanks for sharing it!

To everyone - as always, thanks for
reading and have a great day. If you
train today, make it a good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. There are over 50 great workouts
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training -
so it's easy to find one that fits your
mood and your energy level on any
given day.

And frankly, the exercises and the
workouts are so much fun that you'll
never even think about skipping a
workout.

You can grab the little monster right
here:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"Make it fun, and make it happen!"

-- 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

Some Terrific Bench Press Alternatives for Dinosaurs!

No bench, no spotter, no rack - no problem! There are plenty of great bench press alternatives to try - including some of the killer exercises in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Several readers have asked about bench
press alternatives for Dinos who train
alone, without a spotter and without
a power rack.

It's a good question because doing bench
presses without a spotter and without a
power rack is a bad idea - as in, you can
literally die under the bar if you get stuck
with a heavy weight.

And I'm not making this up. At least once a
year there's a newspaper report from some-
where about someone who got pinned under
 a heavy barbell while training bench presses
on his own - and he died.

So what are the options?

One obvious possibility is the parallel
bar dip. However, I would stay away
from these. They can be very tough
on the shoulders. That's especially
true if you do them on wide dipping
bars or if you pile on plenty of extra
weight.

Having said that, I know that some of you
do dips, enjoy them, and have no problem
with them. If they work for you, then feel
free to do them, but do them the RIGHT
way. Avoid a deep stretch, and don't do
any sort of drop and bounce stuff.

Here are some other, and in my opinion,
much better options. Of course, you
would only use ONE of these in any
particular training program:

1. Dumbbell Bench Presses

These are great, and many trainees
find that they actually work the chest
muscles harder than regular bench
presses.

Don't lower the dumbbells any further
than you would lower the barbell. A
deep stretch can hurt your shoulders.

2. Dumbbell Incline Presses

These were a favorite of many top
bodybuilders from the 1940s and 1950s.
Reg Park, Clarence Ross, Steve Reeves,
Alan Stephan and George Eiferman all
did plenty of dumbbell incline presses.

Note that you can use different angles.

Some dinos prefer a 30 degree angle,
others a 45 degree angle, and others
a 60 degree angle.

3. Dumbbell Floor Presses

Charles Smith covered these in an old
issue of Muscle Power magazine back
in the 1950s. It's a good exercise, and
with practice, you can go pretty heavy.

Resist the temptation to bounce your
upper arms and elbows off the floor
to use more weight or do more reps.

That's cheating, and it's a good way to
hurt yourself.

4. Barbell Floor Presses

Of course, you do these with plates
large enough that you can roll the bar
into the starting position and then roll
it back out when you are finished with
your set. You don't want to get stuck
under a heavy barbell.

Again, resist the temptation to bounce
the upper arms and elbows off the floor.

Some Dinos find that floor presses are
easier on their shoulders than bench
presses are -- but others (I'm one of
them) find the reverse to be true. So
start light and work up slowly until you
are sure the exercise will be okay
for you.

5. One Arm Dumbbell Bench Presses

These are a very good exercise -- and a
very tough one. It's hard to balance the
dumbbell and stay in position on the
bench. You actually get a good *core*
(I hate that word) workout when you
do these.

These are a good exercise if you have
trouble getting two dumbbells into the
starting position for the two dumbbell
bench press.

6. One Arm Dumbbell Incline Press

Again, this is a good exercise if your
problem is wrestling a pair of heavy
dumbbells into the starting position
for the two dumbbell version of the
exercise.

Remember to experiment with different
angles!

7. Push-ups

See Dinosaur Bodyweight Training for
dozens of super-effective push-up variations.

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

Also, note that you can add resistance
with heavy bands or by putting a barbell
plate or a sandbag on your upper back.

Pro wrestling great Bruno Sammartino
famously did a push-up with 600-pound
wrestler Haystacks Calhoun sitting on
his upper back and shoulders. That
might be an all-time record in weighted
push-ups.

So there you have it: seven terrific
alternatives to the regular bench
press. Give them a try!

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. Dinosaur Training started a strength
training revolution when I published the little
monster way in 1996 - and it's been a best
seller ever since:

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

"Where there's a will, there's a way --
and where there's a way, strength and
muscle lies ahead."

-- 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 Simplest Bodyweight Workout Ever!

 

You can build a ton of strength and muscle with the right kind of bodyweight training - and it doesn't have to be complicated.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I know that many of you are big fans
of bodyweight training - so I wanted to
give you a quick heads up about some-
thing very interesting - and very
effective.

One of our longtime Dinos has had great
success with what may be the simplest
bodyweight training workout of all
time.

And get this - he only does it twice a
week.

In fact, he's found that 2x a week works
better for him than 3x a week.

