DINOSAUR TRAINING SECRETS: VOLUME II: HOW STRONG ARE YOU? by Brooks D. Kubik

• The ability to put 200 pounds over your head was the mark of strength back in the day.
• In the modern world of drug-free training, we have Stuart McRobert's 300/400/500 standards. The goal for an advanced trainee weighing about 190 pounds at a height of 5'9" would be a 300 pound bench press, 400 pound squat and 500 pound deadlift. These lifts are drug-free and without any lifting gear other than a belt. In other words, they're "raw" lifts.
• Most lifters of the era used a power clean when they did a press.
• The crucifix is a tremendous test of shoulder, arm and upper body strength.
• strength training is one of the most important keys to lifelong strength and health – and as you grow older, it becomes more and more important.
• Many regard the standard deadlift as the best measure of over-all body strength. It's a very effective movement, and one of the best exercises to include in your training program.
• The back hand or reverse curl was one of the exercises in the York Barbell training courses, and it was widely practiced back in the day. It's not used nearly as often today, and that's a shame. It's a very good exercise, and a terrific test of arm, forearm, and wrist strength.
• Pressing exercises build real-world "stand on your feet" strength. They are a very important part of a strongman's training, and should be a regular part of your workouts. And they're a great way to match your strength against the legendary strongmen of the past.
• The alternate dumbbell press is a terrific exercise for the pressing muscles, as well as the abdominals and obliques, and even the lower back muscles. You perform the exercise by cleaning the dumbbells to the shoulders. From there, you press the left arm to the extended position. Now press the right arm up – and as you do so, lower the left arm. Continue until you perform a total of 10 reps – five reps with each hand. Finish with both arms overhead, and hold for a count of two.
• The military press is a tremendous exercise, and one that every trainee should do. It builds the kind of rugged, total body strength that is very rare nowadays.
• The repetition press begins by cleaning the bar to the shoulders. After a two-second pause, the lifter presses the weight for five consecutive reps.
• Of course, if you prefer to do so, you can make the exercise harder and more demanding by performing one clean and one press on every rep.
• The repetition clean and press is a real man-maker.
• However you do it, the snatch is a wonderful exercise.