DINOSAUR TRAINING SECRETS: VOLUME III: HOW TO USE OLD-SCHOOL PROGRESSION METHODS FOR FAST AND STEADY GAINS IN STRENGTH, MUSCLE AND POWER by Brooks D. Kubik

• Strength training used to be called "Progressive Resistance Exercise." That's an excellent term, because it places the emphasis exactly where it belongs – on progression.
• The principle of progressive resistance training is the foundation for all gains in strength and muscle.
• There are seven basic progression methods that build strength, muscle and power: 1. Adding weight to the bar. 2. Performing more reps in each exercise. 3. Performing more work sets of each exercise. 4. Performing each rep in stricter, better, tighter and more precise form, with greater concentration and deeper focus. 5. Performing more difficult and more demanding exercises, or performing your exercises in a more difficult fashion. 6. Performing additional exercises for each body-part. 7. Any combination of 1 – 6.
• It's much better to start light and easy and allow the new trainee to experience steady progress for as long a period as possible.
• Beginners should train three times per week on a total body workout, and follow a basic training program that uses either single progression or double progression.
• Start with 5 reps on upper body exercises and 10 reps on gut work and lower body exercises. Do one set of each exercise. Use 8 to 10 different exercises.
• That's the beauty of progressive strength training. If you follow a sensible progression system, your initial progress comes fast and easily.
• Beginners do NOT need to do a variety of different exercises, and will do much better by training on the same exercises.
• As far as sets and reps go, the 5 x 5 system is perfect for intermediates. It provides the right amount of volume, and allows you to work with heavier weights than you used in your beginner programs.
• For long-term progress and lifelong training, it's a good idea to work up, drop back down, and work back up again. You don't have to stay at the hardest possible program all the time.
• Modern bodybuilding programs typically amount to specialization programs on all of the different muscle groups at the same time. That gets you nowhere, because all you do is over-train. It's much more effective to combine an all-around training program that provides adequate work – but not excessive work – for all of the major muscle groups, together with a period of specialization on one or two muscle groups. Over time, you end up specializing on all of the major muscle groups – but not at the same time.
• Remember, dropping back to the easier program (with one exercise on the days that you do heavy, awkward object training) is NOT a step backwards. It's a way to maximize your recovery and recuperation from hard training, and a way to help recover from any dings and dents that may be bothering you.
• Doug Hepburn believed that no matter what you did, what you ate, or how you trained, there was a limit on how fast you could build strength and muscle.
• The answer, Hepburn believed, was to limit yourself to gains of one rep per workout.
• As your strength increases, your progress will slow down. This happens to everyone, so don't worry about it. When it does, try using double progression rather than single progression.
• Starting light is good because it allows you to concentrate on doing your reps in good form.
• Older trainees should always use some sort of simple cycling system that lets them alternate between harder workouts and easier sessions.
• Slow and steady is ALWAYS the way to go.