The Power of Visualization - How to Gain 35 Pounds of Muscle

For all champions, success begins with a dream - and a vision of what they want to achieve.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron.

1. Dinosaur Training Tee Shirts

I've teamed up with John Wood to sell some
great new Dinosaur Training tee shirts - as
well as hoodies, coffee mugs, onesises (for
baby Dinos), muscle tees and more - at his
Retro Strength Shop.

Go here and take a look:

https://www.retrostrength.com/shop/

We'll be adding lots of other great new shirts
and other swag - so bookmark the site and
take a look every couple of days to see what's
new.

2. The Dinosaur Files

If you don't have the April issue of
The Dinosaur Files monthly newsletter,
you're missing a good one - so go here
to grab it:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-april2018.html

Also - if you missed the Oct, Nov, Dec,
Jan, Feb or March issues. you can grab
them here:

Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_files.html

Feb issue

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-february2018pdf.html

March issue

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

The Dinosaur Files comes in a down-
loadable PDF with immediate electronic
delivery. Once you have it, you can save
it on your PC or print it out (or do both).

If you don't have a printer and you need
a hard-copy, shoot me an email - we'll see
what we can do.

Also - if it's easier for you to purchase a
one year, 12-issue subscription, shoot me
an email - we can make that happen, as
well.

3. The Power of Visualization - 
How to Gain 35 Pounds of Muscle

There was a time, long ago, when the New
York Public Library carried more or less all
the magazines ever published.

That included, believe it or not, weight
training magazines.

So if you were a kid in NYC back in the
1940's or 1950's, you could go to the
Library and read Strength and Health
all day long.

There was actually a guy who did that.

He was a typical kid - skinny - with
nothing out of the ordinary in terms
of muscular development

But he read the magazines - over and
over - and decided he wanted to look
just like the bodybuilding champions
he saw in them.

So he started training - and he kept on
reading the magazines - and he kept on
thinking that HE was going to build a
Mr. America physique.

He thought about it all the time.

Before his workouts - during his work-
outs - and after his workouts.

All day long.

He visualized one thing and one thing
only: success!

In his first six months of training he
gained 35 pounds of muscle.

And that was only the beginning.

Because that skinny kid ended up in
New York City ended up winning the
Mr. America title many years later.


And in later life, he told the story of
how he visualized his success - and
how doing so made that success
inevitable.

He said he hypnotized himself into
gaining that first 35 pounds of muscle.

In other words, he recognized (correctly)
that visualization is a form of self-
hypnosis. 


Now, I'm not a bodybuilder, and you
might not be one, either. But the same
point applies to anything you want to
achieve in the Iron Game.

Visualization can help you unlock your
maximum potential.

And many, many champions have used it.

It's how Tony Terlazzo became the first
USA weightlifter to win an Olympic gold
medal.

It's how John Davis won six World weight-
lifting championships - and two Olympic
gold medals.

It's how Doug Hepburn won the World
Weightlifting Championship and became
one of the strongest men of his generation.

It's how Tommy Kono won six World
championships and two Olympic gold
medals.

When you study these men, the story is
always the same: each of them had a
dream - a seemingly impossible dream -
and they visualized reaching their goal
over and over - again and again - until
they were 100 percent convinced that
their dream would become their reality.

And it did.

That's the power of visualization - and
it's one of the most important tools in
your strength training tool kit.

In fact, it's one of the most important
tools out there.

Try it and see for yourself.

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. Dinosaur Training and Dinosaur
Bodyweight Training both include easy
to follow, step by step guides that teach
you how to harness the power of
visualization to achieve your training
goals.

You can grab them right here:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

2.  My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"You have to dream it to do it."

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

The Run Right Into a Car Workout

Like all champions, Reg Park trained with total concentration and intense mental focus.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I saw something amazing this morning.

Amazing and scary.

And very, very stupid.

A 20-something guy was out jogging.

He was running right down the middle of
the road.

It was a side-street in a residential area,
and it was early - not many cars on the
road - so I suppose that was okay.

Sidewalk would have been better, but it's
been raining, and maybe the sidewalk had
too many deep puddles.

