Some Very Good Training Advice

Like many old-time champions, Sig Klein kept training for his entire life. Today's training tip gives you one of the reasons that so many of the old-timers were able to keep slinging the iron when they were in their 50's, 60's, 70's or beyond.

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk
training.

1. The Sept-Oct Dinosaur Files

Available in PDF format with immediate
electronic delivery - and fully printable,
so you can save it in your collection.

This issue covers training with a strong
man yoke - a new system for 20-rep
breathing squats - a unique dumbbell
training progression system - and
much more.

You can grab it here:

www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html

2. My Heavy Partials Course

This little monster is available in your
choice of PDF or Kindle - and whichever
you prefer, it's a heck of a good course.

Heavy partials are excellent strength
and muscle builders - and they're great
for strengthening your tendons and
ligaments - as well as helping to build
bone strength.

They're also great for adding some
serious iron to your current PR's in
the squat, bench press, deadlift and
press.

As I mentioned last week, one of our
Dinos tried the Heavy Partials course
a few months ago when we released
the PDF version - and he set a new
PR in the bench press in just two
short weeks.

Go here to grab it:

Dinosaur Strength and Power -

Course No. 2 - Heavy Partials

Kindle edition

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

PDF edition

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

If you grab the Kindle edition, be
sure to post a review at the Kindle
page - the reviews really help us!

3. Some Very Good Training Advice!

I was looking at a copy of Hepburn's Law
the other day. It's an old training course
written by Doug Hepburn.

For those who don't know - which I assume
is few of my readers - Hepburn was one of
the biggest and strongest men in the world
back in the 1950's.

He set World records in the military press,
strict barbell curl, one-arm dumbbell press,
two-dumbbell press, bench press and squat.
He was the first man in history to break the
500 pound barrier in the bench press.

He won the World Weightlifting Champion-
ship in 1953 - and won the British Empire
(now the Commonwealth Games)
Championship in 1954.

Anyhow - back to the course.

There was a chapter about injuries and how
to prevent them.

In it, Doug Hepburn gave this advice:

"Don't do dangerous and foolish lifts."

A simple drawing on the opposite page shows
a trainee doing a heavy deadlift while standing
on a low platform or riser so the lift begins with
the bar almost touching the toes.

In other words, riser deadlifts.

Now, some people swear by riser deadlifts.

They used to be part of the Swedish Deadlifting
Program back in the late 60s and early 70s -
and they worked great for some people.

And long before that, John Grimek did heavy
stiff legged deadlifts while standing on a box
or bench so he could lower the bar all the way
down to his toes.

Today, riser snatch pulls and clean pulls
are popular among many Olympic
weightlifters.

So don't send me hate mail about riser dead-
lifts. That's not the point - although if you ever
DO try riser deadlifts, be sure you have the
flexibility and proportions to do them with a
flat back. They work for some people but
not for others.

Instead, focus on Hepburn's basic message.
Far too many trainees hurt themselves by
doing dangerous and foolish lifts. It's so
common now that it's a Facebook meme.

I often joke about it by referring to "squats
on roller skates."

But you really do see people doing squats
on stability balls - with a barbell on their
shoulders.

Which is something that looks impressive
(or perhaps insane), and thus, garners a
lot of traffic on social media.

But remember, all it takes is one slight
twist and you can blow out a knee or an
ankle - and that can make effective training
impossible for a very long time. Perhaps
forever.

So why do it?

Why even try it?

Why not knuckle down to some serious back
squats or front squats - performed in perfect
form - with a good series of progressively
heavier warm-up sets before your work set
or work sets?

It's not as cool looking as squats on a stability
ball, and it won't get you a million likes on
Facebook - but it will build strength and muscle
as fast, effectively and as safely as possible.

And remember this - if Doug Hepburn saw
you training your squats (or any other basic
exercise) that way, he'd give you a big
thumbs up!

And a thumbs up from Doug Hepburn is
worth a bajillion likes on Facebook.

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
commonsense strength training and
muscle building for older Dinos - and
teaches you how to build your body as
safely and efficiently as possible.

Go here to grab a copy:

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: 

"Train for results, not for social
media."

-- 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

Some Thick Bar Safety Tips that Could Save Your Life!

Going strong at age 61 - after more than a half century of physical training - and I'm able to do it because I've avoided unnecessary injuries.  Here are some important safety tips for all Dinos to follow when they use thick-handled barbells and dumbbells. 

