IN THIS ISSUE: HAIL TO THE DINOSAURS. AN EMPHASIS ON BRIEF AND SIMPLE By Dr. Ken E. Leistner ns [Reprinted from February 1941 Strength & Health, courtesy of York Barbell Co.] PROGRAM OF THE MONTH: DUMBBELL ONLY TRAINING SCHEDULES By Brooks D. Kubik sw MUSCLES ONCE GAINED... STAY WITH yout By Frank Sundel oo [Reprinted from Strength & Health, October, 1946, courtesy of York Barbell Co] MESOZOIC MAIL HAIL TO THE DINOSAURS! Training in a commercial gym once again has been an eye-opening experience. I'd forgotten what modern training was like. Secing it up close and personal three times a week is almost a revelation. We had a heat wave in Louisville last week, The temperature soared up to the low 80's. The gym was hot, humid and sticky. After just a couple of sets, I was literally blinded with sweat. When I wiped the salty stuff from my eyes and was able to see again, I noticed something interesting. The gym was almost empty. “Where is everyone?” I asked the night manager, Steve. “They're not training,” he said. “It’s too hot.” The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No, 10 sinasauctainins.com ‘Then the weather changed. We dropped from the 80’s to the 20’s, with cold, blustery winds. We even had some snow showers one night. Once again, the gym was more or less empty. Tasked Steve where everyone was, “They're not training,” he said, “It’s too cold.” Laughed. “Wait a minute!” I said. “Last week it was too hot. This week it’s too cold, What gives with these guys?” “T guess they're just fair weather weight trainers,” he replied with a grin, “Fair weather weight trainers.” It’s an apt description for many modern trainees. How long is the average training career of the typical modern lifter? I imagine it’s probably pretty short. The typical career, from start to finish, is perhaps something like thi Monday Morning: Wake up with splitting headache and massive hang-over from weekend keg party. Remember that Foxy Babe at keg party LAUGHED at you when you bragged about benching “two quarters, two dimes and two nickels” (125 pounds). Seems her 14 year old kid brother can handle 150, Decide you need to get serious about this weight training stuff. Monday afternoon: Blow off English Lit class (you don’t need to read or write anyway, because you're going to start a dot com business and make millions). Go back to the frat house and search the web for weightlifting info. Locate seriously bad discussion board. Log on as MRBIGBICEPS. Tell everyone you bench 600 pounds for 10 sets of 20 reps. Ask May 2001whether you should train “slow” style when supersetting pec dec flies and cable cross- overs, Start a thread bashing the Olympic lifting guys. Add to a thread saying you don’t need to read books about weight training because all the important info is on the web. Change your name to IMSTUDLY and start a thread about how you can’t recover in-between workouts because the doll-babies won’t leave you alone, and what did Amold do when he had this problem? Monday evening: Go to gym to train bis, tri’s, back, delts and legs. (This is the best split, because you can train nothing but Denches and pec dec on the next training day.) Start doing curls with empty bar. Rest several minutes between sets and talk to friends on your cell phone. After three sets: Switch to lighter bar. ‘After 20 sets, start doing one arm cable triceps extensions, Do 15 sets. Make mental note to do all exercises one arm style, because you can talk to friends on cell phone during each set. Move to dips. Decide dips are too hard. Move to bent over rowing. Decide you can’t do rows safely without a belt. Try chins. Decide chins are too hard. ‘Talk on cell phone. As suggested on web oard, drink two boitles of sports drink to replace fuids, minerals and electrolytes lost from heavy sweating. Make mental note 0 ask what “sweating” is. ‘Watch “Buffy” on T-V. in gym owner's office. Catch up on important reading (Six different muscle comics.) Watch large, powerlifter type person doing heavy deadlifts. Laugh because he is not doing anything for his rear delts. Watch Jarge, muscular person doing power snatches. Laugh because he is using momentum in his exercises instead of training “slo mo” style. Watch big, muscular guy doing heavy squats. Wait until he is out of earshot, then tell the other guys he is (a) ‘on steroids, and (b) an easy gainer. Decide not to do any more back work. Do lateral raises with 5 pound power bells for delts. Tell everyone, “I worked bi’s, i's, back and delts tonight I'll do legs next time.” On the way home: Decide that muscular guy doing squats really WAS laughing at ‘you when you added that you “only train logs every 32 days to avoid cellular trauma and increase fast twitch hypertrophy.” Make ‘mental note to flame him on internet. Late Monday evening: Dinner of beer, twinkies and pizza. Make mental note not to go back to the gym when powerlifier person ‘and muscutar guys doing power snatches ‘and squats are there. Guys like that create a ‘hostile training environment for serious body sculptors. ‘Tuesday morning: Wake up. Discover that right inner bicep and left outer tricep are perhaps wee bit sore from yesterday's Priming, Wonder if you may be erippled or maimed for life. Note that hands seem slightly callused because you forgot (9 Har ‘weightlifting gloves and hold the bar Wi) sponges. Spot possible premature wrinkle pomp sess from over-exertion on Curls Worry that sore muscles may make You impotent. Panic. Log on as DEATH BY human, death 15 minutes later: IRON. Post details of supe! xdefying barbarian workout where you curled 400 pounds for 30 sets of 30 reps. Ask what to do for sore muscles. Receive 73 responses, all saying that you are over- trained and you need to take a 90 day lay- off. Implement immediate 90 day lay-off “to optimize effervescent energizing recovery factors and speed molecular macular regeneration.” That evening: Start day one of your 90 day lay-off. Post on internet site and advise all lifters to take regular lay-offs of 90 days after every third workout. Cite imaginary research reports to support your advice. Say you developed the ability to squat 2000 pounds for 500 reps by training legs every 63 days. After signing off of web site: Tell frat buddies that Foxy Babe is a lesbian. Make mental note to flame her little brother on the internet. Guys, if you think I am exaggerating, go to any gym anywhere in the country and take a good look at the current generation of lifters. If anything, I am understating how bad itis. ‘Thankfully, though, there are at least a few of us left who think and act differently that the superhuman frat boys, the cyber warriors of the internet and the “slo mo” iron monsters. Call us what you will: dinosaurs, cellar-dwellers, garage gorillas, serious lifters~-the label doesn’t matter. ‘What matters is that we still train hard and heavy, we recognize that training is along term endeavor, and we are committed to staying in it for the long haul, We train in the heat of summer and the cold of winter. The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No, 10_www.dinosaustrai We are the last link to REAL weight training, We are the heirs ofa proud tradition. Our forefathers are the men who made the Iron Game the noble endeavor that it once was and still is for the few who know the joy and the challenge of real strength training, Be proud of your training. Know that you have chosen a road that few others will travel. Your lifting is indeed a great adventure. Make it an adventure that lasts your entire life! AN EMPHASIS ON BRIEF AND SIMPLE by Dr. Ken E. Leistner One of the themes of my many atticles, in the Dinosaur Files, Hard Training Newsletter, and in the twenty-two year monthly column I wrote for PLUSA magazine was the importance and for many, the necessity of training briefly. My implication, if not always clear, was not just the encouragement to train utilizing just a few "work" sets of each movement, ‘but using just a few movements in any one workout. Most individuals drawn to lifting, and I would quickly include myself in this group, have a background of compulsiveness to a greater or lesser