Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of the marks of a champion is something
I call "the iron will to succeed."
You find it in any champion in any sport -- but
you probably find it to a greater degree when
you study the great champions of the Iron Game.
There's a reason for that.
The vast majority of champions in other sports
were naturally strong, fast, athletic and gifted.
They were bigger, taller and heavier than the
other kids. In many cases, that's what made
them gravitate to sports in the first place.
In other words, they had a good start.
The Iron Game is different.
Many Iron Game champions were drawn to
barbells, dumbbells and strength training not
because they were bigger and stronger than
other kids -- but because they were smaller
and weaker than the other kids.
In many cases, they were small and skinny
and weak -- and sick.
Tommy Kono suffered from childhood asthma
that was so bad he couldn't run or play games
with other children.He was literally an invalid.
As a young teenager, he used barbells and
dumbbells to help overcome his asthma.
It was hard work, but he stuck with it. Other
kids dropped out of the program. Kono kept
going.
He discovered weightlifting -- learned how to
do the lifts -- and trained harder than ever.
He ended up winning six World championships
and two Olympic gold medals. The former invalid
became one of the greatest weightlifters of
all time.
Jack LaLanne was a sickly kid with a terrible
addiction to sweets. Soft, weak, and pale, with
bad teeth from the candy he ate all day long.
He used diet and exercise to become healthy
and strong.
It was hard work for him, too. But like Tommy
Kono, he stuck with it. He kept going.
He ended up world-famous for his his magnificent
physique, lion-like bearing, radiant good health
and remarkable strength and endurance.
For many years, he celebrated his birthday each
year by performing a super-human feat of strength
and endurance, such as pulling a heavily loaded
boat behind him as he swam the heavy surf from
Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore -- while
wearing handcuffs.
Once again, another sickly kid became a legend
of strength, health and fitness.
Doug Hepburn was born with a club foot that
required multiple surgeries. The surgeries left
him a near cripple, with one lower leg nothing
but skin and bone. That doesn't speak well for
a career in athletics.
What did he do?
He began a program of systematic strength
training that included hand-balancing, hand-
stand pushups, and plenty of barbell and
dumbbell training.
He worked hard, and when things were tough,
he buckled down and worked harder.
He worked hard on the squat -- and on Olympic
weightlifting -- which wasn't easy because of his
bad leg. But he never gave up. He kept working
to achieve his dream.
He ended up winning the Heavyweight class at
the World Weightlifting championships of 1953.
He won the Heavyweight class at the British
Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games)
of 1954 -- which as luck would have it were
held in his home city of Vancouver, British
Columbia.
He was the first man in history to bench press
500 pounds.
He set a remarkable series of records in a wide
variety of lifts -- and is hailed as one of the
founding fathers of powerlifting and one of
the most massively muscular men of all time.
Like Tommy Kono and Jack LaLanne, Doug
Hepburn overcame adversity. He used the
power of an iron will to crash through every
obstacle -- and to accomplish the seemingly
impossible.
If you want a secret to strength, muscle and
radiant good health, it is this:
Harness the power of the iron will -- and use
it to achieve your dreams.
Good luck, and good lifting!
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 Doug Hepburn's
rise to Iron Game immortality -- and how he
trained to develop world class strength and
power -- in my Doug Hepburn training course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
It's also available as a Kindle e-book. See
the Kindle links on our products page:
http://www.brookskubik.com/hepburn_kindle.html
P.S. 2. Train for strength and eat for health.
Knife, Fork, Muscle tells you how:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Seize the day, and
make the most of it -- and do it for every day of
your life." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Showing posts with label jack lalanne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jack lalanne. Show all posts
The Iron Will to Succeed
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One of the marks of a champion is something
I call "the iron will to succeed."
You find it in any champion in any sport -- but
you probably find it to a greater degree when
you study the great champions of the Iron Game.
There's a reason for that.
The vast majority of champions in other sports
were naturally strong, fast, athletic and gifted.
They were bigger, taller and heavier than the
other kids. In many cases, that's what made
them gravitate to sports in the first place.
