Breaking News - The October Dinosaur Files Is Here!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

The October issue of The Dinosaur Files
is here - and it's another great issue -
with a great looking cover featuring one
of your fellow Dinos going mano a mano
against one Scotland's most difficult
lifting stones.

Take a look at what we cover in this
issue:

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Mesozoic Mail

Jurassic Jottings

Is Heavy Lifting Bad for Your Eyes?

A Different Kind of Ultra-Abbreviated
Training

Answers to Your Training Questions

Bench Pressing and Shoulder Health

How to Do It All With Two Workouts
a Week

The Viking Stonelifting Tour 2016
(Part 1)

Training Progression Simplified (Part 2)

Goals, destinations and Journeys

The Wrap-Up

Go here to grab the little monster in
PDF format:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_october2016.html

I hope you enjoy this issue, and as
always, I look forward to your
comments and feedback.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Here's the link again:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles_october2016.html

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The Focus on One Thing Workout

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of the keys to success in your training
is to focus on one thing at a time.

By that, I don't mean to do one exercise
workouts, although those can be very
effective.

I'm talking about your mind set when you
train.

Serious strength training is a very unusual
and unique activity. It requires a special
mindset -- a mindset that is much different
than the mindset most people employ
throughout the day.

Most people go though the day in an endless
series of frantic multi-tasking, plate spinning
and juggling.

They're doing one thing on one side of the
computer screen, another thing on the other
side, and third thing on their nearby laptop --
and they're answering email while they do it
all -- and they're on their phone -- and they're
conducting three different conversations with
three different people -- and they do this all
day long.

They never focus on one thing. They just
juggle and jump from one thing to another.

That's life in the modern world, but it's not
what you do when you train.

Training requires a much different approach.

When you train, you need to focus on one
thing at a time.

You begin by focusing on each rep.

You take your reps one by one.

You don't worry about the next rep -- or the
next set -- or the next exercise.

You turn your focus inward, and dive deep
into the rep.

You live the rep.

You become the rep.

And then you do the next rep.

When you finish your set, you take a rest and
focus on the next set -- and when you do the
next set, you do it rep by rep.

And that's how you do your entire workout:
rep by rep, with total concentration and laser
focus.

In short, when you train, you focus on the
here and now.

It's actually what our brains were wired to do.

Not multi-tasking -- but rather, pinpoint
concentration.

It's good for them -- and it's important to use
them this way -- and that's actually one of the
most important benefits of serious strength
training. It helps wire your brain the way
it's supposed to be wired.

I trained last night, and for 58 minutes I was
deep in the zone. Total concentration. Maximum
focus. Pushing and pulling in the here and now.

And it felt pretty darn good.

Give it a try and see for yourself.

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

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. 1. I teach you how to concentrate and
how to focus on your workouts in Dinosaur
Training and Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

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

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "When you ride on
the back of a tiger, focus on the tiger." -- Brooks
Kubik

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How Strong Are You?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

How strong are you?

How do you rank compared to the great
champions of the Golden Age of Muscle
and Might?

If you stepped into a Time Machine that
carried you back to Sig Klein's New York
City gym in the 1930s -- or to the world
famous York Barbell Club in the 1940s --
how would your best lifts compare to
everyone else in the gym?

What are realistic goals for a drug-free
trainee?

What should you be squatting -- pressing --
or deadlifting?

What should you be handling in other
important exercises?

How can you compare your best lifts to
trainees of other bodyweights?

How does your age affect your poundage
goals?

What lifts are good at age 40 -- or 50 --
or 60 -- or beyond?

Are you getting older -- or getting better?

I have a terrific training course that
answers all of these questions -- and
more!

You can find it right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html

You'll never have a chance to train with John
Grimek, Steve Stanko, John Davis or Doug
Hepburn. But this course is the next best
thing. It lets you compare your lifting to the
legendary Ironmen of the past -- exactly the
same as if these mighty men were your
actual training partners.

So step up, take action, and grab the course
right now -- and answer the question:

How strong are 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

P.S. Here's the link again for the "How Strong Are
You?" course in hard-copy format:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html

It's also available in PDF and Kindle editions -
see the links for PDF and Kindle editions at our
products page.