You can find the workout on page 3 of
the March issue of The Dinosaur Files:

March 2018 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-march2018pdf.html

Grab a copy now - read it - and give the
program a try - and let me know how
it works for you.

An effective bodyweight program that
calls for two workouts a week is pretty
darn good - and it doesn't leave any
room for excuses.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. If you missed the October, Nov,
Dec Jan or Feb issues, go here and
grab them so you have the complete
set:

Feb 2018 Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-february2018pdf.html

Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan Dinosaur Files

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html

The Guy with the Bad Back

Here's an answer to a question posted earlier today by one of the members of the Strength Secrets Facebook Group. I'll be answering more questions from members of the Strength Secrets Group in future Blog Posts - which is yet another reason to join the Strength Secrets Group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron.

1. The February Dino Files

I'm finishing the little monster and we'll
get it up and available in PDF as fast as
possible.

In the meantime, be sure to grab the
Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues so you
have the complete set:

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

If you prefer a subscription, shoot me
an email - we can make it happen.

2. Strength, Muscle and Power

As I mentioned the other day, we"re
almost out of stock and I'm not going
to do another printing for awhile - and
perhaps not ever - so this is your last
chance to grab a copy:

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

Right now, we have less than 20 copies
left, so don't delay - if you want a copy,
grab it while you can!

3. The Guy with the Bad Back

Here's a question from one of the members
of the Strength Secrets Facebook Group.

He posted it this morning, and I thought
it would be good to cover in today's email.

I'll be doing more of this in the future, so
it's another good reason to join the Strength 
Secrets Group - which you can do by going
right here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

Here's the question:

"I've got a buddy who wants to get into
heavy lifting, but every time he starts a
program he ends up hurting his lower
back.

Any back rehab-type programs you guys
could link me that I could send his way?

He's in his early 40's and hasn't built up
much strength yet."

I thought I should cover this because it's
not an uncommon problem. In fact, it
happens to lots of folks who get into
training when they're in their 40's or
older.

First and foremost - you friend should
get his back looked at by a medical
professional with a solid background
in sports medicine.

He needs to make sure that there's not
a spinal disc problem - and getting things
checked out by a medical professional is
the only way to make sure.

A sports medicine specialist also can
evaluate things such as tightness and
flexibility problems that may be causing
or contributing to his back pain.

If he sits all day, as many of us do, that
alone could cause enough tightness to
make him throw his back out whenever
he tries to train.

The specialist can prescribe specific
exercises to help with any flexibility
issues your friend may have.

If so, your friend should stay away from
the weights and focus exclusively on the
remedial exercises until he gets the green
light from the specialist.

Also, if your friend is carrying any extra
bodyweight - meaning, in non-PC terms,
if he's over 40 and FAT - then losing some
weight would help his back - and do plenty
of other good things for him.

Healthy eating is an important part of lifelong strength and health.

Carrying 20, 30, or 40 pounds of fat is
really hard on your low back, especially
if the extra weight is in your belly. It pulls
your hips forward, which is bad for your
spine and your posture.

So rather than jumping into a weight
training program, your friend would do
much better by:

1. Getting his back checked out by a sports
medicine professional.

2. Doing whatever remedial exercises the
specialist recommends.

3. Dieting to lose any extra weight.

Walking is good to help keep your legs and
hips loose, and it is often good for helping
with back problems - so if the specialist gives
the thumbs up, a walking program would be
a good idea.  Your friend should start with a
very short distance and gradually work up to
a couple of miles a day.

It may be that your friend does nothing but
light remedial exercises and walking for a
couple of months - along with changing
to a healthy diet and losing some Lard
Lumps.

If so, that's fine. Rome wasn't built in a day,
and neither was any strongman.

Once the specialist gives your friend the green
light for training, he can try adding some basic
strength training to his program.

I'd suggest that he begin with a program of
bodyweight exercises, such as the programs
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

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

These will help to condition him and build some
strength so that he can make a more successful
transition to weight training.

The bodyweight program also will help teach
him how to train. He'll learn the importance
of setting up a schedule and sticking to it, how
to make his workouts progressive, how to use
the power of concentration and visualization,
and many similar things.

After three to six months of bodyweight work,
he should be ready to tackle a weight training
program.

When he does, he should start light and easy.
I'd suggest that he use one of the beginner
programs in Chalk and Sweat:

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

I know this advice sounds conservative, and
your friend would prefer to jump right into a
weight training program.

But remember, he's over 40 - and he's tried
jumping into a weight training program a
couple of times - and every time he does,
he's hurt his back.

So he needs to do something different.

Hence, the above advice.

Please share it with him, and make sure
he follows it - especially the part about
seeing a sports medicine professional -
and keep us posted on his progress.

Or better yet, have him sign up for my
daily email tips - and join the Strength
Secrets Facebook Group - and have him
keep us updated at Strength Secrets.

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 . . .

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