IGX

Damien wrote:Why do you get all this stuff for free anyways?

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I am a RL buddy of Dan John, so he asked Laree Draper to put me on the list of "gets stuff from IronOnline occasionally"

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:Really, that's it.

Danny John wrote:That's not true. Shaf and I started talking together about a decade ago. He spent some time with me at Discus Camp in Ohio and spent a couple of nights in my home in Utah. I'm sure there are more stories, too. Gary still talks about sharing a bunkbed with Shaf with a bunch of teenage girls running around all the time...

If I wanted to buy off cheap endorsements, a fair number of people owe me. I haven't done that. I always appreciate Steve's opinion. My book is inexpensive, but the material is pretty good.

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I think most folks know that.

I endorse only things that I think are worthwhile. Even from folks I dislike, if I seem something from them that is worthwhile, I will say that.

I've been asked for opinions on stuff from folks I DO like, and declined to comment because I didn't feel it was good enough for me to say I liked it.

I've enjoyed Dan John's writings on fitness and sport since I first encountered him 10+ years ago.

Jay wrote:

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I think most folks know that.

I endorse only things that I think are worthwhile. Even from folks I dislike, if I seem something from them that is worthwhile, I will say that.

I've been asked for opinions on stuff from folks I DO like, and declined to comment because I didn't feel it was good enough for me to say I liked it.

I've enjoyed Dan John's writings on fitness and sport since I first encountered him 10+ years ago.

I first read Dan's work several years ago and now I am getting the chance to speak along side of him... humbled and honoured is a major understatement. Its like a teenage girl meeting Justin Bieber, without the crying and the theatrics. :D

Jay wrote: I know it isn't true, I just like to ride Shaf because he, of all people, could capitalize on his knowledge and make some coin in this industry, but he is allergic to dubious marketing and pimps.

Work and family life have seriously cut into my free reading time (training too, but we'll get to that) lately, so it took me an inordinate amount of time to finish reading my copy of Mass Made Simple, the eagerly awaited new book by The Coach Dan John.

http://www.davedraper.com/fitness_produ ... /BMMS.html

If you're looking to put on muscle, it was Dan John himself who said that you should listen to people who "understand hypertrophy from experience." So it only makes sense that we'd want to look to him for his perspective and experience.

In common with his other writings, the book is clear, direct, and speaks right to the reader in simple terms. Dan John always does a good job of making his point with an economical, yet evocative use of language. He does a great job of telling stories and annecdotes that make his points. Plus, while he never comes across as a shameless name dropper, it's fun to read references to trainers and trainees that he and I both know, like Uncle Dan Martin.

It's also a very brief book, it's an easy, fun read and my delays in finishing it had more to do with not finding time to pick it up. Most people will be able to get through it, even reading deeply, in an afternoon.

As Dan John would likely tell you himself, there's no magic formula in the book. It's Train. Eat. Rest. You already knew that. But he brings a nuanced, experienced and very much Dan John-esque approach to these topics. Simple, as you already know, is not necessarily easy.

Also, while the book has a program, it's not about the program. What the book is really about is changing your behaviors and actions in order to reach a goal. The program is just there as a template to guide you on the way. What's unique about it is that he doesn't just tell you what lifts to do and for how many reps, the program also spells out how you should be eating, and how you should be recovering. If you're looking to add muscle to your frame those two variables are as important as what you do in the gym. Moreso, even. Which, coincidentally is where most trainees fall down in their efforts to get bigger.

The training regimen may not look like much on paper, but it's not the words and numbers on the page, it's what you put into them. You won't be spending hours in the gym, but what you pour into what's asked of you is what the program is about.

I do believe in serendipity and synchronicity. 531 came my way when I was burned out and broken, and a light bulb came on when I was reading it. Running through 531 for almost a year revitalized my training and let me move on into other productive areas.

While nowhere near as horrbile as the big trainwreck of 2009, the last three months have been challenging. Work and family stress have made it difficult to train in the manner I normally do. Time and energy have been against me. I'm not mentally and physically exhausted like I was two years ago, and I have been training consistently, but I've been feeling uninspired. While training hasn't sucked, per se, it's been a sense of same shit, different day.

It's definetely time for a change of pace, and MMS has come along at a good time. The MMS program is the antipodes of how I normally train. I can't remember the last time I went over six reps in the squat. I really can't. I hate high reps, and I'll be honest, for that reason I'm a little afraid of the MSS program.

But it's only six weeks, not forever. The fact that I'm a little scared of the program, and that it's way outside my comfort zone is a good enough reason to give it a go. So, as they say, I will try it and report back.