Straight Talk on Getting Back Into Training

Would you believe that World and Olympic champion John Davis once had to get back into training after a long lay-off? It's true - because he couldn't train much at all during World War II - but when he got home and started to hit the iron, things started to happen fast!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One quick note, and then we'll talk training.

1. This Is Amazing!

We released my new training book in the
Kindle bookstore on Nov 25, and the little
monster raced up to be No. 1 in New
Releases in Weight Training in record
time - as in, just 24 hours.

It also made it to no. 1 in New releases in
Martial Arts books - and sports training -
and several other categories.

That was pretty amazing - but I'm not really
surprised - because it's an excellent course.

So sprint on over and grab a copy!

100 Strength Training Tips for
Combat Athletes

http://www.brookskubik.com/100-combat-tips.html

Also - if you already have a copy, pls
leave a review on our Kindle page. The
reviews really help us.

And, of course, I want to say THANK
YOU to everyone who stepped up and
grabbed a copy. I really appreciate it.

2. Getting Back Into Training the
Right Way

I got an email from a longtime Dino who
has always been gung ho about his
training.

But then things happened.

Some injuries.

A very tough, super stressful job.

Caring for an elderly parent in very poor
health.

Family responsibilities.

Life.

You know the drill.

It happens to all of us. And it makes it
really tough to keep on training. Even if
we do keep hitting the iron, it's hard to
make much progress - and often, it's
hard or impossible to avoid the dings
and dents that seem to like to hit us
when things are at their toughest.

And so our super-enthusiastic, life-
long Dino got out of the training
habit . . . . and time passed, and
one day he realized it had been a
very long time since he got in a
workout.

In fact, he couldn't remember the
last time he trained.

Of course, that wasn't acceptable.

He's a Dino - not a quitter. And he
knew he had to get started again.

But he wasn't sure what to do - or
how to do it.

So he asked me what to do.

I gave him a couple of pointers, and
I think they helped him - and now I
want to share them with the rest of
you.

So here are some tips on getting
started again after a long lay-off.

1. Do Something You Really
Enjoy.

If you're getting back into training,
choose exercises, equipment and
workouts that you really enjoy.

Make it easy on yourself.

If you do the things you like, you'll
have a much easier time getting in-
to the groove and staying with it.

2. Start Light and Easy!

This is critical - especially if (like our
longtime Dino) the reason you stopped
training. was because of work, job,
or family issues that caused (and are
possibly still causing) a ton of stress.

The very last thing you need when Life
has been kicking you around is to jump
into some over the top, super tough,
balls to the wall training program.

Start light and easy. It makes it  

MUCH
 
easier to get back into the training
mode - and it helps

ENORMOUSLY

in avoiding the crippling muscular sore-
ness and injuries that can result from
jumping into an overly ambitious
training program.

Here's a good rule of thumb:

Write up a very short, simple workout -
and then cut the volume in half - and
drop the projected weights in half -
and start THERE - at 50% of "easy" -
and work up from there.

Of course, you don't need to take it
easy forever - but a month or two of
easy training to get you back on the
road to lifelong hard and heavy
training is a very smart thing to do.

3. Make Your Training Progressive.

One reason to start light and easy is
that it allows you to make regular and
steady increases in your reps, sets and
poundages.

In other words, it allows you to see plenty
of measurable progress - and seeing plenty
of regular progress is one of the very best
ways to keep your motivation as high as
possible.

As I said, I think those tips helped him -
and I know that they'll help YOU if you
need to get back into it!

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 three very good courses to
help get you back into the training mode.
They're available in PDF with immediate
electronic delivery - so you don't have to
wait more than a couple of seconds to
start reading them and putting them to
use.

Dinosaur Strength and Power Course
No. 1 - Hepburn Style Arm Training

How to build big and strong upper arms -
as part of a complete strength and power
program - using the training methods of
World Champion Doug Hepburn.

Dinosaur Strength and Power Course
No. 2 - Heavy Partials

A complete training program using heavy
partials to build maximum strength as
fast and effectively as possible.