degree. Where most average citizens find repetitive weight training "boring" or “unexciting” most of us enjoy the regimentation and repetitive nature of the activity. We spend a lot of time training, thinking about training, and projecting the effects of our training toward the future; our future as bigger, stronger individuals and how current training will affect future routines. If you begin at a point where you admit or accept that weight training is important to you, is significant in its ability to bring about satisfaction and enjoyment, and combine it 2.com May 2001with a compulsive nature, you have the potential for disaster in the training environment. Specifically, it’s easy, much too easy for many of us, to analyze each and every exercise we do, the combination of sets and reps, and the expected results of each and then do that for each and every workout. The result is often a program that includes much more exercise than is actually needed for optimal gains and one that often leads to overtraining. Ithink most Files readers agree that one has to train hard and intensely, using the "big" multi joint movements to expect best results. While the many readers of the Files have various approaches to "hard and heavy" training, in practice, most of us choose the same exercises or at least the same types of exercises, and a belief that we have to push ourselves consistently to make gains. Many look at all of the truly effective exercises and either try to use them all, certainly use too many of them, or clutter their routine with numerous overlapping, exercises, all the while rationalizing the addition of each one with the knowledge that every one of them is tried, true, and tested to bring results. Almost every Files reader squats. Some prefer the full, barbell squat, something I often refer to as the barbell deep knee bend, utilizing the old fashioned moniker it had from the 1950s. I think it’s a good description of what has to be done and it distinguishes it from the modem day competitive squat that is often limited to a partial range, more or less to parallel lift that emphasizes body leverage and often, the use of supportive suits and wraps. The front squat was a mainstay for every Olympic weightlifter for decades and continues to be used by this group of powerful athletes. It too will give productive work for the hips and thighs. There are a few very effective leg press machines on the market and they provide the trainee with variety and a means Tie Dinosaur ies Vol 4, No.0 ws. dinossurinig.com to train the lower extremities while giving the low back a bit of a break. It also allows for a mental break if used at times. The deadlift to some, is the true "King of Exercises," rating it better than the squat for stimulating overall body gains and/or increases in lower extremity power and size. For those like myself who prefer the stiff legged deadlift, either from an elevated block or from the floor, we know that it is a variation that will absolutely cook the low back, upper back, hips, and hamstrings like few other movements, The Trap Bar or many “trap type bars" provide leverage changes that some find easier on their low backs or just more enjoyable so it serves as an adjunct or substitute for the squat, the deadlift, or both. Dumbbells serve the same purpose. With so many effective exercises to choose from, and our brief discussion has been limited to the lower extremities only, it is easy to forget that all of these exercises “take a lot out of you" and require a certain amount of recovery time. Yet, because we want to "cover all bases” and do "good" exercises, we often find that our programs include two, three, four or more of these. They may be done on the same or different days, but if you multiply that inclusion of numerous movements that we know to be effective over the course of the entire body, the result is often a program that is more demanding than it is productive. My point? Choose just one or perhaps two effective lower extremity movements. In my case, though changes do occur over the course of a few months, this means the deep knee bend and the stiff legged deadlift IfT use the front squat, I will do it INSTEAD of the deep knee bend, not in addition to it. If T use the conventional deadlift, I will not do stiff legged deadlifis that week and might drop one of my squat workouts too. May 2001I like to press so the standing press is my “pressing” movement. Could J press and also do sixty degree incline press, or thick handled dumbbell presses the same workout? I could, but for me, and many more, it will prove to be more effective if just focus on one major pressing movement in any one workout. Tapply this to the "pulling" movement of the day also. Variety can be had by changing the movements workout to workout with enough frequency in using any one specific movement that there is a basis for workout comparison and a chance to note progress. Build around a formula that has you doing: Press/Lower Extremity movement/pull and finish with abs, neck, grip and/or carrying or loading movement. For many the latter should be done but once per week and not after every workout. You can do more but in the long run, it’s easy to allow our desire, enthusiasm, and compulsion to push us to the point of doing too much. WHY SOME SUCCEED AND OTHERS FAIL By Bob Hoffman [Reprinted from February 1941 Strength & Health, courtesy of York Barbell Co.] If you have ever been present at any of the best built man contests which have become a popular part of strength and athletic exhibitions in principal cities, you will be impressed with the fact that invariably, in 99 and a fraction per cent of cases, the men who take part in these events are weight trained men. Occasionally there is a man who has only participated in track and field, in swimming, in boxing or wrestling, in ‘gymnastics, but invariably the winners, the place winners, the remainder of the leading competitors are weight trained men. Alll athletic sports are beneficial, but no other line of physical training permits the graded resistance, the progressive ‘The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No. 10 www dinosaurtaining improvement that can be attained with adjustable weights, or other adjustable apparatus which will be used by leading body builders. T include cables, and a few other pieces of apparatus in this category. ‘Weight lifting has a very high percentage of success considering all of those who make their start with this splendid form of physical training. I do not know of any absolute failures, but many comparative failures have been brought to my attention. Often a man is discouraged because he has not made as rapid progress as some friend or some men he has read about in success stories such as those which appear in this magazine. Pethaps he has gained only twenty pounds while some other man has gained 40, Some men have not gained in weight or development as they would like, but they invariably admit that they are a great deal stronger than they were to begin. This greatly increased strength, the ability to handle heavier weights, is sure to result in more muscle, more bodyweight and a more shapely physique in time. But there are a few who for no reason that they can recognize, fail to achieve the results they strive for. They tell me that they train as hard as any one, they try to follow the rules, get plenty of sleep, eat good wholesome food, practice a wide variety of exercises, they are enthusiastic, and willing to do most anything to succeed but for some reason the greatest rewards of physical training elude them. They tell me that they are pleased with the progress they have made, but at times they wonder if they have received the results they should have for the effort they have put forth. It’s discouraging to them when they are out there striving three or four times a week, to see other men in their clubs, and to read of others in the pages of this magazine, who have started later and accomplished more, who have caught up to them and then rapidly forged ahead to leave them far om. May 2001behind. It wouldn’t be surprising under these