Attempts: Essays on Fitness, Health, Longevity and Easy Strength

by Dan John

In this collection of essays, Dan John expands on some of his famous one-liners:

- How many rabbits are you chasing?
- Enough is enough; more is just more.
- "Fit for what?" must be part of your language.
- The greatest secret I know in every field of life is always obvious.
- Think through the wonders and pleasures of achieving your goal.
- Last throw, best throw!
- No fuzzy maxes in the weight room.
- Correct your weaknesses, but compete with your strengths.
- Most of success is just showing up.
- Peaking is often simply staying on the path.

You've heard them before, but have you internalized them?

Let Dan help you dig a little deeper into how life's truths show up in the weight room and on the field of play.

What you learn in this selection will get you thinking more broadly into how it all fits together -- fitness, health, longevity and Easy Strength.

Genres: Fitness, Health, Nonfiction

293 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2020

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

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this is a collection of short essays but even in each essay the author is all over the place. It’s hard keeping track of the central message and point. There were some good point me made throughout the chapters but the best/most useful information, I felt, was in the appendices. I would have given it another star but I couldn’t get over the organizational issues and structure of how the book was put together.

[Vicky Lyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So simple, you may miss the point!

Bruce Lee said that after years of learning to kick numerous ways he learnt that a kick is just a kick.
Dan John is strength trainings Bruce lee, to get good simplify and remove waste.
Simple right?

[Preben Hafnor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many opinions, no real science

[Ravi Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simplicity is the answer. Old school advice is often the best.

[Noritaka Hara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of short essays on life lessons and strength training. Very simple but yet the key to success is also simple. Show up day in day out.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy just keeps getting better! Another great collection of essays and workouts. What other book gives you simple guidelines for living a better life, great workouts, and advice on how to be a good wedding guest?

I started serious strength training at the age of 58 and was lucky enough to find a coach who trained "Dan John style." After several years of showing up and doing the work, not only am I in the best shape of my life, but I have the mental energy to tackle the more difficult challenges of life. My friends often comment on my level of fitness. I tell them, it's simple, you want to get strong, move heavy stuff around. Push, pull, hinge, squat, carry, get down on the floor, get back up.

While I've never tried the 10K swing challenge, the variations offered have motivated me to put it in my to do list. I also found the Post-Deployment Program to be a great one for me.