A World and Olympic Champion's Training Program

Black Iron: The John Davis Story is nearly 500 pages long - with many rare photos, including some previously unpublished photos - and it includes the World and Olympic Champion's actual training program from 1940 - which has never been published anywhere else.

Hail to The Dinosaurs!

We have three copies of my massive
(almost 500 page) biography of
World and Olympic Weightlifting
Champiomn, John Davis.

Black Iron: The John Davis
Story, covers the life and lifting
of one of the greatest champions
in the history of the Iron Game.

It also includes John Davis'
EXACT training program from
way back in 1940.

Davis wrote it down on a small
note-card and gave it to Hymie
Cohen, his friend and training
partner, while the two men were
having a post-workout dinner at
a little hole-in-the-wall diner in
South Phillie.

Hymie kept the card ever after.

When I interviewed him for the
book, he showed me the card.

So now - for the first time ever -
we have John Davis' actual
training program.

I don't know about you, but I
think that's pretty darn cool.

Anyhow, we have three copies of
the book left - and I'm not
going to reprint it, so this is it.

The end of the trail.

If you want a copy, shoot me an
email asap. I'm at:

info@brookskubik.com

The price is $34.95 plus shipping
and handling.

First come, first served - so take
immediate action.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

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

Some Great Stuff from the Dinosaur Training Research Library!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

As I've mentioned before, Trudi and I
are planning to move to the Pacific
Northwest - probably next Spring -
and we're going to need to travel
light.

Our plan is to explore, move around,
see lots of different places, and have
lots of fun.

That means I need to sell many of
the books and courses here in my
Strength and Health Library at
Dino Headquarters.

And rather than put them up on
eBay, I'm selling as many of them
as I can to card-carrying members
of the Dino Nation.

That's because I want the books
and courses to end up in good
homes - where they'll be read
and used - and because I want
the Dinos to get the first crack
at them.

So here are some of the books and
courses for sale today. Everything is
first come, first served, so if you see
something you like, shoot me an
email asap and ask me to hold it
for you:

1. Chalk and Sweat

I signed this copy to "Matt" by
mistake. You can have it even if
your name's not Matt.

$19.95 plus s&h

2. Weightlifting, by John Lear

Published in 1980. A good book on
weightlifting technique and training.

$19.95 plus s&h

3. 101 Workouts, by Michael Berg

Published by Muscle & Fitness. Not
sure where or how I got this. It's not
Dino, but you could use the workouts
as bodypart specialization programs.

$19.95 plus s&h

4. The True Art and Science of Hand
Balancing , by Prof. Paulineti and
Robert L. Jones

This is a modern reprint edition. 124
pages, spiral bound. A classic text on
the fascinating science of hand-balancing.

$34.95 plus s&h

5. Hand-Balancing for Muscular
Development, by Bill Hinbern

This is hands-down (no pun intended)
the best hand-balancing course ever.

Spiral bound, 70 pages.

Well, okay, the pun WAS intended -
but it's still the best book on hand-
balancing ever written.

$29.95 plus s&h

6. Never Let Go, by Dan John

412 pages, tons of chapters, plenty of
training advice and interesting ideas and
workouts.

$19.95 plus s&h

7. Brother Iron, Sister Steel, by Dave
Draper

A great book for bodybuilders and body-
building fans. Signed by Dave Draper.

$19.95 plus s&H

8. The Production of Muscular Bulk,
by Michael J. Salvati

This is a hard-copy edition - publishhed
by Peary Rader's IronMan Industries in
1965. Tons of old-school advice on how
to build serious muscle mass.

$34.95 plus s&h

9. The High Protein Way to Better
Nutrition, by Bob Hoffman

Hard-copy. Sixth edition, published in
1953. A real collector's item.

$39.95 plus s&h

UPDATE - Sorry, the Bob Hoffman book
has been taken.

10. 12 Secrets to Virility, 
by Al Sears MD

The subtitle says it all: "A Man's Guide
to Peak Health, Great Sex and Powerful
Living." Paperback. 198 pages.

$24.95 plus s&h

11. Relax Into Stretch, by Pavel
Tsatsouline

A very popular guide to stretching
and flexibility work.

$19.94 plus s&h

12. The Miller Fitness Plan, by Carl
Miller

A very unique and interesting approach
to strength training and fitness for men
and women. Written by Carl Miller,
former United States Olympic and World
Weightlifting Coach. Signed by the
author.