circumstances if they were to at times feel a bit discouraged. To wonder what is wrong with them. What does the other fellow have that they don’t have, what does he do that they don’t do? Most men succeed in direct proportion to the effort put forth. Most of them are well satisfied, even enthusiastic, as they have received more than they expected in their wildest dreams, but there are a few cases which are constantly brought to my attention of men who don’t receive the full share of results they are entitled to for the effort they put forth. ‘There are men who are in such physical condition to start with that it is ‘more difficult for them to make the desired progress, but fortunately such men are in the minority. ‘This type of man may not enjoy the degree of health that other untrained men, either through heredity or mode of living, enjoy. It may take weeks or months before the internal organs, glands and processes have responded to the beneficial effects of training, and thus are better able to help the muscles gain in size, strength and appearance. ‘With most stubborn cases the difficulty can be overcome with a few simple suggestions. Often the man is not training Tight, using too little weight, following the advice of too many people. In some manner he is not following the instruction that has been given to him. There is a reason for everything in a successful course such as York Bar Bell System of Training, and it should be followed just as it is written. Following are what I believe to be the chief causes for failure to attain the expected results. 1. Failure on the part of the body, due to its state of health, to properly respond to exercise. 2. The wrong type of exercise. 3. And most common, not strenuous enough exercise to bring the desired results. 4, And more rarely, too much, and too hard training. ‘The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No. 10 www. dinosaurtraining.com 6 In considering your lack of success try to determine which of these four most common sources of failure is responsible for your failure. Very seldom is No. 4 the reason. There are some men who are so ambitious that they would train two or three times a day, seven days a week. But this is not the way to get results. Make very heavy demands on the body once a week, more moderate exercise or demands two or three other days, rest two to three days a week, completely refrain from exercise. Give the body an opportunity to build up again, to meet the demands that have been made and prepare itself for still greater demands to come, Ifyou believe that No. 1 is your difficulty, if extreme nervousness, indigestion, constipation or some other faulty intemal organic operation is at fault, you must be patient. Follow the rules of strength and health faithfully and continually. Maintain the tranquil mind we write so much about, cat good food at meal times only, masticate your food well, get plenty of sleep; this with progressive exercise will favorably improve your intemal condition so that you will continue to gain, slowly but surely. Your trouble is more likely No. 2 or No. 3, with No. 3 being the most common reason for failure. Men who are performing dead weight lifis with 70 pounds and deep knee bends with a like amount can only expect a fraction of the favorable results a body builder can obtain who has built such strength and endurance that he easily handles 400 pounds in the dead lift and 300 pounds in the repetition deep knee bend. There is far more likelihood of a man doing too little than too much. Just so you take your regular days of rest, you can train surprisingly hard on your regular training days and continue to progress. Tam reluctant to have my charges work too often on nerve force. I want them to husband their nervous energy so that they will have it May 2001when needed. But, demands must at times be made upon the body, otherwise it will never develop the ability to handle very heavy weights, to be extremely strong and enduring, and, of course, sizeable fine appearing muscles are the result of constantly striving to handle more and more weight. So many men work out with a definite number of exercises, definite poundages and a planned maximum of movements. They measure out this amount of exercise on the particular day as if they were measuring drops of medicine or weighing silver or gold. They seem to fear that they will ‘overtrain or overstrain themselves if they do just a bit more. I want you to remember that the men who are at the top of the world of strength and development are men who worked very hard to get there. While John Grimek as is so often told, trains in what might be termed physical spasms, I mean Jong periods of inactivity, and then periods of very hard training, there was a time in the early years of his training career when he trained nearly all day. So many days he spent entirely at physical endeavor of some sort. Hours of lifting, hand balancing, tumbling, pyramid building, using dumbbells, barbells, cables. Hours on end, day after day. Dave Mayor built a pair of 19 % inch arms, a symmetrical 265 pound muscullar body. He was the strongest man in America when he was champion. He trained for many months three times a day, for an hour or two each session, five times a week, twenty hours a week in all. John Davis trained as much early in his career, and trained hard too. Steve Stanko, in his first two years of training, put in a great many hours at the hardest sort of training. While twenty hours a week is impossible and certainly not desirable for the average man, if the champions in strength and development trained that many hours, certainly other men will obtain superior The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No. 10 results with, we will say, half of that twenty hours. Two or three hours a week, or even an hour a week has become rather fashionable. We have included articles in this magazine such as keeping fit in two minutes a day, in ten minutes a day, thirty minutes or an hour a week. But this is keeping fit, and real progress cannot be made with such limited time. Thave written in the past that two training periods a week, including just a few minutes and a moderate number of exercises will more than keep a man in good condition. Three somewhat longer periods a week will make it possible for him to gain faster, but so much more progress will be made with at least four training periods a week. It’s sort of a case of two men can work three times as fast as one. When four exercise periods a week are taken, progress will be made very rapidly. Even a little more exercise than the average body builder does will have its advantages. We pay for what we get in this world. Pay a little and we get little, pay more and we obtain more. Exercise a little and good results are had, exercise a great deal more and some of the phenomenal cases constantly published in this magazine result. With this increased effort you may feel it in your muscles for a time, they may ache a bit, but this will go away soon and you'll find it no harder to use more weight for almost as many repetitions. So many fellows report that they become tired in raise on toes, shoulder shrug, deep knee bend, dead lift and other exercises just about as fast with moderate weights as they do with heavy ones. And, of course, the latter ‘exercises bring far superior results. Probably outranking too little work or too little weight as the primary cause for failure or only ordinary results is reason No. 2, the wrong type of exercise. It is rather closely connected with too little exercise. For the greatly diversified methods of weight training which have brought success to so sdinosautraining.com May 2001many individuals prove that hard work, handling of heavy weights is the chief reason for their success. So wrong training must be very closely allied with insufficient training. The too moderate exercise, which is the reason so many don’t obtain ‘maximum results, causes progress to be made so slowly that the individual can become discouraged before noticeable results are obtained. Ifa man is satisfied to have results come slowly, just so he maintains