Important Advice for Older Trainees

Today's post covers the true story of the old guy at the Muscle Beach Gym - sometime back in the 1940's. We don't have a photo of him - except maybe we do - he might be somewhere in the crowd, watching John Grimek at a lifting exhibition out in LA in 1940!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron.

1. The Old-School Kettlebell Shirt

John Wood is having waaaay too much fun
designing shirts and hoodies. His latest is a
great looking shirt featuring an old-school
kettlebell lifter - from an old photo dating
all the way back to 1905.

Check it out:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/kettlebellshirt01.html

2. Strength and Health magazine

Because Trudi and I want to move to
the Pacific Northwest sometime in the
not too distant future, I'm selling all of
my duplicate books and magazines -
and that includes many issues of Bob
Hoffman's wonderful Strength and
Health magazine.

If you're interested in grabbing some,
shoot me an email, let me know where
we'll be sending them, and we'll let you
know what's available and what they
cost.

Also, let me know how you prefer to pay
for them.

Strength and Health was one of the best
ever strength training, weightlifting and
bodybuilding magazines - with tons of
awesome photos in every issue. And the
issues from the 1940's were just plain
wonderful.

I think you'll really like them.

So, as I said - if you're interested in buying
some of these timeless classics to add to
your Iron Game collection, shoot me an
email.

First come, first served - so don't sit on
the fence, think about it, scratch your
head, or kick the tires. Take immediate
action.

3. Important Advice for Older Trainees

Here's some important advice for older
trainees - courtesy of someone who, at
age 61, qualifies as an older trainee.

And don''t think, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard
this before."

The odds are good you haven't.

Today's advice isn't about exercises, sets
or reps.

It's not about workouts.

It's not about recovery and recuperation.

It's not about diet and nutrition.

Those are all very important, of course -
but this is something even more important.

It's about how the world looks at older
trainees - and about how you see yourself
as an older trainee.

When you're an older trainee, you tend to be
more or less invisible.

You fly under the radar screen.

No one notices you.

No one cares what you do at the gym - or
what you lift.

Instead, they focus on the current crop of
young champions, be they bodybuilders,
powerlifters, weightlifters, strongman
competitors, or whatever.

You often end up training alone - because
no one your own age is there, and the young-
sters never even think about working in with
"the old guy."

If you're not careful, that kind of thing can
start to wear on you.

It can start to make you feel "old."

But it doesn't have to be that way.

I often share the story of Bob Hoffman going
out to the West Coast on a business trip in
the 1940's, and seeing an old man training
by himself in the back corner of a huge gym
that Vic Tanny opened in an old airplace
hanger.

All of the young guys were hitting benches
and pull-downs together - and then there was
the old guy, all alone, training with just a barbell
and running through all four of the York courses
exercise by exercise.

In other words, training by himself - invisible
to everyone else - doing an "old-fashioned"
training program that no one else in the
place even remembered.

Hoffman noticed all that - but he also noticed
something else.

The old guy was in pretty good shape for
his age.

He was strong and well-coordinated. He
moved well. He was loose and limber. He
didn't handle huge weights, but he did
handle respectable weights - and he did
all of his exercises in perfect form.

He was having a very good workout - and
he worked up quite a good sweat doing it.

He also looked like he was having a pretty
good time.

In fact, as the end of his workout he had a
great big smile on his face.

It was very obvious that the old guy in the
back of the gym didn't think of himself as
old - and if he was invisible to the younger
guys, it didn't matter one bit.

He was there to train - and to have fun when
he did it - and to get a great workout that made
him feel like a million dollars. And that's exactly
what happened.

The moral to the story is pretty clear.

Be the guy at the back of the gym - and focus
on having fun - and getting a great workout
that makes you feel like a million dollars.

Do that every time you train - one workout
after another - and you'll find that your actual
age doesn't matter at all.

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. I have tons of advice for older trainees
in Gray Hair and Black Iron:

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

I also have a terrific mini-course for older
trainees. It's Mini-Course No. 1 - in the
special section for PDF courses on our
products page:

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

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

Hard-copy and PDF

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

Kindle

http://www.brookskubik.com/oldschool_01-kindle.html

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day

"Regular training helps keep you young -
and if you do it with a smile, it works even
better."

