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It was the mid 90s and bodybuilding was starting to go from 220 lb competitors to 275 lb competitors.
On the other end of the spectrum, Fitness magazines began to get popular along with body pump and spin classes inside gyms.
The hardcore gyms began closing or tried to change to appeal to the masses. There was not much opportunity for those who wanted to lift heavy and hard and feel part of a community.
IF you were lucky, you came across THE book that took a stand against ALL the fads & gimmicks.
The book?
Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik!
Those who were lucky enough to find this book in the 90s began a movement of Garage Gym Gladiators and Cellar Dwellars; Guys who were training in their small spaces with simple yet powerful tools:
- Barbells
- Thick Handle Dumbbells
- Water Filled Kegs
- Homemade Sandbags
- Stones
It was a group of lifters who found a way while others found excuses. They took immense pride in NOT being "normal". And to this day, they still feel the same. Nothing fancy, LOTS of hard work with short workouts 2 - 3 x week.
Cellar Dwellers was a series of VHS tapes from IRONMIND. These training tapes are a far cry from what we see today with home gyms that are fancy. Those early days were raw and brutal, see below:
The Cellar Dwellers video reminds me my early days in the backyard, the original days of The Underground Strength Gym. Those were special times and the athletes who survived the garage and backyard days became Champions! They all got STRONG AF!
The type of people who read and followed Dinosaur Training were viewed as The Hells Angels. They broke all the "rules" of training and the focus was on Brute Strength!
It was The Dinosaurs vs everybody else.
It was Dino Lifting. Dino Cardio. Dino EVERYTHING.
Here's episode 12 of The Iron Roots Podcast where I share 1 of my favorite training books ever, if only I had come across this book earlier.....
Watch ALL The Iron Roots Podcasts HERE.
Here's a Dinosaur Training inspired holiday workout circa 2009!
I also pay attention to the ENERGY in these videos. I guess I can safely say, Kids WERE different "back then"....
Even though this wasn't that long ago, things have changed. We need to keep Dinosaur Training alive and well!
Resources for You to Train to be a Savage:
Gladiator STRONG - 7 Days FREE
The Underground Strength Manual
Strong is STRONG.
Live The Code 365,
Z
The Underground Strength Academy
Since 2005!
4 Responses
One of the best books of all time! No doubt. This man, and Steve Justa both completely changed my outlook on strength training. And to this day, I have found very few people who can keep up with me in the past decade. Thanks for reminding the folks of this book!
Dude I remember Steve, I saw some OLD YouTube Videos of him looked like he was in the backwoods somewhere,
lifting a truck and playing a old piano like rock n’ roll!
It was Dinosaur Training that first got me interested in strength training. I used to body build because I thought it was making me stronger. I kept getting hurt doing everyday things. Found out real strength training was the best !
Mario that is Awesome, this book has changed MANY lives!!!