Dinosaur Strength and Power Course
No. 3 - A 12- Week Bodyweight
Training Program

An all-new, fun and exciting program of
bodyweight training - featuring simple,
easy to do exercises - perfect for home
gym training - and a great way to get
back into the groove.

The program includes a week by week
progression system that takes you from
beginner to beast in 12 weeks.

You can find the links to all three courses
right here:

Dinosaur Strength and Power
Courses

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

Sprint on over and grab one or more
of them - read them, use them, and
enjoy them - and get ready for some
serious gains in strength and muscle!

A Brand New 12-Week Training Program!

We've got something new and fun for you -with a brand new 12-week training program that's fast, fun and effective!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Earlier today I mentioned that we have
a great new training course for you -
and that we were hoping to launch it
today.

Well, we did!

It's a brand new Bodyweight Training
course - and you can find it right here -
along with links to some of my other
new courses from earlier in the year:

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

This course has a ton of info.

Exercises.

Sets and reps.

Special tips on how to modify your
exercises to get maximum benefit
from them.

Fun photos showing some of my
favorite exercises.

Questions and answers.

A special new workout.

A complete 12-week training program
that includes week to week progression.

You start out slow and easy, gradually
ramp things up, and by the end of
the program, you're knocking it out
of the ball park in every workout.

It's a great program - fast, fun
and effective - and I know you're
going to like it.

I also know this.

If you go through the complete 12-
week program, you're going to look
and feel GREAT at the end of the
12 weeks.

Here's the link again - so sprint on
over and grab Dinosaur Strength
and Power Course No. 3:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

People Who Train

Old-timer Fred Rollon shows what old-school strength training and a healthy diet can do for a man. Rollon was nicknamed "the Human Anatomy Chart" back in the day.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Couple of quick notes, and then let's
talk training.

1. Strength and Health Mags

I'm selling over 400 rare issues of
Bob Hoffman's Strength and Health
magazine.

Strength and Health was a wonderful
old-school magazine - with tons of
great photos of the old time champions.

So here's your chance to get a nice
collection going - at some very low
prices.

Go here for the complete list:

Strength and Health Mags

https://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2018/12/brooks-kubiks-iron-game-collection-list.html

2. Going Strong on Kindle!

We have over 25 books in the
Kindle bookstore, and they're
all very popular - but the new
addition is going stronger than
ever.

It's called 100 Strength Training
Tips for Combat Athletes - and
it's a complete guide to building
the kind of strength and power
you need for any form of combat,
be in martial arts, MMA, wrestling,
judo, jiu jitsu, boxing, football,
rugby, self defense training or
anything else.

You can grab a copy right here:

100 Strength Training Tips for
Combat Athletes

http://www.brookskubik.com/100-combat-tips.html

For a complete list of all of our
Kindle books, go here:

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books - The
Complete List

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

3. People Who Train

In training news, I was thinking
about people who train - and
about people who don't train.

There's a real difference between
them.

And the difference grows greater
and greater as we grow older.

People who train look younger
than their years.

They look healthy and strong.

They stand tall and straight.

They walk with strong, powerful
strides.

They carry plenty of muscle - they
have strong, thick bones - and they
have endless energy.

There's something about them that
sets them apart from the rest of the
world.

People used to call John Grimek "The
Glow" - in part because of his deep,
dark tan, but in part because he had
some sort of powerful inner energy.

I think that many longtime strength
trainers have a similar sort of energy.
Perhaps not as much as Grimek - after
all, he was the top champ of his era -
but something that clearly sets them
apart from the rest of the world.

If you train, you know what I'm
talking about.

If you don't, you should start -
because then you'll feel and
experience it for yourself.

And then you, too, will know
what I'm talking about.

Bob Hoffman used to call the
weights "Iron Pills."

He said they kept you young.

He was right.

So keep on taking those Iron
Pills - and stay young and
strong for all the years of
your life!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dumbbells are great for home
gym workouts - and great for older
trainees. And Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training gives you over 50 great
dumbbell workouts - along with
detailed instruction on how to
perform the exercises:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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: 

"Start now, and keep on training
for the rest of your days." 

