A New Twist on 20 Rep Squats

 

You can build a heck of a lot of strength and muscle with Trap Bar training - and here are some tips for doing 20 rep breathing squats (or squat/deadlifts) with the Trap Bar.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I hope you had a great weekend, and
that you're ready to rock the world
this week.

Three quick notes, and then we'll talk
training.

1. The January Dinosaur Files

Go here to grab the January issue of the
Dinosaur strength training newsletter:

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

This month's issue features two great
new workouts - one for kettlebell fans
(but it also works for dumbbell training
fans) - and one for building strength and
muscle mass (good for anyone, of any
age - but double good for older Dinos.)

2. Strongman Coffee Mugs

John Wood is selling some killer strongman
coffee mugs - featuring Eugene Sandow and
George Hackenschmidt on the first two mugs.

Go here to grab them - and start every day
with strongman coffee:

Sandow Coffee Mug

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/sandow-mug.html

Hackenschmidt Coffee Mug

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/hackenschmidt-mug.html

I know John plans to do more mugs -
I wonder who he's going to put on the
next one.

3. A New Twist on 20 Rep Squats

I started the morning with an email from
one of our long-time Dinos - who had a
very interesting question:

Hi Brooks,

Can you write about what modifications an
older Dinosaur would use to be able to do
breathing squats with a Trap Bar?

Thank you for all your advice, support and
motivation. I'm in the best over-all shape
and health of my life, and your no-nonsense
approach is a big reason why!

Zail K.

Thanks for your kind words, Zail. It's always
good to hear from you.

Many older Dinos prefer to use the Trap Bar
for their lower body training. It's often easier
and more forgiving for them than a squat bar.
So your question is a natural.

There are at least three different ways to do
breathing squats with a Trap Bar.

1. 20 Non-Stop Reps

You can hold the bar in your hands for the full
20 reps without letting go or putting it down.

The problem with this approach is that your grip
will usually give out before you finish the set.

You could use straps, but even so, there's another
important consideration - you need to make sure
you perform each rep in perfect form, with a flat
back.

Most guys who do 20 non-stop reps will start to
round their back - and that's no good, especially
for an older Dino.

I prefer to lower the bar - not drop it, but lower
it - re-set, and then perform the next rep.

Which leads us to . . .

2. 20 Singles

This is my preferred way of doing high rep deadlifts.
You break the set of 20 reps into 20 singles - and
do each one in perfect form.

This works well with breathing deadlifts because it
lets you focus on plenty of deep breathing on each
rep.

And that leads us to . . .

3. The Breathing Part

You can lower the bar to the floor, stand up and do
your breathing, and then do the next rep, lower the
bar, stand up and repeat.

Or - you can can complete the rep and do your
breathing with the bar in your hands.

I prefer the latter - because it means you're doing
a heavy shrug with each breath.

Deep breathing with a bar in your hands will work
your lungs to the max - as well as hitting pretty
much everything else.

It's a stand on your feet, total body, muscle mass
and strength building classic.

Also, note that you can do one deadlift followed
by one or two shrugs with the bar in your hands -
lower the bar - let go, stand up and take another
5 or 6 deep breaths before the next rep. That's
actually a very practical and effective way of
doing it.

After your deadlifts, so a set or two of very
LIGHT breathing pull-overs. A 25-pound bar
or two 15 pound dumbbells is plenty for your
pullovers.

Give this a try, and let me know what happens.
I think you'll like 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. For more about result-producing and effective
workouts for older Dinos, grab Gray Hair and
Black Iron:

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

"Older and smarter leads to older and
stronger."

- 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 Trap Bar Training Guide - Revised and Expanded!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

A number of years ago John Wood
prepared a terrific little book called
the TRAP BAR TRAINING GUIDE.

He just released an updated and
expanded edition on Kindle.
It has 20 pages of new material,
including John's special Trap Bar
Deadlift program and a very
unusual but effective Trap Bar
workout that he used to pack
on five pounds of solid muscle
doing nothing but shrugs.

I don't know about you, but that
sounds pretty old-school -- and
pretty interesting.

Anyhow, the TRAP BAR TRAINING
GUIDE is available right here:

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 1)

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. Our Kindle e-books

Our e-books seem to be taking over the world.
We have over a dozen of them on Kindle now,
and most of them have been Kindle Best Sellers.
We've even had days where two or three of
them are in the Top 10 list. And many of them
have made it all the way to No. 1 in their
category at the Kindle bookstore.

That's amazing, because they deliver the same
sort of hard-nosed, tell it like is, straight from
the shoulder training advice that you find in our
hard-copy books and courses. And yet -- we're
beating the mainstream silly stuff.

It's both amazing and encouraging. Maybe there
are more Dinos out there than we knew.

Here are links to two of our most popular
Kindle e-books:

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

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

You can find links to the others at our products
page:

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

We'll continue to put more material up there on
Kindle throughout the year. Be looking for it!

2. The Dinosaur Files

The PDF version of the July Dino Files is
ready to go:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_july2016.html

We'll put the Kindle edition up as soon
as we can. I'll send an email when it's
ready.

3. Building the Muscles of Posture (Part 1)

And now -- let's talk training.

Yesterday we were talking about the muscles
of posture -- the spinal erectors and the upper
back muscles -- including the traps.

Here's one of my favorites to work the heck
out of them. It's one of the best I ever did
for the traps.

It's the partial deadlift from blocks or in the
power rack.

But here's the kicker.

Finish the exercise by shrugging as high as
you can -- which might not be very high at
all -- in fact, the bar might not even move.

With a truly heavy weight, you might pull
the bar up and try as hard as you can to
shrug it even higher -- and the bar might
move half an inch -- or a quarter of an inch --
or not at all -- or it might press down on
you as if it were the weight of the earth,
and you might actually feel that it's starting
to slip down even as you try to shrug it up.

But shrug upward with all your might -- and
hold that shrug position (whatever it is) for
the count.

Lower slowly and under control, get set, and
repeat.

How long do you hold the *top* position?

At least two seconds -- and five seconds is
better.

Or do 5/4/3/2/1 -- five seconds on the first
rep, and one second less on each of the
following reps.

Start light, add weight on each set, and work
up to one to three to five sets with your top
weight for the day.

Don't go too heavy the first time or you'll
end up so sore you won't be able to move
very well for a few days.

But after a month or so of break-in training,
you can start going heavier -- and you can
work up to some BIG weights.

Grip is a challenge on this exercise. Use a
reverse grip and alternate your hands from
set to set.  If you prefer straps and an over-
hand grip, that's okay, too.

And yes, it works with your choice of a
regular bar or a Trap Bar. If you use a
Trap Bar, use blocks to position the weight
where you want it.

The only draw-back is this -- after a few
months of working this exercise hard, you'll
probably need a new wardrobe. But
that's part of the game, isn't 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. The one-hand deadlift is another good
exercise for the muscles of posture. I cover
it in detail -- along with lots of other great
exercises and workout ideas -- in Strength,
Muscle and Power:

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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: "Stand tall and
lift heavy." -- Brooks Kubik

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