John Grimek's Favorite Exercise

John Grimek hitting a heavy clean and press back in the early 1940's.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes, and then we'll talk
training - as in, John Grimek's favorite
exercise.

1 The Dinosaur Files

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2. The Iron Sport Strength Training
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In other "new release" news, John
Wood has released a Kindle version
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The Iron Sport Training Method.

It's available here - and it looks like
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already in two Top 10 Lists in the
Kindle bookstore:

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3. John Grimek's Favorite Exercise

Back in the day, John Grimek was the
top man in the Iron Game.

A weightlifting champion - USA Senior
National champ - North American champ -
member of the USA Olympic team in
1936 - American record holder in the
military press - and unofficial World
record holder in the press.

Hands down, the top bodybuilder of
his generation. Undefeated in body-
building contests. Two time winner of
the Mr. America title. Mr. USA. Mr.
Universe. The Monarch of Muscledom.

A man who pretty much knew it all
when it came to effective strength
training and muscle-building - and
a man well worth listening to.

Grimek once wrote an article about
the single best exercise.

The one that gave you a complete work-
out.

If you only had time for ONE exercise,
this was the one.

What was it?

It was the clean and press.

And you would do ONE clean and
ONE press on each rep.

You also would LOWER the bar, not
drop it after each rep. They only had
iron plates back then, and dropping
the bar would break the floor AND
bend the bar - and break the plates.

So dropping the bar was a "Do Not
Do!" kind of thing.

Grimek liked to start with relatively
high reps, add weight  on each set,
- and drop the reps. And when you
got to lower reps, you might do a
couple of sets with each weight.

For example:

Clean and Press Workout

1 x 10 (light warm-up)

1 x 10

1 x 8

1 x 6

1 x 5

1 x 4

2 x 3

2 x 2

3 x 1

Now, that's a fast, hard, very effective
workout - and all you need is a barbell.

Of course, you also could do the program
with two dumbbells - or a single dumbbell -
or a pair of kettlebells - or a single kettle-
bell.

I've used that workout many times, and I
still use workouts that are very similar to
it. They're very effective.

Anyhow, that's a Golden Oldie - from one
of the true heroes of the Iron Game. If you
give it a try (and I hope you do), let me
know how it works for you.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more training wisdom from John
Grimek, grab my John Grimek training
course.

Hard-copy

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

Kindle edition

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses -
and links to all of my e-books on
Kindle - are right here:

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:

"It doesn't have to be complicated. In
fact, it's better when it's not."

- 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

"Give us a REAL workout!"

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yesterday I sent you an email about
one-exercise workouts -- which I often
refer to as "ultra-abbreviated" training.

In response, I received a flaming hot
email from a reader who said (among
other things):

1. "Your stuff is old-fashioned."

2. "No one could make progress on
such a short workout."

3. "You need high intensity AND high
volume to build strength."

Well, I agree with point no. 1.

Points 2 and 3 -- not so much.

The email ended with this:

"I'm tired of seeing stuff that won't
work. Why don't you give us a REAL
workout?"

Well, okay -- here's a real workout.

A reader named Tom Klonowski followed
it back in the 90's, when he was training
for Olympic weightlifting competition:

Mon

Warm-up and stretch

Hang snatches -- 5 progressively heavier sets
of 3 reps

End of workout -- go home

Total gym time -- 45 to 60 mins

Tues

Same thing, but do squats for 5 x 3

Wed

Same thing but do clean pulls 5 x 3

Thurs

Rest

Fri/Sat/Sun

Same thing, but a different exercise
each.

Tom followed the above program in a
series of 8-week cycles, with one week
off after the end of each cycle.

The results?

After one year on this program, Tom
snatched 250 lbs., clean and jerked
385 lbs. and jerked 400 lbs. from
the rack -- at a bodyweight of 215.

Now, granted, that's six days per
week -- but Tom was a young man and
a competitive Olympic lifter at the
time, so he could handle it. If you
want to give the program a try, you
might do better by cutting it down
three or four workouts per week --
or even two workouts per week if
you're over 50.

I'm closing in on 60 (I'll be 57 in
September), and I almost always do
one-exercise workouts -- and I usually
train three days per week. Different
exercise in each workout. Multiple
sets of low reps (often singles).
A good warm-up to start things off,
followed by progressively heavier
weights up to my top weight for the
day. Each workout takes about an
hour. It works pretty darn well.