or slightly improves his starting physique, I do not condemn him for bis apparent indolence, but if he expects maximum results while taking it easy, I must tell him that he is foredoomed to disappointment. If he wants to exercise for an hour or two a week instead of three or four or a great deal more, as is done by those who obtain best results, that's his privilege. But, before writing to me to ask me why he does not get superior results I hope he will save both of us time and effort by placing his finger on the real reasons for his lack of success, lack of sufficient effort. Possibly this type of man is satisfied with average results, But if he, in addition to insufficient work, adds wrong methods, then he will be disappointed and receive infinitesimal benefit for his training; but as I said before, even with wrong methods, if he will add to the time of training and the severity of the effort expended he will make some favorable progress through the quantity of his work and the effort expended. Remember that the combination of insufficient work, and improper exercise provides too much handicap to expect to obtain favorable results. This combination will lead the lifter to believe that he is not the type who is destined for the success, often he will give up and be a disbeliever in exercises. He’s the type of man who says, “Aw, them guys was born that way.” But the leaders in the strength world were not born that way. They may not have followed ‘The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4. No, 10 inosine. com, in the beginning the very best principles of weight training, but they trained so hard and enthusiastically that they obtained favorable results. And, after finding the very best system of training, the system which brings greatest results with least effort, they gained more rapidly and with less training time and effort. It’s enlightening to most every man who visits the York Bar Bell gym when they sce the poundages our best men handle, the effort they put back of their training and the amount of training they do. Visitors on Saturday would usually see me go through a contest on the three international lifts with a great deal of repetitions done afterward, and competitions in the rapid press, the dead hang snatch with close and wide grip, repetition dead hang cleaning and so many other manners of practicing the three lifts. Then some bent pressing, working up to heavy poundages. And, just about the time they expected me to drop over from exhaustion I would say, “Now I’m ready to take some exercise.” I meant to practice some exercises. I believe in working this way at least once a week. Usually if Tam in York I can put in a Saturday aftemoon like this. But most of the time, I have but a few minutes or do not have any time. I must make up for it when the opportunity offers. Therefore, if you who are ambitious or are not entirely satisfied with the results you have had, will train a little harder, there is every reason to expect that you will gain so much more rapidly. PROGRAM OF THE MONTH: DUMBBELL ONLY TRAINING SCHEDULES By Brooks D. Kubik Nothing beats heavy barbell training, but every now and then a program of heavy May 2001dumbbell training can be a productive, beneficial change of pace. In The Complete Guide to Effetcive Barbell Training, Bradley J. Steiner devoted an entire chapter to dumbbell training. He wrote: “Dumbbell training, while definitely inferior to barbell training for the development of maximum bulk and power, has its advantages. It will usually be easier to train in a crowded or congested area with dumbbells, and these harder-to-balance weights have a tendency to produce good definition and coordination in the trainee. Even a person who does have a heavy barbell with which to train would do well to tain for a month or two, every now and then, exclusively with dumbbells. They break the monotony of heavy barbell work, and they add novelty and interest to the workouts.” Steiner's thoughts on dumbbell training echo a long line of famous physical culture authors. For example, in The Development of Strength, Harry Paschall noted that heavy dumbbell training was one of the secrets of the old time strongmen in Vienna, Austria— acity, I might note, that was at one time both the undisputed music capitol of the world AND the undisputed weightlifting capitol of the world, with Johann Strauss, Jr. walking the same streets as Steinbach and Swaboda, and the music of the “Mery ‘Widow Waltz” all but drowning out the sound of heavy lifting in the back rooms of the beer gardens. “These men gave us one very fine strength building idea which has not yet been used to its full maximum,” wrote Harry, “The use of dumbbells for promoting power.” Expanding on this theme, he added: “Stan Stanezyk and Norbert Schemansky are great devotees of dumbbell presses and as a consequence both have gained about 50 Ib on their press during the past three aur Files, No. 10 wi years....Both of these men have become able to handle 125 pound bells, and they are now pressing 285 to 290 Ibs. The leaf they have torn from the training book of the old- time Viennese strongmen might be perused with interest by other ambitious lifters and bodybuilders alike.” He concluded, fortissimo: “From the Viennese strongmen of the beer garden era we may derive some of our best shoulder strength builders. The lifting of two heavy dumbbells of builds a ruggedness in this region you can achieve in no other way.. Bob Hoffman is yet another respected authority who strongly advocated the merits of dumbbell training for lifters. In one of his most popular books, Big Arms, Hoffman wrote: “The great strongmen of fifty years ago ._were the product of very heavy dumbbell training. Very heavy dumbbells are hard to handle...” “Lam a great believer in dumbbell training, I like to train with them myself, and have urged, usually with success, all the lifters with whom I come into contact to use dumbbells in their training...” Hoffman also noted that his support of dumbbell training caused an enormous uproar back in the 30’s, an uproar that became part of a ferocious feud between Hoffinan and Mark Berry which ended with Hoffman beating the tar out of Berry while the two men were overseas with the U.S. Olympic team. In this regard, Hoffman wrote ~ and his words clearly are directed at Berry — the following: “Thaven’t been able to explain it, but when I started my professional career, teaching barbell and dumbbell training and writing books and articles upon the subject, areal furor was created when people of certain quarters found I was advocating dumbbell training, In fact, such an issue was linosaurtraining.com 2001‘made about it, that for a long time it seemed ‘that the weight training world of America would be divided against itself. It was a bit ridiculous, but one of the leading writers on the subject, who was constantly advocating overemphasis on deep knee bending and dead lifting, the handling of the heaviest possible weights, thought or at least told people that dumbbells would make you slow and muscle bound while the heavier lifting wouldn’t. Of course, there is no such thing as muscle bound as the result of lifting weights. But one thing sure, moderate dumbbell training would not result in such an effect if the heaviest barbell training would not.” ‘Ok, ok—enough history and enough on the merits of heavy dumbbell work! If you're not convinced by now you never will be. So here are some dumbbell-only programs. You can try nothing but dumbbell work for a month or two, or you can alternate dumbbell only programs with barbell work and/or with combat conditioning work. In my own training, I try to doa dumbbell program at least once a week. However, I use the dumbbell work as an adjunct to the lifting motion exercises that I do with a barbell. It’s tough, but manageable because I only do one set of each exercise 1 do. For the Tifting motion part of the program ~what Hoffinan referred to as “repetition weightlifting exercises,” and what formed the core of York Course No. 3—I do the following, all for one set of 5 reps each after a good general warm-up