Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Let's start the day by covering my top 10
training tips for older Dinos.
1. Keep training. If you stop, it's really
tough to get back into it -- and it will
take a l-o-n-g time to get back to your
previous levels of strength and condition.
It's much better to start and stay with it.
2. Do what you like best. For me, that's
Olympic weightlifting. For others, it's
powerlifting, strongman training, body-
weight exercises, stone lifting, heavy
sandbags, power bodybuilding, muscle
control or power rack work.
a. You're old enough to know what you
like -- so do it!
3. Dress for success. Wear good lifting shoes
when you train. Keep your muscles warm. If
your knees hurt, use Tommy Kono knee
sleeves.
3a. Tiger Balm can be your best friend.
4. Work around the sore spots. If a particular
exercise hurts -- and ALL older trainees have
at least one exercise that hurts -- find a
substitute.
5. If squats are a problem -- and they are
for many older trainees -- try the Trap Bar
deadlift. It's one of the great training tools
for anyone, but it's especially good for older
trainees.
5a. I like the Gerard Trap Bar -- the ORIGINAL
Trap Bar designed by engineer and powerlifter,
Al Gerard. You can get it from John Wood, who
also offers some excellent Trap Bar training
guides:
http://www.trapbartraining.com
6. Work on strength, but don't neglect speed,
power, balance, coordination, timing, flexibility
and mobility. You need it all to age with success.
6a. Also, do some cardio training! (But don't
over-do it.)
7. Watch your weight! Don't let the Lard Lumps
pile up -- and if you already have them, get rid
of them. Nothing ages you faster than Lard
Lumps.
8. Stay active. The more you move, and the
more often you move, the better. Try to do
something physical every day -- not heavy
training or hard cardio, but something
physical, even if it's just walking the dog
or working in the garden.
9. Forget about what you lifted when you
were younger, and focus on what you can
lift NOW -- and then work to increase your
current best.
9a. The idea is to get better, not older.
10. Use abbreviated workouts and simple
cycling systems, as detailed in Gray Hair
and Black Iron. The right kind of training
and the right kind of workout is critical for
an older trainee.
There you have it -- ten training tips for
older Dinos. I hope they help -- and I hope
they keep you going strong for many years
to come.
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. Go here to grab Gray Hair and Black
Iron -- and my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with links
to my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Many grow old.
Few do it well." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Showing posts with label going strong at 54. Show all posts
Showing posts with label going strong at 54. Show all posts
Shipping Madness at Dinosaur Headquarters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Things are crazy here at Dino Headquarters.
If Santa's elves saw us in action, they'd run
in terror. That's because if Santa saw us in
action, he'd know the elves were moving
way too slow.
I'm signing books, writing notes, and tossing
books, courses, DVDs and other Dino goodies
into shipping boxes -- along with bonus
photos, which we always include whenever
we can.
Meanwhile, Trudi is printing address labels,
weighing boxes, running postage, and helping
me pack the shipping boxes.
When everything is packed, we race off to
the Post office -- and then we come back
and start all over again.
The goal is to get everything in the mail in
time for Christmas.
It's a lot of work, but it's for the Dinos --
and as I've always said, the Dinos deserve
the best.
Anyhow, if you want to place a Christmas
order, please do it now -- and if you want
me to autograph a book or course and include
a personal note, be sure to let me know who
to sign it to.
If someone orders a present for you, be
sure they give me your name and ask me
to autograph it for you (if it's a book or
course) or include a personal note (if it's
a DVD or DVD set).
And, of course, if you have any questions
about a book, course or DVD, send them
on in. We're getting a lot of emails asking
for gift suggestions, as in, "My 14 year old
son wants to start a weight training
program -- what book or course should
he start with?"
I'll send a training email a little later. Right
now, there's more packing to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My Dinosaur Training DVD's make a
great Christmas present -- and so does
my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
Dinosaur Training DVDs
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
Going Strong at 54
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.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: "Give yourself
and those you love the gift of strength and
health." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Things are crazy here at Dino Headquarters.
If Santa's elves saw us in action, they'd run
in terror. That's because if Santa saw us in
action, he'd know the elves were moving
way too slow.
I'm signing books, writing notes, and tossing
books, courses, DVDs and other Dino goodies
into shipping boxes -- along with bonus
photos, which we always include whenever
we can.
Meanwhile, Trudi is printing address labels,
weighing boxes, running postage, and helping
me pack the shipping boxes.
When everything is packed, we race off to
the Post office -- and then we come back
and start all over again.
The goal is to get everything in the mail in
time for Christmas.
It's a lot of work, but it's for the Dinos --
and as I've always said, the Dinos deserve
the best.
Anyhow, if you want to place a Christmas
order, please do it now -- and if you want
me to autograph a book or course and include
a personal note, be sure to let me know who
to sign it to.
If someone orders a present for you, be
sure they give me your name and ask me
to autograph it for you (if it's a book or
course) or include a personal note (if it's
a DVD or DVD set).
And, of course, if you have any questions
about a book, course or DVD, send them
on in. We're getting a lot of emails asking
for gift suggestions, as in, "My 14 year old
son wants to start a weight training
program -- what book or course should
he start with?"
I'll send a training email a little later. Right
now, there's more packing to do!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My Dinosaur Training DVD's make a
great Christmas present -- and so does
my Going Strong at 54 DVD:
Dinosaur Training DVDs
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
Going Strong at 54
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.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: "Give yourself
and those you love the gift of strength and
health." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
The Forgotten Man
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Peary Rader, the founder and (for 50
years) editor of the original IronMan
magazine had a special term for older
trainees.
"The forgotten man."
Why did he use that term?
Because back then, if you were over the
age of 40, the muscle magazines, books
and courses -- and everyone who wrote,
edited or published them -- forgot
about you.
It was as if you didn't exist after age 40.
That's still the case today. In fact, it's
probably more true than ever.
And it's not that they forget about you.
They give you bad advice.
Case in point.
A gym owner recently suggested that a
60 year old Dino should start training
three hours a day, six days a week, to
take it to the next level.
Really?
How long do you think THAT program is
going to last?
And how long before our 60 year old ends
up with massive overtraining -- or a bad
injury?
Not to mention that he won't be able to
work his job, live a normal life, and stay
married if he starts to spend 20 hours
a week in the gym.
Older Dinos understand what I'm talking
about. As you get older, you need to
change what you do.
That doesn't mean you have to stop training.
Far from it. As you get older, training becomes
more and more important. But you need to do
it as effectively and as efficiently as possible.
I know. That's because I'm one of you.
I, too, am one of the Forgotten. I'm 58 now,
and that means I do things differently than
when I was 20 or 30 -- or even when I was
40. But I still train. And to tell the truth, my
training is more fun than ever before. And
I'm going to keep on doing it for a very
long time.
But still -- it gripes my goat to see the
nonsense that older trainees have to
contend with.
So I've done several things to try to even the
score for the Forgotten Man (or Woman).
I wrote Gray Hair and Black Iron -- a book
that covers effective training for older Dinos
in detail -- and gives you over 50 different
workouts for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
I covered my own workouts in a DVD called
"Going Strong at 54" -- which was a ton of
work to do, but it's a great DVD:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
I just did a terrific mini-course for older
Dinos -- with a brand new workout -- and
it's even available with immediate electronic
delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.html
And last but not least -- each issue of the
Dinosaur Files newsletter covers effective
training for older Dinos -- and gives you
real life, real world workouts used by your
fellow Dinos. It's the stuff no one else ever
covers -- but it's standard fare for the Dino
Files.
You can grab the December issue of the Dinosaur
Files right here -- and like the mini-course, it
comes to you with immediate electronic
delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html
Older trainees may be forgotten everywhere
else. But they're not forgotten here -- and
they never will be!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Peary Rader, the founder and (for 50
years) editor of the original IronMan
magazine had a special term for older
trainees.
"The forgotten man."
Why did he use that term?
Because back then, if you were over the
age of 40, the muscle magazines, books
and courses -- and everyone who wrote,
edited or published them -- forgot
about you.
It was as if you didn't exist after age 40.
That's still the case today. In fact, it's
probably more true than ever.
And it's not that they forget about you.
They give you bad advice.
Case in point.
A gym owner recently suggested that a
60 year old Dino should start training
three hours a day, six days a week, to
take it to the next level.
Really?
How long do you think THAT program is
going to last?
And how long before our 60 year old ends
up with massive overtraining -- or a bad
injury?
Not to mention that he won't be able to
work his job, live a normal life, and stay
married if he starts to spend 20 hours
a week in the gym.
Older Dinos understand what I'm talking
about. As you get older, you need to
change what you do.
That doesn't mean you have to stop training.
Far from it. As you get older, training becomes
more and more important. But you need to do
it as effectively and as efficiently as possible.
I know. That's because I'm one of you.
I, too, am one of the Forgotten. I'm 58 now,
and that means I do things differently than
when I was 20 or 30 -- or even when I was
40. But I still train. And to tell the truth, my
training is more fun than ever before. And
I'm going to keep on doing it for a very
long time.
But still -- it gripes my goat to see the
nonsense that older trainees have to
contend with.
So I've done several things to try to even the
score for the Forgotten Man (or Woman).
I wrote Gray Hair and Black Iron -- a book
that covers effective training for older Dinos
in detail -- and gives you over 50 different
workouts for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
I covered my own workouts in a DVD called
"Going Strong at 54" -- which was a ton of
work to do, but it's a great DVD:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
I just did a terrific mini-course for older
Dinos -- with a brand new workout -- and
it's even available with immediate electronic
delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/minicourse_01.html
And last but not least -- each issue of the
Dinosaur Files newsletter covers effective
training for older Dinos -- and gives you
real life, real world workouts used by your
fellow Dinos. It's the stuff no one else ever
covers -- but it's standard fare for the Dino
Files.
You can grab the December issue of the Dinosaur
Files right here -- and like the mini-course, it
comes to you with immediate electronic
delivery:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_december2015.html
Older trainees may be forgotten everywhere
else. But they're not forgotten here -- and
they never will be!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Take a Peek at the Dinosaur Dungeon -- With Video!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Two quick notes, and then we'll talk
training -- and I'll share a fun little
video with you.
1. Something New Is Coming!
We have something new for you, and
we should be able to launch it today,
after some long battles with various
technical snafus.
Be looking for the big announcement
later today. I think you are REALLY
going to like this -- and if you do, we
can definitely do more of them for you.
2. Our Daily Emails.
We're pruning our email list, and that
may knock a couple longtime Dinos off
the list by accident. If you don't get any
of my daily emails today or tomorrow,
shoot me an email and we'll double-check
to be sure you are on the list -- and if not,
we'll put you back on.
3. Fun Times in the Dino Dungeon!
I had a fun workout the other night.
It was out in the garage, a/k/a the
world famous Dinosaur Dungeon.
It was cold, so I dressed warm, and
took extra time to get the blood
flowing.
After a thorough warm-up, I trained
split style snatches.
The workout was simple: start light
and do plenty of singles -- add weight
and do more singles -- and then repeat
the process a few times.
So the workout was 20 minutes for
my warm-up, and 40 or 45 minutes
of split style snatches.
I've been going back and forth between
split style snatches and squat style
snatches for several years.
I enjoy both movements a great deal.
They're both terrific exercises.
The problem is, I have some dings and
dents in my shoulders, and that makes
squat snatches awfully hard to do. And
sometimes, I end up with sore shoulders
when I train them hard.
As in, seriously sore shoulders.
Split style snatches are much easier on
my shoulders -- but they're harder on my
knees and hips.
There's a technical term for that.
It's called, "the fun of weightlifting at age
close to 60."
Anyhow, I am back to split style snatches,
and had lots of fun doing them the other
night.
I filmed one of the lifts for you. This is what
the Dino Dungeon looks like -- and what the
workouts look like.
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 details on effective training for
older Dinos, grab these:
a. Gray Hair and Black Iron (book)
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
b. Going Strong at 54 (DVD)
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training (book)
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- including links
to all of my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the day: "The important
thing, at any age, is to have fun when you
train." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
How I Plan to Celebrate My Birthday
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's a big day here at Dino Headquarters.
It's my birthday today.
I am now officially age 58 in civilian years. In
weightlifting years I have been age 58 since
Jan 1, and I will be age 59 on Jan 1, 2016.
It's a little confusing.
In any event, I plan to celebrate by having a
great workout and a great dinner.
If memory serves correctly, I got my first barbell
set on my birthday in 1968, so that makes 47
years of iron slinging -- although that one was
a set from Sears with gold vinyl plates filled
with concrete.
So make it 47 years of iron, vinyl and concrete
slinging.
The funny thing is, the older I get, the more I
enjoy my training. I'm not sure why that is, but
it is definitely the case.
It may be as simple as knowing that I have more
years of training behind me that before me -- or
it may simply be that as I get older, training makes
me feel so much better than I would feel if I didn't
train.
