Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Let me start with some big breaking news
for Dinos.
As you probably know, I released Knife, Fork
Muscle as a hard copy book in December 2014.
Several months ago, we began releasing the
same book in a four part series in e-book
format on Kindle. We're doing that because
the hard copy book is so long and contains
so much information that it's just too much
for one Kindle e-book.
So here's the news -- book 3 in the e-book
series is now available on Amazon:
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle03_kindle.html
Head on over and read the introduction for
a complete description of what it covers. In
my opinion, it's probably the most important
book in the series so far, especially for older
Dinos. The information on food and chemical
allergies and how to avoid them is extremely
important -- and it's something other books
in the field pretty much ignore.
So if Knife, Fork, Muscle is not on your book
shelf, put it on your Kindle and start reading
the best book ever written about diet and
nutrition for strength and muscle building.
SUPER STRENGTH IN 60 SECONDS
A DAY
On the training front, several readers noted
the reference to isometrics in yesterday's
email, and asked if they worked.
Now, that's a question that brings back
some memories!
I was a little young for the beginning of the
isometrics fad of the early 60's, but there
was still lots of fanfare and hoopla about
it in the late 60's, when I started training.
Isometrics promised super strength in 60
seconds a day -- consisting of a series of
6 second isometric exercises.
That was irresistable. What could be better
than super strength in 60 seconds a day?
So, of course, I tried the isometric system.
I began with the simple stuff. Put your hands
together and push with one and resist with
other.
Stand sideways in a doorway and push against
the side of the door frame with one foot.
Use a doorway chinning bar to practice the
overhead press lockout.
Later, one of the junior high school coaches
let me borrow an "Exergenie" device and a discus
for the summer, so I could do isometric stuff
with the discus after attaching the Exergenie
to my doorway chinning bar. (Yes, I threw the
discus in junior high school, before I decided
to stick to wrestling as my only sport.)
And I also bought a portable isometric device
from Peary Rader's Body Culture Equipment
Company. It was made from heavy pipe and
two lengths of log chain. It came with a wooden
base to stand on. It looked really cool.
I pulled and pushed against those pipes and
chains all winter one year.
But none of it worked.
It was fun, but it didn't deliver any sort of
results.
When I was in high school, we had a York
power rack, so we could do isometric stuff in
the power rack. But I never did. By age 14,
I was done with isometrics.
Later, I learned that some of the initial research
research behind isometrics was wrong. Something
about a misplaced decimal point. Oops.
And then there was the question about roid use
by some of the "pioneers" of isometric training --
which raises the question, "IF it worked, was it the
drugs or the isometrics?"
So, as you can see, I'm not a big fan of isometrics.
Now, there was a slightly different variation
called isometronics. That involved short
range movements in the power rack with
heavy weights. That was REAL training.
I've used isometronics with great results. You
really can build super strength with isometronics.
But it's not 60 seconds a day. It's pretty much
the same as regular barbell training -- which
may be one reason why it works so well.
I cover isometronic training in Strength, Muscle
and Power. It won't give you super strength in
60 seconds a day, but it will MAKE you seriously
strong:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
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 the links for the Knife, Fork, Muscle
series on Kindle e-book:
1. Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 1
(covers protein for strength training -- how much,
the best sources of hiqh quality protein, etc.)
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle01_kindle.html
2. Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 2
(covers healthy and unhealthy carbs, vegetables,
starchy vegetables,grains and gluten issues,
oranic vs. conventional foods, gardening,
growing your own vegetables, etc.)
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle02_kindle.html
3. Knife, Fork, Muscle, Book 3
(covers healthy and unhealthy fats, and
food and chemical allergies -- and how
they can sabotage your strength training
and muscle building)
http://www.brookskubik.com/knifeforkmuscle03_kindle.html
P.S. 2. Note: If you prefer hard copy books, go
here to grab the complete hard copy edition
of Knife, Fork, Muscle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "The real secret is
hard work, regular training and a healthy diet."
-- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
How Long Do Sharks Swim in the Ocean?
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
How long does a shark swim in the ocean?
He swims in the ocean for his entire life.
If he stops swimming, he dies.
Dinosaurs are like sharks. They train for their
entire lives. If they stop training, they die.
Maybe they don't die immediately -- but they
lose their fire. They lose their energy -- and
their zest for life. They diminish.
My grandfather grew up on a family farm and
lumber casmp in the rugged Tatra Mountains
of Slovakia. He immigrated to the U.S. and
began working in steel mills. He worked in
the steel mill his entire adult life.