and some light clean and press or light flip snatches. This program is based on a schedule outlined in Bob Hoffiman’s 1951 classic, York Advanced Methods of Weight Training, one of the very best training books ever authored. I’m following courses from the book in honor of the fifticth year anniversary of its publication. I think that’s a good thing to do, patticularly since there may be no one else in the world doing this. I figure that the book would like it if at least one person in the world still followed its guidance, After all, books and courses have feelings, just like people do: 1. Dead hang clean or dead hang snatch 2. Clean and press 3. Power snatch 4, High pull to chin (clean or snatch grip) 5. Push press off racks 6. Deep knee bend (an Olympic style, full, butt to the floor back squat) 7. Press 8. Power clean 9. High pull to continental (belt high) position (clean or snatch grip) 10. Front squat After finishing this part of my program, I hit the dumbbells, again doing one set of 5 reps on each exercise: 1 Hammer curl 2. DB standing press 3.1 Arm DB row 4, DB bench press 5. DB curl and press 6. DB front raise The Dinosaur Files Vol-t.No. 10 www dinosourtrsinipg.com. May 20017. DB upright row 8. Alt DB press (optional) 9. Alt DB curl (optional) 10. DB incline press (optional) After the dumbbell work, I do the 10 exercise midsection program that I detailed in the last issue of The Files. (If you missed that article, the gist is simple: do one set of 10-25 reps of 10 different midsection exercises, making sure to work the middle of the body from all different directions and to include movements for the upper abs, the lower abs, the obliques, the twisting muscles and the lower back.) If you do a dumbbell only program, you need to be sure to work the lower back and the legs hard and heavy, which requires some thought in a dumbbell only program. One approach would be to include heavy dumbbell deadlifis and heavy dumbbell squats with the bells held at the sides or at the shoulders. You also could include one or two hand dumbbell cleans and swings for the lower back, together with stair climbing ‘or step-ups on a bench while holding dumbbells at the sides. For example, you might try something like this, using one to five sets of each exercise (three to five sets if you do low reps and one to three sets if you do high reps): 1, Two DB clean and press (do a full clean and a full press on each rep) 2. One DB swing (power style) 3. Two DB deep knee bend with bells at shoulders or at sides 4, Two DB stiff legged deadlift The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4, No, J0_ www dinosaurtraining.com TT 5. Climb stairs while holding a heavy DB in cach hand, or do step ups onto a sturdy bench while holding a heavy DB in each hand. ‘Two other courses prepared on similar lines are as follows; use them by themselves or alternate them with the above-described course: 1. One DB clean and push press 2. One DB bent over row 3. Two DB bench or incline press 4. Two DB deep knee bend, holding weights at sides 5. One DB side bend OR 1. Two DB squat, holding weights at sides 2. Two DB bench press or incline press 3. Two DB clean or stiff legged deadlift 4, One DB military press 5. Two DB curl or hammer curl For each of the previous courses, finish with some midsection work. Either do the 10 exercise program outlined in last month’s issue, or do your choice of situps, leg raises, or side bends, for one to three sets. Bob Hoffman had a somewhat different approach to dumbbell programs. He tended to suggest a greater variety of exercises, and included movements that worked the legs and lower back quite hard without having to use enormous poundages. This is probably a reflection of the fact that the dumbbell bars sold with the old York sets simply could not May 2001hold truly heavy poundages. Thus, Hoffman had to be more creative in his recommended training schedules. Here’s the exact course that Hoffman outlined in Advanced Methods; the exercise selections are very interesting because they allow you to hit the legs and lower back quite hard without having to use super heavy dumbbells. This makes them good programs to combine with heavy barbell training or to use on vacation when you can’t take much. with you or if'you end up at a strange gym that has plenty of dumbbells but not much else that would interest a dinosaur; 1, Two DB thumbs up curl (i.e., hammer curl) 2. Two DB press, 3. Two DB swing 4, Two DB bent arm pullover 5. Side bend with one DB 6. Deep knee bend and press—two DBs 7. Bent over rowing—one DB 8. Two DB bench press 9. Raise on toes—one DB 10. Power clean and press—two DBs 11. Situp on bench with one DB (what we now would term a roman chair situp) 12. Deep knee bend—two DBs overhead Hoffman also included a one dumbbell only course, which was developed during World War II, when there were restrictions on the use of iron and steel for barbells and ‘dumbbells, and many new lifters had to e Dinosaur Files, Vol, 4, No, 10 www, nosaurtrainin make do with limited equipment. This one is ideal for someone just getting into home gym training, buying equipment on a budget, or a lifter on vacation who can only take a bare minimum of training gear with him. Of course, you do two sets of each exercise, one with the right hand and one with the left hand: 1, Toe touching, one DB overhead 2. Bent over back hand (ie., reverse) curl 3. Bent over regular curl 4, One arm clean and press 5. One arm swing (power style) 6, One arm upright row 7. One atm military press 8. One arm swing (with split) 9. One hand snatch (power style) 10. Side press 11. One hand bent over row 12. Side bend—one DB For extra leg work, the one hand overhead squat and the one legged squat while holding a dumbbell at the side could be added with good effect, as could situps with a dumbbell at the chest or behind the head. ‘And bridging would add extra work for the lower back and hips, as well as hitting the neck quite vigorously. Two other good programs are based on combinations of the above-described Hoffman programs. You could do the first six exercises of the two dumbbell course, followed by the first six exercises of the one 2001dumbbell course. In the next session, do the second six exercises of the two dumbbell course combined with the second six exercises of the one dumbbell course. If you do this, you could the six two dumbbell exercises one after another, and then do the one dumbbell exercises, or, for even more variety, do a two dumbbell exercise followed by a one dumbbell exercise, and so on. For those of you with lots of energy and ambition, try one set of each exercise in Hoffinan’s two dumbbell course, followed by one set of each exercise in Hoffman's one dumbbell course in the same session. ‘That program will definitely put hair on your chest! Ifyou prefer to do more than one set of each exercise, do the first six exercises of Hoffiman’s two dumbbell course for two, three, four or five sets per exercise, and then call ita day. The next time you train, do the second six exercises from the two dumbbell course, and so on from session to session. Again, this provides plenty of variety and hits the muscles from many different angles, while permitting the lifter to use multiple sets in his training, as many of you prefer to do. Peary Rader published an excellent booklet on dumbbell training in 1946, titled Iron Man Dumbbell Course No. 1. Reprints are available through my good friend, Bill Hinbern. You can contact Bill at: William F. Hinbern 32430 Cloverdale Farmington, Michigan 48336-4008 USA The fron Man course contains detailed descriptions and excellent photos of the following exercises: the alternate DB curl, the two DB press, the two DB bench press, the two DB flying exercise, two DB bent Tic Dinosaur Pes Vol. 4.No. 10 ww dinosaurtainig.com over rowing, the two DB swing, the alternate DB press, the DB toe touch, DB upright rowing, the DB front raise, the DB squat, DB side bends, DB side raises, the two DB bent arm putlover on bench, the one and two DB calf raise, triceps exercises with DBs, DB shoulder shrugs, situps with a heavy DB and leg raises with a