Whatever.

So there he is, running down the road.

Anyhow, a blue car comes up behind him,
slows down, and then moves over to pass
him.

Gives him what you would think would be
enough room.

But it almost wasn't.

Because the jogger suddenly veers to the
side, and almost steps right in front of the
car right as it begins to pass him.

The car veers over to the side and barely
misses him.

The driver honks his horn and undoubtedly
curses a blue streak.

Passes the kid, and gets on down the road
and as far away from him as possible.

Meanwhile, the kid is trying to figure out
what happened.

I look a little more closely, and of course
he has his ear-buds in - and he's holding
his device in his left hand.

And when he veered into the car, he veered
to his left.

Yeah, that was it. That was what happened.

Mr. Jogger looked down at his device - and
twisted to the side as he did it - and that
pulled him over to the left - and with his
ear-buds in and his mix-tape cranked up
to the max, the poor guy had no idea there
was a car anywhere near him.

No idea in the world.

It was a good thing the driver saw him in
time to pull out of the way.

Because otherwise we would have had bits
and pieces of jogger splattered all over the
neighborhood.

I share the story not to be harsh with joggers.

I know many of them.

Some of them are fine people.

And to tell the truth, there are many weight-
trainers who work out with just as much - or
as little - mindfulness as the jogger I saw.

They have no idea what's going on around
them - or where they are vis-a-vis anyone
else - or how close they are to bumping into
someone in the middle of a heavy set.

Nor do they have any idea what's going on
inside their bodies.

That inner universe Bill Pearl talks about isn't
exactly on their radar screens.

There muscles may be sending them all kinds
of important messages, but you know darn
well they're not hearing any of them.

Of course, that's how accidents happen - and
it's how results DON'T happen.

And please note: there's nothing wrong with
ear-buds, per se . . . . or with music . . . . but
you can't turn off your mind when you train.

I talk about things like concentration, focus,
and awareness all the time. If you're a long-
time reader, you've heard me talk about
plenty of times.

But it never hurts to be reminded.

And who knows - maybe somehow today's
message will get back to this morning's
jogger - assuming he made it home in
one piece.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. I cover the mental aspects of strength
training and muscle-building in these books:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development

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

Strength, Muscle and Power

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

2.  My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"Ear-buds in, music on, mind off, is not
a very good way to train." 

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

A Very Common Training Conundrum

 

Like all great champions, Reg Park always went to the gym with a very clear idea of what he was going to do that day - but he also listened to his body, and made adjustments as necessary.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two important notes, and then we'll talk
training.

1. The April Dinosaur Files

Is now available in a 12-page PDF edition -
with immediate electronic delivery - and it's
printable, so you can print it and save it in
your Iron Game collection.

It includes some great articles - including my
article on the virtually unknown 2-1 Workout -
which everyone seems to want to try now.

Go here to grab the little monster:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-april2018.html

2. The John Wood Report, No. 2

Issue No. 2 of The John Wood Report is
getting great reviews - and that's no
surprise because it's a really good issue.

Go here to grab it:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-02.html

Like the Dino Files, The John Wood
Report is a PDF with immediate elec-
tronic delivery - and it's printable.

3. Should You Plan Your Workouts
                         or
Train Based on How You Feel?

A reader asked me whether I always plan
my workouts before training or whether I
base the workout on how I feel that day.

That's a good question, and it's one that
seems to puzzle lots of people -- probably
because they view it as an "either/or" when
it's really a "bit of both."

To begin with, I always have a long term
training plan, and long term goals -- usually
a one-year plan, but sometimes a bit longer.

To get there, I break things down into a
series of mini-cycles. I like to do one month
mini-cycles. I set specific goals for each of
the one month cycles.

I alternate lighter weeks with more volume,
and heavier weeks with less volume.

This is a simple but effective way for an older
Dino to train. I call it "simple cycling." It's a
way of maximizing recovery by using a
combination of light, medium and heavy
days.

I always go back through my training log,
and review the last couple of workouts,
and then write up my workout -- with
all of the exercises, sets, reps and
weights.