If you're an older trainee and you have thoughts
on that, I'd love to hear from you. Is training
more fun for you than ever before? Let me
know.
Anyhow, let's get back to tonight's workout.
My workout will focus on the split style snatch. If
you've been paying attention over the past few
years, you know I've gone back and forth between
the squat snatch and the split snatch. The split
style is easier on my shoulders -- the squat style
is easier on my knees.
In the end, the shoulders have won out -- at
least for now.
And besides -- the split snatch is a lot of fun --
fast, fluid and athletic -- and it's a good test
of balance and athleticism.
I've also been doing the split style clean. That,
too, challenges your balance and athleticism.
And things that challenge your balance and
athleticism are good to do -- especially if
you are an older Dino.
Many of you have asked for more detailed
instruction on weightlifting for older Dinos
(and for garage gorillas and celler dwellers
of any age).
As in, how to perform the lifts and the related
exercises -- including the split style lifts --
and how to set up a sensible program that
doesn't require you to train "Bulgarian style"
and do nothing but train five or six hours
a day every day of the week.
If that sounds like something you'd like to see
in a course or a DVD, let me know. We can
definitely make it happen.
In the meantime, you can catch a training
session at Dino Headquarters in my birthday
DVD from four years ago:
Going Strong at 54
I filmed two back to back workouts and did a
quick demo of about two dozen different
lifting exercises in that little monster, so it
has a ton of good info -- and a lot of good
lifting. If you missed it the first time around,
grab it now.
So that's the plan: a hard workout focusing
on split style snatches, followed by a terrific
dinner.
And that's the report from Dino Headquarters --
where we still have more iron on the bar than
candles on the birthday cake!
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. Go here to grab Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and DVD's -- and
links to my e-books on Kindle -- are right
here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Your body is
like your barbell -- if you don't use it, it
rusts." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
It's a big day here at Dino Headquarters.
It's my birthday today.
I am now officially age 58 in civilian years. In
weightlifting years I have been age 58 since
Jan 1, and I will be age 59 on Jan 1, 2016.
It's a little confusing.
In any event, I plan to celebrate by having a
great workout and a great dinner.
If memory serves correctly, I got my first barbell
set on my birthday in 1968, so that makes 47
years of iron slinging -- although that one was
a set from Sears with gold vinyl plates filled
with concrete.
So make it 47 years of iron, vinyl and concrete
slinging.
The funny thing is, the older I get, the more I
enjoy my training. I'm not sure why that is, but
it is definitely the case.
It may be as simple as knowing that I have more
years of training behind me that before me -- or
it may simply be that as I get older, training makes
me feel so much better than I would feel if I didn't
train.
If you're an older trainee and you have thoughts
on that, I'd love to hear from you. Is training
more fun for you than ever before? Let me
know.
Anyhow, let's get back to tonight's workout.
My workout will focus on the split style snatch. If
you've been paying attention over the past few
years, you know I've gone back and forth between
the squat snatch and the split snatch. The split
style is easier on my shoulders -- the squat style
is easier on my knees.
In the end, the shoulders have won out -- at
least for now.
And besides -- the split snatch is a lot of fun --
fast, fluid and athletic -- and it's a good test
of balance and athleticism.
I've also been doing the split style clean. That,
too, challenges your balance and athleticism.
And things that challenge your balance and
athleticism are good to do -- especially if
you are an older Dino.
Many of you have asked for more detailed
instruction on weightlifting for older Dinos
(and for garage gorillas and celler dwellers
of any age).
As in, how to perform the lifts and the related
exercises -- including the split style lifts --
and how to set up a sensible program that
doesn't require you to train "Bulgarian style"
and do nothing but train five or six hours
a day every day of the week.
If that sounds like something you'd like to see
in a course or a DVD, let me know. We can
definitely make it happen.
In the meantime, you can catch a training
session at Dino Headquarters in my birthday
DVD from four years ago:
Going Strong at 54
I filmed two back to back workouts and did a
quick demo of about two dozen different
lifting exercises in that little monster, so it
has a ton of good info -- and a lot of good
lifting. If you missed it the first time around,
grab it now.
So that's the plan: a hard workout focusing
on split style snatches, followed by a terrific
dinner.
And that's the report from Dino Headquarters --
where we still have more iron on the bar than
candles on the birthday cake!
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. Go here to grab Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and DVD's -- and
links to my e-books on Kindle -- are right
here at Dino Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Your body is
like your barbell -- if you don't use it, it
rusts." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
What My Current Workout Looks Like!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
A lot of readers have asked about my
current training program as I move
forward to birthday number 57 in
September.
So here's what's up in the Dino
Dungeon (a/k/a the garage).
I'm concentrating on Olympic
weightlifting, with the goal
of competing in Master's level
competitions.
That means, I have to focus on the
things that are most necessary for
Olympic weightlifting -- and I don't
have much if any time and energy for
other things. So I stick to the OL
training almost exclusively.
I do squat style cleans and split
style snatches. These require lots
and lots of technique work. They're
very demanding lifts. And, of course,
I need to do lots of strength and
power training, as well.
And that's led to a little change
in the program.
I've trained three times per week
for almost my entire career, but
right now I'm giving shorter, but
more frequent, workouts a try. And
so far, it seems to be working
pretty well.
So here's what I do:
Sun
Split style snatches -- Start light
and work up, do many progressively
heavier singles. Usually finish
with five singles at my top weight
for the day (not my max, but a
heavy weight).
This is my "long" workout. It takes
an hour or a bit more.
Mon
Front squats -- Start light, and
work up, do progressively heavier
singles or doubles. Work up to one,
two, three or even five top sets,
using a weight that is heavy but
not my maximum weight.
This is a shorter workout.
Tues
Push press (taking the bar from
squat stands) -- start light and
work up, similar to front squats
but do singles only.
This is the shortest and easiest
workout.
Wed
Squat clean or squat clean and split
jerk -- start light, do progressively
heavier singles, work up to one to
three singles with my top weight
for the day.
This is another "long" workout.
Thurs
Front squat as before, or back squat
using the Dave Draper Top Squat for
the same sets/reps as front squats.
This is another shorter workout.
Fri
Push press as before, or power jerk
or split jerk.
This is another short and relatively
easy workout.
I always start with a good all-around
warm-up that includes plenty of work
with some nice wooden Indian clubs I
bought from John Wood. And I finish
with gut, grip or neck work, alternating
them from workout to workout. But the
main focus is the OL work.
Moving forward, I'll work in snatch grip
and clean grip high pulls, snatch and
clean grip deadlifts (performed Olympic
style, with the same positions and mechanics
of the snatch or the clean), and Dinosaur
Bodyweight work for arm and shoulder
stability (Dino pull-ups and pushups).
So that's what things look like right
now. Lots of iron and lots of chalk and
sweat -- and lots of fun!
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 want to see what those split
style snatches and the other OL exercises
look like, grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Here's something to help you build
stand on your feet overhead lifting power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Feel free to
experiment -- but do it wisely." -- Brooks
Kubik
A lot of readers have asked about my
current training program as I move
forward to birthday number 57 in
September.
So here's what's up in the Dino
Dungeon (a/k/a the garage).
I'm concentrating on Olympic
weightlifting, with the goal
of competing in Master's level
competitions.
That means, I have to focus on the
things that are most necessary for
Olympic weightlifting -- and I don't
have much if any time and energy for
other things. So I stick to the OL
training almost exclusively.
I do squat style cleans and split
style snatches. These require lots
and lots of technique work. They're
very demanding lifts. And, of course,
I need to do lots of strength and
power training, as well.
And that's led to a little change
in the program.
I've trained three times per week
for almost my entire career, but
right now I'm giving shorter, but
more frequent, workouts a try. And
so far, it seems to be working
pretty well.
So here's what I do:
Sun
Split style snatches -- Start light
and work up, do many progressively
heavier singles. Usually finish
with five singles at my top weight
for the day (not my max, but a
heavy weight).
This is my "long" workout. It takes
an hour or a bit more.
Mon
Front squats -- Start light, and
work up, do progressively heavier
singles or doubles. Work up to one,
two, three or even five top sets,
using a weight that is heavy but
not my maximum weight.
This is a shorter workout.
Tues
Push press (taking the bar from
squat stands) -- start light and
work up, similar to front squats
but do singles only.
This is the shortest and easiest
workout.
Wed
Squat clean or squat clean and split
jerk -- start light, do progressively
heavier singles, work up to one to
three singles with my top weight
for the day.
This is another "long" workout.
Thurs
Front squat as before, or back squat
using the Dave Draper Top Squat for
the same sets/reps as front squats.
This is another shorter workout.
Fri
Push press as before, or power jerk
or split jerk.
This is another short and relatively
easy workout.
I always start with a good all-around
warm-up that includes plenty of work
with some nice wooden Indian clubs I
bought from John Wood. And I finish
with gut, grip or neck work, alternating
them from workout to workout. But the
main focus is the OL work.
Moving forward, I'll work in snatch grip
and clean grip high pulls, snatch and
clean grip deadlifts (performed Olympic
style, with the same positions and mechanics
of the snatch or the clean), and Dinosaur
Bodyweight work for arm and shoulder
stability (Dino pull-ups and pushups).
So that's what things look like right
now. Lots of iron and lots of chalk and
sweat -- and lots of fun!
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 want to see what those split
style snatches and the other OL exercises
look like, grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Here's something to help you build
stand on your feet overhead lifting power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Feel free to
experiment -- but do it wisely." -- Brooks
Kubik
Protect and Preserve Your Knees!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
You know what they say. "The legs go
first."
That's how many athletes end their
careers. Their legs don't have it any
more -- or their knees can't take it
any more.
And the same is true of lifters. Which
is why you want to do everything you
can to protect and preserve your knees.
That means training them -- with the
right kind of exercises -- and it means
not over-training them (which causes
soreness and inflammation, which can
become chronic if you overdo it).
It also means wearing sensible shoes
when you train (and that means Olympic
lifting shoes if you do Olympic lifting,
front squats, overhead squats or Olympic
style back squats).
It also means keeping your knees warm when
you train. And there's a very easy way to
do that -- using something very simple that
was designed by a two-time Olympic gold
medal winner and six-time world champion.
It's something I use religiously -- meaning,
in every workout. And so do many other Dinos.
Especially older Dinos.
I'm talking about Tommy Kono's TK knee-
bands.
These are NOT powerlifting style knee
wraps that go on so tight you can barely
move. They're a neoprene sleeve that you
wear over your knees to keep the muscles,
tendons and ligaments as warm as possible.
Tight, yes. But not wrapped-up-like-a-mummy
tight. Not at all.
They don't reduce your mobility one bit. You
can perform full squats in them -- or deep
knee bends -- or squat snatches -- or split
style snatches -- or overhead squats -- or
any other exercise. If you want to, you
can wear them while you run -- or while
you bicycle.
The TK kneebands help you warm-up better and
faster. They keep your knees warm for your
entire workout.
And they really help your mobility. It's hard
to explain, but it actually feels as if you
oiled your knees before training -- I mean,
as if someone injected some sort of oil into
the knee joints.
These are great for trainees of any age, but
for older trainees, they're pretty darn close
to mandatory -- especially if you have any
history of knee trouble or if you experience
sore knees after training, like so many of us
in the over-40 group.
There was a time, several years ago, when I
would ice my knees after workouts. I don't do
that any more -- and I think the kneebands
have helped, along with a much improved diet
and plenty of fish oil.
Anyhow, we were talking about ways to improve
and maintain your mobility earlier, and I
I thought I should mention the TK kneebands.
They really help.
And one more thing. The TK kneebands come in
basic black. That means they look great when
they're covered with lifting chalk.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can read more about Tommy Kono knee
bands -- and grab a pair -- right here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/tommy-kono-bands-0
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Take care of your knees,
and they'll take care of you." -- Brooks Kubik
You know what they say. "The legs go
first."
That's how many athletes end their
careers. Their legs don't have it any
more -- or their knees can't take it
any more.
And the same is true of lifters. Which
is why you want to do everything you
can to protect and preserve your knees.
That means training them -- with the
right kind of exercises -- and it means
not over-training them (which causes
soreness and inflammation, which can
become chronic if you overdo it).
It also means wearing sensible shoes
when you train (and that means Olympic
lifting shoes if you do Olympic lifting,
front squats, overhead squats or Olympic
style back squats).
It also means keeping your knees warm when
you train. And there's a very easy way to
do that -- using something very simple that
was designed by a two-time Olympic gold
medal winner and six-time world champion.
It's something I use religiously -- meaning,
in every workout. And so do many other Dinos.
Especially older Dinos.
I'm talking about Tommy Kono's TK knee-
bands.
These are NOT powerlifting style knee
wraps that go on so tight you can barely
move. They're a neoprene sleeve that you
wear over your knees to keep the muscles,
tendons and ligaments as warm as possible.
