Before We Go: An On-Going Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning

by Dan John, T.C. Luoma (Foreword)

Picture this (go ahead; it’s an easy one): You’re bored with your workouts. Nothing’s changing; you’re not getting stronger or leaner or feeling better, and, heck, maybe you’ll just take a layoff and see what happens.You know what happens. That two-week layoff lasts a year, that’s what happens!Now consider Traffic was light and you’re fifteen minutes early for your dental cleaning appointment. You flip open your tablet and bring up your new copy of Before We Go. By the time the dental tech calls you, you’ve read two article chapters and are amped to get to the gym. Your mind is racing through the appointment, and it’s all you can do to stay in that squeaky lounge chair.You get to the gym an hour later and sail through the best workout you’ve had in months, maybe years.That’s what this book can do for you.“I go through one chapter at a time, slowly, and let it percolate.” ~ TC Luoma, Editor-in-Chief, T NationDan John’s Before We Go will spur your training to that exciting level you love. Following the pattern set by his earlier book Never Let Go (230 reviews averaging five stars, still in the top 30 weight training books after five years on Kindle), Before We Go is the second compilation of Dan’s best articles previously published online.

Genres: Fitness, Health

371 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2015

About the author

Dan 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.

Reviews

[cellomerl · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can dabble in a lot of sports, but in real, hard core strength training where you want to see results, you've got to be all in. Dan John is completely committed. He strips away nonsense and provides extremely simple workouts. The only thing is, you've got to do them.
The book is a series of musings (likely collected blog posts); it doesn't cite studies (although he credits other authors and coaches for their ideas), doesn't discuss progressions or much cross training, and is not sport-specific. Dan provides detailed information about the benefits of swings and loaded carries, which haven't been covered in other books I've read so far. I also liked that Olympic weightlifting features centrally in Dan John's training programs.
The author makes some wonderful points about fat loss, mass and strength building, quality sleep, and getting focused on improvement. The weights he suggests are aimed at a high school or college football player, but if you can't manage them (and no way can I do a bodyweight snatch or bench press!), the same basic principle applies - just do what is intense enough for you to see changes. The book is also very funny. I highlighted quite a few gems for later reference, and I will certainly read more from Dan John.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Top 5 things I've learned from Dan John

1. Easy Strength
2. He convinced me to read Dave Draper.
3. Goblet Squats
4. Everything works, but not for very long.
5. Did I mention that he turned me on to Dave Draper? (seriously, read this: Iron on My Mind)

Any one of those is enough to make me buy every book Dan ever writes (okay, I might've skipped the "Dad to Grad" one), and I could easily add five more great big things I've learned and not be close to scraping the barrel. For instance, originally, I really wanted to mention how much I appreciate him turning me on to Dave Draper, but felt it might distract from explaining how much Easy Strength transformed the way I think about these things. I could have said something about Park Bench workouts vs Bus Bench workouts, too, but it seems so obvious to me now that I can barely remember it being new to me.

I suppose I could have said something about how Dan's work (along with Pavel Tsatsouline) in general has been amongst the most significant personal learning of my life, learnings that have proven to stay useful day in and day out. The things you learn from Dan John are not the kinds of things you learn in school and immediately forget because you never have another reason to know it. They're the kinds of things you use so often that, eventually, you can't even tell they weren't yours to begin with. They're the kinds of things that the term "learning" was made to hold. I try to hold them well. Sometimes, I even succeed at it.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like his first book, this is one I will read every year just to be reminded why I do what I do.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as with Never Let Go, this is a great collection of Dan’s work. I had read a lot of this before on the different sites Dan writes for but this book knits them together seamlessly. Dan’s writing and storytelling remains as a strong as ever and I enjoyed seeing/reading the evolution of his lifting (and life) philosophy from Never Let Go and this book. Recommended read for all health/fitness enthusiasts (which should be everyone so maybe then I recommend this book for everyone?)

[Aneliq Terzieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gold one. Not elaborate enough on the ideas, but still saturated with valuable suggestions and hints for further exploration. Highly recommend to everyone who is looking at his fitness journey as a lifetime endeavor.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many quotable quotes with great advice.

Sage timeless advice. A lifetime of keep it simple stupid advice. Keep a highlighter handy and you will be rewarded.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good-hearted book about training and living fit.

[Tasos Manouras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Been working out for 30 years and this guy definitely had a lot to teach me.

[Chuck Kechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coach Dan John has done more to streamline, and help define my coaching process than any other in the field in the last ten years. Solid work. Solid writing. Many gems in the mix! Highly recommended!

[Miki Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful. From about half way through, every chapter was touching on elements I see all time when coaching or training with others.

[Corey Hietapelto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent training advice for everyone!

[Dave Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another must read

I read many of the chapters within this book on the web. There were a few that I had missed that I'm sure glad I found in this book. There were many that I am so happy to have read again.

I have no doubt that I'll be reading at the very least, parts of it again and again. I've never been disappointed by anything Dan John has written. It's always about more than lifting heavy things.

[Stanley G Dau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I gave this book a four only because the author complained that ratings are either 1 or 5. This book is less how to get stronger than why. Indeed it is more about why do anything. Don't get me there is plenty about goblin squats and farmer walks, he sprinkles in plenty about goal setting, time management, community, eating, and sleeping. In short, it has a lot interesting reflections on living.

[David Tybor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid set of essays from Dan John about lifting, fitness, and life. If you've been moving weights around for a year or two, you'll probably find something in this book worth listening to. Put this on your shelf next to the Mark Rippetoe books.

[Chuck Kechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coach Dan John has done more to streamline, and help define my coaching process than any other in the field in the last ten years. Solid work. Solid writing. Many gems in the mix! Highly recommended!

[Craig Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Dan John classic. Most of it lifting vets (hopefully!) know, but have forgotten, ignored, or deluded themselves.

[Meg]

I found this on my old phone while the new one is at the repair shop. I always feel like Dan John is repetative because he gets asked the same questions all the time - so the answers are very similar - but I still enjoy his, er folks wisedom. (I could probably read it again now)