Squat Q and A - Part 2

Yes, that's Bob Hoffman performing a hip lift with Warren Lincoln Travis' famous stage dumbbell - which was billed as the World's Heaviest Dumbbell - and may very well have been exactly that! Travis is standing in the background, watching closely.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here are more questions I've been getting about
squats and related exercises. I thought I should
share them, because whenever one person emails
me with a question, there are probably several
hundred other trainees with the same question.

So let's get going!

Q. I've seen videos where trainees drop into a
 deep squat and then bounce back up. Is that
the best way to do squats?

A. It's definitely not the way I do them! Dropping
and bouncing lets you handle more weight than
doing a squat with a controlled descent - but you
put your knees, hips and lower back at serious
risk every time you do a drop and bounce rep.

To me, it makes much more sense to use a little
less weight on the bar, perform your reps under
control, and aim to be lifting for the next 20, 30,
40 or 50 years  - instead of hurting yourself and
ending up not being able to squat any more.

Q. I've read that squats stimulate your body to
produce more testosterone. Is that true?

A. Absolutely - and that's one of the reasons why
squats are such a remarkably effective exercise.

It's also why older Dinos need to keep on doing
squats - or to find alternate exercises for the legs,
hips and lower back if for any reason they can't
do squats. Leg training stimulates the production
of testosterone - and that's critical for older Dinos.

Q. Are Trap Bar deadlifts (or Trap Bar squats, what-
ever you call them) a good substitute for squats?

A. If possible, you should include both exercises in
your training program - but if you can't do squats
or you don't have squat stands, the Trap Bar is a
great alternative.

Many of our older Dinos can no longer do squats,
but they thrive on Trap Bar deadlifts.

Q. Can you give me any other good exercises to
use if I can't do squats?

A. I can do better than that. I covered this topic
in detail in a four-part series back in the Dec 2015
to March 2016 issues of The Dinosaur Files.

And I didn't just tell you what works for me as
an older Dino (although that was part of it). I
did way better than that.

Before running this series of articles, I asked the
Dinos for feedback - and got a ton of it.

Over 50 Dinos who can no longer do squats and
have had to find good replacement exercises sent
in responses - and the series includes all 50-plus
of them.

If you figure that each of those Dinos has an
average of 20 years of training experience (of
course, some have much more, and some have
less), that means this series gives you the
accumulated wisdom of over 1,000 years
of serious, no-nonsense, real world strength
training.

It's the most detailed series I've ever seen on
effective, real world alternatives to the standard
back squat - and on ways to work around age
related dings and dents or old injuries and keep
on training productively and effectively.

If you missed these the first time, around, I urge
you to grab them now - and study them closely.

I know that they will help you enormously.

These issues are all available in PDF format in
the PDF Products section of the Dinosaur Training
website:

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

The PDF's are printable, so you can print and save
them in your collection.

So if you're looking for real world information
on fun and effective squat alternatives - or on work
arounds for older trainees - look no further. We've
got you covered.

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. If you're an older Dino, grab a copy of Gray
Hair and Black Iron - it's a must read for anyone
over the age of 35:

Gray Hair and Black Iron

 

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

P.S. 2. My new course on heavy partials is
selling like hotcakes - and readers are loving
it. Go here to grab a copy:

Dinosaur Strength and Power Course
No. 2 - Heavy Partials

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

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

Brooks Kubik's Hard-copy and PDF Books

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

For more hard-copy books and courses, visit: http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

 

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

The XYZ Workout

John Grimek used the XYZ workout at many different times in his career.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk iron -
as in, the mysterious and virtually un-
known XYZ Workout.

1. The May-June Dinosaur Files

We ran late with the May issue of The Dino-
saur Files strength training newsletter, so we
did a combined May-June issue. It's an extra
big issue, with a ton of great articles -
including:

The Valhalla Challenge

The Deadlift from Hell

The Simplest Bodyweight
Workout in the World

Bob Hoffman's Favorite
Training Program

Go here to grab the little monster:

May-June Dinosaur Files

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

As always, be sure to let me know
how you like the little monster -
your feedback is important to us!

2. The XYZ Workout

As an older Dino who trains at home with
very limited equipment (and who likes it
that way), I almost always do some
variation "of the XYZ workout.

You've probably never heard of the XYZ
workout.

I don't think I ever did when I was a
kid who devoured all the muscle mags
every month.

I remember Betty Weider's leopard-skin
bikini, but I don't remember Joe Weider
extolling the virtues of XYZ training.

I remember Bob Hoffman writing about
Hi Proteen powder, but I don't remember
Strength and Health articles that covered
the XYZ program.

I remember tons of articles about 20-rep
breathing squats in Peary Rader's old Iron
Man magazine - but I don't remember any
articles about the XYZ workout.

No, scratch that - I remember one Iron
Man article that came close to it - but only
one.

So I didn't do it when I was a kid - or even
when I was in my 20's and 30's.

But now, as I said, I do it all the time.

Heck, I did it last night.

The XYZ workout goes something like this.

You want to do a particular exercise which
you know from experience is a very good
exercise for you - or it's a new exercise
that you want to try.

Let's call it Exercise X.

In your mind, it's the very best exercise
there is for building a particular muscle
or muscle group, or for gaining strength
in a certain part of your body (or through-
out your entire body).

