Trial and Error Training

Like all champions - and all successful trainees - John Grimek made plenty of mistakes when he was getting started - but he learned from them!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the unique things about strength
training is that it's a physical activity that
most of us learn without a coach or
teacher.

If you think about it, that's very unusual.

When we're kids, and we start to play
sports, we learn the fundamentals from
coaches.

Football coaches.

Wrestling coaches.

Basketball coaches.

And so on.

If you want to learn how to box, you don't
try to learn it on your own - you go to a
boxing gym, and learn it there - from a
genuine, real world boxing trainer.

If you want to learn a martial art, you don't
learn it on you own - you go to a gym or a
dojo (or a school or academy) and you learn
it there - from a sensei or master or other
real world, legitimate expert.

But almost all of us learn strength training
more or less on our own.

Certainly that was true of my generation of
trainees (I'm 60, soon to be 61 - and I started
weight training 50 years ago).

We had magazines, which were more or less
useful in showing us how to do some of the
basic things - and in giving us more or less
useful workouts to try.

We had very short, very basic training courses
that came with our barbell sets.

We had friends or older brothers to watch -
or to teach us how to train.

But most of it was trial and error.

We pretty much taught ourselves how to train.
We tried different things. Some of them worked.

Most of them didn't.

If they worked, we kept on doing them.

If they didn't we tried something else.

And that entire process - learning on your own,
by trial and error, making mistakes and learning
from them - is not a negative.

It's actually one of the very best things about
strength training.

It teaches you important things that go far
beyond strength training:

Self-confidence.

Self-reliance.

Problem-solving.

Persistence.

Tenacity.

Perseverance.

Not giving up.

Independence.

Creativity.

Overcoming obstacles.

The things I learned as a young trainee have
helped me immeasurably in all other parts
of my life - and I'm sure they've done the
same for you.


So don't be afraid to try new things - or to
test new things - just to see if they work
for you.

It's called learning by trial and error - and it
works pretty darn well in the Iron Game.


Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here are some great courses with some
very interesting things to try:

Dinosaur Strength and Power -
Course No. 1 - Strength Style
Arm Training with Doug Hepburn

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurstrengthandpower-01.html

A complete - and brand new - training course
that teaches you how to build strong, powerful,
and muscular arms - using the training methods
of the legendary Doug Hepburn.

The Bone Strength Project

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/bone-strength-projectPDF.html

John Wood's unique program for building
your bones in order to increase your
potential for maximum muscle mass.

Dinosaur Strength and Power -
Course No. 2 - Heavy Partials

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurstrengthandpower-02.html

Another way of building your bones -
and strengthening your tendons and
ligaments - a must read for anyone
interested in maximum strength and
power.

The May-June Dinosaur Files

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

Feature articles include:

The World's Simplest Bodyweight
Program

The Deadlift from Hell

The Valhalla Challenge

Bob Hoffman's Favorite Training
Program


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. 3. Thought for the Day:

"You learn more from your mistakes than
from the things you do right - so don't be
afraid to make mistakes." 

-- 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

"You've Got No Guts, Kid!"

Get ready for a heck of a story - one that I think you're going to enjoy enormously - and one that has an important lesson for all of us.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Strength, Muscle and Power

We're getting very close to the end of the
line for Strength, Muscle and Power -
and I'm not going to do another printing any
time soon - perhaps not ever - so if you want
a copy, grab it now:

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

2. The March Dinosaur Files

Here's the link to grab the March issue of
The Dinosaur Files. It's a great issue,
and we've been getting some seriously
good feedback from Dinos around the
world.

Go here to grab the little monster:

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

Also - if you missed the October, Nov, Dec
Jan or Feb issues, go here to grab them so
you have the complete set:

Feb issue

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

Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html

And please let me know how you like
this month's issue. Your feedback is
very important to us.

3. "You've Got No Guts, Kid!"

He was the captain of the chess team and a
bit of a bookworm.

In addition to chess and books, he loved to
swim. So he went out for the swim team.