In other words, they had a good start.
The Iron Game is different.
Many Iron Game champions were drawn to
barbells, dumbbells and strength training not
because they were bigger and stronger than
other kids -- but because they were smaller
and weaker than the other kids.
In many cases, they were small and skinny
and weak -- and sick.
Tommy Kono suffered from childhood asthma
that was so bad he couldn't run or play games
with other children. He was literally an invalid.
As a young teenager, he used barbells and
dumbbells to help overcome his asthma.
It was hard work, but he stuck with it. Other
kids dropped out of the program. Kono kept
going.
He discovered weightlifting -- learned how to
do the lifts -- and trained harder than ever.
He ended up winning six World championships
and two Olympic gold medals. The former invalid
became one of the greatest weightlifters of
all time.
Jack LaLanne was a sickly kid with a terrible
addiction to sweets. Soft, weak, and pale, with
bad teeth from the candy he ate all day long.
He used diet and exercise to become healthy
and strong.
It was hard work for him, too. But like Tommy
Kono, he stuck with it. He kept going.
He ended up world-famous for his his magnificent
physique, lion-like bearing, radiant good health
and remarkable strength and endurance.
For many years, he celebrated his birthday each
year by performing a super-human feat of strength
and endurance, such as pulling a heavily loaded
boat behind him as he swam the heavy surf from
Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore -- while
wearing handcuffs.
Once again, another sickly kid became a legend
of strength, health and fitness.
Doug Hepburn was born with a club foot that
required multiple surgeries. The surgeries left
him a near cripple, with one lower leg nothing
but skin and bone. That doesn't speak well for
a career in athletics.
What did he do?
He began a program of systematic strength
training that included hand-balancing, hand-
stand pushups, and plenty of barbell and
dumbbell training.
He worked hard, and when things were tough,
he buckled down and worked harder.
He worked hard on the squat -- and on Olympic
weightlifting -- which wasn't easy because of his
bad leg. But he never gave up. He kept working
to achieve his dream.
He ended up winning the Heavyweight class at
the World Weightlifting championships of 1953.
He won the Heavyweight class at the British
Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games)
of 1954 -- which as luck would have it were
held in his home city of Vancouver, British
Columbia.
He was the first man in history to bench press
500 pounds.
He set a remarkable series of records in a wide
variety of lifts -- and is hailed as one of the
founding fathers of powerlifting and one of
the most massively muscular men of all time.
Like Tommy Kono and Jack LaLanne, Doug
Hepburn overcame adversity. He used the
power of an iron will to crash through every
obstacle -- and to accomplish the seemingly
impossible.
If you want a secret to strength, muscle and
radiant good health, it is this:
Harness the power of the iron will -- and use
it to achieve your dreams.
Good luck, and good lifting!
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 Doug Hepburn's
rise to Iron Game immortality -- and how he
trained to develop world class strengh and
power -- in my Doug Hepburn training course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 2. Train for strength and eat for health.
Knife, Fork, Muscle tells you how:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Seize the day, and
make the most of it -- and do it for every day of
your life." -- Brooks Kubik
*******************************************
One of the marks of a champion is something
I call "the iron will to succeed."
You find it in any champion in any sport -- but
you probably find it to a greater degree when
you study the great champions of the Iron Game.
There's a reason for that.
The vast majority of champions in other sports
were naturally strong, fast, athletic and gifted.
They were bigger, taller and heavier than the
other kids. In many cases, that's what made
them gravitate to sports in the first place.
In other words, they had a good start.
The Iron Game is different.
Many Iron Game champions were drawn to
barbells, dumbbells and strength training not
because they were bigger and stronger than
other kids -- but because they were smaller
and weaker than the other kids.
In many cases, they were small and skinny
and weak -- and sick.
Tommy Kono suffered from childhood asthma
that was so bad he couldn't run or play games
with other children. He was literally an invalid.
As a young teenager, he used barbells and
dumbbells to help overcome his asthma.
It was hard work, but he stuck with it. Other
kids dropped out of the program. Kono kept
going.