In other words, he worked hard his entire
life.
He retired.
And then he died.
Because once he retired, he lost that fire.
When I was a kid, I had a book about physical
training. It covered calisthenics, isometrics, and
some very basic weight training exercises.
I remember that the book had an entire page
where they compared the benefits of different
types of exercise and different sports.
They rated each for muscle building, strength
building, endurance development, weight gain,
weight loss, and so on.
They also rated them based on lifelong
enjoyment and lifelong participation.
In other words, would you do it in high school
and college and then STOP -- or would you
keep on going and do it for your entire life?
For example, football got high marks in some
categories, but low marks for lifelong particpation.
Because very few people play football after high
school -- and fewer still play football after college,
and the number of people who play football after
age 40 is so low that you can probably count them
on the fingers of one hand.
I forget how they rated calisthenics, isometrics,
and weight training. But that doesn't matter. I
know how I would rate them: as activities that
you can (and should) do for your entire life.
Of course, you may need to make adjustments
as you grow older. That's a part of the process.
But the important thing is to make strength
training an integral part of your life. It's not
something you do when you're young and
then stop doing -- it's not something you
do for awhile and then stop when you turn
40, or 50 or 60 -- and it's not something
you stop doing when you retire.
It's something you do for your entire life.
It's like the shark -- swimming in the ocean.
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. We just got a new shipment of three of
our best sellers -- so now's a good time to
grab them:
Knife, Fork, Muscle
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
(Also available in e-book -- see the links on our
products page)
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- back issues of the
monthly Dinosaur Files from 2010 and 2011 --
Dinosaur DVDs -- and links to my e-books on
Kindle -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Life is movement,
so keep on moving!" -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
How long does a shark swim in the ocean?
He swims in the ocean for his entire life.
If he stops swimming, he dies.
Dinosaurs are like sharks. They train for their
entire lives. If they stop training, they die.
Maybe they don't die immediately -- but they
lose their fire. They lose their energy -- and
their zest for life. They diminish.
My grandfather grew up on a family farm and
lumber casmp in the rugged Tatra Mountains
of Slovakia. He immigrated to the U.S. and
began working in steel mills. He worked in
the steel mill his entire adult life.
In other words, he worked hard his entire
life.
He retired.
And then he died.
Because once he retired, he lost that fire.
When I was a kid, I had a book about physical
training. It covered calisthenics, isometrics, and
some very basic weight training exercises.
I remember that the book had an entire page
where they compared the benefits of different
types of exercise and different sports.
They rated each for muscle building, strength
building, endurance development, weight gain,
weight loss, and so on.
They also rated them based on lifelong
enjoyment and lifelong participation.
In other words, would you do it in high school
and college and then STOP -- or would you
keep on going and do it for your entire life?
For example, football got high marks in some
categories, but low marks for lifelong particpation.
Because very few people play football after high
school -- and fewer still play football after college,
and the number of people who play football after
age 40 is so low that you can probably count them
on the fingers of one hand.
I forget how they rated calisthenics, isometrics,
and weight training. But that doesn't matter. I
know how I would rate them: as activities that
you can (and should) do for your entire life.
Of course, you may need to make adjustments
as you grow older. That's a part of the process.
But the important thing is to make strength
training an integral part of your life. It's not
something you do when you're young and
then stop doing -- it's not something you
do for awhile and then stop when you turn
40, or 50 or 60 -- and it's not something
you stop doing when you retire.
It's something you do for your entire life.
It's like the shark -- swimming in the ocean.
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. We just got a new shipment of three of
our best sellers -- so now's a good time to
grab them:
Knife, Fork, Muscle
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_nutrition.html
(Also available in e-book -- see the links on our
products page)
Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- the
Dinosaur Files Quarterly -- back issues of the
monthly Dinosaur Files from 2010 and 2011 --
Dinosaur DVDs -- and links to my e-books on
Kindle -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Life is movement,
so keep on moving!" -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
The Training Question Everyone Is Asking!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Last week I sent you an email titled "Workouts
for the Working Man."
It outlined a training program for a Dino who
works a very tiring, very demanding physical
job and has trouble finding time and energy
for training.
He wanted to do five different exercises:
1. Squat
2. Bench press
3. Deadlift
4. Power snatch
5. Power clean and jerk
His problem was programming his workouts. He
just didn't have the energy to hit two or three
exercises in one workout after a long day at
work.
I told him to do ONE exercise in each workout,
and to train three times in week one and two
times in week two -- so he would be training
each exercise once every two weeks.