- Brooks Kubik

Before You Leave - Check These Out! 

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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

The Power of Positive Thinking (Part 1)

Like all great champions, John Davis learned what worked best for him - and then trained with total and complete confidence to achieve his goals.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Earlier this year - about six or seven months
ago - a longtime Dino here in Louisville
decided to go on a special training program
to build strength and muscle mass.

So he sat down with some of my books and
courses - and back issues of The Dinosaur
Files - and read through them very carefully.

He made careful notes, and started to put
together a list of things to try.

He also reviewed his training journals to
see what had worked best for him in the
past.

And he studied everything he could find
about Doug Hepburn, reasoning that if
anyone knew how to build strength and
muscle mass, it was Doug Hepburn.

He ended up putting together a very good
program.

It features four different workouts spread
over a period of 9 to 10 days - which gives
your body plenty of time to recover from
each session.

It includes plenty of things I teach in my
various books and courses - lots of tips
from Doug Hepburn - things he knew
from experience worked well for him -
and things that had worked well for
other Dinos.

So he figured that the program would
work.

In fact, he KNEW it would work.

So instead of wasting time searching
the Interwebs and looking for some-
thing better - and without posting it
in a forum or discussion group and
asking other people if they thought
it would work, he just knuckled down
and started doing it.

That's an example of positive thinking.
You study, plan, work things out - and
then you go for it - confident that it
will work for you.

And work it did.

Four months later he had gained 25
pounds of solid muscle.

Today, six or seven months later, he's
added another 5 pounds of muscle. So
he's gained a total of 30 pounds in
just about six or seven months.

I asked him to write up his workout to
share with other Dinos.

He did, and you can find it right here in
the November issue of The Dinosaur
Files:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-nov2018.html

Be sure to grab this issue - and check
out the program. It's a really good
strength and muscle builder.

And, as always, let me have your
thoughts and feedback about this
month's issue - and any updates on
your own training that you'd like to
share with the Dino Nation.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Take a Peek Inside the November Dinosaur Files!

Each issue of the Dinosaur Files is jam-packed with great old-school workouts and training advice for drug-free trainees - and the November 2018 issue is no exception!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We released the November issue of
The Dinosaur Files yesterday, and
Dinos around the world have been
snatching it up like hotcakes.

And that's great - because it's a
heck of an issue.

Take a peek inside:

It begins with a turbo-charged
editorial I wrote - a true story
about a dark and deadly night
on the North Atlantic - an SOS
signal - and how two very
different men on different ships
responded to the signal.


No, it's not about lifting - or sets
and reps - but it's an incredibly
strong and motivating story - and
it will get you revved up and ready
to go - and ready to respond to
any call for help you may ever
encounter.

And then we turn to training - starting
with reports from our readers.

Abbreviated training - a report from a
63-year old Dino.

20-rep Trap Bar deadlifts.

Abbreviated workouts and aging joints.

An update from a 74-year old Dino and
how he trains.

A report from a man who found what
works for him training-wise.

And more:

The vitamin everyone over age 50 needs
to take. (Do you know what it is?)

Some very bad advice that could kill you -
or make you very sick - and how to avoid
falling for it. (Advice that I fell for - and
that you probably fell for if you're my
age. Heck, you may STILL be falling for
it.)

A simple "stay busy/stay active" program
that I use every day here at Dino Head-
quarters.

A detailed report by one of our readers on
his special training program to build strength
and muscle mass - and how he used it to
gain 25 pounds of solid muscle in just
four months. Exercises, workouts, sets,
reps - it's all here - the whole thing - every
detail covered in full.

A salute to one of our recently departed
Dinos - a man who began following my
work way back in 1996 when I first pub-
lished Dinosaur Training - and how his
tradition lives on.

A detailed article from a cancer survivor
about how to keep on training after cancer
or other major illness - with information
you won't see anywhere else - and things
the medical community doesn't even
begin to understand.

And finally - a special "do it anywhere"
workout to use when you're traveling -
as many of you will be next week at
Thanksgiving time.