P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here -- and please note -- if you order from
overseas and you want two or more books or
courses, email us and ask for a shipping
quote. We can usually save some you clams
by shipping two or more items together:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Set realistic but
challenging goals and work to achieve them."
-- Brooks Kubik

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Goerner the Mighty!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Hermann Goerner had some of the strongest
hands and fingers of any man who ever
lived -- and he had tremendous all-around
strength, as well.

On October 8, 1920, Goerner performed a
one-hand deadlift with a barbell weighing
727 1/2 pounds!

He performed a one-hand snatch with a
barbell weighing 220 1/2 pounds on Nov-
ember 30, 1919 -- and performed a one-
hand clean and jerk with a barbell weighing
264 1/2 pounds on November 9 of the same
year.

On March 21, 1920, he performed a one-
hand swing with two kettlebells having a
combined weight of 220 1/2 pounds.

In the same year, he deadlifted 793 2/3
pounds, clean and jerked 390 1/4 pounds,
and performed a front squat with 474 1/2
pounds.

Goerner was 6' 1/2 inch in height, and weighed
just 220 pounds at the time he made these
amazing lifts.

Later, his muscular weight increased to
about 245 pounds, making him one of the
most impressive looking of all strongmen.

How did Gorner build his amazing strength?

Well, he did lots of things - barbell lifting,
dumbbell training, kettlebell work, and
some very interesting strongman stunts
and exercises with heavy awkward
objects.

He also - get this - worked at a circus
once, and wrestled a small elephant -
but over the course of the year, the
elephant grew many hundreds of
pounds bigger.

That must have been a heck of a
workout!

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. Hermann Goerner had a very unique
and very effective method of grip training.
I cover it in detail in Strength, Muscle and
Power -- and it's one of the best programs
there is to build truly Herculean grip
strength. Grab a copy and give it a
try:

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

P.S. 2. For more about Goerner and his
training methods, order his biography,
Goerner the Mighty, from my good friend
Bill Hinbern:

http://superstrengthtraining.com/goerner-the-mighty-edgar-mueller

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "You can argue
about  a lot of things, but you can't argue
about the training methods of a man who
deadlifts 727 1/2 pounds with one hand."
-- Brooks Kubik

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The No. 1 Response

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

We got a ton of emails in response to
yesterday's message about seven keys
to success for older Dinos.

Almost all of them said the same thing.

"It works for younger Dinos, as well!"

And that's very true.

Everything I said yesterday applies to
younger Dinos just as much as it applies
to older Dinos.

And it's a crying shame that the vast
majority of younger trainees don't
understand this.

Instead of training on hard, heavy,
sensible, old-school programs built
around the basics, they train on
the silly stuff - meaning the muscle
pumping programs - and as a result,
they end up wasting what could have
been the very best training years of
their lives.

Many readers have commented on
this over the years.

The consensus seems to be:

"The young guys are always going to
make mistakes - the same mistakes
that young guys have been making
for the past 50 or 60 years - and if
they're lucky, they'll LEARN from
their mistakes."

I guess that's right - but it's awfully
hard on the young guys who are
doing things wrong.

Anyhow, if you're reading this, you
probably know quite a bit about how
to train the right way.

So do this for me.

Help spread the word.

I'll keep on banging the drum - but
anything and everything you can do
to help share the message is very
important.

We might not change the world, but
if we work together, we can change the
Iron Game.

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 good ones for trainees
of any age:

Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength
and Development

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

Chalk and Sweat

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.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: "The time to
start doing things right is now." - Brooks
Kubik

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Seven Keys to Success for Older Dinos

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As you might expect, I got tons of emails
(and the occasional snail mail letter) from
Dinos around the world.

Many of them contain training reports,
feedback on what works, and updates
on their training.

And over the years, I've noticed some
common threads.

For example, older Dinos who are doing
well in their training, having fun and
making good progress, all tend to do
similar things.

And I thought I'd share some of those
with you.

So here are 7 things that older Dinos do
for successful training:

1. Find exercises that don't hurt and that
you can recover from.

If you can't do squats, do front squats -
or Trap Bar deadlifts - or dumbbell squats -
or kettlebell squats - or use Dave Draper's
Top Squat ior a Safety Bar.