Since then, I've been flooded with emails from
readers who want to give the program a try --
but they have a question.
Really, it's more of a concern than a question.
"Will I be able to make progress if I train each
exercise just once every two weeks?"
So here's the answer.
Yes, you will.
Go back and take a look at the exercises. They're
all heavy, compound movements. They give you
plenty of bang for the buck. They all stimulate
the growth systems of the body. Each of them
is a terrific strength and power builder.
Yes, you only train deadlifts once every two
weeks -- but you also train power snatches
and the power clean and jerk. All three exercises
hit the back and hips very hard. They also work
the legs to some degree.
Similarly, you train squats once every two weeks,
but you also hit the legs, hips and back when
you do deadlifts.
You hit the pushing and pressing muscles of
the shoulder girdle with bench press, jerks,
and, to a lesser degree, the snatch.
So give the program a try and see how it works
for you.
ALSO -- remember that this program was for
a fellow Dino who works a very demanding
physical job. If your job is easier, you might
very well be able to hit two or three exercises
in each workout, and train each exercise once
a week.
The important thing is to do something that
works for you given your age, experience, how
fast you recover from your workouts, the amount
of weight you handle, the exercises you do, and
your job and other responsibilities.
It doesn't take MUCH exercise to build strength
and muscle -- but you DO have to put in the
training. Find a program that lets you do that.
Hit the iron, have fun, and keep me posted on
your results.
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. It amazes me that some of our readers still
don't have Dinosaur Training. Go here to grab
your copy of the book they call "the Bible of
Strength Training":
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVDs -- are right here at
Dino Headquarters -- along with links to all
of my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It takes regular,
consistent training, but it doesn't take all day,
every day in the gym." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Last week I sent you an email titled "Workouts
for the Working Man."
It outlined a training program for a Dino who
works a very tiring, very demanding physical
job and has trouble finding time and energy
for training.
He wanted to do five different exercises:
1. Squat
2. Bench press
3. Deadlift
4. Power snatch
5. Power clean and jerk
His problem was programming his workouts. He
just didn't have the energy to hit two or three
exercises in one workout after a long day at
work.
I told him to do ONE exercise in each workout,
and to train three times in week one and two
times in week two -- so he would be training
each exercise once every two weeks.
Since then, I've been flooded with emails from
readers who want to give the program a try --
but they have a question.
Really, it's more of a concern than a question.
"Will I be able to make progress if I train each
exercise just once every two weeks?"
So here's the answer.
Yes, you will.
Go back and take a look at the exercises. They're
all heavy, compound movements. They give you
plenty of bang for the buck. They all stimulate
the growth systems of the body. Each of them
is a terrific strength and power builder.
Yes, you only train deadlifts once every two
weeks -- but you also train power snatches
and the power clean and jerk. All three exercises
hit the back and hips very hard. They also work
the legs to some degree.
Similarly, you train squats once every two weeks,
but you also hit the legs, hips and back when
you do deadlifts.
You hit the pushing and pressing muscles of
the shoulder girdle with bench press, jerks,
and, to a lesser degree, the snatch.
So give the program a try and see how it works
for you.
ALSO -- remember that this program was for
a fellow Dino who works a very demanding
physical job. If your job is easier, you might
very well be able to hit two or three exercises
in each workout, and train each exercise once
a week.
The important thing is to do something that
works for you given your age, experience, how
fast you recover from your workouts, the amount
of weight you handle, the exercises you do, and
your job and other responsibilities.
It doesn't take MUCH exercise to build strength
and muscle -- but you DO have to put in the
training. Find a program that lets you do that.
Hit the iron, have fun, and keep me posted on
your results.
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. It amazes me that some of our readers still
don't have Dinosaur Training. Go here to grab
your copy of the book they call "the Bible of
Strength Training":
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and
Dinosaur Training DVDs -- are right here at
Dino Headquarters -- along with links to all
of my e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "It takes regular,
consistent training, but it doesn't take all day,
every day in the gym." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
My Current Training Program
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I've been talking about abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts for the past week, and
several readers have asked what I do in my
own training.
So here's what I've been doing lately. As you
might imagine, it's basic and simple -- but it
does the job.
Remember that I'm almost 60, so this is a
program for an older trainee. Also, as you
will see, it's a specialized weightlifting
program.
I train three times a week. I usually train on
Tues, Thurs and Sun. There's no magic to
those days. I started training on Tues and
Thurs way back in high school because most
guys trained on Mon, Wed and Fri, so the
weight room was pretty much empty on
the other days, and you didn't have to
wait for the power rack or your favorite
bench.
