A Special Bonus - The 10 Week Deadlift Program!

Rich Abbott pulls a heavy deadlift and sets a new Master's Record!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I just got a quick heads up on
something from my buddy John
Wood.

John has released two excellent
Trap Bar Training Guides in
Kindle format.

One of the great things about
Kindle is that it lets you add to
a book very quickly and easily.

And that's what John is doing
with the Trap Bar Training
Guide No. 2.

He's adding something new.

It's a 10 Week Training Program
for the Deadlift - and it's a really
good program - and it's perfect
for Trap Bar training.

If you already have a copy of
the Trap Bar Training Guide
No. 2, you'll be able to read
the new material as soon as
it loads.

In other words, your current
copy will update automatically.
If you don't have a copy, go
ahead and grab one asap. The
10 Week Deadlift Program will
either be in the book by the
time you read this post or will
go in automatically a little later.

Here's the link:

Trap Bar Training Book No. 2

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/trapbartraining2.html

Also - if you missed the Trap
Bar Training Guide No. 1,
go here to grab it:

Trap Bar Training Book No. 1

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

Be sure to leave a review after
you read the book(s) - the reviews
really help.

Happy reading - and happy
training!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

This Is Kind of Amazing!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

When you write about real world,
no nonsense strength training and
muscle building, you walk a lonely
path.

Most of the other stuff is about
totally different stuff:

Drugs

Supplements

More drugs

New drugs

More supplements

New supplements

Gossip columns

Bodybuilding contests

The "latest" version of the Super
Blast Mega-Muscle Bulgarian Blitz
program - or whatever they're
calling it this week.

And so on.

And that's the world of the mass
market muscle media.

My world is much different.

There's a very small number of
people who write about MY kind
of training.

Bill Hinbern is one.

Bradley J. Steiner is another.

And John Wood is a third.

And that leads me to something that's
nothing short of amazing.

Yesterday we released my new book
on Kindle:

100 Strength Training Tips for
Combat Athletes

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

So last night I went over to take
a look at the sales numbers - and
the little monster was ranked No.
1 - meaning NUMERO UNO - in
new releases in the category of
weight training books.

Number 1 in less than 24 hours.

That's fast.

And it's also pretty amazing for a
book that focuses on hard and
heavy, back to the basics
strength and power training.

But here's something else that's
even more amazing.

The top six books in New Releases
for weight training books included
one by me - and two by John Wood.

That means that the old-school, hard
and heavy, roll up your sleeves, grit,
grime, dig deep, puff, pant and
perspire stuff was kicking the
heck out of all of the other the
other stuff.

In other words, the Dinos had taken
over.

The bunnies were in full retreat.

Chrome and Fern Land was shaking
at its very core.

The Gentle Blasters were running
for cover.

John's two books in the top 6 were
on Trap Bar training. I assume you
have them, but if not, grab them -
they're very good:

Trap Bar Training Book No. 2

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/trapbartraining2.html

 

Trap Bar Training Book No. 1

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

If memory serves correctly, both
of John's books had been No. 1 in
new releases - and since they're
still in the top 6, they're still selling
like hotcakes.

And to make things even more fun,
I had another book in the No. 1
spot in Kindle's new releases just
a couple of weeks ago.

It was my book on Heavy Partials for
building strength and power:

Dinosaur Strength and Power -
Course No. 2 - Heavy Partials

Kindle edition

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

PDF edition

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurstrengthandpower-02.html

Anyhow, do us both a favor.

Help keep us in the no. 1 spot for
as long as possible - and help keep
us in the top 6 rankings for as long
as possible.

Grab any or all of our Kindle books -
leave reviews for them - read and
rank other reviews - tell your friends
and workout buddies about our
books - spread the word on social
media - and generally do everything
you can to help share the message.

Our goal is total and complete
domination - meaning that we
won't stop until strength training
is back where it needs to be - with
its original focus on the real world
stuff that gives great results as fast
and efficiently as possible.

I can't do it alone - and neither can
John Wood - but with your help, we
can all do it together.

Thanks - and happy reading!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Squat Q and A - Part 2

Yes, that's Bob Hoffman performing a hip lift with Warren Lincoln Travis' famous stage dumbbell - which was billed as the World's Heaviest Dumbbell - and may very well have been exactly that! Travis is standing in the background, watching closely.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here are more questions I've been getting about
squats and related exercises. I thought I should
share them, because whenever one person emails
me with a question, there are probably several
hundred other trainees with the same question.