Tight, yes. But not wrapped-up-like-a-mummy
tight. Not at all.
They don't reduce your mobility one bit. You
can perform full squats in them -- or deep
knee bends -- or squat snatches -- or split
style snatches -- or overhead squats -- or
any other exercise. If you want to, you
can wear them while you run -- or while
you bicycle.
The TK kneebands help you warm-up better and
faster. They keep your knees warm for your
entire workout.
And they really help your mobility. It's hard
to explain, but it actually feels as if you
oiled your knees before training -- I mean,
as if someone injected some sort of oil into
the knee joints.
These are great for trainees of any age, but
for older trainees, they're pretty darn close
to mandatory -- especially if you have any
history of knee trouble or if you experience
sore knees after training, like so many of us
in the over-40 group.
There was a time, several years ago, when I
would ice my knees after workouts. I don't do
that any more -- and I think the kneebands
have helped, along with a much improved diet
and plenty of fish oil.
Anyhow, we were talking about ways to improve
and maintain your mobility earlier, and I
I thought I should mention the TK kneebands.
They really help.
And one more thing. The TK kneebands come in
basic black. That means they look great when
they're covered with lifting chalk.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can read more about Tommy Kono knee
bands -- and grab a pair -- right here:
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/tommy-kono-bands-0
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Take care of your knees,
and they'll take care of you." -- Brooks Kubik
How to Move Like an Athlete!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Simon Buchanan sent in the following
email, which raises some important points
about older Dinos getting back into training
after a long lay-off -- and about sensible
training for older Dinos -- and indeed,
about sensible training for Dinos of any
age:
Hi Brooks,
I've noticed you refer to mobility training
in your more recent emails, and it seems to
me that this can not be overemphasized.
Mike, for example, at 54 and after a 7 year
layoff, will likely have regressed as much
in mobility as strength.
Often you hear of someone in their later
decades who can still dead lift an impressive
load, but then when you see them they're walking
around in the dead lift position. Function
dictating form, as Arthur Jones used to say.
And it is probably harder to reclaim mobility
than strength at a certain age, once the
fibrous, fascial-net has started to tighten
up.
It seems to me that mobility and flexibility
are at least as important as strength, and the
more decades go by, they become more important.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks,
Simon"
Hi Simon,
Thanks for your feedback and your comments. I
agree that Mike will need to work on his
mobility as well as his strength -- and that's
another reason why I wanted him to come back
slow and easy.
As I emphasize in GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON,
older trainees need to do plenty of warming
up. I like to do ten or fifteen minutes of
easy movement work, including some stretches,
at the beginning of every workout. I include
five minutes of Indian club work for my
shoulders and upper back.
After this, I move on the weight work. I begin
with a broomstick, and then move on to an
empty bar -- and gradually move up in weight
until I'm up to my working weights. The warm-up
sets serve as additional mobility work that
targets the same movement pattern and the
same joints and muscle groups that I use in
my lifting.
And here's an important thought. As I've grown
older, I do more and more Olympic weightlifting
in my workouts.
Why?
Because it's fun -- and it's a challenge -- but
most of all, because it builds strength, power
and MOBILITY!
I was a very good athlete in junior high and
high school. (I won a state championship in
Greco-Roman wrestling when I was in high
school.) One of my goals as an older trainee
is to maintain as much athleticism as
possible. I liked being an athlete when I
was 15, and I like being an athlete at age
55.
Of course, you don't have to do Olympic
lifting to build and maintain athletic
fitness. All the different training tools
and techniques in Dinosaur Training promote
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS -- meaning, they make you
stronger and more athletic.
That's because everything a Dinosaur does
is done to build strength and power (as
opposed to double bumping your pecs, to
borrow a line from John McCallum).
Dinosaur Training is ground-based training.
It's stand on your feet and lift heavy stuff
over your head. It's walk with heavy stuff,
carry heavy stuff, throw heavy stuff, drag
heavy stuff, and lift heavy stuff.
And when you add Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
you add an extra dimension to your training.
Now you're moving your body rather than moving
a barbell, dumbbell or sand bag. It requires
exceptional body control and a heightened
awareness of how your body moves.
Ditto with Dinosaur Dumbbell Training. In
fact, one of the reasons why I write Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training was to give older Dinosaurs
a way of doing athletic-style exercises without
having to do Olympic weightlifting. So if you
don't have an Olympic barbell, bumper plates,
and a platform -- or if you don't know how to
do Olympic lifting -- you have a very accessible
option: Dino-style dumbbell training.
When he was in his 80's, George Hackenschmidt
could jump over a broomstick placed horizontally
at waist height. That's mobility for you --
and that's the sort of thing I want to be
able to do at age 80.
Anyhow, those were great points, Simon. Thanks
for raising them.
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. 2. These will keep you moving at any age:
1. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. DINOSAUR DUMBBELL TRAINING (BOOK)
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
4. DINOSAUR DUMBBELL TRAINING (DVD -- shot in 1999)
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
5. GOING STRONG AT 54! (DVD -- shot in 2011)
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you want
to move like an athlete, you need to train
like an athlete." -- Brooks Kubik
Simon Buchanan sent in the following
email, which raises some important points
about older Dinos getting back into training
after a long lay-off -- and about sensible
training for older Dinos -- and indeed,
about sensible training for Dinos of any
age:
Hi Brooks,
I've noticed you refer to mobility training
in your more recent emails, and it seems to
me that this can not be overemphasized.
Mike, for example, at 54 and after a 7 year
layoff, will likely have regressed as much
in mobility as strength.
Often you hear of someone in their later
decades who can still dead lift an impressive
load, but then when you see them they're walking
around in the dead lift position. Function
dictating form, as Arthur Jones used to say.
And it is probably harder to reclaim mobility
than strength at a certain age, once the
fibrous, fascial-net has started to tighten
up.
It seems to me that mobility and flexibility
are at least as important as strength, and the
more decades go by, they become more important.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks,
Simon"
Hi Simon,
Thanks for your feedback and your comments. I
agree that Mike will need to work on his
mobility as well as his strength -- and that's
another reason why I wanted him to come back
slow and easy.
As I emphasize in GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON,
older trainees need to do plenty of warming
up. I like to do ten or fifteen minutes of
easy movement work, including some stretches,
at the beginning of every workout. I include
five minutes of Indian club work for my
shoulders and upper back.
After this, I move on the weight work. I begin
with a broomstick, and then move on to an
empty bar -- and gradually move up in weight
until I'm up to my working weights. The warm-up
sets serve as additional mobility work that
targets the same movement pattern and the
same joints and muscle groups that I use in
my lifting.
And here's an important thought. As I've grown
older, I do more and more Olympic weightlifting
in my workouts.
Why?
Because it's fun -- and it's a challenge -- but
most of all, because it builds strength, power
and MOBILITY!
I was a very good athlete in junior high and
high school. (I won a state championship in
Greco-Roman wrestling when I was in high
school.) One of my goals as an older trainee
is to maintain as much athleticism as
possible. I liked being an athlete when I
was 15, and I like being an athlete at age
55.
Of course, you don't have to do Olympic
lifting to build and maintain athletic
fitness. All the different training tools
and techniques in Dinosaur Training promote
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS -- meaning, they make you
stronger and more athletic.
That's because everything a Dinosaur does
is done to build strength and power (as
opposed to double bumping your pecs, to
borrow a line from John McCallum).
Dinosaur Training is ground-based training.
It's stand on your feet and lift heavy stuff
over your head. It's walk with heavy stuff,
carry heavy stuff, throw heavy stuff, drag
heavy stuff, and lift heavy stuff.
And when you add Dinosaur Bodyweight Training,
you add an extra dimension to your training.
Now you're moving your body rather than moving
a barbell, dumbbell or sand bag. It requires
exceptional body control and a heightened
awareness of how your body moves.
Ditto with Dinosaur Dumbbell Training. In
fact, one of the reasons why I write Dinosaur
Dumbbell Training was to give older Dinosaurs
a way of doing athletic-style exercises without
having to do Olympic weightlifting. So if you
don't have an Olympic barbell, bumper plates,
and a platform -- or if you don't know how to
do Olympic lifting -- you have a very accessible
option: Dino-style dumbbell training.
When he was in his 80's, George Hackenschmidt
could jump over a broomstick placed horizontally
at waist height. That's mobility for you --
and that's the sort of thing I want to be
able to do at age 80.
Anyhow, those were great points, Simon. Thanks
for raising them.
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. 2. These will keep you moving at any age:
1. GRAY HAIR AND BLACK IRON
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. DINOSAUR DUMBBELL TRAINING (BOOK)
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
4. DINOSAUR DUMBBELL TRAINING (DVD -- shot in 1999)
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
5. GOING STRONG AT 54! (DVD -- shot in 2011)
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "If you want
to move like an athlete, you need to train
like an athlete." -- Brooks Kubik
The Jack LaLanne Birthday Workout!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
You can get older, which happens to
everyone, or you can focus on getting
better and better from year to year --
which is what a Dinosaur does!
Back in the day, Jack LaLanne used to
celebrate his birthday by doing an
incredible feat of strength and
endurance -- like swimming from
Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf
in San Francisco -- while handcuffed --
pulling a 1,000 pound boat behind him.
(He did that one on his 60th birthday!)
So imagine how curious I was when I
received an email with the subject line:
"The Jack LaLanne Birthday Workout."
It came from Jacob Derksen, and this is
what it said:
"Hi, Brooks,
As you're one of the handful of people
whose daily emails (and your Dinosaur
Training book) have been a huge source
of inspiration to me, I thought I'd send
a quick email detailing my JACK LALANNE
BIRTHDAY WORKOUT.
I usually follow a 5 x 5 program but, as
it was my 48th birthday, after warming up
I did 48 squats (6 x 8, with one minute
rest between sets) with a barbell equal
to my own bodyweight (170 pounds).
Then I did 48 shrugs (6 x 8, with 30
seconds rest between sets) with 85
pound dumbbells.
My warm-up was the primary focus of my
b'day workout, and included 24 consecutive
pullups and 48 consecutive dips. (A few
days later I tried the dips again and
made my goal of 48 consecutive reps.)
I'll add that these were respectable
reps, too, not the half reps you see some
of the young guys doing. My squats were
full squats, too.
None of this qualifies me as an Olympic
athlete or anything, but for a guy who
was born with a ventricular septal defect
(i.e., a hole in the heart), I like to
think it's reasonably respectable.
Moreover, armed with Dinosaur Training,
I know I'll surpass that birthday workout
next year.
BTW, look for my order in the near future.
I'm going to get Gray Hair and Black Iron.
As always, thanks for the inspirational
emails.
Best regards,
Jacob"
Thanks for sharing that, Jacob! I think it's
the email of the day.
The idea of a birthday workout is GREAT! I
always try to do a special workout on my
birthday. One year, i did a squat workout
and went for a new PR of 500 pounds (which
is a magic number, for sure) -- and I GOT IT!
A PR on your birthday is a great present --
and so is a super tough and extra-challenging
workout.
Last year, I took an extra-heavy Olympic
lifting workout on my birthday, and tried
for lifts that would meet or exceed the
qualifying standards for the Master's World
Championships in my age group and weight
class. And guess what? I made it! That was
another special b'day workout. (We filmed
it, and it's available on CD -- I call it
GOING STRONG AT 54!)
Anyhow, the idea of a JACK LALANNE BIRTHDAY
WORKOUT is a pretty good one -- so file it
away for future reference, and roll it out
the next time your birthday comes around!
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. You'll find plenty of ideas for extra-
challenging workouts in any of my books and
courses, including these:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
3. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
4. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
5. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. You can grab a copy of GOING STRONG AT
54! right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Older is one thing.
Older and better is an entirely different animal."
-- Brooks Kubik
You can get older, which happens to
everyone, or you can focus on getting
better and better from year to year --
which is what a Dinosaur does!
Back in the day, Jack LaLanne used to
celebrate his birthday by doing an
incredible feat of strength and
endurance -- like swimming from
Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf
in San Francisco -- while handcuffed --
pulling a 1,000 pound boat behind him.
(He did that one on his 60th birthday!)
So imagine how curious I was when I
received an email with the subject line:
"The Jack LaLanne Birthday Workout."
It came from Jacob Derksen, and this is
what it said:
"Hi, Brooks,
As you're one of the handful of people
whose daily emails (and your Dinosaur
Training book) have been a huge source
of inspiration to me, I thought I'd send
a quick email detailing my JACK LALANNE
BIRTHDAY WORKOUT.
I usually follow a 5 x 5 program but, as
it was my 48th birthday, after warming up
I did 48 squats (6 x 8, with one minute
rest between sets) with a barbell equal
to my own bodyweight (170 pounds).
Then I did 48 shrugs (6 x 8, with 30
seconds rest between sets) with 85
pound dumbbells.
