Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel is hands down a must have book for coaches, trainers, athletes and even parents of athletes. For those of you not familiar with the authors (shame on you), let me start with a brief introduction. Dan John is a Sr. RKC under Pavel. He is well respected strength and conditioning coach and author. Dan has written several books including one of my personal favorites Never Let Go. You can also find many great articles written by Dan John on the well respected T-nation webpage. Pavel is the Chief Instructor for the RKC. Pavel has written many incredible books including Power to the People, Beyond Bodybuilding and The Naked Warrior.
The very first chapter separates the athletes into 4 quadrants: Introductory, collision sports and occupations, the majority of the population, and elite athletes. By gaining a good understanding on each quadrant and where people fall into place we can determine the program for the goals. This chapter was by far the most beneficial for me personally. Each quadrant was broken down perfectly with the appropriate barbell and kettlebell exercises to meet the athletes need. If you ask me, every coach and personal trainer should memorize the contents of this chapter.
From that point on Pavel and Dan John will answer the question...What is "easy strength"?
Although this book seems to make nearly all its references to coaches and athletes, the principles apply to everyone. Goals are still goals whether you're looking to lose weight and get "fit" or win a NCAA title. If you are looking for success, the programing and principles will apply for both. A kind of checks and balances guide to training! This book has a lot of information. Don't let it overwhelm you. Read the book, then sit back and think about it. Don't try and apply ALL the new information at once. In fact Dan John talks about this very topic. Remember what your goals are. Now slowly apply the proper skills to meet those goals!
I can not recommend this book enough. Thank you Pavel and Dan John for an incredible resource!
The very first chapter separates the athletes into 4 quadrants: Introductory, collision sports and occupations, the majority of the population, and elite athletes. By gaining a good understanding on each quadrant and where people fall into place we can determine the program for the goals. This chapter was by far the most beneficial for me personally. Each quadrant was broken down perfectly with the appropriate barbell and kettlebell exercises to meet the athletes need. If you ask me, every coach and personal trainer should memorize the contents of this chapter.
From that point on Pavel and Dan John will answer the question...What is "easy strength"?
- Lift Heavy
- Keep your reps and sets low
- Stop your sets and your workouts before you get fatigued
Although this book seems to make nearly all its references to coaches and athletes, the principles apply to everyone. Goals are still goals whether you're looking to lose weight and get "fit" or win a NCAA title. If you are looking for success, the programing and principles will apply for both. A kind of checks and balances guide to training! This book has a lot of information. Don't let it overwhelm you. Read the book, then sit back and think about it. Don't try and apply ALL the new information at once. In fact Dan John talks about this very topic. Remember what your goals are. Now slowly apply the proper skills to meet those goals!
I can not recommend this book enough. Thank you Pavel and Dan John for an incredible resource!
No comments:
Post a Comment