'Never Let Go' offers readers philosophy as well as fitness

SALT LAKE CITY – In the interest of truth, let me say I know very little about athletic strength training. Face it; I don’t know the difference between a bench press and a kettle bell. But I do know about passion, and Dan John, who has been called "a legend in his field," is passionate about athletic strength training. "Coach" John shares his knowledge and experience with the athletes at Juan Diego Catholic High School in the Skaggs Catholic Center, and teaches as much about life and learning as he does about lifting.

In his new book, "Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living, and Learning," John encourages readers to be proactive, to cut back on the options available to them, to "bring everybody on board with you," and to whittle away all the extras that might be cluttering up their strength training workouts. He cautions: "Don’t overdo things," and "you can’t blame your parents for everything." Genetics is only part of the game.

Taking a generous dose of Coach John’s sense of humor makes the hard work and the intricate exercises of "Don’t Let Go" a little easier to understand. As I read the book, I have to admit, I was doing most of his exercises in my head. One point he makes that has meaning for me is his caution about buying every piece of exercise equipment advertised on television and instead use pieces of the world around you; the stones and even the telephone poles to help you slim, trim and firm yourself.

Coach John makes clear the difference between diets for weight loss and diets for fat loss. He makes strength training a combination of work, rest, play, and prayer, and with just the smallest amount of profanity thrown in, the book reminds readers that strength training is not supposed to be easy, but it can be fun. He doesn’t claim to be an expert, but he invites readers to train as he trains, using equipment borrowed from friends and working up from training exercises that seem impossible to those more realistic as the readers’ strength increases. He encourages readers to learn to train correctly, use systematic education techniques, and make reasonable and understandable comparisons from diets to push-ups.

Coach John emphasizes how physical training can be applied to other aspects of your life, and the discipline involved in athletic strength training can give you a better outlook on life in general and its challenges.

One aspect of the book with which I can identify is Coach John’s philosophy of making and keeping goals. When he writes, "Make sure your fitness approach matches your fitness goal," there is a lesson in there for all of us and all aspects of life. Injecting a bit of his natural humor, he writes, "Thinking is not a good idea for strength athletes." He prefers instead repetition, simplicity and conditioning. He breaks down priorities for each athlete with blunt honesty from which we all can learn: "If it’s important, do it every day. If it isn’t, don’t do it at all."

He uses training tips from other athletes, and emphasizes the importance of blending the body, the soul, and the spirit to accomplish a full work out.

There is much more to "Never Let Go" to make physical and mental athletes of all of us. The only thing missing are pictures or illustrations of the exercise routines, though they might inspire readers to attempt more than they are physically able. Written for the student strength-training athlete, "Never Let Go" is a good guide to taking things at one’s own speed.