So let's get going!

Q. I've seen videos where trainees drop into a
 deep squat and then bounce back up. Is that
the best way to do squats?

A. It's definitely not the way I do them! Dropping
and bouncing lets you handle more weight than
doing a squat with a controlled descent - but you
put your knees, hips and lower back at serious
risk every time you do a drop and bounce rep.

To me, it makes much more sense to use a little
less weight on the bar, perform your reps under
control, and aim to be lifting for the next 20, 30,
40 or 50 years  - instead of hurting yourself and
ending up not being able to squat any more.

Q. I've read that squats stimulate your body to
produce more testosterone. Is that true?

A. Absolutely - and that's one of the reasons why
squats are such a remarkably effective exercise.

It's also why older Dinos need to keep on doing
squats - or to find alternate exercises for the legs,
hips and lower back if for any reason they can't
do squats. Leg training stimulates the production
of testosterone - and that's critical for older Dinos.

Q. Are Trap Bar deadlifts (or Trap Bar squats, what-
ever you call them) a good substitute for squats?

A. If possible, you should include both exercises in
your training program - but if you can't do squats
or you don't have squat stands, the Trap Bar is a
great alternative.

Many of our older Dinos can no longer do squats,
but they thrive on Trap Bar deadlifts.

Q. Can you give me any other good exercises to
use if I can't do squats?

A. I can do better than that. I covered this topic
in detail in a four-part series back in the Dec 2015
to March 2016 issues of The Dinosaur Files.

And I didn't just tell you what works for me as
an older Dino (although that was part of it). I
did way better than that.

Before running this series of articles, I asked the
Dinos for feedback - and got a ton of it.

Over 50 Dinos who can no longer do squats and
have had to find good replacement exercises sent
in responses - and the series includes all 50-plus
of them.

If you figure that each of those Dinos has an
average of 20 years of training experience (of
course, some have much more, and some have
less), that means this series gives you the
accumulated wisdom of over 1,000 years
of serious, no-nonsense, real world strength
training.

It's the most detailed series I've ever seen on
effective, real world alternatives to the standard
back squat - and on ways to work around age
related dings and dents or old injuries and keep
on training productively and effectively.

If you missed these the first time, around, I urge
you to grab them now - and study them closely.

I know that they will help you enormously.

These issues are all available in PDF format in
the PDF Products section of the Dinosaur Training
website:

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

The PDF's are printable, so you can print and save
them in your collection.

So if you're looking for real world information
on fun and effective squat alternatives - or on work
arounds for older trainees - look no further. We've
got you covered.

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. If you're an older Dino, grab a copy of Gray
Hair and Black Iron - it's a must read for anyone
over the age of 35:

Gray Hair and Black Iron

 

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

P.S. 2. My new course on heavy partials is
selling like hotcakes - and readers are loving
it. Go here to grab a copy:

Dinosaur Strength and Power Course
No. 2 - Heavy Partials

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurstrengthandpower-02.html

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

Brooks Kubik's Hard-copy and PDF Books

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

For more hard-copy books and courses, visit: http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

 

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

New and Good - Fast and Fun!

There's something new and good for serious strength trainers - and if John Grimek were around today, I think he'd like it!

 
Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's something new and good from John
Wood - and it's fast, fun and costs just about
the same as one of those mocha latte grande
coffee drinks with whipped cream and a cherry
on top.

It's a streamlined publication called The John
Wood Report.

You can grab it right here in a downloadable
PDF:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-01.html

It's 12 pages - short and sweet - fast and
easy to read - but its crammed full of all
kinds of good info:

* The Five Best Trap Bar Movements

* Gym Etiquette -- I only WISH the average
gym goer could read this

* The simple template that John has for the
better part of the last two and a half decades to
put his workout routines together -- or what the
kids today call "programming"

* Three simple but incredibly effective grip
exercises which can be performed with nothing
more than a loaded barbell

* A Pinch Grip Workout

* Details of a truly "lost" forearm training
exercise, one that built one of the biggest
and strongest forearms of all time

* Some of John's favorite training quotes

* How to train your grip in a commercial
gym

* Two great rope climbing drills, one of which
was a favorite of "The God of Wrestling" Karl
Gotch

* Ten ways to "finish" your workout

Here's that link one more time:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-01.html

BTW - aside from John, I was the first person
in the world to read this little monster.

John sent me an advance copy - I read it
through, called him, and said, "It's GREAT!"

