My Definition of Old-School

A classic photo of John Grimek from John Wood's highly recommended Old Time Strongman site - which focuses on true old school training as I define the term. The top dumbbell is the world-famous Cyr Dumbbell. The middle bell was owned by Apollon. I did one-hand deadlifts and curls with it once - it's pretty awesome. I believe the bottom bell comes from Warren Lincoln Travis - but I may be wrong - if I am, please correct me.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The other day I posted on the Dinosaur
Training  - Brooks Kubik and Strength
Secrets Facebook Groups - which you
should join if you're not already a
card-carrying member at them - and
asked:

Who's your favorite old-school strong-
man?

and

Who's your favorite old-school body-
builder?

The results were surprising.

Many members listed people from the
1970's and 1980's.

The guys featured in the muscle mags
when many of us we're growing up.

I suppose that seems "old-school" to
some - although I certainly don't feel
"old" and I started training before
many of the supposed "old-school"
champions were featured in the
magazines.

Heck, when I started training, Arnold
was a teenager living in Europe.

My definition of old-school is a bit
different.

I define old-school as the period of
time before anabolic steroids and
other drugs became commonly used
in the Iron Game.

Steroids started to enter the picture
sometime in the 1950's - with the
Russians - and started to be used
by guys in the USA in the early
1960's.

So I use 1960 as the arbitrary cut-off
for old-school training.

Pre-1960 means old-school.

Post-1960 means modern, drug-based
training.

That doesn't mean that everyone who
trained before the 1960's was squeaky
clean on the drug issue.

Nor does it mean that everyone who
trained after 1960 used drugs.

But it does mean that the culture began
to change - and that we moved from:

1. A time when there no drugs in the
Iron Game (pre-1950 or 1960);

to

2. A time when a small group of people
who were "in the know" used them, and
very few other people even knew about
them (1960 to 1970);

to

3. A time when most people knew that
the top men used drugs, but the best
magazines (Peary Rader's Iron Man, for
example) discouraged drug use, and
some of the most popular and influential
authors of the time (such as Bradley
J. Steiner) STRONGLY discouraged
their use (the 1970's);

to

4. A time when more and more people
used them, and the magazines and
thought leaders pretty much stopped
opposing them (the 1980's and after);

to

5. Today's world, when the Iron Game is
infested with drug use, everyone knows
it, and everyone either ignores it, accepts
it, or condones and approves it.

a. Recognizing, of course, that we do have
drug-free powerlifting and bodybuilding
contests - and that Olympic weightlifting
is fighting to be a drug-free sport - but I'm
talking about the culture of the Iron Game,
and the over-all culture views drug use as
normal and accepted - and acceptable - and
to most, perhaps even necessary.

I define old-school as drug-free training,
and that includes a culture that refuses
to accept drug use in the Iron Game as
standard operating procedure - or as
normal - or as healthy - or as necessary.

So that brings me back to my admittedly
somewhat arbitrary cut-off of 1960.

Old-school is pre-1960.

Old-school is about training - not about
using more drugs that a pharmaceutical
rep peddles.

That's probably not a popular definition,
and it's certainly not a popular position,
but that's how I view things - and I'm not
going to change.

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 are some great courses that
focus on old-school training methods:

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:

"Just because everyone else is doing
it, doesn't mean that you should do the
same." 

-- 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

My No. 1 on Netflix

Steve Reeves (pictured on the cover of Strength and Health magazine) never gave Netflix tips - and neither do I - but today's an exception.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I don't often give you Netflix tips, but
this one is an exception.

Watch Icarus.

It's the 2018 Academy Award winner for
Best Documentary - and it's out on Netflix
now - and it's absolutely riveting.

And interestingly, I learned about it from
my daughter.

She lives in LA and knows a number of
people in the film industry - actors,
writers, directors, producers, etc.
Somehow or other she learned about
the film before it became big news -
and even met and talked about it with
the film-maker, Bryan Fogel.

I remember how excited she was.

"Dad, you're going to love this!" she
said.

And she added, "I wish you could meet
Bryan. You guys could talk about this
stuff for hours."

"This stuff" being (spoiler alert) a very
detailed expose of state-sponsored doping
in sport - and a conspiracy that goes back
for decades.

Yes, I said state-sponsored - and I said
it was a conspiracy - and I said it goes
back for decades.

The extent of the doping scandal is
incredible.

You may have THOUGHT it was bad -
and that it's been bad for a long time - but
you don't know how bad or how long.

It's far worse than we knew.

Icarus tells the story - the whole story.

It's not exactly happy-making, but it's
something you need to know.

Something we all need to know.

Anyhow, I highly recommend watching
the film. Check it out - and be sure to
let me know how you like 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. I've been training drug-free my entire
life, and I encourage you to do the same -
using the training principles and workouts
in my books and courses, including these
little monsters:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Power

The little blue book they call "The Bible
of Strength Training."

Tons of great training ideas - thick bars,
sandbags, heavy awkward objects, death
sets, single rep training, abbreviated work-
outs, power rack training, and some very
important chapters on the all-important
mental aspects of strength training.

Includes some of my favorite workouts.

A best-seller since 1996.

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

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

Tons of old-school dumbbell exercises -
and over 50 complete workouts.

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

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

Strength, Muscle and Power

Power rack training, isometronics, rest
pause training, mind power, finishers,
grip work, sandbags, barrels, one-hand
deadlifts, tendon and ligament strength,
home gym training, specialization, some
of my favorite abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts - and much more!