Later, when I started training at a regular
gym in my 20s, I stuck to the same schedule
for the same reason. Now I train in my
garage, so it doesn't matter, but I stick to
Tues, Thurs, Sun out of habit.
I've tried twice a week programs, but I prefer
three times a week. I'm not as flexible when
I train twice a week.
I'm concentrating on Olympic weightlifting
now, so I do weightlifting workouts. I don't
do anything else because I put all of my
energy into the weightlifting workouts.
And remember, at my age, recovery and
recuperation is critical. There's only so
much you can do before you start to
exceed your recovery ability.
I'm working on the squat style snatch and
the squat style clean and split jerk, and it
takes lots of work to get the timing and
the technique down. So I spend most of
my time on these two movements.
I've switched back and forth between squat
style and split style. Squat style requires much
more flexibility, and it's tough for an older
Dino, but I really enjoy it -- so I'm making
one last effort to get the squat technique
down while I still can.
I do two different workouts: Workout A
and Workout B.
Workout A is a snatch workout.
Workout B is a clean and jerk workout.
Sometimes I train both lifts in the same
workout, but usually I do them separately.
I do lots and lots of single reps. I stick to
singles so I can do every rep in perfect
form. I'm a fanatic about good form --
which may be due to all of the drilling I
did as a high school wrestler -- or to the
fact that I learned Olympic lifting later
in life, and form, technique and flexibility
have always been challenges for me.
I don't have many regrets about lifting and
training, but I do wish I had learned Olympic
weightlifting when I was in high school. It
would have been much easier than starting
in my mid-40s. But that, as they say, is
water under the bridge.
I film my workouts, and after each lift, I
play it back so I can check my form. This
lets me see what I can do better on the
next set.
I start every workout with 10 to 20 mins
of stretching and loosening up.
I begin with the empty bar, and do 3 to 5
singles -- and then add 5 kilo plates and do
another 3 to 5 singles -- and work up from
there. Starting light is part of the warm-up
process, and gets me ready for the heavier
stuff.
I do a total of 15 to 20 singles over the course
of a workout. I often do three to five snatches
with my top weight for the day, and two or
three clean and jerks with my top weight for
the day.
If time and energy permit, I do snatch pulls
or clean pulls for 3 x 3 or 3 x 2, followed by
front squats for 5 x 1 or 5 x 2.
When I do pulls, I focus on full extension and
high elbows at the finish. I use a fast, explosive
movement. I use my top snatch weight or my
top clean weight for the day, or a little bit more.
If I go too heavy, my form breaks down and
there's little carry-over to the actual lift.
I do low reps on front squats because it is
easier on my knees and back. It's hard to
recover from higher volume. And because
I do full squat snatches and squat cleans,
I'm already doing lots of squats in every
workout.
I am working on flexibility with flexibility
and mobility work on off days. We'll see
how that works over the coming year. It
seems to be a good addition to the
program.
If you're interested in more details, let me
know. If enough readers are interested, I'll
do a course on weightlifting for garage
gorillas and older Dinos.
In the meantime, here's a DVD that covers
my current style of training -- we filmed it a
few years ago on my birthday:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training
for older Dinos. Go here to grab it:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books, courses and DVDs --
and links to my e-books on Kindle -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "As you grow
older, train smarter. Smarter is the only way
to keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
I've been talking about abbreviated and ultra-
abbreviated workouts for the past week, and
several readers have asked what I do in my
own training.
So here's what I've been doing lately. As you
might imagine, it's basic and simple -- but it
does the job.
Remember that I'm almost 60, so this is a
program for an older trainee. Also, as you
will see, it's a specialized weightlifting
program.
I train three times a week. I usually train on
Tues, Thurs and Sun. There's no magic to
those days. I started training on Tues and
Thurs way back in high school because most
guys trained on Mon, Wed and Fri, so the
weight room was pretty much empty on
the other days, and you didn't have to
wait for the power rack or your favorite
bench.
Later, when I started training at a regular
gym in my 20s, I stuck to the same schedule
for the same reason. Now I train in my
garage, so it doesn't matter, but I stick to
Tues, Thurs, Sun out of habit.
I've tried twice a week programs, but I prefer
three times a week. I'm not as flexible when
I train twice a week.
I'm concentrating on Olympic weightlifting
now, so I do weightlifting workouts. I don't
do anything else because I put all of my
energy into the weightlifting workouts.
And remember, at my age, recovery and
recuperation is critical. There's only so
much you can do before you start to
exceed your recovery ability.