But he had trouble making proper turns in
the pool -- which is bad news for a kid who
wants to be a competitive swimmer. It's
sort of like wanting to play baseball and
not being able to hit a curve ball.

His swim coach was less than happy with
him.

One day, the coach uttered these fateful
words:

"Kid, forget it. You'll never be a swimmer.
You've got no intestinal fortitude. You know
what that means? You've got no guts."

Twelve years later, the kid represented the
United States in the 1948 Olympic Games
in London.

Not in swimming -- but in wrestling!

In the semi-final match, he suffered a
crippling injury -- a severe muscle and
tendon tear in his chest.

He won the match, but afterwards he could
barely move. Pain ripped through his body
with every breath.

His coach told him to forfeit the gold medal
match.

"No way," he replied.

He went into the final match bandaged like a
mummy -- and challenged one of the very
best wrestlers in the world.

He won the match -- and the Olympic gold
medal.

His name was Henry Wittenberg, and he was
one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived.

"No guts?"

Not hardly.

I don't know the name of the high school swim
coach who told Henry Wittenberg he had "no
guts" -- but I do know this:

People remember Henry Wittenberg.

No one remembers the swim coach.

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. Henry Wittenberg built tremendous strength
with old-school, Dino-style barbell and dumbbell
training -- the kind I cover in Dinosaur Training:
Lost Secrets of Strength and Development:

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

"Anyone who tells you that you can't
do it is wrong - dead wrong - totally,
absolutely and completely wrong."

-- 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 Passing of a Legend

We lost a great champion today.  Dedicate your next workout to his memory.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Bruno Sammartino passed away today
at the age of 82 - and that leaves all of
us in the Iron Game with a great big
lump in our throats.

Bruno Sammartino was an honest to
goodness, real life, rags to riches story.

He was born in Abbruzi, Italy back in
1935.

During World War Two, the family had to
hide in the hills to escape the Nazis. They
lived in a cave, and as you might imagine,
there was hardly anything to eat. They
often ate grass for dinner because that
was all they could find.

After the War, the family immigrated to
the United States. They ended up in a
tough neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

For young Bruno, that was better than living
in the cave -- but not much better. He was
terribly thin and painfully weak as a result
of the years of malnutrition during the War.

At age 14, he weighed 95 pounds.

That's not good when you're an immigrant
kid living in a tough part of town.

So Bruno started lifting weights.

Later, as he grew stronger, he began wrestling.

The training program worked.

At age 21, he weighed 265 pounds, with 20
inch arms and a 56 inch chest. He could bench
press 565 pounds -- which was a World record
back then.

He went into professional wrestling, and in
short order he won the WWWF Heavyweight
Championship of the World. He held the title
for many years.

In 1961, Bruno wrote a short course called
"The Bruno Course of Bodybuilding."

I saw an ad for it in a wrestling magazine
when I was 11 years old, and promptly
mailed in my two bucks to buy the little
monster. It was a good little course,
and I still have it.

Bruno recommended short workouts focusing
on the basic exercises: squats, bench presses,
curls, etc. Three or four sets of six reps on
each. Training with weights three times per
week. Doing some simple bodyweight
exercises on two other days.

Nothing earth-shattering -- but it worked.

He even touched on the mental aspect of
training.

"Have confidence in yourself!" he wrote.
"Concentrate on the fact that you are going to
succeed and make the gains in physique and
strength that you want. Again I repeat --
never, never get discouraged."

"The reason I made my sensational gains and
went from 95 pounds at age 14 to 265 pounds
at age 21  . . . was that I concentrated on
making my goal. I stuck it out and actually
that is my secret!"

Many years later, I sent some of my own books
to Bruno. He sent me an autographed photo with
a handwritten note.

It says:

"To Brooks Kubik,

Wishing you the best of health, best wishes
always, and keep pushing that weight.

Yours in strength,

Bruno Sammartino"

Yep. He signed off by saying "Yours in strength."