So the answer to the question is "Yes,
I plan my workouts very carefully."

But I also listen to my body, and based
on how I feel on a given day, I may very
well change things up a little once I start
training.

Mike Burgener has a good way of putting
it:

"When the oven is hot, you do your cooking."

In other words, if everything is clicking on
a given day, use more weight or do more
sets or more reps.

BUT -- and this is very important -- you
also need to go lighter and easier on those
days when that oven just won't heat up.

This is one of the very hardest things to
learn. But it's also one of the most
important.

If you're having an off day and you try to
push through it, things usually don't go
very well. It's better to train light, and
then come back and hit it harder another
time.

Of course, you don't want to take it too easy
too often -- but if you're a Dino, there's not
much danger of that happening.

So plan your workouts -- but listen to your
body, and make any necessary adjustments
after you chalk your hands and get going.

Hope that helps!

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 covers simple
cycling systems for older trainees -- and details
over 50 great workouts for older Dinos:

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

P.S. 2. Progression is the name of the game,
and I cover a variety of very effective progression
systems in Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3:

Hard copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html

Kindle e-book

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html

PDF

See the links to our PDF courses at our products
page:

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

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

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

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day:

"Think, plan, pay attention, and modify
as needed." 

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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

The One Thing at a Time Workout!

Like so many of the old-time champions, George Hackenschmidt knew that the mind and the body are inseparably linked. That's why deep concentration and pinpoint focus are critical to your training.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk iron.

1. The January Dino Files

Is right here - and it's pretty darn good -
so be sure to sprint on over and grab this
month's issue:

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

2. Join the Strength Secrets Facebook
Group!

John Wood has set up a great new Facebook
group.

It's called STRENGTH SECRETS - and it's by
invitation or special approval only - and it's
for people like you and me - who like the
kind of things that you and I like.

Go here to apply for membership (and tell
John I sent you):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthsecrets/

This is a pretty good little group - and I
think you'll really enjoy being a member.

3. The One Thing at a Time Workout

One of the keys to success in your training
is to focus on one thing at a time.

By that, I don't mean to do one-exercise
workouts, although those can be very
effective.

I'm talking about your mindset when you
train.

Serious strength training is a very unusual
and unique activity. It requires a special
mindset -- a mindset that is much different
than the mindset most people employ
throughout the day.

Most people go though the day in an endless
series of frantic multi-tasking, plate-spinning
and juggling.

They're doing one thing on one side of the
computer screen, another thing on the other
side, and third thing on their nearby laptop --
and they're answering email while they do it
all -- and they're on their I-phone -- and they're
conducting three different conversations with
three different people -- and they do this all
day long.

They never focus on one thing. They just
juggle and jiggle and jump from one thing
to another.

That's life in the modern world, but it's not
what you do when you train.

Training requires a much different approach.

When you train, you need to focus on one
thing at a time.

You begin by focusing on each rep.

You take your reps one by one.

You don't worry about the next rep -- or the
next set -- or the next exercise.

You turn your focus inward, and dive deep
into the rep.

You live the rep.

You become the rep.

And then you do the next rep.

When you finish your set, you take a rest and
focus on the next set -- and when you do the
next set, you do it rep by rep.

And that's how you do your entire workout:
rep by rep, with total concentration and laser
focus.

In short, when you train, you focus on the
here and now.

It's actually what our brains were wired to do.
Not multi-tasking -- but rather, pinpoint
concentration.

It's good for them -- and it's important to use
them this way -- and that's actually one of the
most important benefits of serious strength
training. It helps wire your brain the way
it's supposed to be wired.

I trained last night, and for 58 minutes I was
deep in the zone. Total concentration. Maximum
focus. Pushing and pulling in the here and now.

And it felt pretty darn good.

Give it a try and see for yourself.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. I teach you how to concentrate and
how to focus on your workouts in Dinosaur
Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development 

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

DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: 

"When you ride on the back of a tiger,
focus on the tiger." 

-- Brooks Kubik

BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .

We have more than 25 Dinosaur Training books and courses in the Kindle bookstore - here are several of them - head on over and take a look at the others:

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

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