Archive November 2010

Iron Radio!

Phil hosts a fine program here. Check the other discussions, too.

Huge Review of the Book and Insights

Tony G does a great job

I’m a day late, I know. Truth be told, I’m writing this Monday night because I’m essentially still recovering from the insulin coma I put myself into over the weekend. Nonetheless, it was great to get away this past weekend- eat dirty (as my friend Pete would say), spend a little time on the water, as well as catch up on some reading.

Speaking of which, as some of you may know, I’ve been reading Dan John’s book Never Let Go.

I finally finished it this past weekend, and all I have to say is that it’s hands down one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I’ve always felt that one of the true indicators of a great book is how re-readable (is that even a word?) it is- and I can honestly say that I’ll be referring back to this book time and time again. I mean, how can you not absorb every word someone with over 30 years of coaching experience has to say?

All the same, below I’ve collected just a handful of quotable quotes from Dan John himself with a few brief comments of my own below. Enjoy.

1. Back in the 1970s, I ate a high-protein diet to get bigger and stronger. As a senior at Utah State, I weighed 218 pounds with eight percent body fat, and threw the discus over 190 feet.

Then I got some advice from the people at the Olympic Training Center. I needed carbs, they advised, and lots of them. They pointed to studies done on the American distance runners. Being an idiot, I took the advice to eat like emaciated, over-trained sub-performers. It took years of high carbohydrate grazing to learn the evils of this advice.

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Short Little Interview

Not long, but fun

Dan John is the Strength Coach and Head Track and Field Coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, Utah and a full-time on-line religious studies instructor for Columbia College of Missouri. Dan also writes articles for a variety of strength magazines and publishes a little newsletter called “Get Up” which registers up to a quarter of a million hits a month.

Recently, Dan became “Russian Kettlebell Certified” and currently, Dan is ranked as a Master Highland Games athlete, holds the American Record in the Weight Pent and holds numerous National Championships in weightlifting and throwing and maintains a full-time free internet coaching site. This is just a brief introduction, to see more, go to his website: danjohn.org

1. What is the biggest obstacle people face when trying to lose weight?

The unbelievable amount of information, both true and false, about weight loss contributes to it. But, number one is that cheap calories are so abundant in the USA. A bag of chips for a buck is about 1200 calories, but a dollar’s worth of eggs is probably 300ish calories. You can eat four eggs and not be hungry for a while and scoot through 3000 chip calories and still be hard. Fast food is TOO easy and cheap!

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Fatal Fitness Interview, if I forgot to load it:

Interesting Stuff

Dan John is a big name in the functional fitness world. And getting bigger. His book, “Never Let Go,” is a must read of strength training strategy and a no bs approach to lifting and life. It’s such a good resource, it is required reading on the upcoming Fatal Fitness trainer curriculum. We were lucky enough to get Dan to take some time to chat with us.
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Mike: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Dan. You are a teacher and a coach- could you tell us how you started getting into strength, when all that began?

Dan: It all began when my Aunt Florence died and my brothers bought a Sear Ted Williams barbell with our inheritance. I started doing what I thought was lifting and enjoyed it. It was simple stuff, but it worked. This was probably in 1965 or 1966. I fell in love with the idea that when I did a little work, it paid off almost immediately. I figured out how to use my brain to lift more by feeling how light twenty pounds was then telling myself that “this is only this much more.” It lasted my whole career. I took lifting seriously from the beginning. I loved it. Still do.

Mike: So you seem to have both a passion for strength and fitness and a very simple approach. Many coaches have an overly complex approach. One could almost make an analogy to Rocky IV, in the scene where Rocky trains in a barn while his Soviet opponent trains with a team of scientists (and plenty of “vitamin s”). How would you say a simple, rugged approach pays off in the end? Outside of cheaper gear and making you feel like Rocky, that is.

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Nice little interview with Elite…

If you don’t have Facebook…see below!

Elite Iron Inc.
Dan John Interview!

RR: Hi Dan, you are one of the most interesting people I have ever read up on. You’ve been a teacher and coach, strength coach, track and field coach, on-line religious instructor, and contributor to Men’s Health, Tnation.com, and dragondoor.com. How did you get involved with all this?!

DJ: And that is why I wrote “Never Let Go.” The answer takes a couple of hundred pages! Basically, I started a “self-help” program at age nine or ten and I have been following it for four plus decades! Actually, in the circles I travel, I am not unusual. I have friends who coach wrestling and can quote most of Shakespeare. Once you get around quality people, it is easy to keep expanding yourself.

RR: As a coach, teacher, and athlete yourself for so long, what role do you think a fitness/strength coach can have in helping someone achieving their goals?

DJ: Now, that’s my new book with Pavel! A good coach doesn’t add to your program or work, a good coach strips “stuff” away. You need a laser beam focus on your goals and all the other nonsense is what is killing you. If you can work out in your Halloween gear and pose for a dozen photos, you may not be as focused as you like to think you are.
It is in the cutting away that you find real success. Eliminate the excess and focus on the keys. You can always BS yourself with extra leg adductions on the machine, but it isn’t going to get you closer to your goals.

RR: Nutrition for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and Health; Your thoughts? Do people overthink this sometimes?

From my upcoming book on Lean Body Mass:Honestly, seriously, you don’t know what to do about food? Here is an idea: eat like an adult. Stop eating fast food, stop eating kid’s cereal, knock it off with all the sweets and comfort foods whenever your favorite show is not on when you want it on, ease up on the snacking and, don’t act like you don’t know this, eat vegetables and fruits more. Really, how difficult is this? Stop with the whining. Stop with the excuses. Act like an adult and stop eating like a television commercial. Grow up.
There is more, of course, but if I could get most guys to just start eating food, drinking water and sleeping more, I would be a much better coach.

RR: Conditioning is always debated everywhere you look, I’ve almost completely stopped reading internet sites that have this kind of argument, but it’s there. Haha. What are your thoughts on conditioning for Health, Weight Loss, and even during a phase of Hypertrophy?

DJ: There are so many definitions, it is not even possible to discuss this without some agreement…some foundations. For me, it all depends on what you want. I don’t think a 100 meter runner needs ANY conditioning. Nor does an elite thrower, for example. Fat loss? That’s a food journal, corrective work and something like swings. Do 10,000 swings a day for a month and don’t have a single cheat meal and get back to me on fat loss. (Don’t do it, just making a point)

I also loathe “conditioned for anything” which is just stupid.

RR: When training clients I often tell them to take a picture of all the people in their gym(typical gyms:24Hour, Bally’s etc), and in a year look at that picture, the only thing that changes are haircuts and clothes. Why do you think so many people fail to reach their fitness goals?

DJ: See the above! If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. If you don’t plan or focus, nothing changes.

RR: What are your thoughts on supplements? Which ones are worthwhile the investment?

DJ: First are the “Big Two:” Fish Oil and Probiotics. I really think these make a difference. After that, yup, it depends on your goals. Most people just shot gun stuff and never really think it through. I am coming out with a book that simply asks you to try a new “trick” each week and see how you respond. That is the key: focus on a goal and just play with one trick at a time.

RR: Lastly, I just want to thank you so much for doing this interview with me! Really an honor for me. Everyone can check out Dan at DanJohn.net!