I think you'll feel the very same way after
you read it!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

Wow, What a Week!

 

Not sure how it happened, but this photo broke my Instagram account - which was only one of the wild things that happened this week.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

It's been a heck of a busy week, with a ton of
great new stuff for the Dino Nation.

So I thought I'd catch up on things for you,
and put all the links in one email.

1. Coffee With Sandow.

John Wood launched something new and fun -
a series of strongman coffee mugs - the first
featuring none other than Eugene Sandow:

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

2. The Strength Secrets Facebok Group.

John Wood created a brand new, SECRET
Facebook group that fopcuses on real-world,
no-nonsense strength training, Iron Game
history, old school physical culture, etc.

Secret means it is by invitation only - not
a public group - and you need to apply
and be approved to join the group.

That's a way to limit it to serious people -
the folks like you and me - and not the
guys who talk drugs, supps and synthol
all day long.

John and I both post there - as does Bill
Hinbern - and so do many of our longtime
Dinos.

Go here to apply for membership - it's an
exclusive group, but I bet you can get in -
especially if you tell John you heard about
it here:

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

3. The January Dinosaur Files.

I released the January issue of The Dinosaur
Files newsletter. It's a great issue, with some
killer workouts.

One of them is a special program to build a
solid combination of strength and muscle
mass - with a program that's got plenty
of traditional Dino elements, along with
some interesting new twists you may not
have tried before.

It's a simple but very effective program - and
one that I've recommended to many Dinos
over the years. I think you'll like it.

Go here to grab the little monster in PDF
format:

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

The PDF is printable, so if you prefer to
have a printed copy of The Dinosaur Files,
all you need to do is grab the PDF and
print it out.

By the way, if you prefer a one-year, 12-issue
subscription, we can make that happen - just
shoot me an email and we'll get you set up.

4. My Instagram Exploded!

I posted some photos from the Dino Dungeon,
and my Instagram exploded. Go here to see
them - and hit the old LIKE and FOLLOW
buttons while you're over there:

https://www.instagram.com/brooks_kubik/?hl=en

5. I Got Buried in Trap Bar Questions!

The photos showed my trusty Trap Bar in action,
so I got buried in Trap Bar training questions -
and had to answer some of them in an email
to the Dinos. I posted it at the Dinosaur Training
Blog:

http://dinosaurtraining.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-two-most-common-trap-bar-questions.html

6. The Kindle Bookstore Went Wild!

The next thing you know, sales of my Kindle
books went sky-high - not sure why, but it was
good to see.

We have over 25 books in the Kindle bookstore
now - head on over and take a look to see if
there's anything you need to complete your
collection:

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

 7. Another New Coffee Mug!

Earlier today, John Wood released yet another
brand new coffee mug - this one featuring the
legendary Russian Lion, George Hackenschmidt:

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

As you can see, it was a very busy week - and the
coming week may be just as busy. Stay tuned!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

The Two Most Common Trap Bar Questions

All it takes is one photo of a Trap Bar and I get buried in Trap Bar questions!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The January Dinosaur Files Is Here!

Go here to grab the little monster in PDF
format:

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

The PDF is printable, so if you prefer a
printed copy of The Dinosaur Files,
all you need to do is grab the PDF and
print it out.

By the way, if you'd like a one-year, 12-issue
subscription, we can make that happen - just
shoot me an email and we'll get you set up.

2. The Top Secret Facebook Group

John Wood has started a new TOP SECRET
Facebook group.

It's free - and it's fun - and it's going to be
a great place for Dinos to hang out.

If you're on Facebook, go here to join the
secret group of old-school ironheads:

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

And tell John I sent you - that will help
make sure you get into the group.

3. The Two Most Common Trap Bar
Questions

Last night I took a photo of my Trap Bar
down in the Dinosaur Dungeon - and this
morning I posted in on Facebook and my
Instagram account (which you can see right
here):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeVbXMQgtB4/?hl=en&taken-by=brooks_kubik

That was a big mistake, because I've been
getting Trap Bar questions all day long.

Two questions are running neck and neck
with one another for the coveted title of
"The World's Most Common Trap Bar
Question."

The two are similar. They both involve the
issue of ROM - range of motion.

The first is, "Can I stand on a block or riser
to do elevated Trap Bar deadlifts to work my
legs?"

The answer is - you work your legs, hips and
lower back just fine with regular "stand on the
floor" Trap Bar deadlifts.