He discovered weightlifting -- learned how to
do the lifts -- and trained harder than ever.
He ended up winning six World championships
and two Olympic gold medals. The former invalid
became one of the greatest weightlifters of
all time.
Jack LaLanne was a sickly kid with a terrible
addiction to sweets. Soft, weak, and pale, with
bad teeth from the candy he ate all day long.
He used diet and exercise to become healthy
and strong.
It was hard work for him, too. But like Tommy
Kono, he stuck with it. He kept going.
He ended up world-famous for his his magnificent
physique, lion-like bearing, radiant good health
and remarkable strength and endurance.
For many years, he celebrated his birthday each
year by performing a super-human feat of strength
and endurance, such as pulling a heavily loaded
boat behind him as he swam the heavy surf from
Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore -- while
wearing handcuffs.
Once again, another sickly kid became a legend
of strength, health and fitness.
Doug Hepburn was born with a club foot that
required multiple surgeries. The surgeries left
him a near cripple, with one lower leg nothing
but skin and bone. That doesn't speak well for
a career in athletics.
What did he do?
He began a program of systematic strength
training that included hand-balancing, hand-
stand pushups, and plenty of barbell and
dumbbell training.
He worked hard, and when things were tough,
he buckled down and worked harder.
He worked hard on the squat -- and on Olympic
weightlifting -- which wasn't easy because of his
bad leg. But he never gave up. He kept working
to achieve his dream.
He ended up winning the Heavyweight class at
the World Weightlifting championships of 1953.
He won the Heavyweight class at the British
Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games)
of 1954 -- which as luck would have it were
held in his home city of Vancouver, British
Columbia.
He was the first man in history to bench press
500 pounds.
He set a remarkable series of records in a wide
variety of lifts -- and is hailed as one of the
founding fathers of powerlifting and one of
the most massively muscular men of all time.
Like Tommy Kono and Jack LaLanne, Doug
Hepburn overcame adversity. He used the
power of an iron will to crash through every
obstacle -- and to accomplish the seemingly
impossible.
If you want a secret to strength, muscle and
radiant good health, it is this:
Harness the power of the iron will -- and use
it to achieve your dreams.
Good luck, and good lifting!
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 Doug Hepburn's
rise to Iron Game immortality -- and how he
trained to develop world class strengh and
power -- in my Doug Hepburn training course:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 2. Train for strength and eat for health.
Knife, Fork, Muscle tells you how:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
P.S. 3. My other books and courses -- and Dinosaur
Training DVD's -- are right here at Dinosaur
Headquarters:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Seize the day, and
make the most of it -- and do it for every day of
your life." -- Brooks Kubik
*******************************************
Watch This Great Workout!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Not long ago, I went to London and taught
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training at a seminar with
kettlebell expert Mike Mahler and UK strength
coaches Cj Swaby and Sabina Skala.
While I was there, I met Keris Marsden and
Matt Whitmore, who run a great little gym
called Fitter London. At the breaks, we
talked about exercise, nutrition and how
to save the world by helping people exercise
right and eat right. You know, the important
stuff.
Keris mentioned that her dad is still training,
and that her mum trains, too -- but she didn't
tell me what her mum does or how well it works.
I guess she wanted to make it a surprise when
it went up on YouTube -- which happened
yesterday.
So here's a video showing what Keris' mum does
in her workouts. And it's pretty darn cool. It
actually reminds me of the workouts that Jack
LaLanne used to teach on his old TV show. Fun
and effective stuff that you can do right in
your own living room.
Watch how Keris' mum does turns the house
into a gym by using tables, chairs and the
stairs instead of equipment, and how she gets
it done by using kettlebells for weights. It
goes to show that you can get a great workout
with the most basic of equipment.
Also note how she performs her reps -- none of
that silly bouncing half-way rep stuff, none
of that race the clock stuff, and none of the
heave and hope for the best stuff. Every rep
of every exercise is done in perfect form,
with deep focus and total precision.