In short, it's a great issue - and you can
find it right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-nov2018.html

Happy reading!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Are Five Work Sets Too Much?

Having fun hitting some old-school split style snatches in the outdoor training area here at Dino Headquarters.After more than 50 years of training, each workout is still fun, fresh and enjoyable.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1.The John Wood Report, No. 5

Issue no. 5 of The John Wood Report
was released on Friday, and I understand
that it's been selling like hotcakes.

That's no surprise, because it's a great
issue - with an update on John's Bone
Strenth Project - and a detailed look at
one of Bruce Lee's favorite forearm and
wrist training tools and how to use it for
"Dragon-level" results.

Go here to grab it:

The John Wood Report No. 5 (PDF)

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport05.html

2. The Sept-Oct Dinosaur Files

You'll also want to grab the Sept-Oct
issue of The Dinosaur Files newsletter.

It includes plenty of excellent articles,
including one that features a killer
training program using a. strongman
yoke for heavy singles, partials and
weighted carries - along with another
article on a unique and very effective
progression system for 20-rep breathing
squats.

Go here to grab it:

Sept-Oct Dino Files (PDF)

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

3. "Are Five Work Sets Too Much?"

I just got an email from a reader who
does 5 x 5, using five work sets for
each exercise.

He wondered if that was too much.

Short answer:

Yes, it's probably too much work - but,
like anything else, it depends on
several different factors - and it will
probably change for you over time.

Many trainees get very good results from
ONE work set. They find that they overtrain
if they perform more than one work set -
especially in their squats and deadlifts.

These trainees do best on a 5 x 5 program
that includes four progressively heavier warm-
up sets followed by ONE work set with their
top weight for the day.

It's simple, effective, and it works great for
them.

Other trainees do well with TWO or even
THREE work sets. But three is the limit for
most trainees, unless they're doing very low
reps (singles, doubles or triples).

Your age is also an important factor.

As a general rule, older trainees do better
with fewer work sets. So what works best
for you may change over time.

If you do five work sets, you need to follow
an ultra-abbreviated training program. Limit
yourself to one or two exercises per workout.
You won't be able to do justice to more than
that.

And here's a thought: If one, two or three
work sets do the job for you, why do more
than that?

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 straight talk on sets, reps and
real, world, no-nonsense strength training,
grab Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1:

Hard-copy

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html

Kindle

http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html

PDF

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets_vol1_digital.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: 

"Three words: less is more."

 -- Brooks Kubik

Before You Leave - Check These Out! 

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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

Dull and Boring Is Fun and Exciting!

I don't do Funky Monkeys, Himalayan Curls, Pogo Stick Presses or One-Legged Ball Bounces - but I still have fun when I train.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Are your workouts dull and boring?

Or are they fun and exciting?

I was thinking about my own work-
outs the other day.

They don't make very good social
media posts because it's pretty much
the same thing in every workout.

I have two workouts - Workout A
and Workout B - but every Workout
A looks like the previous Workout A -
and every Workout B looks like the
previous Workout B.

In other words, I stick to the same
exercises, the same sets and the
same reps.

I don't mix things up, and I don't
change things around, and I don't
add new stuff very often.

For many people, a program like
that would be dull and boring.

They couldn't stand it.

But for me, it's the reverse.

My workouts are fun and exciting.

I enjoy the challenge of working on
a small number of movements and
trying to master them - and on trying
to do them better every time I train.

I don't think either approach is wrong,
as long as you don't change things up
too often. You need to stick to a given
program long enough to let it work
for you. Many people change programs
far too often, and that usually doesn't
work very well.

Of course, there comes a time when
changing to a new workout or a new
program can be the best thing in the
world for you.

You just have to know when to do it -
which is largely a matter of training
long enough to understand both your
body and your mind, and to learn
what works best for you.

Anyhow, I'll be training today, and it
will be dull and boring - pretty much
the same thing as always - but it will
be fun and exciting for me.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's something different that's
also fun and effective:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.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:

"The iron doesn't get bored,
and neither should you."

Brooks Kubik

Before You Leave - Check These Out! 

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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