DB held between the feet. The course also contains three separate courses authored by Peary Rader. This is an excellent booklet, and one all dinosaurs should read and study. By the way, it is a companion piece to Peat Rader’s Iron Man Barbell Course No. 1, which contains detailed descriptions and photos on many, many barbell exercises, loads of terrific training advice, detailed instruction in Olympic lifting, and eight separate training courses. At $20 each (plus $3.00 for S&H; $5.00 for overseas readers), Bill’s modem reprint editions of these classic courses are a steal. I strongly urge all reades to invest in these little masterpieces from one of the most knowledgeable of all training authorities. Yet another way to work yourself into the ground with a pair of medium heavy dumbbells is to do combination exercises. Hoffman was a huge fan of combination exercises such as the clean and press or the squat and press behind neck. In fact, the latter exercise, performed with a barbell, ‘was his personal favorite of all exercises. Compound exercises get your heart and lungs going like nobody’s business, and are terrific for building overall health and conditioning. Here are four dumbbell only programs where all of the movements are combination exercises. Due to the difficulty of these movements, I am going to list only four exercises in cach program. Really, though, you are doing the same amount of work as if you did eight exercises, since each movement is two exercises in one (or even, May 2001as in the third and fourth schedules, three exercises in one). Use the courses in alternate style or just pick one that looks like “fun” (hehehe). Try 5 x 5, 4x 6-8, 3 x 8-12, 2x 8-15 or 1 x 8-15 for each exercise. Conclude each session with some neck bridging and midsection work. Here they are: 1, Two DB clean and military press 2. Two DB clean and squat with DBs at shoulders 3. Two DB deep knee bend and military press (do a full deep knee bend, butt to the floor, stand up, press the bells, then do another full deep knee bend, and so on), 4. One DB clean and push press. OR, 1. Farmer’s walk and two DB squat: walk 10 feet while holding a pair of dumbbells at the sides, stop, do 10 dumbbell squats; repeat three times without putting the bells down, 2. Two dumbbell bent over row, followed by two dumbbell stiff legged deadlift. 3. Two dumbbell curl and press. 4, Two dumbbell pullover and bench press. OR 1, One DB clean and press or push press 2. One or two DB swing and overhead squat 3. Two DB clean, squat and press or push press The Din ss Vol. 4, No 10 www dinosaurtrsini 4, One hand swing, one hand clean, one hand press or push press OR 1. Two DB bent over row, stiff legged deadlift and shrug 2. Two DB upright row, hammer curl and press 3. Two DB clean, squat and press or push press 4, One DB clean, squat and press or push. press. You also can try some terrific, result producing programs that consist of only one or two dumbbell exercises per session. This is abbreviated training at its most ba make no mistake about it—these five schedules will knock you on your butt: 1, Two DB clean and press 2. Farmer's walk OR 1. Two DB clean, squat and press or push press oR 1. One DB clean and press or push press OR 1. One DB clean, squat and press or push press OR May 20011. Bither of the one dumbbell programs detailed above, with the two dumbbell farmer’s walk to finish things off. In closing, I'll note what may be the simplest dumbbell training program ever invented. Kim Wood told me about this one. It’s a true story—and it shows just how effective the most basic of training programs can be. There was a poor kid in rural Russia who wanted to be big and strong, but who lacked any sort of training books, magazines, courses, information or coaching. He also had virtually no equipment, All he had was a single 60 pound dumbbell—one of the old, non-adjustable globe type bells. So what did the kid do? Picture this: he started to carry the dumbbell with him everywhere he went. He took it to school. Carried it from class to class. Took it to lunch. Lugged it home. Brought it along when he played with his friends. The dumbbell went everywhere in that little village: the market, the butcher's shop, the library, the church, the school. ‘And what happened? ‘What do you THINK happened? The kid grew into the strongest man in the region: a massive, muscular man who looked like a bronze statue come to life. All the result of what may be the simplest and most basic—and pethaps the most demanding—dumbbell only strength training program ever devised. So there you are: well over a dozen dumbbell only training programs, ranging from one to a dozen exercises: enough different training schedules to give you literally years of productive training with those magic tools we call dumbbells. Good luck, and good training! Vol 4,No, 10 www, MUSCLES ONCE GAINED ...STAY WITH YOU! By Frank Sundet [Reprinted from Strength & Health October, 1946 courtesy of York Barbell Co] One day, after work, in my home town of Mt. Kisco, a group of us were discussing athletics and strength. A number of us favored weight training, but there were some in the group who were opposed to it. Soon the argument rang forth and I and my barbell friends were very busily engaged in meeting the pointed remarks of those who were against weight training. "T wouldn't want to be a weight lifter because it makes you clumsy, slow, and muscle bound," one said. In rapid fire order I told of the outstanding athletes who were barbell men and excelled in baseball, football, tennis, golf, badminton, handball, track and field, boxing, wrestling, swimming and all sorts of athletics. I had this question pretty well under control, when another said, "Weight lifters have enlarged hearts." "Yes," I said, "they do, and they are big, strong, healthy, enduring, and efficient hearts. The heart is a muscle, and it strengthens and improves with use. Weight lifters have a low heart beat and blood pressure which is less than the age added to a hundred, which is the common way of figuring? From another fellow, "When you start weight lifting you have to keep it up all your life. Isn't it so that you get big and fat if you don't, and fat forms around your heart and it will shorten your life?" Before I could answer that question, one of my friends spoke up. "You're wrong, right here in this town there is a strong man who has not lifted weights for nearly 15 years and right now, without special training, he could make most of the strong fellows step. Not the champs down in York, but the highly advanced weight trainee.” Even the scoffers showed interest. “Who is urtrainine.c 1001this man?" My friend decided to tantalize them for awhile. "This man has lived in your own town, Mt. Kisco, for most of his life, since before you were born, Bill, you've never seen him around and you never knew he could have been famous throughout the world for his strength and muscle, and even now he ranks among the best in the world.” “Who is this man?" literally shouted the fellow who said that weight lifters have to keep it up all their lives or fall back into bad physical condition. "A neighbor of mine," my friend Bill replied. "Would you like to meet this strong man?" "Til say we would," all the boys shouted in unison. Bill said, "Come on, it's time that he is home from work. He works in the lumber yard. He's very busy, remodeling a new house he recently purchased, but he's a mighty nice guy as nearly all weight lifters are, and I believe he will tell us something of his weight lifting career, and maybe he will show us his muscles," "Gee, that would be great," said one of the boys, "I always wanted to a see a strong man close to hand." The boys walked so fast, they almost ran down to see this man. “There he is on the roof," Bill said. How does he look to you?” "Not so big,” one of. the boys said, "but he's pretty far away." ‘We stopped at the house that was being remodeled, "Mr. Ingegneri, would you come down for a while? I know you are busy, but the boys would like to meet you. T was telling them that you are a strong man, and they always wanted to mect one