My warm-up was the primary focus of my
b'day workout, and included 24 consecutive
pullups and 48 consecutive dips. (A few
days later I tried the dips again and
made my goal of 48 consecutive reps.)
I'll add that these were respectable
reps, too, not the half reps you see some
of the young guys doing. My squats were
full squats, too.
None of this qualifies me as an Olympic
athlete or anything, but for a guy who
was born with a ventricular septal defect
(i.e., a hole in the heart), I like to
think it's reasonably respectable.
Moreover, armed with Dinosaur Training,
I know I'll surpass that birthday workout
next year.
BTW, look for my order in the near future.
I'm going to get Gray Hair and Black Iron.
As always, thanks for the inspirational
emails.
Best regards,
Jacob"
Thanks for sharing that, Jacob! I think it's
the email of the day.
The idea of a birthday workout is GREAT! I
always try to do a special workout on my
birthday. One year, i did a squat workout
and went for a new PR of 500 pounds (which
is a magic number, for sure) -- and I GOT IT!
A PR on your birthday is a great present --
and so is a super tough and extra-challenging
workout.
Last year, I took an extra-heavy Olympic
lifting workout on my birthday, and tried
for lifts that would meet or exceed the
qualifying standards for the Master's World
Championships in my age group and weight
class. And guess what? I made it! That was
another special b'day workout. (We filmed
it, and it's available on CD -- I call it
GOING STRONG AT 54!)
Anyhow, the idea of a JACK LALANNE BIRTHDAY
WORKOUT is a pretty good one -- so file it
away for future reference, and roll it out
the next time your birthday comes around!
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. You'll find plenty of ideas for extra-
challenging workouts in any of my books and
courses, including these:
1. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
2. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
3. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
4. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
5. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 2. You can grab a copy of GOING STRONG AT
54! right here at Dino Headquarters:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Older is one thing.
Older and better is an entirely different animal."
-- Brooks Kubik
Special Advice for Older Lifters!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I want to begin by thanking everyone
who shot in a response to my question
about a book (or a book and DVD) on
Dumbbell Training.
I try to make my books and courses as
interesting and useful as possible --
so it really helps to get your thoughts
and feedback.
And there's been some GREAT feedback.
One reader suggested that I talk about
a particular lifter who was famous for
his dumbbell lifting many and many years
ago. I probably wouldn't have included
him -- but now I will. So that's how it
works. (Thanks, Bill!)
Another reader suggested a particular
twist on an old-school exercise. Once
again, it was something that probably
wouldn't have made it in -- but it was
a good exercise, a good suggestion, and
it's going to go in. Again, that's how
it works. (Thanks, Don!)
And even if you didn't suggest anything
particular for the book, your feedback
was very important. When I ask if you're
interested in something, I really need
to know. There are so many different
things I could be covering that I need
to know what YOU want -- and so I ask --
and I pay close attention to the
responses.
If there's a lot of interest, we'll do
it -- and if there's not, we'll do
something else.
So to everyone who shot in a response about
the Dumbbell book (or DVD) -- THANK YOU!
On the training front, I've been getting
lots of questions about training for older
lifters. For some reason, many of them have
been something along the lines of "Is it
possible to build strength and muscle
after age 40 (or 50, or 60, or whatever)?"
Here's the honest answer:
1. The bad news: The older you are, the harder
it is to build strength and muscle.
2. The good news: The older you are, the more
your training will improve and enhance your
life.
2A. You don't need to be an Olympic class
athlete at age 50 or 60. You need to be strong,
lean, healthy and fit. Regular training and a
good diet is what will get you there -- and
keep you there.
3. If you are a newbie, no matter what your age,
you can make some very very good gains.
4. If you are an experienced lifter -- with 20,
30, 40 or 50 years of training under your
belt -- you're not going to make spectacular
gains. But you ARE going to find it relatively
easy to stay in great shape with regular workouts.
5. Very important: Most older lifters find that
they enjoy their workouts more and more as they
get older. I'm not sure why that is. It may be
that as you get older you tend to realize that
some things in life (such as training) are
more important than other things (such as
chasing wampum or trying to one-up the
neighbors). Or maybe it's just fun to be
stronger and better conditioned than most
men half your age.
Thirty years ago, when I was a young lawyer,
I had a case against an older lawyer who was
in his late 80's or early 90's. He had been
trying cases for more than 60 years. he could
have retired two or three decades earlier, but
he enjoyed trying cases and so he kept on doing
it.
I remember what he said to me one day:
"I'd rather try a case to a jury than eat
steak."
That's how many (perhaps most) older lifters feel
about their training.
"I'd rather hit the iron (or a hard bodyweight
workout) than eat steak."
Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
You can go out and train and then treat yourself
to a nice rare steak (with a fresh salad and some
cooked veggies). And yes, that will DEFINITELY
help keep you young!
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the numero uno
book for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Older trainees (or trainees of any age)
who want to include bodyweight exercises should
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. If you want to see how I celebrated my
54th birthday -- by hitting the iron -- grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. For older beginners (or beginners of any
age), nothing beats the beginner's programs in
Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "The iron never
worries about a little rust. Neither should you."
-- Brooks Kubik
I want to begin by thanking everyone
who shot in a response to my question
about a book (or a book and DVD) on
Dumbbell Training.
I try to make my books and courses as
interesting and useful as possible --
so it really helps to get your thoughts
and feedback.
And there's been some GREAT feedback.
One reader suggested that I talk about
a particular lifter who was famous for
his dumbbell lifting many and many years
ago. I probably wouldn't have included
him -- but now I will. So that's how it
works. (Thanks, Bill!)
Another reader suggested a particular
twist on an old-school exercise. Once
again, it was something that probably
wouldn't have made it in -- but it was
a good exercise, a good suggestion, and
it's going to go in. Again, that's how
it works. (Thanks, Don!)
And even if you didn't suggest anything
particular for the book, your feedback
was very important. When I ask if you're
interested in something, I really need
to know. There are so many different
things I could be covering that I need
to know what YOU want -- and so I ask --
and I pay close attention to the
responses.
If there's a lot of interest, we'll do
it -- and if there's not, we'll do
something else.
So to everyone who shot in a response about
the Dumbbell book (or DVD) -- THANK YOU!
On the training front, I've been getting
lots of questions about training for older
lifters. For some reason, many of them have
been something along the lines of "Is it
possible to build strength and muscle
after age 40 (or 50, or 60, or whatever)?"
Here's the honest answer:
1. The bad news: The older you are, the harder
it is to build strength and muscle.
2. The good news: The older you are, the more
your training will improve and enhance your
life.
2A. You don't need to be an Olympic class
athlete at age 50 or 60. You need to be strong,
lean, healthy and fit. Regular training and a
good diet is what will get you there -- and
keep you there.
3. If you are a newbie, no matter what your age,
you can make some very very good gains.
4. If you are an experienced lifter -- with 20,
30, 40 or 50 years of training under your
belt -- you're not going to make spectacular
gains. But you ARE going to find it relatively
easy to stay in great shape with regular workouts.
5. Very important: Most older lifters find that
they enjoy their workouts more and more as they
get older. I'm not sure why that is. It may be
that as you get older you tend to realize that
some things in life (such as training) are
more important than other things (such as
chasing wampum or trying to one-up the
neighbors). Or maybe it's just fun to be
stronger and better conditioned than most
men half your age.
Thirty years ago, when I was a young lawyer,
I had a case against an older lawyer who was
in his late 80's or early 90's. He had been
trying cases for more than 60 years. he could
have retired two or three decades earlier, but
he enjoyed trying cases and so he kept on doing
it.
I remember what he said to me one day:
"I'd rather try a case to a jury than eat
steak."
That's how many (perhaps most) older lifters feel
about their training.
"I'd rather hit the iron (or a hard bodyweight
workout) than eat steak."
Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
You can go out and train and then treat yourself
to a nice rare steak (with a fresh salad and some
cooked veggies). And yes, that will DEFINITELY
help keep you young!
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the numero uno
book for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Older trainees (or trainees of any age)
who want to include bodyweight exercises should
grab a copy of Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. If you want to see how I celebrated my
54th birthday -- by hitting the iron -- grab this:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. For older beginners (or beginners of any
age), nothing beats the beginner's programs in
Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "The iron never
worries about a little rust. Neither should you."
-- Brooks Kubik
The Ageless Champion!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It's a new month, so let's get started.
I'll begin with a great big THANK YOU
to everyone who responded to yesterday's
email about my new (not yet finished)
book on diet and nutrition for Dinos.
It's a big job, and I really appreciate
your support and encouragement!
On the training front, I've been getting
tons of emails from readers reporting on
the great gains they've made with
Dino-style abbreviated training.
Many of these emails have come from older
readers who note that they just don't have
the time (or the energy) to hit the longer
workouts they managed when they were
younger.
And that's a very important point. Weight-
lifters are very serious, very determined
people. We are used to pushing ourselves
very, very hard -- and we're used to setting
high goals, and then achieving them.
If we've been doing that for twenty, thirty,
forty or fifty years (as many Dinos have done),
then it becomes very difficult to ease up on
the gas pedal and take things a bit easier.
And yet, that's exactly what older trainees
need to do. (By older, I mean anyone over the
age of 40.) You need to ease up a bit -- but
you also need to make sure you keep at it.
No stopping, no quitting, no long lay-offs,
no getting discouraged, and no saying,
"Maybe I'm too old for this stuff!"
Let me share something interesting with you.
I've written before about Sig Klein, and how
strong he was. He set a professional World
record in the military press with 229.5
pounds at a bodyweight of only 152 pounds,
had other lifts in proportion, was world
class at handstand pushups, tiger bends
and similar feats, and was one of the
best built men of his era.
But much more important than Klein's super-
human strength and magnificent muscular
development was the fact that he kept
training for literally his entire life.
Sig Klein trained three times per week, as
regular as clockwork. From age 40 on, he
followed old-school, one set per exercise
workouts (much like the old Milo Courses
and York courses). He would do relatively
high reps on each set (usually 15 for the
upper body and 20 or so for the lower body).
He would use lighter weights than when he
was younger -- but NOT THAT MUCH
LIGHTER! And he was very careful to
perform every rep of every set in letter
perfect form.
He performed total body workouts, and did
a wide variety of different exercises. He
used barbells, dumbbells, iron boots, and
kettlebells -- and he performed pull-ups,
chin-ups, handstand pushups and tiger
bends.
He sometimes trained with men who were much
younger -- sometimes twenty or thirty years
younger. He would challenge them to keep up
with him. No one ever did.
At age 40, Klein had the same measurements
(and weighed the same) as he did at age 20.
At age 50, he still had the same measurements.
And he still weighed the same.
And get this -- he had the same measurements --
and he weighed the same -- at age 60.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty impressive.
I also think it's pretty darn motivating. So
I'll be training tonight -- and I'll make it
an extra good one in honor of Sig Klein --
The Ageless Champion!
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. You, too, can be an ageless champion --
but you have to keep on training, and you have
to train the right way. here are three GREAT
training guides for older athletes:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. Going Strong at 54 (a Dino DVD):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses (and DVD's) are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind.
Pick the state you want to live in." -- Brooks Kubik
It's a new month, so let's get started.
I'll begin with a great big THANK YOU
to everyone who responded to yesterday's
email about my new (not yet finished)
book on diet and nutrition for Dinos.
It's a big job, and I really appreciate
your support and encouragement!
On the training front, I've been getting
tons of emails from readers reporting on
the great gains they've made with
Dino-style abbreviated training.
Many of these emails have come from older
readers who note that they just don't have
the time (or the energy) to hit the longer
workouts they managed when they were
younger.
And that's a very important point. Weight-
lifters are very serious, very determined
people. We are used to pushing ourselves
very, very hard -- and we're used to setting
high goals, and then achieving them.
If we've been doing that for twenty, thirty,
forty or fifty years (as many Dinos have done),
then it becomes very difficult to ease up on
the gas pedal and take things a bit easier.
And yet, that's exactly what older trainees
need to do. (By older, I mean anyone over the
age of 40.) You need to ease up a bit -- but
you also need to make sure you keep at it.
No stopping, no quitting, no long lay-offs,
no getting discouraged, and no saying,
"Maybe I'm too old for this stuff!"
Let me share something interesting with you.
I've written before about Sig Klein, and how
strong he was. He set a professional World
record in the military press with 229.5
pounds at a bodyweight of only 152 pounds,
had other lifts in proportion, was world
class at handstand pushups, tiger bends
and similar feats, and was one of the
best built men of his era.
But much more important than Klein's super-
human strength and magnificent muscular
development was the fact that he kept
training for literally his entire life.
Sig Klein trained three times per week, as
regular as clockwork. From age 40 on, he
followed old-school, one set per exercise
workouts (much like the old Milo Courses
and York courses). He would do relatively
high reps on each set (usually 15 for the
upper body and 20 or so for the lower body).