- Brooks Kubik

Brooks Kubik's Kindle Books

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

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

 
For even more Kindle books by Brooks Kubik, visit:

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

Puffing, Panting and Perspiring

The best workouts involve plenty of "puffing, panting and perspiring" - that was true when Bob Hoffman coined the phrase 80 years ago - and it's just as true today.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Bob Hoffman had a wonderful phrase for
a productive and effective workout.

He said the best workouts involved plenty
of "puffing, panting and perspiring."

And that's probably true.

Workouts that get you breathing hard and
sweating hard are terrific for your health
and fitness - and they also build plenty of
strength and muscle.

Plus, they're a lot of fun.

Hoffman often described York Course No.
3 - the repetition weightlifting course,
where you did sets of 5 reps in a variety
of different weightlifting exercises, such
as hang cleans, snatches, presses, high pulls,
squats, clean and jerk, etc. - as the toughest,
most demanding and most result-producing
of the York courses.

That's because it gets you breathing hard -
and sweating hard.

It revs up your entire circulatory system.

Your heart and lungs got a great workout,
along with your muscles.

And that stimulates all of your internal
organs and metabolic systems - including
all of the hormonal systems that build
strength and muscle mass.

It builds you up from the inside out.

Of course, you can get a very similar effect
without doing weightlifting movements.

A circuit program of standard exercises
will do the job very effectively.

Hoffman covered that in a number of
different courses. I cover one of his
favorite circuit training programs in
detail in the May-June issue of The
Dinosaur Files newsletter - which you
can grab right here:

The May-June Dinosaur Files

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html

I also cover a number of other fast, fun
and effective circuit training programs
in Gray Hair and Black Iron - because
circuit training is great for older Dinos:

Gray Hair and Black Iron

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

Check them out - give them a try - and
have fun with those "puffing, panting
and perspiring" workouts!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. It's easy - and very effective -
to combine circuit training workouts
with standard strength training work-
outs. See the May-June issue of The
Dinosaur Files for some ideas on how
to do this.

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

Try Bob Hoffman's Favorite Workout!

A classic photo of a young John Grimek performing a one-hand deadlift back in the 1930's.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

In 1941, Bob Hoffman devised a special training
program for military recruits.

Hoffman knew that America would be dragged
into World War II sooner or later – and probably
sooner than later – and he also knew that the
Armed Forces would need to whip raw recruits
into fighting shape as fast and efficiently as
possible.

Hoffman believed that standard calisthenics
wouldn’t be enough to build tough, strong,
rugged warriors.

They would need weight training, as well.

But the men didn’t have long hours to devote
to barbell and dumbbell training – and the
military didn’t have anything approaching
a large supply of barbells and dumbbells.

So Hoffman devised a special program that
would permit men to make good gains in
strength and conditioning with short, fast
barbell workouts.

As in - 20 minute full-body workouts.

Hoffman designed the program so a large
group of men could train at the same time,
using a small number of barbells, and all
of them could get a terrific barbell workout
in just 20 minutes.

Hoffman called the program The Simplified
System of Training. 

It ended up becoming one of Hoffman’s
favorite training courses.

And that's no surprise - because you can
use it to get a complete full-body workout
in less than 20 minutes - with just a single
barbell.

If you train alone and you work fast, you
can do it in 10 or 15 minutes.

Hoffman once did the entire workout in
just five minutes - to prove it could be
done.

So it's perfect for home gym training - and
for those days when you're crunched for
time and can't do a longer workout.

It's also a great warm-up for heavier
exercises - a great conditioning workout -
and a great light workout to sandwich
between your heavier days as a form of
active recovery.

And it's an excellent workout for older
Dinos - because it strengthens all of
the major muscle groups, and keeps
all of your joints healthy and strong -
and you can recover from it very
easily.

It energizes you - it doesn't wear you
down or tire you out. And that's a very
big plus for older Dinos.

I cover the Simplified System of Training
in detail in the May-June issue of The
Dinosaur Files newsletter.

Exercises, sets, reps, and suggested
weights.

The exact weights Hoffman used to
perform the entire workout in just
five minutes.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal poundage
goals.

How and when (and why) to modify the
original program.

How to combine the program with heavier
workouts.

How to use the program as part of a
fun and effective program for lifelong
strength and health.