of the muscle men they have only seen in pictures and read about in books and magazines." "T don't have many muscles any more,” Dominick Ingegneri shouted down. “I haven't lifled weights for over fifteen years.” "You have enough for us,” Bill shouted. "Do us a favor, will you, and come down’ Down the ladder came our fellow townsman, and by this time the gang could The Dinosaur Files Vo 4.No, 10_worw.dinossurainipg. com see the sinewy arms and shoulders this old timer possessed. "What do you want to know?" our old ime strong man asked. "Mr. Ingegneri, some of the boys here are not familiar with the favorable effects of weight training. Some of them have been told if you start barbell training you have to keep it up, or you will get fat and out of condition. Will you tell the boys some of your experiences? I told them that you had not practiced with weights for nearly twenty years. Will you tell them something of your career, Mr. Ingegneri?" “How old are you, Dominick?" "Lam now 42 years old. I guess that seems old to some of you high school boys but I feel as young as you do, as young as when I first started to train with weights way back in 1918, the year of America's participation in the first World War. Twas just 14 years old then, small for my size and pretty weak. Being small, weak and skinny, I was the butt of many of the town boys jokes, and I was picked on by all the other boys. I vowed then and there that I would build my strength and muscle so that I could handle these larger, stronger and tougher boys who ‘were making life miserable for me.” "What did you do to start?" “Money was limited, so the best that could do was purchase a fifty pound dumbbell. After a time, I learned to put this weight, which was half my own bodyweight, over my head. At that time my people moved to Mt. Kisco, so I have been living here for 27 years, since before most of you ‘were born.” "That's funny, I never heard of you licking any one," one of the fellows said. "don't go around “licking’ people," Dominick said. "No strong man does that. Muscles come in very handy if someone tries to take advantage of you, but all the strong men I ever knew were gentlemen, quiet, easy going fellows, who were willing May 2001to get out of the way to keep out of trouble, but could take care of themselves if they had to." The boys were getting anxious. "Tell us something about your career, Dominick. How did you build up yourself from a skinny fourteen year old boy to the point where you could have been a famous strong man?" the boys asked. “Al right, I'll never get my work done if I don't get on with the story so to save time, Til tell you what I know about weight lifting, and if you want to see what weightlifting did for me, I'll take off my shirt and show you," "Please show us your build first and then tell us the story," one of the fellows shouted. Dominick, a person who had been so retiring, so unassuming, that he has lived in this town for twenty-seven years with only one in our group, a policeman, Hank Martinez, knowing who he was, started to take off his shirt. Even 1, who had lived in Mt. Kisco all my life, did not know him, but Tame to know him well. I operate a barbell studio in Mt. Kisco, The Mapleton Barbell Studio, and many times since that day Dominick Ingegneri has visited me, teaching me the tricks of weight lifting and systems of exercise. Words can’t express our surprise at the muscles this Mt. Kisco strong man possesses, even pictures can't do him justice, but they at least give you a pretty idea. Thin skinned, wide shouldered, exceptionally muscular, one of the type of man about whom it has been said, that “even his muscles have muscles" he had the fellows standing popeyed and able to say little but, "Gee, Inever saw anything like it. After such an amazing display the gang hung on Dominick's every word. He went on with his story. "Shortly after I purchased the fifty pound dumbbell I moved from New ‘York City, where I had lived up to this time, to Mi. Kisco. I promptly purchased a ‘The Dinosaur Files, Vol. 4 0_weww.dinosanrtraining.com. hundred pound barbell and redoubled my efforts to be strong. In two years I had built my body to 140 pounds, a gain of 40 pounds which was a very encouraging and pleasing gain. "In the winter of 1922 when I was 18 years of age, I had built myself up to 200 pounds of muscular bodyweight. More enthusiastic than ever over the fact that I doubled my bodyweight in four years I went to New York again to learn more about weight lifting and (0 see if T could get a job where my muscles would help me make some money. "T hunted up some of my old friends, the bullies who had been pretty rough on me when I was an undersized boy. These boys, who had seemed so big four years before, were ordinary in physical stature and although I could have twisted them into pretzels, I forgot the revenge which had been an incentive in the beginning of my weight lifting career. These bullies later became my best ftiends and admirers. "Lwent down to Coney Island to see Warren Lincoln Travis. He was so impressed with my appearance and strength, and the feats I could perform, that he offered me a job to work with him. Travis was at his best at this time, regularly creating world's records. So I had a wonderful opportunity to learn of weightlifting, and additional strength feats. I rapidly increased in strength, in muscular development, and definition although I did not gain any more in weight. At this time I spent a lot of time training at the South Street gym in Brooklyn, and soon acquired the ability to match some of Travis's pet feats. Travis had avery powerful grip, he was able to lift heavy weights with big bars, and lift blocks of iron that very few others could hoist. I snatched one of his bells, which weighed about 85 pounds, with one hand. This would not be much of a feat were it not for the fact that it had a three inch handle. May 2001“Tremained in Brooklyn, working with ‘Warren Lincoln Travis for about a year, and then got tired of the exhibition work, which included 80 exhibitions a week. Sandwiched in among the many freaks, the thin man, the fat woman, the tattooed man, the fire cater, the bird woman, people thought I was a freak too so T was glad enough to come back home. "But I didn't lose my ambition. Arthur Saxon, the great German strong man was my ideal, so I put everything I had back of trying to duplicate Saxon's strength and lifting ability. “ran into a common difficulty with ambitious young men. My parents had heard adverse criticism of weight training. ‘They feared that I would hurt myself, ruin my heart, cause an early death, so they nagged me so much about weight training that I had to train in secret. I purchased a four hundred pound set which I placed in a garage about a half mile from my home, where I trained in secret. "My usual method of training was to put ina long, intensive session, practicing scores of exercises. For I knew that the body is very complex in its design, made to apply force from every conceivable angle, and I ‘wanted to strengthen and develop it from every direction so that I could make the most of my development and create lifting records. With more years of secret training, Thad spent ten years at weight training and had greatly increased my strength. Owing to this parental objection to weight training I did not enter weight lifting competition or attempt to gain fame for my lifting ability or record breaking feats. “At the age of 24, after ten years of weight training, my neck normal was 17 3/4, chest expanded 49, waist 33, biceps 17, forcarm 15, hips 40, thighs 24, calves 15, wrist 8 1/8, height 5°10", weight 200 pounds." The Dinosaur Files. Vol 4.No_{0_ wiry dinosaurtninigs com “How much could you lift at that time, Dominick? What strength feats did you perform?" asked one of the fellows. "I didn't specialize in the lifts that are the basis of competition at present. I have seen only one contest in the many years during which I have not been active as a lifter. I saw the national championships at Madison Square Garden in 1940 when the York Barbell Club won all the weight lifting