And no, she's not throwing huge barbells through
the air -- but she doesn't have to. She's doing
a PERFECT workout -- perfect because it is
perfectly suited to her age, her needs and
her training goals. Ultimately, that's what
we all should be doing.
And as far as results go, look closely when you
see the gut work. Those are washboard abs on a
woman who (according to her daughter) is close
to 60 years old. (Personally, I would have
guessed a lot younger.)
So head on over and take a look -- and hit the
LIKE button, and feel free to leave a comment.
A word of encouragement or a short "Good job!"
would be nice. In fact, we ought to try to add
100 or more of those over the next 24 hours.
Just to show some support.
Yeah -- that would be good. Let's work together
to make this thing go viral. That will be the
Dino Nation's project for the day. Watch,
like and share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmxVB1js-E&feature=share
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it
a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are two things that would be a great
addition to any train at home workout:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses, DVD's and Legacy
of Iron books are right here. If you like hard work
and heavy iron, these are for YOU:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's not WHERE you
train, it's HOW you train that counts." -- Brooks
Kubik
Not long ago, I went to London and taught
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training at a seminar with
kettlebell expert Mike Mahler and UK strength
coaches Cj Swaby and Sabina Skala.
While I was there, I met Keris Marsden and
Matt Whitmore, who run a great little gym
called Fitter London. At the breaks, we
talked about exercise, nutrition and how
to save the world by helping people exercise
right and eat right. You know, the important
stuff.
Keris mentioned that her dad is still training,
and that her mum trains, too -- but she didn't
tell me what her mum does or how well it works.
I guess she wanted to make it a surprise when
it went up on YouTube -- which happened
yesterday.
So here's a video showing what Keris' mum does
in her workouts. And it's pretty darn cool. It
actually reminds me of the workouts that Jack
LaLanne used to teach on his old TV show. Fun
and effective stuff that you can do right in
your own living room.
Watch how Keris' mum does turns the house
into a gym by using tables, chairs and the
stairs instead of equipment, and how she gets
it done by using kettlebells for weights. It
goes to show that you can get a great workout
with the most basic of equipment.
Also note how she performs her reps -- none of
that silly bouncing half-way rep stuff, none
of that race the clock stuff, and none of the
heave and hope for the best stuff. Every rep
of every exercise is done in perfect form,
with deep focus and total precision.
And no, she's not throwing huge barbells through
the air -- but she doesn't have to. She's doing
a PERFECT workout -- perfect because it is
perfectly suited to her age, her needs and
her training goals. Ultimately, that's what
we all should be doing.
And as far as results go, look closely when you
see the gut work. Those are washboard abs on a
woman who (according to her daughter) is close
to 60 years old. (Personally, I would have
guessed a lot younger.)
So head on over and take a look -- and hit the
LIKE button, and feel free to leave a comment.
A word of encouragement or a short "Good job!"
would be nice. In fact, we ought to try to add
100 or more of those over the next 24 hours.
Just to show some support.
Yeah -- that would be good. Let's work together
to make this thing go viral. That will be the
Dino Nation's project for the day. Watch,
like and share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmxVB1js-E&feature=share
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it
a good one.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Here are two things that would be a great
addition to any train at home workout:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses, DVD's and Legacy
of Iron books are right here. If you like hard work
and heavy iron, these are for YOU:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's not WHERE you
train, it's HOW you train that counts." -- 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
Jack LaLanne -- A Modest Superman!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I’m working on a new book (big surprise, eh? – it seems that I’m always working on a new book). Over the weekend I was researching some lifting action in the late 1930’s.
I picked up a copy of an old magazine called The Bodybuilder, which was edited by the legendary George F. Jowett.
In the issue for March – April 1937, I spotted the following. It’s on page 35, in a “News and Notes” article by Lew Dick:
“Jack LaLanne, Berkeley, Calif., sent in his picture and asked Mr. Jowett to criticize his physique.
“Criticize,” says ye editor. “I can only admire it. Run him in the Magnificent Manhood series.”
[The Magnificent Manhood series was a sort of “man of the Month” Photo display – featuring two full-page black and white photos each month. They ran Jack LaLanne’s photo alongside one of Eugene Sandow – so he was in some pretty fast company!]