$19.95 plus s&h

As I said, everything is first come, first
served - so if you see something you
like, let me know immediately.

You can reach me at:

info@brookskubik.com

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Is This The Worst Exercise Ever?

 

The tried and true basic exercises are safe and effective. Some of the silly stuff you see in modern gyms - not so much!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of our longtime Dinos spotted a
guy at the gym doing what may have
been the worst exercise ever.

Here's how he described it:

I once saw a guy lying on his back in
a smith machine, doing leg presses
with 500 pounds on the bar.

The bar was balanced precariously on
the balls of his feet as he pressed it up
and down.

He was not using safety pins and there
was nothing to stop the bar from falling
on top of him - and crushing him- if it
slipped off his feet (or if it slipped off
of one foot).

When he finished his set, I told him he
was nuts, set the safety pins above his
chest level, and told him to try not to
kill himself.

Ira Reid

Thanks for sharing that, Ira!

That may very well be the worst exercise
of all time. Think about it:

1. It doesn't build one half of one percent
as much strength and muscle as squats or
front squats.

2. Vertical leg presses without an inclined
block under your hips will wreck your
lower back.

3. If the bar slips, it falls right on top of
you.

4. If the bar falls on top of you, there's no
way to get out from under it.

5. You'd need at least two spotters (one
on each side), to try to do it safely, and
even then, if the bar slipped, they might
not catch it in time. 500 pounds drops
hard and fast. I've seen it happen.

6. Even with safety pins, it's not very
smart or very safe. What happens if
the falling bar breaks the safety pins?

In short, it's an exercise that does
nothing good - and has a high risk
of a potentially catastrophic injury.

What do you think?

Is that the worst exercise ever - or
have you seen somehting even
worse?

Shoot me an email and let me
know.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. The way to get great results
from your training is to work hard
and heavy on the best and most
productive exercises.

These also happen to be the safest
exercises!

For more information, grab a copy
of Dinosaur Training Secrets,
Vol. I:

For Hard-copy or Kindle format

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

For PDF format

Go the PDF section of our products
page.

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

P.S. 2. Thought for the Day

"Train hard, but train smart. Stay
away from dangerous and non-
productive exercises."

- 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

Answers to 20 Training Questions!

John Grimek used to spend plenty of time answering training questions. I do the same thing - and I hope to  keep on doing it for a very long time!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

I don't know about you, but I happen
to like training questions - and answers
to them from someone who knows what
he or she is talking about.

I used to read John Grimek's answers to
training questions when I was a kid.

Those were pretty darn good.

Ditto for Peary Rader's answers to training
questions - and Brad Steiner's.

So I'm doing a series of training courses
where I answer questions from Dinos
around the world.

We just released course no 2 in the series.

It's a good one.

It includes answers to 20 questions
covering a wide range of topics:

1. Weight training and glaucoma.

2. Special advice for a hardgainer.

3. When and how to switch to a new
program.

4.  Abbreviated workouts and balanced
training programs.

5. Are you a squatter or a deadlifter?

6. How to avoid going stale.

7. How can I incorporate heavy awkward
objects into my workouts?

8. Training advice for a 75-year old
Dino.

9. What are the best assistance exercises
for the press?

10.  How many work sets would be better
for an older powerlifter?

11. Training cycles and lay-offs.

12.  How many days rest should an older
trainee take between workouts?

13. What do you think about extremely
brief, daily workouts?

14. Which do you recommend: full range
movements or short, fast partial movements?

15. You seem to focus much more on
strength training than on bodybuilding.
Why is that?

16.  How to keep training after knee
surgery.

17.  Something new for strength and
muscle mass.

18.  Which is better: the one-dumbbell
press or the two-dumbbell press?

19.  Tracing Dinosaur Training back to
Saxon and Sandow.

20.  Can women do Dinosaur Training?

Vol. 2 in the series is available in your
choice of hard-copy or PDF with
immediate electronic delivery.

Go here to grab the little monster:

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

If you already have a copy, please shoot me
an email and let me know how you like it!

And, of course, feel free to submit a
training question for vol. 3 in the series.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

Which Is Most Important to You?

Hitting it hard and having tons of fun in the outdoor lifting area at Dino Headquarters. At age 60, regular training is more important than ever!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

One of our longtime Dinos emailed
me and talked about how his training
goals have changed over the years.

