Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning [Paperback]

Dan John (Author), Pavel Tsatsouline (Introduction), Dave Draper (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2009

Coach Dan John breaks down the most complicated concepts of strength training and high-performance athletics in his personal, no-nonsense, thought-provoking and motivating style. Workout routines, Olympic lifting guidance, Highland Games, track and field and Strongman events are all covered, in addition to weight training philosophy for the general public. You'll learn...How to get stronger, faster and leaner; Simple steps to great conditioning; What it takes to compete at high-level athletics; Dan John's top training tips; Effective workouts to carry you through your training seasons; Variations of the classic 5x5 workout; Sample kettlebell and barbell workout combinations; Outdoor cardiovascular training options for athletes; And much more...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Coach Dan John is one of the premier instructors in the world of movement, strength and athleticism. His lectures on athletic training have revolutionized the thinking of thousands, and his new text, Never Let Go, will set the standard in safer, smarter, more productive training methods. ~ Dr. Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., RKC Team Leader, Contributing Editor - Black Belt Magazine If mastery takes 10,000 hours, Dan John has mastered the art of teaching and coaching many times over. He renders the complicated simple, and the simple clear. The hours I have spent learning from him changed my life.~ Mark Twight, Gym Jones

About the Author

Dan John is a strength coach and a track and field coach, a coach of the annual John Powell Discus Camp, a competitive Master's throwing athlete and Highland Games competitor, and an RKC kettlebell instructor. He's a writer who covers all aspects of weightlifting, athletic training and throwing, is a contributor to several online and print magazines, and is the editor of Get Up! newsletter for weightlifting, throwing sports and Highland Games competitors. Coach John is an accomplished lecturer of the weight training sports, and commands a large following among competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Dan has a reputation for advocating adherence to basic weight training principles, such as focus on form and nutrition. His popularity is due in part to his simple and effective approach to the basicsA" of weight training.

Product Details

• Paperback: 413 pages
• Publisher: Ontarget Pubns (June 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931046387
• ISBN-13: 978-1931046381
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Weight Training

More About the Author

Dan John has spent his life with one foot in the world of lifting and throwing, and the other foot in academia. An All-American discus thrower, Dan has also competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting, Highland Games and the Weight Pentathlon, an event in which he holds the American record.

Dan spends his work life blending weekly workshops and lectures with full-time writing, and is also a religious studies instructor for Columbia College of Missouri. As a Fulbright Scholar, he toured the Middle East exploring the foundations of religious education systems.

His books on weightlifting include Intervention, Never Let Go, Mass Made Simple and Easy Strength, written with Pavel Tsatsouline, as well as the short piece, From Dad to Grad. He also has six popular workshop dvds, and recorded his book Intervention as an audiobook.

He writes regularly on his site, danjohn.net, and is at work on his fifth book, scheduled for publication January 2014.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Discover how to get the most from fitness. July 4, 2009

By Susanna Hutcheson TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Anything will work for three to six months. What then? That's the dynamic message I got from Dan's book. Oh, there was a lot more here. But I generally take one or two new and interesting ideas from a book --- assuming it's a good book. And this one is.

Dan's book is really a collection of essays. They're not in any particular order. I say that because he mentions his fat period twice --- once in the early part of the book and again towards the end. Both are written in the time he is recovering from his fatness.

But that doesn't take away from the messages of the book.

Dan believes in making things simple. Not easy, he says. But simple. I like that idea more and more as I get older. It makes more sense for anyone. Our lives are already far too confusing and full and rushed and out of control.

Dan recons we should focus on our main goal and plan our activities, our workouts and exercises accordingly. If you want to lose weight, you must follow different activities than someone who wants to get power or strength or run a marathon, for example.

Again, this makes sense and simplifies things for us. This is the way Bruce Lee was able to be so great in martial arts. He tried many things and discarded the things that didn't work or didn't help him in his main persuit --- his goals for his unique purposes.

I find this idea empowering. And you'll find it in abundance in Dan's new book.

While you might think the book is written for weight lifters or bodybuilders, it's really for anyone who wants to get fit.

Some of it you may discard. You may find parts of it just don't apply to you. But there is enough encouragement and no BS information in the book that you'll thoroughly enjoy it and come away the wiser. You'll profit with more useful workouts that actually get you to your goal.

Dan cuts through the myths and the outright lies we see in advertising and muscle mags and gets to the heart of the matter. He tells it like it is. And since he's not a young man, we know he's probably tried it all and seen most of it and is well equipped to give you honest solutions.

Buy this book if you need encouragement in your training and fitness program. Moreover, buy it if you want to learn how to cut through the BS and get to the real meat of how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding October 28, 2009

By Mr. Larry D. Farrell

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Superb information presented in a clear, highly readable style. He provides an unbiased look at everything from weight training to goal setting. The author is refreshingly self effacing. The book is written as a series of semi-connected essays (originally written as individual articles) and there's not a clunker in the bunch. He's given me a ton of new ideas for my own training. Great stuff.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and useful June 23, 2010

By S. Shafley

Format:Paperback

Everything I know about lifting, I learned from Dan John.

There's been a lot written about Dan John lately. It's reassuring to see him getting his due, because here's a man who's walked the walk, his whole life, and is still smiling and enthusiastic about his passions. He's genuine.

I've known Dan for a while now. We met online in 1999 or 2000, and corresponded frequently, in email and on assorted message boards and in the occasional phone call. In 2007 I finally got to meet him, twice, both out in Utah and at Denison University in Ohio. I consider him a friend, and knowing him has much enriched my life.

I held off writing this bit until I'd gone through his book a few times. It's hard not saying what other folks have said: Dan's down-to-earth voice and advice cuts through noise and is pure signal, Dan's a humble genius. Dan's a coach's coach. Dan's gently scathing humor draws our attention to the realities of life and lifting and competition.

I can't match the eloquent and descriptive phrases such luminaries like Pavel Tsatsouline and Dave Draper and others have used to describe Dan's contribution to the written word of the Iron Game. I can only say that it's good. It's excellent. It's humbling to me personally. Explaining why is difficult, if not impossible.

If you buy one book about training, hell, if you buy one book about life, this year, or this even decade, make it Dan's book. You might not 'get it' yet. That's OK. You will.