He would use lighter weights than when he
was younger -- but NOT THAT MUCH
LIGHTER! And he was very careful to
perform every rep of every set in letter
perfect form.
He performed total body workouts, and did
a wide variety of different exercises. He
used barbells, dumbbells, iron boots, and
kettlebells -- and he performed pull-ups,
chin-ups, handstand pushups and tiger
bends.
He sometimes trained with men who were much
younger -- sometimes twenty or thirty years
younger. He would challenge them to keep up
with him. No one ever did.
At age 40, Klein had the same measurements
(and weighed the same) as he did at age 20.
At age 50, he still had the same measurements.
And he still weighed the same.
And get this -- he had the same measurements --
and he weighed the same -- at age 60.
I don't know about you, but I think that's
pretty impressive.
I also think it's pretty darn motivating. So
I'll be training tonight -- and I'll make it
an extra good one in honor of Sig Klein --
The Ageless Champion!
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. You, too, can be an ageless champion --
but you have to keep on training, and you have
to train the right way. here are three GREAT
training guides for older athletes:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. Going Strong at 54 (a Dino DVD):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses (and DVD's) are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Age is a state of mind.
Pick the state you want to live in." -- Brooks Kubik
In Training, Less Is More!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Four quick notes, and then we'll talk
training.
1. We've shipped the John Grimek course --
if you reserved a copy, you'll be getting
it soon. Shoot me an email when it arrives!
2. The Dino Files is running late due to
all the work on the Grimek course -- but
it should be mailed on Fri or Monday.
3. Shoot me an email if you're interested
in a book or course on Dino-style diet and
nutrition. If enough of you are interested,
I'll do it!
4. Are you reading the Thought for the Day
at the end of each message? They're pretty
good! Look for them.
On the training front, I've been getting a
ton of feedback from readers who have had
great success with abbreviated training. In
many cases, they shocked themselves by how
fast they gained after they switched to
shorter workouts.
That's not surprising. In strength training,
less is more. You can get amazing results
with short, infrequent workouts.
Amazing results. And fast, results, too.
For the older trainees, abbreviated workouts
are a godsend. Older trainees are always short
on time, on energy and on recovery ability.
A 60 minute workout might bury an older
lifter -- but a 45 minute session (or a 30
minute session) might make him feel like
running and jumping and turning cartwheels
because he feels so darn good.
When I was 30 years old, I started using
abbreviated training, and in a couple of
years I gained 45 pounds of muscle and
increased my strength enormously. Back then,
I usually trained three times per week for
about 50 or 60 minutes per session. I
would hit two major exercises in each
workout, and train each exercise once
per week.
Today, I still train three times per week,
for the most part, but sometimes I hit two
workouts. I'm on the fence about whether
two is actually better than three now that
I'm 55. It may be best if I hit three
sessions one week and two the next.
I'll have to keep an eye on my training
journal and see what seems to work best.
My workouts are a bit shorter than before.
I usually train for 35 to 45 minutes. If
I train for anything close to an hour,
it's a long session.
I do more warm-ups than before. I start
with a full-body warm-up (which I didn't
do when I was younger), and I also begin
each primary exercise with very light
weights (like the empty bar) and work
up from there.
Remember, I do Olympic lifting now, and
I need to be as loose as possible for
snatches and clean and jerks. So that
means I do lots of progressively
heavier warm-up sets.
The other change in my training is that
I usually do ONE primary exercise in each
workout. For example, I might do power
snatches on Tuesday, the clean and push
press or the clean and jerk on Thursday
and front squats on Sunday. That seems
to be about the right amount of work in
each session. It let's me have fun and
work up to a challenging weight, but
still be able to fully recover in time
for the next workout.
You can see what I'm talking about in my
DVD, GOING STRONG AT 54, which we shot on
my birthday. My b'day present to the Dino
Nation was a 4 1/2 photo shoot that
included demos of something like 20
different exercises, followed by two
complete workouts back to back -- and
yes, I was tired when it was over:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
I guess you could say that I did abbreviated
training in my 30's and 40's -- and now,
in my 50's, I'm doing ultra-abbreviated
training.
You also could say that I'm having as much
fun as ever, and that I plan to keep doing
this for a long, long time. And being a
Dinosaur, you probably feel the very same
way!
Anyhow, I'd love some workout reports --
some feedback on the Grimek course -- and
I'd love to know if you'd like to see a
book or course on diet and nutrition for
Dinosaurs! Let me know!
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. You can learn more about abbreviated
strength training in all of my books and
courses, including Dinosaur Training,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, Gray Hair
and Black Iron, Chalk and Sweat, and
Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Here's the link for the John Grimek
course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stop over-analyzing
things and train. Training is the best teacher in
the world." -- Brooks Kubik
Four quick notes, and then we'll talk
training.
1. We've shipped the John Grimek course --
if you reserved a copy, you'll be getting
it soon. Shoot me an email when it arrives!
2. The Dino Files is running late due to
all the work on the Grimek course -- but
it should be mailed on Fri or Monday.
3. Shoot me an email if you're interested
in a book or course on Dino-style diet and
nutrition. If enough of you are interested,
I'll do it!
4. Are you reading the Thought for the Day
at the end of each message? They're pretty
good! Look for them.
On the training front, I've been getting a
ton of feedback from readers who have had
great success with abbreviated training. In
many cases, they shocked themselves by how
fast they gained after they switched to
shorter workouts.
That's not surprising. In strength training,
less is more. You can get amazing results
with short, infrequent workouts.
Amazing results. And fast, results, too.
For the older trainees, abbreviated workouts
are a godsend. Older trainees are always short
on time, on energy and on recovery ability.
A 60 minute workout might bury an older
lifter -- but a 45 minute session (or a 30
minute session) might make him feel like
running and jumping and turning cartwheels
because he feels so darn good.
When I was 30 years old, I started using
abbreviated training, and in a couple of
years I gained 45 pounds of muscle and
increased my strength enormously. Back then,
I usually trained three times per week for
about 50 or 60 minutes per session. I
would hit two major exercises in each
workout, and train each exercise once
per week.
Today, I still train three times per week,
for the most part, but sometimes I hit two
workouts. I'm on the fence about whether
two is actually better than three now that
I'm 55. It may be best if I hit three
sessions one week and two the next.
I'll have to keep an eye on my training
journal and see what seems to work best.
My workouts are a bit shorter than before.
I usually train for 35 to 45 minutes. If
I train for anything close to an hour,
it's a long session.
I do more warm-ups than before. I start
with a full-body warm-up (which I didn't
do when I was younger), and I also begin
each primary exercise with very light
weights (like the empty bar) and work
up from there.
Remember, I do Olympic lifting now, and
I need to be as loose as possible for
snatches and clean and jerks. So that
means I do lots of progressively
heavier warm-up sets.
The other change in my training is that
I usually do ONE primary exercise in each
workout. For example, I might do power
snatches on Tuesday, the clean and push
press or the clean and jerk on Thursday
and front squats on Sunday. That seems
to be about the right amount of work in
each session. It let's me have fun and
work up to a challenging weight, but
still be able to fully recover in time
for the next workout.
You can see what I'm talking about in my
DVD, GOING STRONG AT 54, which we shot on
my birthday. My b'day present to the Dino
Nation was a 4 1/2 photo shoot that
included demos of something like 20
different exercises, followed by two
complete workouts back to back -- and
yes, I was tired when it was over:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
I guess you could say that I did abbreviated
training in my 30's and 40's -- and now,
in my 50's, I'm doing ultra-abbreviated
training.
You also could say that I'm having as much
fun as ever, and that I plan to keep doing
this for a long, long time. And being a
Dinosaur, you probably feel the very same
way!
Anyhow, I'd love some workout reports --
some feedback on the Grimek course -- and
I'd love to know if you'd like to see a
book or course on diet and nutrition for
Dinosaurs! Let me know!
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. You can learn more about abbreviated
strength training in all of my books and
courses, including Dinosaur Training,
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training, Gray Hair
and Black Iron, Chalk and Sweat, and
Strength, Muscle and Power:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Here's the link for the John Grimek
course:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Stop over-analyzing
things and train. Training is the best teacher in
the world." -- Brooks Kubik
Special Advice for an Older Dino!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I got an email from an older Dino who, like
many older lifters, has sore shoulders that
make it tough to hold a barbell in position for
back squats.
Instead of squats, he's been doing Trap Bar
deadlifts, which is something that works very
well for many older lifters.
But he missed squatting, so he ordered the Top
Squat from Dave Draper. The Top Squat is a
nifty little beast that holds the bar on your
shoulders and has handles that project to the
front, so you can hold the bar with your hands
to the front and your shoulders and elbows in
a comfortable position. I have one, and I
really like it. Google for Dave's video where
he demonstrates how to use the Top Squat.
Anyhow, our reader -- 65 years old and a life-
long lifter -- is ready to start squatting
again.
He asked me what sort of sets and reps to do.
He said he liked doing sets of five reps, but
sometimes his hip feels a bit "iffy" on
heavy sets, so he wondered if he should do
eight reps sets instead of five rep sets.
And that brings me to the point of today's
discussion -- sensible sets and reps for
older trainees.
A lot of people believe that older trainees
should do high reps because "low reps are
dangerous."
I disagree.
What's dangerous is sloppy form. And your form
gets sloppy when you do too many reps. I prefer
doing low reps in perfect form.
But low reps does not mean you have to train
with super heavy weights. Especially if you're
doing an exercise you haven't done for awhile.
And double especially if you have a sore
hip -- or sore back, sore knees or sore
anything.
I suggested that our 65-year old lifter do this:
1. Use his former squatting weight and his current
Trap Bar deadlift to estimate a weight he could
handle for ten reps in the squat. Not a ten rep
maximum or a ten rep death set, but a weight that
made him work to get ten reps.
2. Use 50 percent of the ten rep weight as his top
weight at the beginning of the program.
2A. Not his warm-up weight -- but rather, the weight
he should use in his "work" sets. For example, if the
estimated ten rep weight is 200 pounds, he should use
100 pounds for his working sets. He might do 60 x 5,
80 x 5 and then three x 5 with 100 pounds.
2B. I KNOW that's not very heavy, and I KNOW he could
do more if he pushed himself -- but remember, this is
a 65-year old lifter who's starting to squat again
after a long period of no squats -- and he needs to
be careful not to aggravate that hip. So he needs to
start LIGHT!
2C. He should continue to do Trap Bar deadlifts. That
will serve as his heavy exercise until he builds his
squat back up.
3. Anyhow, he should do two or three sets of FIVE
reps with this weight. And he should use perfect form
on each and every rep.
4. Gradually, slowly, and sensibly increase the
weight. It may take a year or more to get up to
a reasonably heavy poundage -- but your goal is
to get there, and to do it without hurting your
hip, so give the process plenty of time. Older
lifters are always too eager to pile on the
weight, and they often end up hurting themselves
by doing too much too soon. (I know, I've done it
many times -- all of us over a certain age have
done it.)
5. Continue to do five rep sets -- but don't try
to go up to a gut-busting set with every last ounce
of weight that you could handle for five reps. At
age 65, you don't need to do that -- and you really
shouldn't. Instead, your top weight for five reps
should be a weight you can handle for eight reps.
6. This is the "leave something in the tank" theory
of lifting -- and it works great for older lifters.
Now, please note -- I'm talking about older lifters
today. This is 55-year old Brooks talking to a 65-
year old Dino who hasn't been squatting for awhile.
The younger Dinos can train harder and heavier.
That's one of the privileges of youth -- so use it
wisely.
So that's what I want our 65-year old Dino to do.
And I also want him to send some progress reports.
I bet he surprises us a year from now!
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 sensible training for
older lifters, grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. I filmed a heavy workout on my 54th b'day. So
if you want to see what works for an older Dino, grab
a copy of Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The most important thing
is to keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
I got an email from an older Dino who, like
many older lifters, has sore shoulders that
make it tough to hold a barbell in position for
back squats.
Instead of squats, he's been doing Trap Bar
deadlifts, which is something that works very
well for many older lifters.
But he missed squatting, so he ordered the Top
Squat from Dave Draper. The Top Squat is a
nifty little beast that holds the bar on your
shoulders and has handles that project to the
front, so you can hold the bar with your hands
to the front and your shoulders and elbows in
a comfortable position. I have one, and I
really like it. Google for Dave's video where
he demonstrates how to use the Top Squat.
Anyhow, our reader -- 65 years old and a life-
long lifter -- is ready to start squatting
again.
He asked me what sort of sets and reps to do.
He said he liked doing sets of five reps, but
sometimes his hip feels a bit "iffy" on
heavy sets, so he wondered if he should do
eight reps sets instead of five rep sets.
And that brings me to the point of today's
discussion -- sensible sets and reps for
older trainees.
A lot of people believe that older trainees
should do high reps because "low reps are
dangerous."