championships, and Grimek the "Mr. America" and "Most Muscular Man" titles. Inever lifted as much as Steve Stanko did at that time, 280 pounds cleaned and jerked twice and 325 pounds once was my best. Of course, I only had an exercise set, not the revolving type of barbell sold by the York Barbell Co. or probably I would have lifted more. I specialized in strength feats. I bent any size nail from an eight penny to a sixty penny size, I could break horseshoes, bend an eight inch railroad spike 3/8 of an inch in diameter. I tore three packs of playing cards in half, a Manhattan telephone book into six pieces." "Dominick, did you ever try any of the barrel lifting feats Cyr and Saxon used to excel at?" another fellow asked. "Yes. I practiced with a barrel. I leamed to carry 255 gallon barrel of wine twenty- five yards." "How did you lift and carry such a cumbersome object” the same fellow asked. [read about Cyr doing it. T used his system of lifting the weight to the thighs, then with my arms stretched around the barrel and holding it against my stomach I would walk the 25 yards." “What weights did you use in your exercises?" "Usually I trained with the heaviest weights I could handle, although in the leverage exercises with dumbbells I used moderate weights. Sometimes I worked up to fifteen repetitions but much of the time I May 2001used the heaviest weights I could handle two or three times. Iwould add weight and keep working up. At times T tried for high repetitions in some of the lifts. For instance, at one time I snatched a 105 pound bar with one hand 28 times in succession, As a single attempt my best in the one hand snatch was 175 pounds. My best press was 225 pounds in the military style. Dead weight lift 600 pounds, best curl 180 pounds. I specialized in the wrestler’s bridge and did 280 pounds which accounted for the larger than normal neck I still have. But my chief interest was in performing feats of strength and heavy lifts, not just the Olympic three as most lifters of today practice but every possible exercise and feat of strength and I believe that is a good Teason why my strength has stayed with me as it has. Tused cables a good bit and every other exercise I could thing of or device. he only publicity I received in body building magazines during my career was my picture in Strength magazine in 1931. 1 received hundreds of fan letters after that picture was published. I tried to operate a gym in Mt. Kisco, but the weight training game was not well enough known that long ago, the attendance at the gym was poor and it was a financial failure. It was nice meeting you boys, but I have to get back to work now," Dominick said. "I want to move my family into this house as soon as I can get it ready and that means the use of all my spare time, for Ihave my job at the lumber yard which takes my days, Come around to See me again some time." We said good-bye to Dominick. I was meeting him for the first time. But, it hasn't ‘been the last. We have become good friends and I have seen him considerably since. He has spent as much time with me as could be expected of a busy man. Dom has been married for 12 years now. He very happily, devotes himself to his work and his wife and two healthy, beautiful children. Although ‘The Dinosaw: Files, Vol. 4, No. 10_ www dinosaurtraining com 19 his work at the lumber company, and attention to his family have taken just about all of his time, so that he has not used the weights at all for 15 years, he still is interested in talking about the weight lifting and the weight training game. He is an expert at muscle control, and I managed to obtain some pictures of him which show the splendid physique he still retains and his ability at muscle control which compares favorably with the best of the day. As you can sec, his physique is an outstanding one even today. He has a reputation as still being the strongest man in Mt. Kisco. Whenever he is at my body building studio and he can be persuaded to try a few exercises he performs exercises with ridiculous ease which would give any advanced body builder a tussle, Thelieve that I have really awakened his interest, and when he completes the remodeling of his house, T believe we can count on him to train with enough regularity at my studio to again reach the heights in the lifting world. It is now 27 years since he made his start as a weight lifter, and although so many years have passed during which he was not training, he has proved that genuine strength once acquired, real musctes once built, remain with a man for life, Isay genuine muscles, for Dominick built his muscles with heavy lifting. Some men pump up their muscles by high repetitions to obtain temporary muscular size which becomes deflated when the constant pumping up type of exercise ceases. Dominick Ingegneri, now only 42 years of age, in spite of his many years’ acquaintance with weights, represents health, strength and happiness at its best. His life story further proves that once a barbell man, always a barbell man. It is like puiting money in the bank, weight training once made a part of your life will bring lasting benefits. Muscles and organs once strengthened will remain strong for life, an May 2001outstanding physique once gained will lose little as the years pass even without continued exercise. Constant overeating of fat-forming foods will truly make the barbell man overweight in time, for he has good digestion and good assimilation, efficient elimination. But, if the barbell man who is no longer active will eat only what he needs, he'll maintain a much better than average physique for life, without unsightly, burdensome surplus weight, and will be an inspiration to his fellow men. MESOZOIC MAIL, Hi, Brooks. The April 2001 issue of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter contains an article about new patents that have been granted for several, shall we say, ‘questionable pieces of exercise equipment. One of the patents, Patent No. 6,042,508, is for something called the Remote-Control Dumbbell. According to the article, "The remote is built into a contoured weight that you lift up and down while switching stations and programming the VCR. It also counts your pulse." Oh, boy! Now we can do our Power Aerobics WHILE switching on our Richard ‘Simmons videos at the same time! Rick Helley San Jose, CA Slow to get to you about the PRs for this past year that I was most happy with. Plus, Tve come close to and done other PRs already this year. Here's the list. 2000 PRs: Bent over db row, each arm: 195 x 5 reps (goal 2001 is 210 x10 each arm) Neck extension: 250 x 2 sets x 5 reps (goal 2001 is 300 2 x 5) Neck flex: bodyweight (165) x 8 reps (goal 2001 is 200 x 10) ‘The Dinosaur Files. Vol. 4, No. J0 www dinosaurtrsining co 0 DbPress: 106 left, 105 right, each for one rep. Have done 107 with each so far this year, with the goal of 120 for each in 2001. ‘There are lots of other ones, too. Most important for this year has been that pesky No. 2 COC from /ronMind. 1 got the new one and nearly closed it in October. I recently had set the goal to close it by 2/28/01. I did it, in a hotel room in Mansfield, OH. Finally! I've had a No. 2 in my possession for 5 plus years (it made the trip to Texas and back) and have never even come close to closing it. Major goal there. ‘My right knee is about shot so I've chosen to concentrate on back work: SLDL and GM. I'm looking to get over 2.5 times BW in the SLDL for 15 +/- reps. Dipping motion Ti like to get over 200# for 5 reps, but BW for 5 would be acceptable. Just today, I did 9x100 then 8 singles. DEAD! Thanks for the newsletter and encouragement, Chris Cleary Fairfield, OH Pabiahed by Brooks DADE ‘Brooks D. Kubik Eitor Sam Kubi, Editor n Spirit Speer Kubik, Research Editor ‘Max Kubik, Photo Editor Copyright © Brooks D. Kubik 2000 AIURghts Reserved ‘Any wiauhorized reproduction ssetly prohibited {issues (9 540 Overseas Orders $45, Dinosaur Training with subscription add $10 Pumper, Shaper, Toners an Similar Dweeb Bunnies: $5000 per ose Order from: Books D, Kubie Cypress Pointe 4258, Hubbords Lane #388, Louisville, Kentucky USA 40207 May 2001