I'm working on the squat style snatch and
the squat style clean and split jerk, and it
takes lots of work to get the timing and
the technique down. So I spend most of
my time on these two movements.
I've switched back and forth between squat
style and split style. Squat style requires much
more flexibility, and it's tough for an older
Dino, but I really enjoy it -- so I'm making
one last effort to get the squat technique
down while I still can.
I do two different workouts: Workout A
and Workout B.
Workout A is a snatch workout.
Workout B is a clean and jerk workout.
Sometimes I train both lifts in the same
workout, but usually I do them separately.
I do lots and lots of single reps. I stick to
singles so I can do every rep in perfect
form. I'm a fanatic about good form --
which may be due to all of the drilling I
did as a high school wrestler -- or to the
fact that I learned Olympic lifting later
in life, and form, technique and flexibility
have always been challenges for me.
I don't have many regrets about lifting and
training, but I do wish I had learned Olympic
weightlifting when I was in high school. It
would have been much easier than starting
in my mid-40s. But that, as they say, is
water under the bridge.
I film my workouts, and after each lift, I
play it back so I can check my form. This
lets me see what I can do better on the
next set.
I start every workout with 10 to 20 mins
of stretching and loosening up.
I begin with the empty bar, and do 3 to 5
singles -- and then add 5 kilo plates and do
another 3 to 5 singles -- and work up from
there. Starting light is part of the warm-up
process, and gets me ready for the heavier
stuff.
I do a total of 15 to 20 singles over the course
of a workout. I often do three to five snatches
with my top weight for the day, and two or
three clean and jerks with my top weight for
the day.
If time and energy permit, I do snatch pulls
or clean pulls for 3 x 3 or 3 x 2, followed by
front squats for 5 x 1 or 5 x 2.
When I do pulls, I focus on full extension and
high elbows at the finish. I use a fast, explosive
movement. I use my top snatch weight or my
top clean weight for the day, or a little bit more.
If I go too heavy, my form breaks down and
there's little carry-over to the actual lift.
I do low reps on front squats because it is
easier on my knees and back. It's hard to
recover from higher volume. And because
I do full squat snatches and squat cleans,
I'm already doing lots of squats in every
workout.
I am working on flexibility with flexibility
and mobility work on off days. We'll see
how that works over the coming year. It
seems to be a good addition to the
program.
If you're interested in more details, let me
know. If enough readers are interested, I'll
do a course on weightlifting for garage
gorillas and older Dinos.
In the meantime, here's a DVD that covers
my current style of training -- we filmed it a
few years ago on my birthday:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
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. Gray Hair and Black Iron covers training
for older Dinos. Go here to grab it:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books, courses and DVDs --
and links to my e-books on Kindle -- are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "As you grow
older, train smarter. Smarter is the only way
to keep on training." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Living and Lifting in the Real World
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Two quick notes, and then we'll talk iron.
1. Double Broadcast?
I'm still not sure if you some of you received
"Workouts for the Working Man" twice. If you
did, I apologize. It was a tech glitch, and not
intentional.
2. The Bill Hinbern Interview
My 5-part interview with Bill Hinbern is on
YouTube and it's getting great reviews from
Dinos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFIy3f80GIE
And now -- let's talk training!
Several readers have asked about living and
lifting in the real world. Those are my words,
not theirs, but they all have similar concerns:
How do you train when you have a tough job
with long hours?
Or a physically demanding job?
Or two jobs?
Or you have a crazy job with long hours and
(get this) you're 73 years old?
Or you have a job with long hours, a couple
of small kids, a mortgage, older parents to
look after, tons of respobsibilities, and hardly
a minute of free time.
Or -- well, I could go on and on. The list is
endless because that's what life is like in the
real world.
Here's the answer:
1. You make time to train on a regular basis,
even if it's only one, two or three times per
week.
a. Make a point of training on a regular basis,
even if it is a short, fast workout.
b. A short, fast workout is always better than
a missed workout.
2. Focus on the important exercises: the big,
basic compound movements that build plenty
of real world strength, muscle and power.
a. Squats, front squats, presses, deadlifts,
Trap Bar deadlifts, clean and press, rowing,
pull-ups, etc.
3. Use sane, sensible set/rep systems. I like
multiple sets of low to medium reps.
a. Olympic weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz
likes 5/4/3/2/1 for trainees who live and
lift in the real world. He calls it "5/4/3/2/1
Done!" and that sums it up very well.
