Dinosaur
Training
by
Brooks Kubik - Review by Dom - 27 April 2001
You've no doubt read all kinds of stuff on this subject but have
probably wondered "So what's it all about then, this Dinosaur Training?" Have
no fear for I am here to tell you. Basically what it's about is getting strong.
The old way. The way that guys used to train back in the day. Back when men were
strong and didn't prat about in the gym doing 48 sets of preacher curls to develop
pumped biceps.
Why would anyone want to train the same way as turn of the century strong men
when we now have all this fancy modern training equipment and thousands of up
to date methods available? Well the answer would seem to be along the lines of
because guys like Arthur Saxon could lift a 300 pound sack of flour overhead at
a bodyweight of 210 pounds. Not an evenly balanced barbell but a huge, unwieldy
bag of shifting amorphous powder. Herman Goerner could deadlift 727 pounds. Loads
of guys on the current power lifting circuit can reach that, I hear you say. The
difference being that Goerner did it without straps, support belts and knee wraps,
he did it when steroids hadn't even been invented and more importantly he did
it with ONE HAND!
So,
perhaps you think that this kind of strength would be of advantage to you. However,
I bet you won't be able to find any gym where the instructor could tell you how
these guys could get so strong. In fact most of them would be completely mystified
if you asked them to demonstrate a one hand deadlift of Saxon's famous Bent Press.
They'll probably point you in the direction of the pec deck or the leg extention
machines. That's because if you want that old fashioned kind of strength you need
to train like those old fashioned guys. Like a Dinosaur. Dinosaurs don't use pec
decks.
Ok so you've
decided to forsake the methods of drug fuelled body builders and want to train
like a Dinosaur,you've bought the book what do you get for your hard earned english
pounds? Well no pictures for a start. This book will not teach you how to do any
of the lifts it mentions, you'll have to go elsewhere to obtain that information.
Dinosaur Training is about program design, it's about getting stronger. It's no
nonsense training advice that pre-dates isolation exercises, steroids, support
gear and training for looks.
There
are twenty seven chapters of this stuff, covering everything from Dinosaur Exercises
to Progression, Rack work, Training approaches (Death Sets, Multiple Low Reps
and Singles) but mostly it's about good honest hard training. It covers the why
and how of training like a Dinosaur, an old time strength athlete. Yes, there's
stuff in here about lifting bags, barrels and other odd objects. While it's definitely
good advice, that's only one chapter and not the whole focus of the book (as some
have come to believe). There's actually more space devoted to grip work, which
gets 2 chapters. There are programs in here and more motivational talk and attitude
than you could shake a thick handled bar at.
Kubik's
writing style is semi tongue in cheek macho, if that makes sense. It's enjoyable
to read and every time I put it down I go straight over and pick up the barbell.
He gets his point across well and without pushing it down your throat.
Dinosaur
Training focuses on hard work, basic exercises with barbells and dumbells and
how to use this to transform your body from joe normal to joe pretty bloody strong.
Forget the trimmings, Dinosaur Training is about how to get so strong it's frightening
and how to o it without the aid of potentially dangerous steroids and the like.
It's more than that however, Kubik promotes being a Dinosaur as an attitude. It's
the brotherhood of those who have forsaken the pretty image of exericise machines
and gym fashion, "chrome and fern land" as he terms it. Only those interested
in developing brutal, ferocious strength and raw, focused power need apply. If
that's your aim, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. If it's not your aim then put on your spandex
leotard, pick up your purple plastic dumbells and get your finely toned arse back
to step aerobics.
Dom
External Links