I disagree.
What's dangerous is sloppy form. And your form
gets sloppy when you do too many reps. I prefer
doing low reps in perfect form.
But low reps does not mean you have to train
with super heavy weights. Especially if you're
doing an exercise you haven't done for awhile.
And double especially if you have a sore
hip -- or sore back, sore knees or sore
anything.
I suggested that our 65-year old lifter do this:
1. Use his former squatting weight and his current
Trap Bar deadlift to estimate a weight he could
handle for ten reps in the squat. Not a ten rep
maximum or a ten rep death set, but a weight that
made him work to get ten reps.
2. Use 50 percent of the ten rep weight as his top
weight at the beginning of the program.
2A. Not his warm-up weight -- but rather, the weight
he should use in his "work" sets. For example, if the
estimated ten rep weight is 200 pounds, he should use
100 pounds for his working sets. He might do 60 x 5,
80 x 5 and then three x 5 with 100 pounds.
2B. I KNOW that's not very heavy, and I KNOW he could
do more if he pushed himself -- but remember, this is
a 65-year old lifter who's starting to squat again
after a long period of no squats -- and he needs to
be careful not to aggravate that hip. So he needs to
start LIGHT!
2C. He should continue to do Trap Bar deadlifts. That
will serve as his heavy exercise until he builds his
squat back up.
3. Anyhow, he should do two or three sets of FIVE
reps with this weight. And he should use perfect form
on each and every rep.
4. Gradually, slowly, and sensibly increase the
weight. It may take a year or more to get up to
a reasonably heavy poundage -- but your goal is
to get there, and to do it without hurting your
hip, so give the process plenty of time. Older
lifters are always too eager to pile on the
weight, and they often end up hurting themselves
by doing too much too soon. (I know, I've done it
many times -- all of us over a certain age have
done it.)
5. Continue to do five rep sets -- but don't try
to go up to a gut-busting set with every last ounce
of weight that you could handle for five reps. At
age 65, you don't need to do that -- and you really
shouldn't. Instead, your top weight for five reps
should be a weight you can handle for eight reps.
6. This is the "leave something in the tank" theory
of lifting -- and it works great for older lifters.
Now, please note -- I'm talking about older lifters
today. This is 55-year old Brooks talking to a 65-
year old Dino who hasn't been squatting for awhile.
The younger Dinos can train harder and heavier.
That's one of the privileges of youth -- so use it
wisely.
So that's what I want our 65-year old Dino to do.
And I also want him to send some progress reports.
I bet he surprises us a year from now!
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 sensible training for
older lifters, grab a copy of Gray Hair and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. I filmed a heavy workout on my 54th b'day. So
if you want to see what works for an older Dino, grab
a copy of Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "The most important thing
is to keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
"Who Is It?" I Asked
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
The son brought the granddaughters over
to visit yesterday. They're 3 1/2 --
twins -- and awfully cute.
They arrived just as I was putting on
my lifting shoes and getting ready to
head out to the garage for a workout.
I stopped in mid-shoe, wondering what to
do. Hit the iron or bounce the grand-kids
up and down on my knee?
"Go ahead and train," said Trudi. "I'll
give them something to eat, and you can
see them when you get finished."
The girls came into the house, and headed
straight for their favorite toys (which we
keep on a small bookcase in the living
room).
I said hello to them, and headed out to kill
some iron.
I'm concentrating on Olympic weightlifting
now, and I always film my workouts so I can
watch it later on and check my form. So I
filmed the workout.
It was a good, hard session, with lots of heavy
clean and jerks. I'm doing squat style cleans
and split style jerks. Fun stuff -- and not bad
for a 54 year old grandfather.
It was cold in the garage, so I worked pretty
fast, with minimal rest between lifts. And it
was double sweats and a black knit fisherman's
hat (think "Rocky") the whole time -- and brief
stops in front of a small electric heater to
warm my fingers every once in awhile.
I finished up, stripped the bar down, and put
the weights back in place against the garage wall,
gathered my gear and grabbed the video camera.
Turned out the lights, locked the door, and
headed back to the house.
So, an hour later, the girls are coloring with
crayons (using the back of the first draft of
this month's Dinosaur Files newsletter, which
makes good scrap paper for young artists) --
and Trudi asks me if I had a good workout.
"Yeah, it was excellent," I said.
And then I remembered that I had filmed the thing.
So I grabbed the camera, sat down next to the
girls, and pulled up the workout. It started with
yours truly doing warm-ups with an empty bar.
"Who's that?" I asked.
I expected the answer to be "Gampaw Books" or
something similar.
But it didn't happen.
The girls shook their heads, their brows furrowed in
concentration.
"Dunno."
"Sure you do! Who is it?"
The peered at the screen intently.
"No one!"
I forwarded to some of the heavy sets. Maybe that would
help.
It didn't.
Somehow, they couldn't quite see that their grandfather
was the same person grabbing the funny bar with the big
plates and snapping it up to his shoulders -- diving into
a deep squat -- bouncing up -- and then jerking the weight
overhead.
I'm trying to figure out if that makes me feel really old
or really young for my age.
But I do know this -- I'm going to keep going with the
brainwashing -- and sooner or later those little girls
will be coming over to lift weights with me. Just wait
and see!
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. You can see EXACTLY what my current training looks
like in GOING STRONG AT 54 -- and you can see workouts
from the original Dinosaur Dungeon in my five original
Dinosaur DVD's:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here --
along with back issues and subscriptions to the
world-famous Dinosaur Files newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When someone says it
can't be done, they really mean it's too much work
for them." -- Brooks Kubik
The son brought the granddaughters over
to visit yesterday. They're 3 1/2 --
twins -- and awfully cute.
They arrived just as I was putting on
my lifting shoes and getting ready to
head out to the garage for a workout.
I stopped in mid-shoe, wondering what to
do. Hit the iron or bounce the grand-kids
up and down on my knee?
"Go ahead and train," said Trudi. "I'll
give them something to eat, and you can
see them when you get finished."
The girls came into the house, and headed
straight for their favorite toys (which we
keep on a small bookcase in the living
room).
I said hello to them, and headed out to kill
some iron.
I'm concentrating on Olympic weightlifting
now, and I always film my workouts so I can
watch it later on and check my form. So I
filmed the workout.
It was a good, hard session, with lots of heavy
clean and jerks. I'm doing squat style cleans
and split style jerks. Fun stuff -- and not bad
for a 54 year old grandfather.
It was cold in the garage, so I worked pretty
fast, with minimal rest between lifts. And it
was double sweats and a black knit fisherman's
hat (think "Rocky") the whole time -- and brief
stops in front of a small electric heater to
warm my fingers every once in awhile.
I finished up, stripped the bar down, and put
the weights back in place against the garage wall,
gathered my gear and grabbed the video camera.
Turned out the lights, locked the door, and
headed back to the house.
So, an hour later, the girls are coloring with
crayons (using the back of the first draft of
this month's Dinosaur Files newsletter, which
makes good scrap paper for young artists) --
and Trudi asks me if I had a good workout.
"Yeah, it was excellent," I said.
And then I remembered that I had filmed the thing.
So I grabbed the camera, sat down next to the
girls, and pulled up the workout. It started with
yours truly doing warm-ups with an empty bar.
"Who's that?" I asked.
I expected the answer to be "Gampaw Books" or
something similar.
But it didn't happen.
The girls shook their heads, their brows furrowed in
concentration.
"Dunno."
"Sure you do! Who is it?"
The peered at the screen intently.
"No one!"
I forwarded to some of the heavy sets. Maybe that would
help.
It didn't.
Somehow, they couldn't quite see that their grandfather
was the same person grabbing the funny bar with the big
plates and snapping it up to his shoulders -- diving into
a deep squat -- bouncing up -- and then jerking the weight
overhead.
I'm trying to figure out if that makes me feel really old
or really young for my age.
But I do know this -- I'm going to keep going with the
brainwashing -- and sooner or later those little girls
will be coming over to lift weights with me. Just wait
and see!
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. You can see EXACTLY what my current training looks
like in GOING STRONG AT 54 -- and you can see workouts
from the original Dinosaur Dungeon in my five original
Dinosaur DVD's:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dvds.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right here --
along with back issues and subscriptions to the
world-famous Dinosaur Files newsletter:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "When someone says it
can't be done, they really mean it's too much work
for them." -- Brooks Kubik
10 Tips for Older Lifters
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
When I was a kid, I bought a 110 pound
barbell set. So did all of my friends.
There was one difference, though.
I actually used the thing. I trained. The
other guys all quit after a week or two.
In junior high and high school, I was one
of the few kids who lifted weights all year
round. Even most of the other athletes tended
to skip the weight training. For some reason
(which has never made sense to me), they
didn't like it.
I kept on training in college, and I've been
training ever since.
Today, I'm 54 years old, and I still go out to
the garage and hit the iron a couple of times
a week. And I train pretty hard and pretty
heavy.
One thing I do NOT do is overtrain. As you grow
older, it becomes very easy to overtrain -- and
if you fall into the overtraining trap as an
older lifter, you can look forward to nothing
but sore joints, aches and pains and frustration.
How do you avoid overtraining?
You do this:
1. Use abbreviated training programs.
1A. many of my current workouts consist of
a single primary exercise. At most, I do TWO
primary movements in any one session.
2. Use perfect form in all of your exercises.
3. Use the heavy/medium/light system or a
simple cycling system so you don't always
train with your top weights.
4. If an exercise hurts, replace it with an
exercise that works better for you.
5. Lower reps are less fatiguing than higher
reps.
6. Pay attention to diet and nutrition. It's more
important than ever for older lifters.
6A. You want to be strong and lean. Focus on
your training for strength and on your diet for
getting (or staying) lean.
7. Rest and sleep are more important than ever.
8. Work on reducing your over-all stress levels.
8A. I know, I know -- easier said than done --
but it's really important to maintain a
tranquil mind.
9. Do enough cardio work to keep your heart
healthy (but don't do so much that you wear
yourself down).
10. Do things that you ENJOY when you train. The
more FUN it is, the BETTER it works!
So there you have it. Ten tips for older lifters.
I pay attention to them -- and so should YOU!
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 detail about effective strength
training for older lifters, grab a copy of Gray Hair
and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. I celebrated my 54th birthday by hitting a
hard, heavy workout in the garage -- and I filmed it,
so you can see EXACTLY what I'm doing. You can grab
a copy of the DVD right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training works GREAT for
older trainees -- and you can use it alone or in
combination with your weight work:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the day: "You're never to old for
a great workout!" -- Brooks Kubik
When I was a kid, I bought a 110 pound
barbell set. So did all of my friends.
There was one difference, though.
I actually used the thing. I trained. The
other guys all quit after a week or two.
In junior high and high school, I was one
of the few kids who lifted weights all year
round. Even most of the other athletes tended
to skip the weight training. For some reason
(which has never made sense to me), they
didn't like it.
I kept on training in college, and I've been
training ever since.
Today, I'm 54 years old, and I still go out to
the garage and hit the iron a couple of times
a week. And I train pretty hard and pretty
heavy.
One thing I do NOT do is overtrain. As you grow
older, it becomes very easy to overtrain -- and
if you fall into the overtraining trap as an
older lifter, you can look forward to nothing
but sore joints, aches and pains and frustration.
How do you avoid overtraining?
You do this:
1. Use abbreviated training programs.
1A. many of my current workouts consist of
a single primary exercise. At most, I do TWO
primary movements in any one session.
2. Use perfect form in all of your exercises.
3. Use the heavy/medium/light system or a
simple cycling system so you don't always
train with your top weights.
4. If an exercise hurts, replace it with an
exercise that works better for you.
5. Lower reps are less fatiguing than higher
reps.
6. Pay attention to diet and nutrition. It's more
important than ever for older lifters.
6A. You want to be strong and lean. Focus on
your training for strength and on your diet for
getting (or staying) lean.
7. Rest and sleep are more important than ever.
8. Work on reducing your over-all stress levels.
8A. I know, I know -- easier said than done --
but it's really important to maintain a
tranquil mind.
9. Do enough cardio work to keep your heart
healthy (but don't do so much that you wear
yourself down).
10. Do things that you ENJOY when you train. The
more FUN it is, the BETTER it works!
So there you have it. Ten tips for older lifters.
I pay attention to them -- and so should YOU!
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 detail about effective strength
training for older lifters, grab a copy of Gray Hair
and Black Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. I celebrated my 54th birthday by hitting a
hard, heavy workout in the garage -- and I filmed it,
so you can see EXACTLY what I'm doing. You can grab
a copy of the DVD right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training works GREAT for
older trainees -- and you can use it alone or in
combination with your weight work:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the day: "You're never to old for
a great workout!" -- Brooks Kubik
Don't Let It Happen to You!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
It was one of the hardest one-two combinations
in the history of boxing.