4. Schedule relatively short workouts. You can
get tremendous results from 45 to 60 minutes
of training -- provided that it's the right kind
of training.
a. When you train, use concentration and focus
to make every minute count.
b. No wasted time!
c. Let me repeat - no wasted time! You can rest
between sets, but FOCUS on the next set while
you are resting.
5. If you're super-strapped for time, do ultra-
abbreviated workouts.
a. Pick three exercises and train each of them
once a week.
b. Or pick 4 to 6 exercises, and train each of
them once over a two-week period.
c. Or train two or three times a week and do
two exercises in each workout.
6. If you are totally buried, just do 10 or 15
minutes of pushups, pull-ups and deep knee
bends.
a. Or keep some dumbbells, Indian clubs,
grip blasters or chest expanders handy --
and just do 15 minutes of light, fast, easy
stuff to get the blood flowing and help keep
you in tone.
7. On days when you are extra-tired, sore or
beat up, take it easy. Hit a fast workout where
you do some progressively heavier warm-up
sets, and then call it a day.
a. Or work up to a five rep working weight, hit
it for a single, double or triple, and then call it
a day.
b. The point is, don't skip the workout -- just
make it an easy one.
And that's how you get it done when you live
and lift in the real world.
By the way, if you have kids, it is a very
important life lesson to let them see you
working out even though you are very,
very busy. In fact, it's one of the most
important life lessons for them.
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. My new Dinosaur Training courses cover
real world lifting in detail. You can get them in
your choice of hard copy of Kindle e-book:
a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1
Hard copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
Kindle e-book
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
b. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2
Hard copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
c. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to my other e-books on Kindle -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it simple,
but get it done." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Two quick notes, and then we'll talk iron.
1. Double Broadcast?
I'm still not sure if you some of you received
"Workouts for the Working Man" twice. If you
did, I apologize. It was a tech glitch, and not
intentional.
2. The Bill Hinbern Interview
My 5-part interview with Bill Hinbern is on
YouTube and it's getting great reviews from
Dinos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFIy3f80GIE
And now -- let's talk training!
Several readers have asked about living and
lifting in the real world. Those are my words,
not theirs, but they all have similar concerns:
How do you train when you have a tough job
with long hours?
Or a physically demanding job?
Or two jobs?
Or you have a crazy job with long hours and
(get this) you're 73 years old?
Or you have a job with long hours, a couple
of small kids, a mortgage, older parents to
look after, tons of respobsibilities, and hardly
a minute of free time.
Or -- well, I could go on and on. The list is
endless because that's what life is like in the
real world.
Here's the answer:
1. You make time to train on a regular basis,
even if it's only one, two or three times per
week.
a. Make a point of training on a regular basis,
even if it is a short, fast workout.
b. A short, fast workout is always better than
a missed workout.
2. Focus on the important exercises: the big,
basic compound movements that build plenty
of real world strength, muscle and power.
a. Squats, front squats, presses, deadlifts,
Trap Bar deadlifts, clean and press, rowing,
pull-ups, etc.
3. Use sane, sensible set/rep systems. I like
multiple sets of low to medium reps.
a. Olympic weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz
likes 5/4/3/2/1 for trainees who live and
lift in the real world. He calls it "5/4/3/2/1
Done!" and that sums it up very well.
4. Schedule relatively short workouts. You can
get tremendous results from 45 to 60 minutes
of training -- provided that it's the right kind
of training.
a. When you train, use concentration and focus
to make every minute count.
b. No wasted time!
c. Let me repeat - no wasted time! You can rest
between sets, but FOCUS on the next set while
you are resting.
5. If you're super-strapped for time, do ultra-
abbreviated workouts.
a. Pick three exercises and train each of them
once a week.
b. Or pick 4 to 6 exercises, and train each of
them once over a two-week period.
c. Or train two or three times a week and do
two exercises in each workout.
6. If you are totally buried, just do 10 or 15
minutes of pushups, pull-ups and deep knee
bends.
a. Or keep some dumbbells, Indian clubs,
grip blasters or chest expanders handy --
and just do 15 minutes of light, fast, easy
stuff to get the blood flowing and help keep
you in tone.
7. On days when you are extra-tired, sore or
beat up, take it easy. Hit a fast workout where
you do some progressively heavier warm-up
sets, and then call it a day.
a. Or work up to a five rep working weight, hit
it for a single, double or triple, and then call it
a day.
b. The point is, don't skip the workout -- just
make it an easy one.
And that's how you get it done when you live
and lift in the real world.
By the way, if you have kids, it is a very
important life lesson to let them see you
working out even though you are very,
very busy. In fact, it's one of the most
important life lessons for them.