So there he is, boys. It is a splendid body. His measurements are: Height, 5 ft. 7 ½ ins; weight, 178 lbs.; biceps, 16 ½ ins.; chest, 48 ½ ins.; neck, 17 ins.; waist, 28 ½ ins.; thighs, 23 ½ ins.; calves, 15 ½ ins. His body is perfectly streamlined. Don’t you think so? We do.”
I was struck by the modest nature of LaLanne’s request – asking George F. Jowett to “criticize” his physique! – and I was going to share this with you in any event. But given Jack LaLanne’s passing, I thought I’d go ahead and share the story today.
Jack LaLannne – a Physical Culture legend – and a MODEST man!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Old time physical culture was about more than merely building strength and muscle. It was about building character, as well. Character is important. It’s something I wrote about in Dinosaur Training, and it’s something you see in everything I write – including the Legacy of Iron series, and my novel of ancient Rome, Horatius. Jack LaLanne was a man with character – and we need more like him!
I’m working on a new book (big surprise, eh? – it seems that I’m always working on a new book). Over the weekend I was researching some lifting action in the late 1930’s.
I picked up a copy of an old magazine called The Bodybuilder, which was edited by the legendary George F. Jowett.
In the issue for March – April 1937, I spotted the following. It’s on page 35, in a “News and Notes” article by Lew Dick:
“Jack LaLanne, Berkeley, Calif., sent in his picture and asked Mr. Jowett to criticize his physique.
“Criticize,” says ye editor. “I can only admire it. Run him in the Magnificent Manhood series.”
[The Magnificent Manhood series was a sort of “man of the Month” Photo display – featuring two full-page black and white photos each month. They ran Jack LaLanne’s photo alongside one of Eugene Sandow – so he was in some pretty fast company!]
So there he is, boys. It is a splendid body. His measurements are: Height, 5 ft. 7 ½ ins; weight, 178 lbs.; biceps, 16 ½ ins.; chest, 48 ½ ins.; neck, 17 ins.; waist, 28 ½ ins.; thighs, 23 ½ ins.; calves, 15 ½ ins. His body is perfectly streamlined. Don’t you think so? We do.”
I was struck by the modest nature of LaLanne’s request – asking George F. Jowett to “criticize” his physique! – and I was going to share this with you in any event. But given Jack LaLanne’s passing, I thought I’d go ahead and share the story today.
Jack LaLannne – a Physical Culture legend – and a MODEST man!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Old time physical culture was about more than merely building strength and muscle. It was about building character, as well. Character is important. It’s something I wrote about in Dinosaur Training, and it’s something you see in everything I write – including the Legacy of Iron series, and my novel of ancient Rome, Horatius. Jack LaLanne was a man with character – and we need more like him!
A Sad Day for the Iron Game
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
We have some sad news today for the Iron Game.
Fitness legend Jack LaLanne has passed away at the age of 96.
Here’s a link to an NPR broadcast covering Jack LaLanne’s amazing life and remarkable feats of strength and endurance:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/24/133176159/jack-lalanne-a-fitting-end-at-96
Let’s join together and say a prayer for Jack LaLanne – and let’s all say THANK YOU to Jack for everything he had done for the Iron Game, for the strength and health lifestyle, and for Physical Culture!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Thanks for reading, and be sure to hit the iron extra hard the next time you train – and dedicate your workout to Jack LaLanne!
We have some sad news today for the Iron Game.
Fitness legend Jack LaLanne has passed away at the age of 96.
Here’s a link to an NPR broadcast covering Jack LaLanne’s amazing life and remarkable feats of strength and endurance:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/24/133176159/jack-lalanne-a-fitting-end-at-96
Let’s join together and say a prayer for Jack LaLanne – and let’s all say THANK YOU to Jack for everything he had done for the Iron Game, for the strength and health lifestyle, and for Physical Culture!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Thanks for reading, and be sure to hit the iron extra hard the next time you train – and dedicate your workout to Jack LaLanne!
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