Some Very Useful Training Advice

Just when you thought there was nothing new under the sun - nothing else to learn - and that you had tried pretty much everything there was to try . . .

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The March 2018 issue of The Dinosaur
Files strength training newsletter has
some very useful training advice from
your fellow Dinos.

So I thought I'd highlight several things
you'll find in this month's issue:

On pages 11 and 12 . . .

The World's Toughest Leg Specialization
Program

If you want to build Quadzilla thighs, this
is how to do it - and it will also help you
pack on strength and muscle throughout
your entire body.

Of course, it's not for everybody - you have
to be tough as nails to use it - because it's
an incredibly difficult program.

On page 3 . . .

The World's Simplest Bodyweight
Training Program

If you think bodyweight training only works
if you do superhuman gymnastic moves  or
other seemingly impossible exercises, think
again.

And get this - you only train on it TWO TIMES
a week! How's that for fast, effective and super
efficient?

On page 4 . . .

Supplement Dangers You Probably Don't
Know About

You probably don't know that certain popular
supplements may cause cancer - and that's
something you probably want to know if you're
thinking about using them.

On page 3 . . .

The Best Way for Beginners to Get Started
in Strength and Muscle Building

Old-school advice about how they got started
"back in the day" - it worked great then, and it
will work great now.

On pages 4 and 5 . . .

How a Social Media Fad Can Sabotage Your
Training

There's a popular trend on social media that
can de-rail your training - and you probably
don't realize how much it is affecting you -
and how bad it can be for your workouts.

On pages 8 and 9 . . .

How to Build Super Strength with Sledge
Hammer Training

You probably never thought about using
sledge hammers this way - but it can help
build some serious strength in your hands,
arms and shoulders.

On page 9 . . .

An Anti-Inflammatory Drink

A simple home-made drink that uses some
things you probably have in your kitchen
cupboard. It works for one Dino, and it can
work for you!

On page 10 . . .

A Martial Arts Expert's Deadlifting Tip

One of our readers takes a special tip learned
from his martial arts teacher - and uses it in
his deadlifting workouts.

It's simple but effective - and it will help take
your deadlifting to an entire new level.

And, of course, there's much more.

Go here to grab the March issue of The
Dinosaur Files:

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

Thanks - and happy reading!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 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

The Spinning Toe Hold Meets the Spinning Pull-up!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

If you're  a fan of old-school professional wrestling, you're probably familiar with the world-famous spinning toe hold used by Dory Funk, Jr. and his brother Terry Funk. They learned it from their father, Dory Funk, Sr.   

It was a great hold. Dory Funk, Jr. used it to win the World Championship from Gene Kiniski in a famous match in Tampa on February 11, 1969. I was 11 years old when I read about that match in the wrestling magazines, and I still remember seeing photos of the finish. Wow, what a hold! Almost as good as the figure-four leg lock. Heck, maybe even better.

I was reminded of the spinning toe hold because of an email that shared a new exercise. I'm going to call it the spinning pull-up. And it comes to you courtesy of one of our many Australian Dinosaurs. 

In response to yesterday's email with training tips for building a King Kong grip, I received the following email from Jim McAllister. Jim is a former Australian powerlifting champion, and one heck of a strong and powerful man. And he has an interesting new exercise for you -- one that I think you're really going to like: 

"Hey Brooks,

One day I was at a picnic ground, back in 1985. They had a physical fitness circuit thing there consisting of an obstacle course, rope ladder, a thick chin up bar and a couple of other things.

The one thing that stuck in my memory though was the chin up bar. It spun when I tried to use it. I had exceptionally strong hands from powerlifting but that spinning bar really sorted me out, let me tell you. I actually got a pump in my forearms from a set of ten wide grip pull-ups! The first time I tried it my hands just spun straight off! I had to hang on for dear life to make ten reps. On a fixed bar I could do 18 pull-ups at 250 pounds bwt. They were "nose-ups" not chin-ups though because of the size of my arms.