In the seventh round of their second fight,
Jack Dempsey hit Gene Tunney with a tremendous
right followed by a vicious left hook.
Tunney started to go down -- and Dempsey
unleashed a barrage of punches as he went
down. He landed seven brutal shots.
And then, Dempsey made a critical mistake.
Instead of going to a neutral corner, he stood
over his fallen foe.
The referee had to push Dempsey back and into
the corner. And he didn't begin the count until
Dempsey was out of the way.
On the count of eight, Tunney made it to his
feet.
He'd actually had fourteen or fifteen seconds,
including the time when the ref was bulling
Dempsey into the corner.
Dempsey charged him immediately -- but Tunney
back-pedaled as fast as he could.
Dempsey chased him across the ring and back
again -- but never caught him. He wasn't fast
enough. He still had dynamite in his fists,
but he didn't have the legs to carry him to
victory.
The bell rang, ending the round, and Tunney
survived. He went on to win the fight.
Had he won, Dempsey would have become the
first man in history to lose and then regain
the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the
World. But it was not to be. His legs let
him down.
There are similar stories in nearly all sports.
The legs always go first -- and when they do,
it's all over.
It's the same in life, as well. When your legs
go, you start going downhill fast.
And since your legs and leg strength are so
closely tied to hip and back strength, you
really need to keep all three areas as strong
as possible.
Strong legs strong hips, and strong back. If
you're looking for the key to lifelong strength
and health, that's it.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day -- and if you train today, make it a good
one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best book
ever written about serious, no-nonsense strength
training for older lifters -- and you can grab a
copy right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older lifters enjoy bodyweight training --
and it gives them GREAT results. That's one of the
reasons I wrote Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My new DVD, Going Strong at 54, details
what I'm doing at age 54 -- and yes, you better
believe I hit my legs, hips and back as hard as
possible:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "I was never anything,
really, except a fighter. That's all I ever wanted
to be. When I was eleven I was in serious training
to win the heavyweight championship of the world.
I wasn't surprised when I became champion thirteen
brutal years later." -- Jack Dempsey
It was one of the hardest one-two combinations
in the history of boxing.
In the seventh round of their second fight,
Jack Dempsey hit Gene Tunney with a tremendous
right followed by a vicious left hook.
Tunney started to go down -- and Dempsey
unleashed a barrage of punches as he went
down. He landed seven brutal shots.
And then, Dempsey made a critical mistake.
Instead of going to a neutral corner, he stood
over his fallen foe.
The referee had to push Dempsey back and into
the corner. And he didn't begin the count until
Dempsey was out of the way.
On the count of eight, Tunney made it to his
feet.
He'd actually had fourteen or fifteen seconds,
including the time when the ref was bulling
Dempsey into the corner.
Dempsey charged him immediately -- but Tunney
back-pedaled as fast as he could.
Dempsey chased him across the ring and back
again -- but never caught him. He wasn't fast
enough. He still had dynamite in his fists,
but he didn't have the legs to carry him to
victory.
The bell rang, ending the round, and Tunney
survived. He went on to win the fight.
Had he won, Dempsey would have become the
first man in history to lose and then regain
the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the
World. But it was not to be. His legs let
him down.
There are similar stories in nearly all sports.
The legs always go first -- and when they do,
it's all over.
It's the same in life, as well. When your legs
go, you start going downhill fast.
And since your legs and leg strength are so
closely tied to hip and back strength, you
really need to keep all three areas as strong
as possible.
Strong legs strong hips, and strong back. If
you're looking for the key to lifelong strength
and health, that's it.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great
day -- and if you train today, make it a good
one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Gray Hair and Black Iron is the best book
ever written about serious, no-nonsense strength
training for older lifters -- and you can grab a
copy right here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Many older lifters enjoy bodyweight training --
and it gives them GREAT results. That's one of the
reasons I wrote Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 3. My new DVD, Going Strong at 54, details
what I'm doing at age 54 -- and yes, you better
believe I hit my legs, hips and back as hard as
possible:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "I was never anything,
really, except a fighter. That's all I ever wanted
to be. When I was eleven I was in serious training
to win the heavyweight championship of the world.
I wasn't surprised when I became champion thirteen
brutal years later." -- Jack Dempsey
Some Very Important Training Advice
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
(NOTE: Today's email is addressed to older
trainees -- age 35 and up. If that's YOU,
be sure to read it. If it's NOT you, read
it and share it with anyone and everyone
you know who falls in the age 35 and up
group. You just might save someone's life
by doing that -- or help them add many
great years they otherwise would have
missed.)
If you're anywhere near my age (I'm 54),
or you know people my age, you know that
staying in good shape gets harder and
harder as you get older.
You also know that most folks just give up
and let it happen. They stop exercising,
they stop being active, they eat too much,
and they drink too much.
As a result, they lose strength, muscle and
power -- they lose their flexibility and
mobility -- they get stiff -- and they get
fat.
And after that, all kinds of bad things
start to happen.
But it doesn't have to be that way. With
the right kind of regular exercise, you
can smack Father Time right in the nose.
You may not stay young forever, but you
can look and feel a heck of a lot younger
than your age -- and a heck of a lot younger
than your peers.
To do it, you need to clean up your diet,
and you need to keep training -- but you
need to train in ways that work for an
older lifter.
I cover training (and diet) for older trainees
in detail in Gray Hair and Black Iron. If you
have a copy, go back and read it again. If you
don't, grab one triple double ASAP (which means
RIGHT NOW.)
The key to successful training for older lifters
is to train hard enough and heavy enough to
stimulate gains in strength and muscle mass
WITHOUT going so hard and heavy that you can't
recover from your workout or you end up so
stiff and sore that you can't move right for
a week.
In other words, it's a balancing act.
Some things that work for me -- and that will
work for YOU -- include the following:
1. As noted before -- clean up your diet. Strong
and lean keeps you young.
1A. After a certain age, the Get Big Drink just
doesn't do it any more. What really matters is
health and fitness and strength and looking and
feeling many years younger than your actual age.
1B. The above is a way of saying you need to
keep your weight -- and your gut -- under
control. And that requires a shift in priorities.
If you're over 35, gaining 30 pounds of muscle
in 6 weeks is NOT your number one priority.
2. Get enough sleep every night. Lack of sleep
will age you faster than a snowball melting in
the July sun.
3. Drink water. Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated
helps keep your joints lubricated.
4. Train regularly and consistently. Be obsessive
about making your scheduled workout. After a certain
point in your life, one missed workout leads to two,
and two leads to three, and suddenly you're a couch
potato like everyone else.
5. Use abbreviated training. It's the best thing
you can do to promote recovery and avoid
overtraining.
6. Use perfect form in all of your exercises. As an
older lifter, it's not enough just to lift a weight --
you need to lift it in perfect form.
6A. When you're age 50 or older, you don't have as
many reps left in your training career as you did
when you were age 20 -- so make them count!
7. If an exercise hurts, don't do it. Period. Find
a different exercise that doesn't hurt.
8. Dumbbells, dumbbells, dumbbells. They're much
more forgiving on your joints.
8A. That goes double or even triple for bodyweight
exercises. (Which is one of the reasons I wrote
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.)
9. Do cardio training in addition to your strength
training -- but do the RIGHT kind of cardio training.
See Gray Hair and Black Iron for details about how
older strength athletes can use barbells, sandbags,
rocks, and other heavy stuff for cardio training
that you'll enjoy a heck of a lot more than doing
an hour on a treadmill or a step machine.
10. Do things that you enjoy. If you like what you're
doing, you'll stick with it. If you don't, you won't.
The bottom line is this -- the Iron Mines are the
Fountain of Youth. Be sure to keep working in them!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are some great resources for older trainees:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. For older beginners -- see the programs for
beginners in Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
4. My new dvd, Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
5. The Dinosaur Files newsletter -- which is loaded
with articles by, for and about older trainees and
what REALLY works for them. Note that you can order
all 12 issues from year no. 1 of the Dinosaur
Files here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
And you can order a subscription for year no. 2
of the Dinosaur Files here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
P.S. 2. As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If you
train today, make it a good one!
(NOTE: Today's email is addressed to older
trainees -- age 35 and up. If that's YOU,
be sure to read it. If it's NOT you, read
it and share it with anyone and everyone
you know who falls in the age 35 and up
group. You just might save someone's life
by doing that -- or help them add many
great years they otherwise would have
missed.)
If you're anywhere near my age (I'm 54),
or you know people my age, you know that
staying in good shape gets harder and
harder as you get older.
You also know that most folks just give up
and let it happen. They stop exercising,
they stop being active, they eat too much,
and they drink too much.
As a result, they lose strength, muscle and
power -- they lose their flexibility and
mobility -- they get stiff -- and they get
fat.
And after that, all kinds of bad things
start to happen.
But it doesn't have to be that way. With
the right kind of regular exercise, you
can smack Father Time right in the nose.
You may not stay young forever, but you
can look and feel a heck of a lot younger
than your age -- and a heck of a lot younger
than your peers.
To do it, you need to clean up your diet,
and you need to keep training -- but you
need to train in ways that work for an
older lifter.
I cover training (and diet) for older trainees
in detail in Gray Hair and Black Iron. If you
have a copy, go back and read it again. If you
don't, grab one triple double ASAP (which means
RIGHT NOW.)
The key to successful training for older lifters
is to train hard enough and heavy enough to
stimulate gains in strength and muscle mass
WITHOUT going so hard and heavy that you can't
recover from your workout or you end up so
stiff and sore that you can't move right for
a week.
In other words, it's a balancing act.
Some things that work for me -- and that will
work for YOU -- include the following:
1. As noted before -- clean up your diet. Strong
and lean keeps you young.
1A. After a certain age, the Get Big Drink just
doesn't do it any more. What really matters is
health and fitness and strength and looking and
feeling many years younger than your actual age.
1B. The above is a way of saying you need to
keep your weight -- and your gut -- under
control. And that requires a shift in priorities.
If you're over 35, gaining 30 pounds of muscle
in 6 weeks is NOT your number one priority.
2. Get enough sleep every night. Lack of sleep
will age you faster than a snowball melting in
the July sun.
3. Drink water. Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated
helps keep your joints lubricated.
4. Train regularly and consistently. Be obsessive
about making your scheduled workout. After a certain
point in your life, one missed workout leads to two,
and two leads to three, and suddenly you're a couch
potato like everyone else.
5. Use abbreviated training. It's the best thing
you can do to promote recovery and avoid
overtraining.
6. Use perfect form in all of your exercises. As an
older lifter, it's not enough just to lift a weight --
you need to lift it in perfect form.
6A. When you're age 50 or older, you don't have as
many reps left in your training career as you did
when you were age 20 -- so make them count!
7. If an exercise hurts, don't do it. Period. Find
a different exercise that doesn't hurt.
8. Dumbbells, dumbbells, dumbbells. They're much
more forgiving on your joints.
8A. That goes double or even triple for bodyweight
exercises. (Which is one of the reasons I wrote
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training.)
9. Do cardio training in addition to your strength
training -- but do the RIGHT kind of cardio training.
See Gray Hair and Black Iron for details about how
older strength athletes can use barbells, sandbags,
rocks, and other heavy stuff for cardio training
that you'll enjoy a heck of a lot more than doing
an hour on a treadmill or a step machine.
10. Do things that you enjoy. If you like what you're
doing, you'll stick with it. If you don't, you won't.
The bottom line is this -- the Iron Mines are the
Fountain of Youth. Be sure to keep working in them!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are some great resources for older trainees:
1. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
2. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
3. For older beginners -- see the programs for
beginners in Chalk and Sweat:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
4. My new dvd, Going Strong at 54:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
5. The Dinosaur Files newsletter -- which is loaded
with articles by, for and about older trainees and
what REALLY works for them. Note that you can order
all 12 issues from year no. 1 of the Dinosaur
Files here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
And you can order a subscription for year no. 2
of the Dinosaur Files here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
P.S. 2. As always, thanks for reading and have a great day. If you
train today, make it a good one!
The Dinosaur Birthday Report
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I hope everyone had a great weekend --
and if you trained, I hope you hit it
hard and heavy.
That's what I did on Friday night.
It was my birthday -- I turned 54 -- and
I celebrated by shooting a new DVD called
GOING STRONG AT 54!
The video guy arrived at 4:00 sharp, and we
went out to the garage and started working.
Yes, it was work. I demonstrated 21 different
Olympic lifting exercises for garage gorillas,
and followed that with not one but TWO of my
regular workouts.
My goal in the workouts was to go heavier than
usual -- heavy enough to make a two lift total
in the snatch and clean and jerk that would
equal the qualifying weight for the Master's
World Championships in Olympic Weightlifting
in 2012 (for my age group and weight class).
Of course, this wasn't an official contest and
it wouldn't count as an official qualifying
total -- but it seemed like a good goal to
shoot for. And I always like having a goal
when I shoot a Dino DVD.