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. My new Dinosaur Training courses cover
real world lifting in detail. You can get them in
your choice of hard copy of Kindle e-book:
a. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 1
Hard copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_01.html
Kindle e-book
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaursecrets01_kindle.html
b. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 2
Hard copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_02.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets2_kindle.html
c. Dinosaur Training Secrets, Vol. 3
Hard-copy
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets_03.html
Kindle e-book
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_secrets3_kindle.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and links
to my other e-books on Kindle -- are right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Keep it simple,
but get it done." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Live and Lift with No Regrets!
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
As regular readers know, my dad passed away
in April of this year. He was 87.
I have some of his old books, and a few days
ago I picked one of them up to read. It was about
a young couple that moved to Ontario and built
a log cabin far out in the Northern wilderness.
This was back around 1920, and there was
still plenty of land available for anyone who
wanted to go out into the bush and settle
down.
I opened the book, and some old, yellowed
papers fell out of it.
There was a small drawing cut out of the
Cincinnati newspaper back in 1977. It was
a drawing of a small cabin: front, back, side,
and view from the top looking straight down.
There were several sheets of my dad's old
graph paper, with additional drawings and
sketches in pencil, along with notes in my
dad's handwriting.
It was a set of plans for a small wilderness
cabin. My dad put them together in 1977,
when he was 49 years old. Then he put
them in the old book, and saved them.
I never knew about this until I read that
old book and found the drawings and floor
plans for the cabin.
But I do know this. Dad never built that
dream cabin.
I don't know why. But he never did. Maybe
he forgot about it. Or maybe it was some-
thing he always wished he had done.
And that brings us to the take-away from
this story.
Someday, my children are going to be
going through my books and notes and
weightlifting stuff -- and they're going to
find all sorts of workouts and training
programs, and notes of new exercises
and new equipment to try, a list of my
personal bests in different exercises
and lifts, and lists of future training
goals and things I want to do while I
still can.
Heck, I was working on one of those
lists last night. The notes are on a
small table in the breakfast room.
So here's the deal.
I don't want to leave notes and lists
about things I wanted to do, but never
got around to doing.
And I bet you probably feel the same
way.
Anyhow, you may not need any extra
motivation about training hard and
eating smart and working to achieve
your goals and make your dreams a
reality.
But if you do need just a hint of extra
motivation -- you just got it!
As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day. If you train today (as I will
in about 15 minutes), make it a good
one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. These little monsters have been our
best-sellers this month -- and they'll help
you live and train the "no regrets" way:
a. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with
links to all of e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Live every day
as if it were your last, and do the same with
every rep of every workout." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
As regular readers know, my dad passed away
in April of this year. He was 87.
I have some of his old books, and a few days
ago I picked one of them up to read. It was about
a young couple that moved to Ontario and built
a log cabin far out in the Northern wilderness.
This was back around 1920, and there was
still plenty of land available for anyone who
wanted to go out into the bush and settle
down.
I opened the book, and some old, yellowed
papers fell out of it.
There was a small drawing cut out of the
Cincinnati newspaper back in 1977. It was
a drawing of a small cabin: front, back, side,
and view from the top looking straight down.
There were several sheets of my dad's old
graph paper, with additional drawings and
sketches in pencil, along with notes in my
dad's handwriting.
It was a set of plans for a small wilderness
cabin. My dad put them together in 1977,
when he was 49 years old. Then he put
them in the old book, and saved them.
I never knew about this until I read that
old book and found the drawings and floor
plans for the cabin.
But I do know this. Dad never built that
dream cabin.
I don't know why. But he never did. Maybe
he forgot about it. Or maybe it was some-
thing he always wished he had done.
And that brings us to the take-away from
this story.
Someday, my children are going to be
going through my books and notes and
weightlifting stuff -- and they're going to
find all sorts of workouts and training
programs, and notes of new exercises
and new equipment to try, a list of my
personal bests in different exercises
and lifts, and lists of future training
goals and things I want to do while I
still can.
Heck, I was working on one of those
lists last night. The notes are on a
small table in the breakfast room.
So here's the deal.
I don't want to leave notes and lists
about things I wanted to do, but never
got around to doing.
And I bet you probably feel the same
way.
Anyhow, you may not need any extra
motivation about training hard and
eating smart and working to achieve
your goals and make your dreams a
reality.
But if you do need just a hint of extra
motivation -- you just got it!