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk training -
as in, some very important thick bar safety
tips.

And pay attention, because these tips could
literally save your life.

1. Good Stuff for Dinos

We have some great new stuff for Dinos,
with more on the way soon.

The March Dino Files is right here:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur-files-march2018pdf.html

Grab it and read it  because the April
issue will be ready before you know it.

The John Wood Report is getting great
reviews - and you can grab the first two
issues right here:

Issue No. 1

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

Issue No. 2

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/johnwoodreport-02.html

And yesterday John Wood released Steve
Pulcinella's Iron Sport Gym 16-Week Power
Program - which is pretty good - and it's
available right here:

http://www.ironsport.com/shop/pdf/ironsport-workout-001/

So get ready for some great reading this
weekend!

2. Our Facebook Groups

John Wood has set up a terrific Facebook Group
called Strength Secrets. You have to apply for
membership, but if you tell John I sent you,
you should get in pretty easily.

In addition, Bill Hinbern and I are running a
Facebook Group called Dinosaur Training -
Brooks Kubik. You have to apply for member-
ship in that one, as well - but say you heard
about it here, and you'll be fine.

These are CLOSED groups to keep out the
bots, the snake-oil salesmen, and the roiders,
so they're pretty good. My advice is to join
both of them.

3. Some Thick Bar Safety Tips

I wrote about thick bars earlier in the week,
and I wanted to follow up with some very
important thick bar safety tips.

Don't do thick bar squats.

It's too easy to have the bar roll down your
back, and that could cause a very bad injury.

Plus, there's no benefit to them compared to
using a regular bar.

Be careful with overhead work.

If you use a thick bar for overhead presses,
push presses or jerks, be very careful. You
don't want to drop the bar on your head,
neck or upper back.

The same goes for overhead carries with
a thick bar.

Now, you may think this is an unnecessary
caution - but not long ago some high school
athletes were carrying a heavy log as part
of their workout - and something happened,
and the log fell, and it killed one of the kids.

Personally, I prefer to use thick bars for
deadlifts, curls, reverse curls and the
rectangular fix. I use a regular bar for
overhead work.

Use a power rack for thick bar bench
presses.

VERY IMPORTANT -- as in, life and death
important:

If you do thick bar bench presses, do them
in a power rack, with the pins set to catch the
bar if you drop it. A spotter won't be able to
catch a heavily loaded thick bar if it comes
crashing down suddenly.

And remember, I've seen experienced lifters
drop a regular bar on their chest - and that
was in a National Bench Press contest, with
two very experienced spotters - but it
happened so fast they couldn't catch the
bar.

So it can happen.

And do you remember the college football
player a few years ago - the one who dropped
a bar on his throat and almost died?

Not sure if that was a thick bar or not,
but again, it shows you what can happen.

Don't do thick bar dumbbell bench press
or incline press.

I would NOT do dumbbell bench press or
incline dumbbell bench press with thick-
handled dumbbells. Too easy to drop one,
and no way to catch it other than with your
teeth -- which would be bad.

And again, spotters may not be able to help.

Don't do double cleans or swings with
thick handled dumbbells.

If you do dumbbell cleans and swings with
a thick handled dumbbell, always use one
dumbbell at a time, so you can use your
non-lifting hand to help lower the
dumbbell.

It's very hard to hold onto a heavy
dumbbell when you lower it from above
your head or from your shoulder -- and
remember, your feet are directly beneath
the dumbbell. If you're holding a pair of
thick handled dumbbells, it is very
difficult to lower them safely.

I learned this when I cleaned a pair of
132 pound thick handled dumbbells. I'll
never forget the "What do I do now?"
thought that flashed through my mind
as I stood with the bells at my shoulders.

And that's it - unless you're thinking about
doing thick bar anything on roller-skates
or while standing on a Swiss ball - in which
case, you're on your own!

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're getting very close to the end of
the line for Strength, Muscle and Power -
and I'm not going to do another printing any
time soon - perhaps not ever - so if you want
a copy, grab it now:

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

"Train hard, but train smart - and try
to avoid unnecessary injuries." 

-- 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 Guy with the Bad Back

Here's an answer to a question posted earlier today by one of the members of the Strength Secrets Facebook Group. I'll be answering more questions from members of the Strength Secrets Group in future Blog Posts - which is yet another reason to join the Strength Secrets Group!