Did I make it? Well, you'll have to watch and
see. I don't want to spoil anything for the
Dinos who order the DVD.
But I will share this.
There was one point where I walked up to the
bar -- when it was loaded with a heavy weight --
and I was sore and stiff and tired as heck, and
I knew it would be a hard lift -- and for a
second I wondered if I could do it.
And then I thought about all the Dinos all
around the world -- and I felt their energy and
I heard them pulling for me -- urging me to
MAKE IT!"
And that felt pretty darn good. So to everyone
out there who was sending positive waves to
Dino HQ on Friday night -- THANK YOU!
We kept filming until almost 9:00 at night --
and by the time we were finished I was as
tired as pterodactyl bone, and as hungry as
a cave bear on short rations.
Luckily, Trudi had prepared a great big hunk
of wild coho salmon, some fresh veggies and
a big green salad -- so I was able to sit down
to some much needed high quality nutrition.
She asked if I wanted birthday candles on the
salmon. (We don't do birthday cake.)
I shook my head.
"Too hungry and too tired to blow them out," I
said.
And that's the story of the big birthday bash --
almost five hours of heavy iron, chalk and sweat,
and pushing and pulling. Lots and lots of hard
work. But we shot are darn good DVD -- so it
was well worth it.
I'm going to sit down with the video guy and edit
the DVD next week -- and then we'll get copies
made for everyone who ordered one -- so we're
on track to get them out the door on or before
September 30, as promised.
As always, thanks for reading -- and again, thanks
for your support and well-wishes. If you train
today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can order GOING STRONG AT 54! right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My new course, DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, will
be ready to ship on or before September 30. You can
reserve your copy here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 3 My other books and courses are available at
the usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
I hope everyone had a great weekend --
and if you trained, I hope you hit it
hard and heavy.
That's what I did on Friday night.
It was my birthday -- I turned 54 -- and
I celebrated by shooting a new DVD called
GOING STRONG AT 54!
The video guy arrived at 4:00 sharp, and we
went out to the garage and started working.
Yes, it was work. I demonstrated 21 different
Olympic lifting exercises for garage gorillas,
and followed that with not one but TWO of my
regular workouts.
My goal in the workouts was to go heavier than
usual -- heavy enough to make a two lift total
in the snatch and clean and jerk that would
equal the qualifying weight for the Master's
World Championships in Olympic Weightlifting
in 2012 (for my age group and weight class).
Of course, this wasn't an official contest and
it wouldn't count as an official qualifying
total -- but it seemed like a good goal to
shoot for. And I always like having a goal
when I shoot a Dino DVD.
Did I make it? Well, you'll have to watch and
see. I don't want to spoil anything for the
Dinos who order the DVD.
But I will share this.
There was one point where I walked up to the
bar -- when it was loaded with a heavy weight --
and I was sore and stiff and tired as heck, and
I knew it would be a hard lift -- and for a
second I wondered if I could do it.
And then I thought about all the Dinos all
around the world -- and I felt their energy and
I heard them pulling for me -- urging me to
MAKE IT!"
And that felt pretty darn good. So to everyone
out there who was sending positive waves to
Dino HQ on Friday night -- THANK YOU!
We kept filming until almost 9:00 at night --
and by the time we were finished I was as
tired as pterodactyl bone, and as hungry as
a cave bear on short rations.
Luckily, Trudi had prepared a great big hunk
of wild coho salmon, some fresh veggies and
a big green salad -- so I was able to sit down
to some much needed high quality nutrition.
She asked if I wanted birthday candles on the
salmon. (We don't do birthday cake.)
I shook my head.
"Too hungry and too tired to blow them out," I
said.
And that's the story of the big birthday bash --
almost five hours of heavy iron, chalk and sweat,
and pushing and pulling. Lots and lots of hard
work. But we shot are darn good DVD -- so it
was well worth it.
I'm going to sit down with the video guy and edit
the DVD next week -- and then we'll get copies
made for everyone who ordered one -- so we're
on track to get them out the door on or before
September 30, as promised.
As always, thanks for reading -- and again, thanks
for your support and well-wishes. If you train
today, make it a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can order GOING STRONG AT 54! right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 2. My new course, DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, will
be ready to ship on or before September 30. You can
reserve your copy here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_armtraining.html
P.S. 3 My other books and courses are available at
the usual place:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
54 Dino Years and Counting
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Well, it's here!
Today's my birthday. I'm 54 in Dino years.
To celebrate, I'm hitting a heavy workout
in the garage -- and I'm going to film the
entire session and make it available for
you on DVD.
I'm calling it GOING STRONG AT 54! -- and you
can learn more about it right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
In other Dino news:
1. The September issue of the Dinosaur Files
newsletter has been printed and will be mailed
to subscribers tomorrow or Monday, depending on
how fast we can get them into envelopes.
It will be another great issue with a TON of
great training articles.
And yes, you can still subscribe to the 2011 - 2012
sub year. We'll start your subscription with the
May 2011 issue and send May thru Sept in one
package, and the other issues month by month
through April 2012. For further info, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
We also have back issues for the complete 2010 - 2011
sub year. You can find them here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
2. My new course, DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, is
the best-seller of the week -- by far -- and it
was last week's best seller, as well.
It's a heck of a course, and you're really going
to like it.
And please note -- if you ordered the arm course and
you add the new DVD to your order, you'll get them both
for no additional shipping and handling charges. (See
the note at the bottom of the special information page
on GOING STRONG AT 54!):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
3. A Big Thank You!
I've been flooded with birthday wishes via email and
facebook. I won't be able to respond to everyone
individually, so let me just say:
THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING MY BIRTHDAY!
Now insert a T-Rex with gray in his hair and a great big
smile . . .
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day. I'll
be training between 4:00 and 7:00 tonight, so if you hit
the iron then, we can train together.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books, courses, Iron Game novels, my new biography
of lifting champion John Davis, The Dinosaur Files, Dino
sweatshirts, t-shirts and muscle shirts are all here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Well, it's here!
Today's my birthday. I'm 54 in Dino years.
To celebrate, I'm hitting a heavy workout
in the garage -- and I'm going to film the
entire session and make it available for
you on DVD.
I'm calling it GOING STRONG AT 54! -- and you
can learn more about it right here:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
In other Dino news:
1. The September issue of the Dinosaur Files
newsletter has been printed and will be mailed
to subscribers tomorrow or Monday, depending on
how fast we can get them into envelopes.
It will be another great issue with a TON of
great training articles.
And yes, you can still subscribe to the 2011 - 2012
sub year. We'll start your subscription with the
May 2011 issue and send May thru Sept in one
package, and the other issues month by month
through April 2012. For further info, go here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_renewalpage.html
We also have back issues for the complete 2010 - 2011
sub year. You can find them here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html
2. My new course, DINOSAUR ARM TRAINING, is
the best-seller of the week -- by far -- and it
was last week's best seller, as well.
It's a heck of a course, and you're really going
to like it.
And please note -- if you ordered the arm course and
you add the new DVD to your order, you'll get them both
for no additional shipping and handling charges. (See
the note at the bottom of the special information page
on GOING STRONG AT 54!):
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
3. A Big Thank You!
I've been flooded with birthday wishes via email and
facebook. I won't be able to respond to everyone
individually, so let me just say:
THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING MY BIRTHDAY!
Now insert a T-Rex with gray in his hair and a great big
smile . . .
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day. I'll
be training between 4:00 and 7:00 tonight, so if you hit
the iron then, we can train together.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. My books, courses, Iron Game novels, my new biography
of lifting champion John Davis, The Dinosaur Files, Dino
sweatshirts, t-shirts and muscle shirts are all here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Questions and Answers about the New Dinosaur Training DVD
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
As promised, here are some of the most common
questions I've been getting about my new DVD,
GOING STRONG AT 54! -- and my answers:
Q. How long has it been since you did a DVD?
A. I did a series of them that covered body-
weight training in 2005 -- and a series that
covered heavy iron back in 1997 through 1999.
So it's been awhile. I have a lot more gray
hair now.
Q. Can you cover your entire weekly training,
not just one workout?
A. Well, I can't shoot a week in one session --
but I'm actually going to combine two workouts
so you get a really good idea of what I'm doing
now.
Q. Is this a "how to do it" DVD or just a heavy
DVD? Are you going to teaching anything?
A. I'm going to demonstrate over a dozen different
lifts and exercises, and teach you how to do them.
Then I'm going to show you how I use my chosen
exercises in an actual workout. And as noted
above, I'll combine two workouts.
The idea is to show you what really works for a
54 year old Dino. Not just exercises, but work-
load, intensity, how heavy to go -- things like
that.
Q. What kind of equipment will you be using?
A. Barbells.
Q. Will you be using dumbbells or demonstrating
any dumbbell exercises?
A. Not on this DVD. I covered dumbbells in detail
in THE LOST ART OF DUMBBELL TRAINING DVD.
Q. Will you try to set a PR?
A. I'll go as heavy as my body says to go tomorrow.
Q. Do you do all Olympic lifting now?
A. Yes.
Q. Why?
It's fun, it's enjoyable, and it's a challenge -- and
at age 54, and being a grandfather, I can do what I feel
like doing when I train. And besides, I write about old
school champions like John Grimek, Steve Stanko and John
Davis -- and they all did OL work -- and it helps my
writing to do the same thing.
OL also has some important benefits for older lifters:
a. OL builds strength and power.
b. OL lets you specialize on the legs, hips and back.
c. OL helps you maintain good balance and coordination.
d. OL helps you with your flexibility.
e. OL is great for bone density and bone strength.
f. OL has unique cardiovascular benefits (even with low
rep training).
g. OL burns a ton of calories.
h. OL is hard work, but very relaxing.
i. Everyone your own age thinks your crazy -- and your kids
pretend they don't know you -- and there's a jillion million
young guys out there who can't do what you're doing, which
is always lots of fun.
Q. What if I don't want to do Olympic lifting?
That's fine. But you'll probably still enjoy the DVD, and
if you're over the age of 35, the basic principles about
training for older lifters will apply to you regardless of
what exercises and lifts you choose to perform.
And that covers the most common questions that I've been
getting.
Wish me luck for tomorrow! It's gonna be a lot of work!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can reserve your copy of GOING STRONG AT 54! right
here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
As promised, here are some of the most common
questions I've been getting about my new DVD,
GOING STRONG AT 54! -- and my answers:
Q. How long has it been since you did a DVD?
A. I did a series of them that covered body-
weight training in 2005 -- and a series that
covered heavy iron back in 1997 through 1999.
So it's been awhile. I have a lot more gray
hair now.
Q. Can you cover your entire weekly training,
not just one workout?
A. Well, I can't shoot a week in one session --
but I'm actually going to combine two workouts
so you get a really good idea of what I'm doing
now.
Q. Is this a "how to do it" DVD or just a heavy
DVD? Are you going to teaching anything?
A. I'm going to demonstrate over a dozen different
lifts and exercises, and teach you how to do them.
Then I'm going to show you how I use my chosen
exercises in an actual workout. And as noted
above, I'll combine two workouts.
The idea is to show you what really works for a
54 year old Dino. Not just exercises, but work-
load, intensity, how heavy to go -- things like
that.
Q. What kind of equipment will you be using?
A. Barbells.
Q. Will you be using dumbbells or demonstrating
any dumbbell exercises?
A. Not on this DVD. I covered dumbbells in detail
in THE LOST ART OF DUMBBELL TRAINING DVD.
Q. Will you try to set a PR?
A. I'll go as heavy as my body says to go tomorrow.
Q. Do you do all Olympic lifting now?
A. Yes.
Q. Why?
It's fun, it's enjoyable, and it's a challenge -- and
at age 54, and being a grandfather, I can do what I feel
like doing when I train. And besides, I write about old
school champions like John Grimek, Steve Stanko and John
Davis -- and they all did OL work -- and it helps my
writing to do the same thing.
OL also has some important benefits for older lifters:
a. OL builds strength and power.
b. OL lets you specialize on the legs, hips and back.
c. OL helps you maintain good balance and coordination.
d. OL helps you with your flexibility.
e. OL is great for bone density and bone strength.
f. OL has unique cardiovascular benefits (even with low
rep training).
g. OL burns a ton of calories.
h. OL is hard work, but very relaxing.
i. Everyone your own age thinks your crazy -- and your kids
pretend they don't know you -- and there's a jillion million
young guys out there who can't do what you're doing, which
is always lots of fun.
Q. What if I don't want to do Olympic lifting?
That's fine. But you'll probably still enjoy the DVD, and
if you're over the age of 35, the basic principles about
training for older lifters will apply to you regardless of
what exercises and lifts you choose to perform.
And that covers the most common questions that I've been
getting.
Wish me luck for tomorrow! It's gonna be a lot of work!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. You can reserve your copy of GOING STRONG AT 54! right
here at Dinosaur Headquarters:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
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