Dan John's Cool Tip

I don’t know about anyone else, but I found today’s (3/16) cool tip from Dan John to be spot on. It amazes me how easy it is for all of us (well, me at least) to get caught up in the exotic details of designing a program when really it is the core basic movements that matter the most. I just find this kind of thing so refreshing and was curious to see if others did as well. Personally, the more Dan John articles we get on T-nation, the better.

[quote]Today’s training tip comes from Dan John:

Work Hard, Simply

What most people need to do is squat, press, deadlift, clean, snatch, jerk, dip and chin. It’s amazing how much harder simple workouts can be. Keep workouts pretty simple, pretty short, and pretty damn hard. Toss it all out: periodization, tempo, weird variations of lifts, new machines, the whole bit until you master the simple stuff![/quote]

Thank you…you know, it was a lot of mistakes that taught me this “simple” truth. I constantly evolve my training, but I strive to keep things basic…really basic…while I experiment with “maybe” one…rarely two…new ideas. It takes a little more time, but it is well worth the effort.

There’s a “Danny John” thread running in the “Over 35 Lifter” forum basically echoing what you just said.

Yes, the more Dan John on T-Nation, the better for everyone all around.

I think Berardi’s D-tap piece really hits this too. If you aren’t really bustin ass, you aren’t going to see results.

Regardless of how much information you have gained, you are going to have to put up some serious weight to achieve real results.

I totally agree, I am kind of between programs right now and I was stressing a bit on which to start, what it would entail, etc. Then I read that tip and it brought me back down to reality. We all know what we have to do, we just have to DO it. I think it’s our nature to look for a quick fix and quench our thirst for information even though we all know that there is no quick fix and there is no easy way to get to where we want- Just hard work and determination. I think Dan John’s ideas can help keep a lot of us on track.

Dan, I’d really like to see an article expanding on this great tip. I would like it to include a few sample routines that utilize just the basic lifts.

[quote]Danny John wrote:
Thank you…you know, it was a lot of mistakes that taught me this “simple” truth. I constantly evolve my training, but I strive to keep things basic…really basic…while I experiment with “maybe” one…rarely two…new ideas. It takes a little more time, but it is well worth the effort. [/quote]

Very welcome! And I did see the thread in the Over 35 Forum (where I lurk as a young whipper-snapper at 32). It’s funny because now that I’m past 30, the Dan John philosophy of training appeals to me more and more. I don’t know if it’s (GASP!) maturity setting in more or what, but I get more out of a Dan John article or a Coach Davies article (doing a Davies-based program right now) than many others. Honestly, it’s just plain fun to do the O-lifts and concern myself more with training my body than trying to achieve a better bicep peak (which I’m fairly certain will do very little to help me be a better soccer player, attorney or boyfriend… but hey, I’m kinda nutty like that).

Dan, are you considering doing more articles on here? Or doing any seminars? I will be out in Utah in the near future to see my GF, so something like that would be great.

I’m sure TC and Tim hound you quite a bit for more articles, but just in case you needed extra encouragement, I think there are a lot of fans like me who crave your kind of no-nonsense advice.

Kuz

  • Return with honor.

I would suggest something like this:

Monday:

Cleans
Presses

Wednesday:

Chins
Squats

Friday:

Deadlifts
Benches