As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day. If you train today (as I will
in about 15 minutes), make it a good
one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. These little monsters have been our
best-sellers this month -- and they'll help
you live and train the "no regrets" way:
a. Gray Hair and Black Iron
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
b. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
c. Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters -- along with
links to all of e-books on Kindle:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "Live every day
as if it were your last, and do the same with
every rep of every workout." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
Workouts for the Working Man
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I borrowed the title of this email message
from an old article by Peary Rader. He used
it when he answered a question from a
reader that is very similar to the one I'm
going to cover today.
The question comes from a very strong
27-year old lifter who competes in all-
around weightlifting comps.
He has a very demanding job. He works as
a refuse collector, and he walks 8 to 12 miles
a day and spends most of the day lifting things.
And so, as you might imagine, he needs a
good abbreviated program that he can use
after one of those very long and very
demanding work days.
He wants to train on five exercises:
1. Squat
2. Bench press
3. Deadlift
4. Power snatch
5. Power clean and jerk
His question is -- how to work them into a
realistic program, given the extreme demands
of his job.
He tried doing one power lift and one Olympic
lift each workout, but that was too tiring.
Here's a better approach:
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Do 1 exercise in each workout.
3. Do multiple sets of low reps or
singles, starting light and working
up to your top weight for the day.
a. Your top weight for the day should
be a heavy, demanding weight, but
not a maximum effort.
4. Spread the five different exercises
over five training days. Start the cycle
over again in the sixth workout.
a. Remember, you train three times a
week, so you will do three exercises in
week one, and the other two exercises
in week two.
5. If you prefer, do three workouts in
week one and two in week two.
6. Alternatively, include the two dumbbell
clean and press so you are doing some DB
work (since they do dumbbell lifts in the
comps) -- and make it a six day cycle
spread over two weeks -- with three
workouts in each week.
a. If you prefer, do the one dumbbell clean
and press (or push press) as your dumbbell
exercise.
7. Drink lots of water during the work day,
and drink lots of water during the workout.
You need to stay hydrated when you're
working a tough physical job AND hitting
the iron.
I know that doesn't sound like very much
work, and it's not. That's the whole point!
It's an ultra-abbreviated workout for a
working man -- and it will definitely do
the job!
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 cover abbreviated training and ultra-abbreviated
training in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER. Go here
to grab a copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and DVDs --
and links to my e-books on Kindle -- are right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "In the real world,
you work for a living -- AND you train. Learn to
do both, and do them well." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
I borrowed the title of this email message
from an old article by Peary Rader. He used
it when he answered a question from a
reader that is very similar to the one I'm
going to cover today.
The question comes from a very strong
27-year old lifter who competes in all-
around weightlifting comps.
He has a very demanding job. He works as
a refuse collector, and he walks 8 to 12 miles
a day and spends most of the day lifting things.
And so, as you might imagine, he needs a
good abbreviated program that he can use
after one of those very long and very
demanding work days.
He wants to train on five exercises:
1. Squat
2. Bench press
3. Deadlift
4. Power snatch
5. Power clean and jerk
His question is -- how to work them into a
realistic program, given the extreme demands
of his job.
He tried doing one power lift and one Olympic
lift each workout, but that was too tiring.
Here's a better approach:
1. Train 3x per week.
2. Do 1 exercise in each workout.
3. Do multiple sets of low reps or
singles, starting light and working
up to your top weight for the day.
a. Your top weight for the day should
be a heavy, demanding weight, but
not a maximum effort.
4. Spread the five different exercises
over five training days. Start the cycle
over again in the sixth workout.
a. Remember, you train three times a
week, so you will do three exercises in
week one, and the other two exercises
in week two.
5. If you prefer, do three workouts in
week one and two in week two.
6. Alternatively, include the two dumbbell
clean and press so you are doing some DB
work (since they do dumbbell lifts in the
comps) -- and make it a six day cycle
spread over two weeks -- with three
workouts in each week.
a. If you prefer, do the one dumbbell clean
and press (or push press) as your dumbbell
exercise.
7. Drink lots of water during the work day,
and drink lots of water during the workout.
You need to stay hydrated when you're
working a tough physical job AND hitting
the iron.
I know that doesn't sound like very much
work, and it's not. That's the whole point!
It's an ultra-abbreviated workout for a
working man -- and it will definitely do
the job!
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 cover abbreviated training and ultra-abbreviated
training in STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER. Go here
to grab a copy:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses -- and DVDs --
and links to my e-books on Kindle -- are right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day: "In the real world,
you work for a living -- AND you train. Learn to
do both, and do them well." -- Brooks Kubik
***********************************************************************************
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