Includes so many workouts I can't count
them all.

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

Gray Hair and Black Iron

Devoted to the special needs of older
trainees - with a systematic, detailed
approach to training in middle age and
beyond - and over 50 great workouts.

A game-changer for anyone who wants
to keep on going no matter how many
candles are on the birthday cake!

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

"Focus on YOU - and on training for
lifelong strength and health."

- 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

Buried in Hate Mail - And You Won't Believe Why!

I'm a big fan of old-time bodybuilders like John  Grimek - but everyone who sent me hate mail the other day seems to have forgotten that.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The John Wood Report
No. 3

Issue no. 3 of The John Wood
Report is now available.

It's a PDF so you can grab it
and download it - and read it
immediately.

It's printable, so you can read it
and save it.

And if you move fast, you can save
50 percent off the regular price.

Here's how to do it.

Go here to grab your copy of The
John Wood Report:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport03.html

When you get to the checkout, enter
this special code - to take five clams
off the purchase price:

5182018

That's a full 50% savings for those
who take immediate action.

But act now - because the Early Bird
Special ends at 5:00 PM EST on
Friday, May 18, 2008.

2. Buried In Hate Mail

I sent out a very good email the other
day.

It listed some things I wish I had done
back in high school, when I was training
for high school wrestling.

In the email, I noted that one of the
things I wish I had done was NOT
READ the muscle magazines of the
era - because they didn't have very
good advice.

In response, I got buried in hate
mail.

One guy even unsubscribed from my
email list because (he said) I was
"unfair to bodybuilders."

He also said, "we're all in the health
and fitness business together."

So let's talk about that a little bit.

First of all, I have no problem with
old-school bodybuilders and old-
school bodybuilding.

After all, I wrote a complete course
about John Grimek - and I talk about
Reg Park quite a bit - and I've written
articles and emails about Bill Pearl
and Clarence Ross - and about
Tommy Kono's four Mr. Universe
titles.

And I've written plenty of articles
about how to build a better physique -
many of which are reprinted in my book,
Strength, Muscle and Power  - and
I've written Dinosaur Arm Training,
which teaches readers how to build
bigger, stronger and more muscular
arms - which sounds an awful lot like
bodybuilding.

And in Gray Hair and Black Iron I list
a number of bodybuilding workouts for
older Dinos - and I expressly note that
many older Dinos may do better on
bodybuilding workouts that are easier
on their joints than the heavier work-
outs that many younger Dinos do.

We also have a number of readers who
were competitive body-builders, or who
trained with competitive bodybuilders -
including one reader (Ian Duckett) who
used Dino-style workouts to win the
Master's World Championship in drug-
free bodybuilding.

So I'm not opposed to bodybuilding per
se.

But I am opposed to modern body-
building - because drugs have taken
it over.

And I'm not going to support, condone,
glorify or publicize any kind of drug use.

I'm also very opposed to modern body-
building supplements. Many of them are
dangerous. But modern body-building
exists primarily as a way to sell modern
supplements.

In addition - modern bodybuilding is
NOT in any way shape, or form focused
on health and fitness.

The drug use, supplements, and extreme
diets make that impossible.

Remember, we've had elite bodybuilders
DIE at big contests.

And we've had many top bodybuilders
from the modern era encounter severe
health problems - or die young - which
is kind of crazy given the fact that old-
school champions often lived very long
and healthy lives.

So I don't talk about modern body-
building.

I just can't do it.

If that's a problem for anyone, I'm
sorry.

But that's the way it is - and the way
it's going to continue to be.

I should also note this - my comment
about muscle magazines not being
helpful was in the context of a teen-
ager training for wrestling.

It had nothing to do with bodybuilding.
The comment was a simple observation
about an undeniable fact:

The muscle magazines of the 1970s
didn't offer very much in the way of
training for sports.

The Weider magazines pretty much
ignored the topic in the 1970s.

Weider launched one sports-oriented
magazine but it only lasted for a couple
of issues - and that seemed to sour his
writers and editors on writing articles
about weight training for sports.

There was a little bit in the York
magazines (Strength and Health
and Muscular Development) - and
a very tiny bit in Peary Rader's Iron
Man - but it wasn't very good or
very complete.

For example, I don't recall any article
that covered the points I made in
yesterday's email - or an article that
covered even two or three of them
in the context of training for sports.

It would have been wonderful if the
magazines of the 1970s had included
regular articles by and about the top
amateur wrestlers (and other athletes)
of the era and how they trained - but
they didn't.

After all, this was the era of Dan Gable
(google him if you don't know), and
amateur wrestling was on the up-tick
in the USA - and articles on strength
training and conditioning for wrestlers
would have been well received.

But the magazines pretty much (not
entirely, but pretty much) ignored
the topic of effective sports training
and conditioning.

That's a shame, but that's the way it
was.

That was the point I was making - and
I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers -
but apparently I did.

Hence the hate mail.

Quite a bit of it.

None of which I'm going to answer
individually - but I thought I should
address it here.

Anyhow, I've got a big project to work
on, and I'm going to get back to it.

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

Oh - and don't forget to grab issue no.
3 of The John Wood Report. It's a
good one:

ttps://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport03.html

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here are two books that have
plenty of great exercises for
athletes:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

Tons of old-school dumbbell exercises -
and over 50 complete workouts.

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

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

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: 

"If you have time to send me hate
mail, you have time to train - and
seriously, training is a much better
use of your time."

-- 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