Just like I do in all of my emails.

Now I guess you know where that comes from.

And now, Bruno has left us -- and the Iron
Game has witnessed the passing of a true
champion.

As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one -- in memory of Bruno.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Squat While You Can!

World and Olympic champion John Davis hitting a heavy clean and jerk at Muscle Beach back in the early 1950's. As a young man, Davis made every workout count - and achieved his goal of becoming the strongest man in the world!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of our longtime Dinos sent me an email
where he talked about an old friend who
passed away several years ago at age 94.

He was a veteran of WW2, and fought in
the Philippines.

According to our Dino, he was like many
WW2 veterans: quiet, courteous, and
friendly - but very, very tough.

As in, hard as nails tough.

Later, he worked as a tour guide in Santa
Fe. That makes it a small world, because
I've been to Santa Fe four or five times -
and perhaps I even walked past him. Or
talked with him. Who knows?

In any case, he had a favorite saying that
pretty much summed up his philosophy of
life:

Walk while you can.

Our Dino said he was thinking about his old
friend - and about his saying - and the whole
idea of "Walk while you can."

He thought it applied to Dinosaurs and to
Dino style strength training.

Except you had to change it a little:

Squat while you can.

I thought that was pretty good, and I wanted
to share it with you.

You know, the time will come when you can
no longer squat.

Or deadlift.

Or do standing presses.

Or the farmer's walk.

Or any of the things you do now - or the
things you COULD do now, but don't.

That suggests two things.

First, if you can train now, then train. Don't
put it off. Don't waste a single precious
moment.

Second, do the things that really count. Make
every workout a good one - using the very
best and most effective exercises you can do.

Third, train for lifelong strength and health -
so you can keep on squatting (and deadlifting,
pressing, farmer's walking, etc.) for as long
as possible.

For some specific training tips, strategies and
workouts, grab Gray Hair and Black Iron.

It's the number one book on sensible and
effective training for lifelong strength and
health:

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

I also have a great little mini-course for
older Dinos. It's our Mini-Course No. 1,
and you can find it right here, under the
special section for PDF courses:

http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.html

And, of course, John Wood's special program
for bone strength and bone density will help
keep you walking - and squatting - for a very
long time.

For details on the Bone Strength Project, grab
issue no. 4 of The Train Hard Bulletin. It
lays the complete program out in detail:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/bone-strength-projectPDF.html

Remember, the important thing is to keep on
walking - and squatting - and doing every other
excellent exercise that you can do.

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

Lessons from the Iron Mines

 

Everything worth knowing in life I learned from a barbell - or at least it seems that way.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I had a great workout the other day. At
age soon to be 61, the workouts seem to
be more fun all the time.

That got me thinking -- and I thought:

"Everything worth knowing in life I learned
from a barbell."

Or at least it seems that way.

So here are 10 lessons I learned in the
Iron Mines. See if you learned the same
lessons:

1. It's always best to start young, but
the important thing is to start -- whatever
your age.

2. If you fall off your bicycle, get right
back on it and start pedaling again.

3. The hardest exercises are the most
productive ones.

4. It's not easy, and that's okay. In fact,
it's a good thing.

5. Make a plan and stick to it. Don't second
guess yourself into inertia.

6. Life is movement -- and the better the
movement, the better your life.

7. You build strength and muscle by what
you do, not by what you think about doing.

a. That one's important. Go back and reread
it.

8. You can't buy strength and health. You
can only earn them.

a. That one's also important.

9. The barbell doesn't lift itself.

10. If you enjoy art, practice the art of
strength training. If you enjoy science,
practice the science of strength training.

a. The important thing is to practice
strength training.

And, for a special bonus, two more:

11. Squats are zen.

12. So are deadlifts, presses, pulls, and
every other exercise you do.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. My LOST ARTICLES are back. Go here
to grab them:

Hard-copy

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

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurtrainingarchive_kindle01.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. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"When the iron speaks, a wise man
listens." 

-- 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