There's always SOMETHING that you can
do.

Of course, the same is true for upper body
exercises. If you can't do something, find
a substitute and keep on training!

2. Have Fun.

Successful older trainees have fun when they
train. Their workouts are some of the best
times of the week for them. They look forward
to every session - and they feel great both
during and after their workout.

3. Focus on the iron.

Successful older trainees don't get caught
up in the silly stuff marketed by folks who
promise overnight miracles from their Top
Secret BLITZ-BLAST program or their new
and improved super supplement.

Instead, they focus on the iron.

They've been around long enough to know
what works - and what doesn't - and frankly,
the silly stuff bores them.

4. Use abbreviated workouts.

Abbreviated workouts let older trainees
recover from their training. They're one of
the most important keys to success for older
trainees.

5. Use ultra-abbreviated workouts.

Many older Dinos  (and I'm one of them) get
great results from doing one exercise in each
workout. I call this ultra-abbreviated training.
It lets you focus on ONE thing and give it your
all - and it's great for recovery.

6. Focus on now.

Don't focus on the past - or on what you used
to do.

Focus on now - and on being the best you can
be at your current age.

And focus on being better five years from now
(or 10 years from now) than you are today.

7. Train for strength.

As you grow older, strength equals health.

To be healthy, you need to be strong.

To be strong, you train for strength.

Basic compound exercises - progressive
workouts - goal setting - concentration -
and focus.

They work every time - for everyone - at
every age.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more information about successful
training 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:

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

P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Lift for today,
tomorrow and every day of your life." - Brooks
Kubik

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How Long Should You Rest Between Heavy Singles?

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Jeff H. asked a good question in response
to my recent emails about single rep
training.

"How long should you rest between heavy
singles?" he asked.

I get this question a lot. I think it's because
there are so many silly things out there from
the muscle media world where they encourage
trainees to bounce from set to set as fast as
possible in order to "get a pump."

But when you're doing heavy singles, you're
not trying to get a pump.

In fact, a pump is the last thing you want -
especially if you're doing a more technical
movement that involves balance, coordination
and technique - such as snatches or cleans.

A pump is the last thing an Olympic lifter
wants because it tightens his muscles and
throws off his coordination.

But back to the question.

If you're doing heavy singles, you need to
balance two things:

1. You need to rest long enough between
singles to be able to do full justice to the
next single.

BUT

2. You don't want to rest too long because if
you do, you'll start to cool off - and you'll also
run the risk of losing concentration and focus,
i.e., letting your mind wander.

There's a balance between these two competing
needs, and it varies from person to person.

It also varies from exercise to exercise. You may
need less rest between heavy singles in the clean
and press or the snatch than in the squat or the
deadlift.

It varies based on the time of year. Most of us
tend to train a bit faster when it's cold because
we need to work fast enough to stay warm. When
it's hot, the reverse is often true - we go a little
slower because it's harder to recover between
sets.

In terms of minutes, the bottom line is this:

1. Two or three minutes is about right for most of
us on most exercises.

2. Five minutes is about the longest time you
should rest between singles, and I would
limit a rest that long to squats or deadlifts.

3. For some exercises - old-school dumbbell
lifts and snatches or clean and jerks - on the
minute singles can be very effective.

a. Of course, that requires excellent technique.
If you go too fast and your technique breaks
down, that's not good.

4. If you find yourself rushing and missing
lifts, you're going too fast and you need to
slow down.

a. If you're rushing and missing your lifts,
you're defeating the whole purpose of
single rep training.

5. More important than exactly how long you
rest is what you do while you rest. Don't waste
your time yakking or chatting or checking your
monkey phone. Use it to visualize your next
lift.

a. The visualization drills in Dinosaur Training
are worth their weight in gold.

6. If you time it right, each lift will feel strong
and powerful - and the weight may actually
feel lighter from lift to lift.

7. At first, you can time yourself - but later on,
you'll be able to train without looking at the
clock. Your body will have developed it's own
internal training clock.

I hope that helps!

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's the book that started the Dinosaur
Training revolution. If you don't have a copy,
grab it now:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.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: "The important
thing is to do full justice to the next set or the
next lift." - Brooks Kubik

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