So go ahead - grab the May-June issue of
The Dinosaur Files - and see the entire
program in detail - and give it a try:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-mayjune2018.html

And, of course - let me know how you
like it and how it works for you.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

A Training Tip from 1932

Here's a great little training tip from way back in 1932. Try it and see how it works for you.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Yesterday we talked about ways to ease
into your workout - or substitute a faster,
lighter workout - on those low energy
days when you just can't seem to get
going.

Here's a training tip from way back in
1932.

It offers a similar strategy to get into
your workouts.

It comes from the old York Barbell
training courses.

Begin your workout with a very light
warm-up.

Do one set of 8 to 15 flip snatches
(power snatches) or clean and press.

This is really light. You just want to
get your blood flowing and accelerate
your breathing. Nothing heavy.

If for any reason you feel like you
need to do a second set, that's fine -
do it.

Then get to the serious stuff.

Start with one set of curls.

Then do one set of presses.

Then move into your heavier leg and
back exercises.

This pattern makes it much easier to
get into the swing of things than if you
tried to start out with heavy squats or
deadlifts.

Try it and see!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik


P.S. Speaking of training, here are some
great books that give you plenty of hard-
hitting, result-producing and effective
workouts.

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of
Strength and Power

The little blue book they call "The Bible
of Strength Training."

Tons of great training ideas - thick bars,
sandbags, heavy awkward objects, death
sets, single rep training, abbreviated work-
outs, power rack training, and some very
important chapters on the all-important
mental aspects of strength training.

Includes some of my favorite workouts.

A best-seller since 1996.

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

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

Tons of old-school dumbbell exercises -
and over 50 complete workouts.

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

A complete course in old-school body-
weight training - with plenty of killer
exercises - and more than 50 workouts.

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

Strength, Muscle and Power

Power rack training, isometronics, rest
pause training, mind power, finishers,
grip work, sandbags, barrels, one-hand
deadlifts, tendon and ligament strength,
home gym training, specialization, some
of my favorite abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts - and much more!

Includes so many workouts I can't count
them all.

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

Gray Hair and Black Iron

Devoted to the special needs of older
trainees - with a systematic, detailed
approach to training in middle age and
beyond - and over 50 great workouts.

A game-changer for anyone who wants
to keep on going no matter how many
candles are on the birthday cake!

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


"Start light and easy, and work up
from there."

-- Brooks Kubik

- 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 Old Guy at Muscle Beach

Yes, I'm the old guy with the barbell. And that's okay with me!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Back in 1946 or so, Bob Hoffman
traveled to California on business.

While there, he visited a huge gym
that Vic Tanny had opened close to
Muscle Beach.

It was in a large building - an old
airplane hanger - and it wasn't at
all fancy. It had barbells, dumbbells,
benches, pulleys, chin bars, dip
bars, sit-up boards and squat
stands.

The benches and pulleys got most
of the use.

This was at the start of a big
exercise craze on the West
Coast. Trainees did endless sets
of TWO exercises:

1. Bench presses
and

2. Lat machine pull-downs

The idea was to pump their upper
bodies to gargantuan proportions.

Hoffman was used to watching the
weightlifters at the York Barbell Club
train, and he expected to see lots of
cleans, snatches, military presses
and squatting when he went to a
gym.

But not this time.

Not this gym.

Instead, he saw many gym members
doing nothing but bench presses and
pull-downs.

It baffled him.

Then he looked across the gym and
saw a lone trainee working out all by
himself in a far corner.

He was an older man, and he was
training with nothing but a barbell.

He was doing the old-school exercises
in the York training courses: squats,
presses, curls, bent over and upright
rowing, cleans, snatches, high pulls,
deadlifts, shrugs, etc.

Hoffman watched him go through his
entire workout.

The old guy finished with a good sweat
and a smile on his face.

It was the kind of workout Bob Hoff-
man liked to see.

I'll be training tonight, and my workout
will be a lot like the old guy with the
barbell.

In fact, if anyone walks by our place,
looks into the drive-way, and sees me,
that's probably what they'll think:

"It's the old guy with the barbell again."

And that's okay with me. I'm perfectly
happy to be the old guy with the barbell.

It beats the heck out of being the old
guy in the wheelchair.

Or just being "the old guy."

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 Old School Q and A is
available in your choice of hard-copy,
Kindle, or PDF with immediate electronic
delivery.

Go here to grab a copy:

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

"There's nothing wrong with being the
old guy with the barbell - in fact, it's
kind of fun!"

- 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