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. Read more about abbreviated workouts
and ultra-abbreviated workouts in these
hard-hitting, no-nonsense training guides:

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

Gray Hair and Black Iron

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

Chalk and Sweat

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

P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and my Dino
DVD's, and back issues of the world-famous Dinosaur
Training newsletter -- are available right here:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "If you're squatting,
pushing and pulling, you're doing the right things."
-- Brooks Kubik

Another "What Do You Think?" Question

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's an email from Ray Green, with
a training question that I get more
or less all the time - meaning that
many Dinos are asking or thinking
about it:

Hey. You know me, 66 years old,
5'10 1/2", 175 lbs, work full time,
own 5 acres with a garden.

Limited time and energy.

Thinking of going to one exercise
workouts, 5-7 sets, 3-5 reps.

BB deadlifts, DB clean and press,
squat.

Train every 3 to 5 days.

What do you think?

Thanks for your thoughts, and what
should my weight goals be on each
lift - experienced, but not super
strong. Want to keep moving.

Thank you for all your advice.

Just finished 7 sets of deadlifts.

Ray"

Ray -- Thanks for your email, and your
question.

What do I think?

I think your program is pretty darn
good!

I'm a big fan of one-exercise workouts.
I use them myself all the time. I like
the way I can really focus on one
exercise, and drill deep and work
it hard.

That's what makes them so effective.

And yes, you can get really strong on
one-exercise workouts, especially if
you rotate three different exercises,
hitting one movement in one workout,
the second in the next workout and the
third in the workout after that --
which is exactly what you are doing.

One-exercise workouts are particularly
good for those trainees with limited
recovery ability -- limited time and
energy for training -- and for those
trainees who require a fair number of
progressively heavier warm-up sets
before they get to their top weight
for the day.

Your choice of exercises is good. You're
hitting the big exercises and working
pretty much every major muscle group,
with special attention to the Power
Zones (legs, hips, back and shoulder
girdle).

As for poundage goals, keep them simple.
Shoot to put 20 pounds on each lift before
the end of the year. When you reach your
goal, set a new one and go after it.

For more ideas about one-exercise workouts
for Dinos, see Strength, Muscle and Power
and Chalk and Sweat. I cover them in my
Doug Hepburn training course -- he did
them a lot, and they worked pretty well
for him.

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. Go here to grab the books and courses
I mentioned in today's email:

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

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

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

P.S. 2. I almost forgot -- check out Gray
Hair and Black Iron for more tips on great
workouts for older trainees:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it
simple, but keep on doing it."
-- Brooks Kubik

Build Strength and Power the Dino Way!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Matt Furey once wrote an article about
a judo champion who trained almost
exclusively on one special exercise:
he sprinted up a steep hill over and
over.

It built enormous leg and hip power
and tremendous endurance. He was
unstoppable in competition.

One of my long-time readers was a
wrestler in college. He trained on
two exercises: power cleans and
pull-ups. He did 100 cleans every
day with his own bodyweight (not all
at once, but in sets) followed by
100 pull-ups.

He ended up placing third in the NCAA
championships -- which is pretty darn
good.

Another wrestling champion -- a USA
national champion in Greco Roman
wrestling -- did a different sort
of two-exercise workout. He did
dumbbell squats while holding a
pair of 100 pound dumbbells --
followed by pushing a blocking
sled all around the football
field.

On the mat, he'd lock up and drive
his opponent wherever he wanted.
He was too strong to stop.

A top bodybuilder of the 70's and
80's trained on four different
exercises: squats, stiff legged
deadlifts, bench presses and
pull-ups. He ended up being one
of the best built men in the world.

Back in the day, a man trained on
the clean and press, the snatch,
and the clean and jerk. His name
was John Grimek. You may have of
him. He did pretty darn well.

Another man trained on a program
limited to the heavy, high rep
breathing squat, very light
breathing pull-overs, bench
presses and barbell bent-over
rowing. he gained enormous
strength and something like 100
pounds of muscle in two years.
His name was Peary Rader.

Meanwhile, there are guys who do
every exercise under the sun. They
think that's what they have to do
to build strength and muscle. They
don't know any better. And they
usually end up gaining nothing
at all. No strength, no muscle,
no nothing.

I call the limited exercise approach
abbreviated training. I cover it in
all my different training books and
courses.

I also cover ultra-abbreviated training.
By that, I mean workouts where you do
one exercise -- but work it hard!