I went home and devised a way to incorporate something like that into my training that very day! At the top of my power rack it's flat, with two one-inch bars each side for doing parallel grip pull-ups. Plenty of room up there to position a one-and-a-half-inch-thick round bar that I found at the scrap metal dealer years before and bought because I knew it'd come in handy one day.

I set it up so that it'd roll from front to back and grabbed hold of it and hung on for as long as I could. I used it for years for timed holds. Weighing 250 pounds, I could hang for nearly two minutes before my grip gave out, with months of training. I actually had to not only just hang but keep my forearm muscles contracted hard to stop my hands from rolling off the bar because it wanted to spin under the weight of me hanging there.

Marvelous forearm and grip developer.

Best wishes,
Jim McAllister"

Jim -- Thanks for sharing that new twist on thick bar pull-ups and timed holds. The spinning pull-up sounds great. I'm sure some of our fellow Dinos will give it a try and report back in with their findings!

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.  We're in the middle of the big pre-publication special for my new book, Dinosaur Dumbbell Training. Go here to reserve your copy:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

P.S. 2. Save major clams on shipping and handling by ordering two or more Dinosaur Training goodies at the same time. You can find eveything right here at Dino Headquarters:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Never underestimate the power of persistence." -- Brooks Kubik

 

Revealed -- My Dad's Secret Exercise!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I'm not sure how it happened, but sometime
when I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad got
interested in canoeing.

We lived in the Chicago suburbs back then,
and we were close enough to "the country"
to find some places that had canoe rentals
on various streams and small rivers. So we
did a fair amount of canoeing on the
weekends. And we had some family vacations
in Minnesota, where we were able to canoe
in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area between
the USA and Canada.

Dad even came up with a special exercise to
help his canoe paddling.

Here's what he did.

He loaded a five foot exercise bar at the
bottom end only -- with about 40 or 50 pounds
of plates -- and then he held the bar as if
he were holding a canoe paddle, with the
weighted end down (i.e., closest to the
ground) -- and then he would perform a canoe
paddling movement for 10 or 20 reps.

In his first set, he'd hold the bar with his
left hand high and his right hand low -- and
he'd "paddle" so that the bar passed his
right side one each rep.

When he finished his set, he'd rest a minute,
and then reverse his grip so his right hand
was high and his left hand was low -- and he'd
"paddle" so that the bar passed his left side
on each rep.

It was a lever bar exercise, although he didn't
call it that. I'm not sure he ever heard of a
lever bar. But he enjoyed his special exercise,
and he found that it helped his canoeing -- and
it sure as heck worked the heck out of his
triceps. (I know, because I did it, too, and
it hammered the tri's!)

There are lots of other interesting things you
can do with a lever bar. Steve Justa used to
do a shoveling movement with a lever bar. Try
it some time. It's tough.

Remember, if you try my dad's canoe paddling
exercise, or if you try Steve Justa's shoveling
exercise, you don't need much weight. The long
lever provides the resistance. So start light
and learn the movement -- and add weight slowly
and in small increments.

Of course, you also can do leverage bar movements
with a dumbbell bar that's loaded at one end only.
Simple wrist curl movements work great. Hold the
lever bar as if it were a hammer, with your arm
hanging straight down at your side, and lever
the bar up and down with wrist power alone. Then
do a second set with the weighted end of the
lever bar behind you. Rest briefly, and then
repeat with the other hand.

Short lever bars also work great for a variety
of different circular movements. They make great
finishers to end your forearm and grip work.

My dad is 85, and he doesn't canoe anymore, but
he still trains. I'll have to ask him if he still
does his canoe paddling exercise.

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. For more information about unique forearm and
grip exercises -- and other new and unusual, and
highly effective exercises -- grab a copy of
Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and
Development and a copy of Strength, Muscle and
Power. They'll give you plenty of great ideas:

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

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

P.S. 2. For dozens of great bodyweight exercises,
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

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

P.S. 3. My other Dinosaur Training books and courses
(and DVD's) are right here:

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "One new exercise can
energize your entire workout." -- Brooks Kubik