There was a time when he trained
for strength and muscle mass.

It was the most important thing
in the world for him.

It was an obsession.

He did everything possible (except
using drugs - he was a lifetime
drug-free trainee) to build more
strength and more muscle mass.

Now, in his mid 60's, he has a
different goal.

He wants to stay as healthy and
fit as possible - and to do everything
he can through diet and exercise
to maintain an active and enjoyable
lifestyle as he grows older.

He also noted that "everyone grows
older" - and that even the great
Champions of the Iron Game grew
older.

In other words, he recognizes that
you can't stay young forever - and
that's okay.

He said that he has no plans to
start taking Humongous Muscle
Mass Ripped to the Bone Thermo
pills (or gels, creams or injections).

Not the ones marketed to the young
guys, the ones marketed to the old
guys, or the ones peddled by pill
pushers in the back of the gym or
on the wild and wooly interwebs.

That's because he's not interested
in looking like a 20-something Mr.
Everything winner.

He's interested in being healthy
and strong, fit and conditioned,
and in way better shape that
virtually everyone else his age.

And he knows that a healthy diet
and the right kind of age-appropriate
exercise (including the right kind of
strength training) will get him there.

Anyhow, he wondered about his
fellow Dinosaurs, and what's most
important to them.

Strength and muscle mass - looking
a certain way - achieving certain
lifting goals - or being strong,
healthy and fit as you grow older?

I told him it was a good question,
and that I would go ahead and
ask.

So that's what I'm doing.

Send me your answers - and
thanks in advance. This should
be interesting.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Dinosaur Bodyweight Training
and Dinosaur Dumbbell Training
are great for older Dinos.

Go here to grab them:

Dinosaur Dumbbell Training

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

Dinosaur Bodyweight Training

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

"The right kind of strength training
adds years to your life, and life to
your years." 

- 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

Happy Birthday to Someone Very Special!

 

I need to wish someone very special a very Happy Birthday today!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Today is a very special day.

It's Trudi's birthday.

Many of you know Trudi from emails
and the occasional phone call as she
helps get your orders ready to pack
and ship. She's been helping me with
the Dino business ever since we got
married in 2003, and she's mailed
books, courses, DVD's, t-shirts,
sweatshirts, hoodies, CD's and
the Dinosaur Files newsletter to
Dinos around the world.

That's a pretty big job, and that
alone makes her special.

But there's much more to her than
that.

One thing is this: Trudi has a knack
for being in the right place at the
right time - and on several occasions,
this has helped save someone's life.

Case in point:

Trudi was working a new job and saw
a house close to where she worked
that she really liked.

"I'd love to live there," she thought.

One day, on the way home, she decided
to stop by and ask if it was for sale - or
if the owner might consider selling it.

Mind you, there was no For Sale sign
in the yard - and no reason to think
the house was for sale.

It just popped into her head that it
MIGHT be for sale - and that she
ought to stop and see.

She knocked on the door.

After a minute, she heard footsteps
from inside the house.

Faint, slow, shuffling footsteps.

The door opened.

An elderly woman stood in the door-
way, clutching her side, her face
ashen and distorted in pain.

She could barely speak.

Something was wrong.

Seriously wrong.

Mind you, Trudi has been working as
a Physical Therapy Assistant for 35
years.

She knows an emergency when she
sees it.

A next door neighbor was working
in her yard.

Trudi shouted for help.

"Call 911! Your neighbor is having a
medical emergency. She needs to go
to the hospital right away."

Long story short, the elderly woman
had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
and needed immediate surgery.

If Trudi had not knocked on her door
right then, literally at that moment,
the woman would have died.

And that's only one of several times
that something like this has happened.

I've seen it happen at least three
times.

And I've seen it happen in smaller
ways. Not saving a life - but being
right there, just when she needed
to be there - and making the world
a much better, much happier place
for someone.

I think Trudi has an angel on her
shoulder.

It protects her - and it protects
others.

All of which makes Trudi a very
special person - a person I am
honored and humbled to call
my wife.

Anyhow, as I said, it's Trudi's
birthday today. Please join me
in wishing her a Happy Birthday!

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. Because it's Trudi's birthday, I'm
filling all of our orders today. That
includes our new Strength Training
Q and A, Vol. 2, which you can find
here:

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:

"Being in the right place at the
right time is a rare gift."

- 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