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

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Two quick notes and then we'll talk iron.

1. The February Dino Files

I'm finishing the little monster and we'll
get it up and available in PDF as fast as
possible.

In the meantime, be sure to grab the
Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan issues so you
have the complete set:

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

If you prefer a subscription, shoot me
an email - we can make it happen.

2. Strength, Muscle and Power

As I mentioned the other day, we"re
almost out of stock and I'm not going
to do another printing for awhile - and
perhaps not ever - so this is your last
chance to grab a copy:

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

Right now, we have less than 20 copies
left, so don't delay - if you want a copy,
grab it while you can!

3. The Guy with the Bad Back

Here's a question from one of the members
of the Strength Secrets Facebook Group.

He posted it this morning, and I thought
it would be good to cover in today's email.

I'll be doing more of this in the future, so
it's another good reason to join the Strength 
Secrets Group - which you can do by going
right here:

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

Here's the question:

"I've got a buddy who wants to get into
heavy lifting, but every time he starts a
program he ends up hurting his lower
back.

Any back rehab-type programs you guys
could link me that I could send his way?

He's in his early 40's and hasn't built up
much strength yet."

I thought I should cover this because it's
not an uncommon problem. In fact, it
happens to lots of folks who get into
training when they're in their 40's or
older.

First and foremost - you friend should
get his back looked at by a medical
professional with a solid background
in sports medicine.

He needs to make sure that there's not
a spinal disc problem - and getting things
checked out by a medical professional is
the only way to make sure.

A sports medicine specialist also can
evaluate things such as tightness and
flexibility problems that may be causing
or contributing to his back pain.

If he sits all day, as many of us do, that
alone could cause enough tightness to
make him throw his back out whenever
he tries to train.

The specialist can prescribe specific
exercises to help with any flexibility
issues your friend may have.

If so, your friend should stay away from
the weights and focus exclusively on the
remedial exercises until he gets the green
light from the specialist.

Also, if your friend is carrying any extra
bodyweight - meaning, in non-PC terms,
if he's over 40 and FAT - then losing some
weight would help his back - and do plenty
of other good things for him.

Healthy eating is an important part of lifelong strength and health.

Carrying 20, 30, or 40 pounds of fat is
really hard on your low back, especially
if the extra weight is in your belly. It pulls
your hips forward, which is bad for your
spine and your posture.

So rather than jumping into a weight
training program, your friend would do
much better by:

1. Getting his back checked out by a sports
medicine professional.

2. Doing whatever remedial exercises the
specialist recommends.

3. Dieting to lose any extra weight.

Walking is good to help keep your legs and
hips loose, and it is often good for helping
with back problems - so if the specialist gives
the thumbs up, a walking program would be
a good idea.  Your friend should start with a
very short distance and gradually work up to
a couple of miles a day.

It may be that your friend does nothing but
light remedial exercises and walking for a
couple of months - along with changing
to a healthy diet and losing some Lard
Lumps.

If so, that's fine. Rome wasn't built in a day,
and neither was any strongman.

Once the specialist gives your friend the green
light for training, he can try adding some basic
strength training to his program.

I'd suggest that he begin with a program of
bodyweight exercises, such as the programs
in Dinosaur Bodyweight Training:

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

These will help to condition him and build some
strength so that he can make a more successful
transition to weight training.

The bodyweight program also will help teach
him how to train. He'll learn the importance
of setting up a schedule and sticking to it, how
to make his workouts progressive, how to use
the power of concentration and visualization,
and many similar things.

After three to six months of bodyweight work,
he should be ready to tackle a weight training
program.

When he does, he should start light and easy.
I'd suggest that he use one of the beginner
programs in Chalk and Sweat:

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

I know this advice sounds conservative, and
your friend would prefer to jump right into a
weight training program.

But remember, he's over 40 - and he's tried
jumping into a weight training program a
couple of times - and every time he does,
he's hurt his back.

So he needs to do something different.

Hence, the above advice.

Please share it with him, and make sure
he follows it - especially the part about
seeing a sports medicine professional -
and keep us posted on his progress.

Or better yet, have him sign up for my
daily email tips - and join the Strength
Secrets Facebook Group - and have him
keep us updated at Strength Secrets.

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

Yours in Strength,

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