Which means you really, really, REALLY
want to do it.

But you can't do it - because:

1. You don't have the right equipment.

2. It requires a power rack or spotters to
do it safely - and you don't have them.

3. You can't do it - or you can't do it
without severe muscle or joint pain -
because of a past or current injury or
one or more dings and dents.

4. You used to do it - and it used to work
great for you - but you can't do it now
because it pretty much cripples you for
a week or two - even with much lighter
weights than you used to use in it.

5. Two or more of all of the above.

So what do you do when you can't do
Exercise X?

Do you pack it in - skip your workout -
and go plonk yourself in front of the
television?

That's what most people do - but it's
not what Dinosaurs do.

If you're a Dinosaur, you do Exercise Y.

It may not be as good as Exercise X -
but it sure as heck beats not doing
anything.

But what if you can't do Exercise Y?

What do you do then?

You guessed it.

You do Exercise Z!

And that's the XYZ Workout.

You may not be able to do the one best
exercise for a given purpose - but that's
okay.

Find something else that works - and do
that instead.

No matter what, you can always find a
fun, effective, result-producing exercise.

Last night, I trained for a little over an
hour, and did five different exercises.

Three of them were exercise Y variations.

Two of them were exercise Z variations.

And I had a really good workout.

Thirty years ago, it would have been all
Exercise X variations - but that was then,
and this is now - and the important thing
is to keep on training and to do it pain-
free.

So that's the XYZ workout in a nutshell.

Give it a try - it works pretty darn well.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover plenty of XYZ exercises and
related work-arounds for older Dinos in
Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

P.S. 2. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training gives you tons of excellent exercises
that you can use as alternatives to
barbell exercises:

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

gives you plenty of great bodyweight
exercises to use in place of similar
barbell or dumbbell movements:

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

P.S. 3. 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. 4. Thought for the Day:

"If you can do X, then do X - but if not,
then do Y. If you can't do Y, then do Z.
But always do something!"

-- 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 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

More Questions and Answers About the Squat

Can you guess what Reg Park's favorite exercise was? (Answer at the end of today's Blog Post.)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A quick question for you - and then we'll cover
some more questions and answers about the
squat.

Have you read the December and January issues
of The Dinosaur Files? If you have, please shoot
me a short email with some feedback - or a brief
update on your training - so I can include it in the
February issue.

If you missed the Dec and Jan issues, you can
grab them right here:

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

And now, as they say, let's talk squats!

Here are more questions I've been getting about
squats and related exercises. I thought I should
share them, because whenever one person emails
me with a question, there are probably several
hundred other trainees with the same question:

Q. I've seen videos where trainees drop into a
 deep squat and then bounce back up. Is that
the best way to do squats?

A. It's definitely not the way I do them! Dropping
and bouncing lets you handle more weight than
doing a squat with a controlled descent - but you
put your knees, hips and lower back at serious
risk every time you do a drop and bounce rep.

To me, it makes much more sense to use a little
less weight on the bar, perform your reps under
control, and aim to be lifting for the next 20, 30,
40 or 50 years  - instead of hurting yourself and
ending up not being able to squat any more.

Q. I've read that squats stimulate your body to
produce more testosterone. Is that true?

A. Absolutely - and that's one of the reasons why
squats are such a remarkably effective exercise.

It's also why older Dinos need to keep on doing
squats - or to find alternate exercises for the legs,
hips and lower back if for any reason they can't
do squats. Leg training stimulates the production
of testosterone - and that's critical for older Dinos.

Q. Are Trap Bar deadlifts (or Trap Bar squats, what-
ever you call them) a good substitute for squats?

A. If possible, you should include both exercises in
your training program - but if you can't do squats
or you don't have squat stands, the Trap Bar is a
great alternative.

Many of our older Dinos can no longer do squats,
but they thrive on Trap Bar deadlifts.

Q. Can you give me any other good exercises to
use if I can't do squats?

A. I can do better than that. I covered this topic
in detail in a four-part series back in the Dec 2015
to March 2016 issues of The Dinosaur Files.

And I didn't just tell you what works for me as
an older Dino (although that was part of it). I
did way better than that.

Before running this series of articles, I asked the
Dinos for feedback - and got a ton of it.

Over 50 Dinos who can no longer do squats and
have had to find good replacement exercises sent
in responses - and the series includes all 50-plus
of them.

If you figure that each of those Dinos has an
average of 20 years of training experience (of
course, some have much more, and some have
less), that means this series gives you the
accumulated wisdom of over 1,000 years
of serious, no-nonsense, real world strength
training.

It's the most detailed series I've ever seen on
effective, real world alternatives to the standard
back squat - and on ways to work around age
related dings and dents or old injuries and keep
on training productively and effectively.

If you missed these the first time, around, I urge
you to grab them now - and study them closely.
I know that they will help you enormously.

These issues are all available in PDF format in
the PDF Products section of the Dinosaur Training
website:

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

The PDF's are printable, so you can print and save
them in your collection.

So if you're looking for real world information
on fun and effective squat alternatives - or on work
arounds for older trainees - look no further. We've
got you covered.

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. Reg Park's favorite exercise was - the squat! Did you guess it?

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