If you want to stand on a riser, that's fine - as
long as you can do a full range movement on
the riser without your lower back rounding at
the bottom.

If your lower back rounds at the bottom, you
should stick to regular Trap Bar deadlifts.

Remember, if you hurt your lower back, you
can't train - or you can't train hard and heavy.

So the number one priority when choosing any
lower body exercise is to avoid anything that
might hurt your back.

The second question is, "Can I get good results
by doing partial Trap Bar deadlifts - say, from
knee height? That's much easier on my back,
but I'm afraid it won't build strength and
muscle."

The answer is - if partial Trap bar deadlifts are
easier on your low back, then make them your
primary (or exclusive) exercise for lower body
training.

They will build plenty of strength and muscle
mass.

For some trainees, they will build more strength
and muscle mass than anything else you might
do.

And again, remember this - if you hurt your back,
or if your back is always stiff and sore, then your
training is never going to be very productive or
effective.

Remember what I said before about avoiding
back injury.

Avoiding injury MUST be your number one
priority - especially if you're an older trainee.

Also, consider this. You may have back problems
now - and switching to partial Trap Bar deadlifts
may help enormously - and may make your back
a lot stronger than it is now - and THEN you may
be able to perform full range squats and deadlifts
without any pain, stiffness or disabling soreness.

In other words, partial Trap Bar deadlifts may
be a really good rehab exercise for you.

I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion
about Trap Bar deadlifts.

They're a great exercise - and all Dinos should
do them.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. At page 187 of Strength, Muscle and Power
I reveal a super effective old-school exercise
that involves a very limited ROM - but some
men have used it to gain 20 or 30 pounds of
muscle when all else failed.

If that sounds interesting - and it should - then
go here to grab a copy:

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.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. 4. Thought for the Day: 

"Trap Bar training means Trap Bar gaining."

- 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 Worst Exercise

Old school, split style snatches at Dino Headquarters. These are one of the BEST exercises - but there are plenty of exercises that may qualify as the worst exercise of all time. We cover two of them in today's Blog post.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

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

1. The Strength Training Q
and A 

Go here to grab vol. 2 in my new
series of question and answer
courses for Dinos:

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool-qanda.html

As a special bonus, you get a free
copy of the Oct 2017 issue of The
Dinosaur Files when you order
vol. 2 in the Q and A series.

By the way, if you missed volume
1 in the series, you can grab it at
the same product page - just scroll
down a little further to get to the
link to order vol. 1.

2. Black Iron: The John Davis
Story

I have seven copies of this book
left - and I'm not going to reprint
it, so these are the last seven
copies that I have.

If you want one, grab it now.
They'll go fast.

$34.95 plus s&h.

Email me to place your order.

I'm at: info@brookskubik.com

First come, first served.

3. The Worst Exercise

Yesterday I sent you an email about
a very bad - as in, DON'T EVER DO
THIS - exercise that one of our Dinos
saw someone doing at a commercial
gym.

I asked if you had ever seen anything
as bad - and if you had any other
nominations for "The Worst Exercise
Ever."

A number of you wrote in, and I want
to share your responses over the next
couple of days.

Let's begin with some feedback from
Paul Murray:

The flat-back leg press you described
is one of the worst, if not THE worst
ever, exercises - especially if you do
it on the worst ever piece of equip-
ment, the smith machine.

I don't know anyone who ever did
serious (if there is such a thing) leg
pressing who didn't suffer low back
damage, myself included.

That, and Roman chair sit-ups - they
should be outlawed.

If you have a bad back from doing
these back in the day, try the Trap
Bar deadlift.

Even with a "bad" back I can use a
Trap Bar.

Elevate the heels if necessary, for
Trap Bar work.

Dumbbell deadlifts also work well.

As I have told you before, I wish I
had done mostly front squats in my
prime.

Paul

Thanks for sharing that, Paul.

I have to agree with you on the flat
back leg press - it's a bad one.

Squats are so much better and safer.

And, as you note, front squats are a
truly excellent exercise - one that I,
too, wish I had used much more when
I was younger.

And, of course, Trap Bar deadlifts are
hard to beat, especially for older Dinos.

Let's hear from more of you - what's
the worst exercise you ever saw?

Shoot me an email and let me know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Paul Murray is a big fan of rest-
pause training and single rep work -
including the programs I cover in
Strength, Muscle and Power:

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

P.S. 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. 2. Thought for the Day:

"If you're going to train, do it
right." 

- 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