Abbreviated training and ultra-
abbreviated training will work
wonders.

If you already follow an abbreviated
program, you know what I'm talking
about. If you haven't tried an
abbreviated workout program, you
should do so. Life's too short to
keep on training without getting
any results.

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 Dino-style
abbreviated training programs in these
books:

a. Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Development

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

b. Strength, Muscle and Power

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

c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

d. Chalk and Sweat

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

e. Gray Hair and Black Iron

http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "It's not easy, but
it's not complicated." -- Brooks Kubik

Try this Workout for Great Gains!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I got a ton of feedback from yesterday's
post, and many readers wanted to hear
more about ultra-abbreviated workouts.

So here's an example of an ultra-
abbreviated training program:

Train 3x per week.

Do three different workouts: Workout A,
Workout B and Workout C.

Do one primary exercise in each workout,
followed by gut, grip and neck work for
a couple of sets each.

Use the BIG exercises. Ultra-abbreviated
doesn't work very well if you focus on
concentration curls and triceps pumpers.

Use multiple sets of low to medium reps.

Train progressively -- add reps, add sets,
and add weight to the bar whenever you can.
And remember, you can train progressively
bu doing your exercises in better form --
with tighter focus and do, intense
concentration.

Let me repeat -- concentration is key.
That's one of the great things about
ultra-abbreviated training. It lets you
focus.

Workout-wise, try something like this:

Workout A

1. Warmup

2. Squats 5 x 5 progressively heavier
warm-up sets, then 2 x 5 working sets

3. Gut, grip and neck work

Workout B

1. Warmup

2. Power clean and press (do one clean
and one press on each "rep") -- do 5 x 5
progressively heavier warm-up sets,
followed by 2 x 5, 2 x 3 and 2 x 1 for
your working sets

3. Gut, grip and neck work

Workout C

1. Warmup

2. Your choice of bent-legged deadlifts,
Trap Bar deadlifts, clean grip high pulls,
snatch grip high pulls, or power snatches --
same sets and reps as the clean and press

3. Gut, grip and neck work

There you have it -- short, sweet and
simple -- but incredibly effective. Give
it a try and see for yourself.

As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day. If you train today (as I
will), make it a good one!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more about abbreviated and
ultra-abbreviated training, grab Dinosaur
Training, Chalk and Sweat, Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training or Strength, Muscle and Power:

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

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

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

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

P.S. 2. I also cover abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts in Gray Hair and Black
Iron:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It's not how long
you train, it's HOW you train." -- Brooks Kubik

"Am I Overtraining?" He Asked.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A guy sent me an email saying he likes
to train four time per week. He does
one exercise per workout.

Something like this:

Mon -- Squat

Tues -- Bench press

Thurs -- DL

Fri -- Press

In other words, he's doing what I call
ultra-abbreviated training -- using a
divided workout schedule.

Things were going fine, and then he read
something on the internest (that's not
a typo, it describes the thing -- especially
when it comes to strength training advice)
where some guy said if you train more than
three times per week you're overtraining.

So the Dino sends me an email and asks,
"Am I overtraining?"

Well, that's a good question.

Here's the answer.

1. Stop reading internest stuff about
strength training. It will get you messed up
and second-guessing yourself every time.

2. Are you overtraining? Heck, I don't know.
The real question is -- are you GAINING?

2A. If you're adding weight to the bar on a
regular basis, you're not overtraining. Keep
on doing what you're doing.

3. As you add weight to the bar and increase
the intensity of your workouts, it becomes
easier to overtrain. So a program that works
great for you NOW may not work as well six
months from now.

4. As you grow older, it becomes easier to
overtrain (and harder to recover from your
workouts). So what works great NOW may not
work as well five or ten years from now.

5. One exercise workouts work really well,
and are a great way to avoid overtraining.
They let you focus and drill down and get
the most out of each exercise you do -- and
that's one of the keys to great gains -- so
if you like them, do them!

6. One exercise workouts work great if you're
crunched for time.

7. Always remember, the way to judge the
effectiveness of a workout is to look back
over your training and log and see if you're
adding weight to the bar. If you ARE, keep
on doing what you're doing -- and if you're
NOT, make some changes.

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 read more about abbreviated and
ultra-abbreviated workouts in these books and
courses:

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Abbreviated training
is the way to go for gains in strength, muscle and
power." Brooks Kubik