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Easy Strength Omnibook
Everything you need to know about the most direct methods to get stronger and achieve your goals.
466 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2022
7 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Dan John
27 books134 followersDan John has coached for more than 30 years. He's helped hundreds of athletes pack on double-digit pounds of rock-solid muscle. As an athlete, John broke the American record in the Weight Pentathlon. He is the author of several books.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 29, 2025
More than a decade ago, Dan John published his experience with a training program called "easy strength." It was an usual program in that he used low intensity and low volume and still increased some of his lifts. Interesting indeed. A few years later, he and Pavel Tsatsouline published a book about easy strength with the same name. Great book with a lot of useful content, but confusing at times. Apparently, both authors wrote independently of each other so that some parts dont fit well to each other. Then there is easy strength with high intensity and less frequency and *even* easier strength using low to moderate intensity. Rather confusing terminology.
It seems only even easier strength stuck. Many people tried it, had success. Some modifications were made over the years. So it made sense to publish a new book getting rid of the confusion and collecting the experiences made by other lifters.
The Easy Strength Omnibook is, I am sad to say, even more confusing than the previous book. One factor is Dan John going off a tangent frequently. This is typical for his books and I can see the intention of those stories, but it makes it so much more complicated to follow than necessary. I wish an editior had cut out many of them.
The terminology hasnt improved. The book tries to get rid of the confusion by calling both "easy strength" no matter the intensity. This makes sense, but whay does the book introduce the term "even easier strength" later again?
The book explains in great lengths that you can train two to five times, throwing in a reference to Marty Gallagher's once a week strength training to add to the confusion, but the book never discusses the different intensities in a concise manner. Whereas the original Easy Strength book said you use 80-95 percent of your 1RM when training two to three times, intensity would fall when training fives times.
The book discusses in one chapter what weight to use, but I didn't find this helpful. What is also unclear to me is for whom easy strength is intended. At some point John discusses that "even easier strength " using 50 percent works better when you are an experienced lifter. This makes sense. If you lift 200 kg, 50 percent is still 100 kg. Not nothing, even if you are strong. If your max, on the other hand is 40 kg, 50 percent is just the empty barbell. Is easy strength useful for a beginner? I don't know after reading the book.
Training less often with higher percentages and less volume makes also more sense, if you are an experienced lifter. In the original easy strength book actually references world class lifters to illustrate "the rule of ten". But is that true for a beginner? I doubt it. For grinds such as presses and squats, the original easy strength suggests to use ladders to use a higher volume. This also makes sense. Why is this distinction missing in the new omnibook?
I purchased the book hoping to find more clarity and found more confusion. I'd recommend two purchase the original easy strength. In addition, Dan John discusses new developments regarding easy strength in his podcast.
It seems only even easier strength stuck. Many people tried it, had success. Some modifications were made over the years. So it made sense to publish a new book getting rid of the confusion and collecting the experiences made by other lifters.
The Easy Strength Omnibook is, I am sad to say, even more confusing than the previous book. One factor is Dan John going off a tangent frequently. This is typical for his books and I can see the intention of those stories, but it makes it so much more complicated to follow than necessary. I wish an editior had cut out many of them.
The terminology hasnt improved. The book tries to get rid of the confusion by calling both "easy strength" no matter the intensity. This makes sense, but whay does the book introduce the term "even easier strength" later again?
The book explains in great lengths that you can train two to five times, throwing in a reference to Marty Gallagher's once a week strength training to add to the confusion, but the book never discusses the different intensities in a concise manner. Whereas the original Easy Strength book said you use 80-95 percent of your 1RM when training two to three times, intensity would fall when training fives times.
The book discusses in one chapter what weight to use, but I didn't find this helpful. What is also unclear to me is for whom easy strength is intended. At some point John discusses that "even easier strength " using 50 percent works better when you are an experienced lifter. This makes sense. If you lift 200 kg, 50 percent is still 100 kg. Not nothing, even if you are strong. If your max, on the other hand is 40 kg, 50 percent is just the empty barbell. Is easy strength useful for a beginner? I don't know after reading the book.
Training less often with higher percentages and less volume makes also more sense, if you are an experienced lifter. In the original easy strength book actually references world class lifters to illustrate "the rule of ten". But is that true for a beginner? I doubt it. For grinds such as presses and squats, the original easy strength suggests to use ladders to use a higher volume. This also makes sense. Why is this distinction missing in the new omnibook?
I purchased the book hoping to find more clarity and found more confusion. I'd recommend two purchase the original easy strength. In addition, Dan John discusses new developments regarding easy strength in his podcast.
July 11, 2025
As expected from Dan John, a phenomenal overview of one of the best ways to be strong, fit, and vital. Fantastically helpful and effortlessly readable. Dan's style is unique and endearing — and informative. Easy 5 stars. Recommended for anyone looking for physical improvement and strength gains.
June 22, 2024
Would have only enjoyed it more if it had been longer.
June 20, 2024
Much easier to read than the original Easy Strength book, but still a wild mismatch of wisdom nuggets.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews