Lessons from Intervention

I was reviewing my book notes this past weekend and came across some amazing topics that have kind of slipped my mind over the course of time. One of my favorite authors on training is a man named Dan John. He wrote this back in 2013 and if you check out the Amazon listing, it got rater 4.9 stars out of about 100 reviewers. That is pretty damn good if you ask me!

Here are a few things I took away from this book...


Dan's Take
I believe three simple things about training sessions:
1. Training sessions need to be repeatable
2. Training sessions should put you on the path of progress toward your goals 
3. Training sessions should focus on quality

My Take: Principle #1 builds on #2 in my opinion. In order to see progress you need repetition. If strength is a goal, then you need to practice it. Strength is a skill and you must repeat workouts in order to move in the right direction. Principle #3 builds on #2. As you practice strength as a skill, the weight needs to be appropriate. Quality repetitions beat quantity repetitions.   

Dan's Take
The food journal is the essential key to success. Without the food journal and the peek into the reality of the week ahead, training is a halfway measure. The food journal informs the training; the training will impact the food journal, and the mastery of the two will lead to a lifetime of easy weight management 

My Take: Back in 2009 the National Institute of Health decided to take a look at the effectiveness of the food journal. It did not take them long to see the results. Six months into the study, people who kept daily food records had lost twice as much weight as everyone else. Food journals provided a structure for other habits to flourish. The food journal is a POWERFUL tool!

Dan's Take
As I have noted endlessly: “Everything works…for about six weeks!” Then what? 


My Take: This is what keeps fitness coaches in business. Every time you start something new, your body needs a certain period of time to acclimate itself to the new stresses placed upon the body. The incremental results you will see in the first six weeks will probably not be matched later in the program. A sound plan or program is what prevents this from occurring. It is important to NOT put short-term gains over long-term gains. You can push the weights for the first six weeks and make gains but then hit that wall or plateau and before you know it, you'll be searching for a new program to test drive.

Dan's Take
Five Principles

1. Strength training for lean body mass and joint mobility work trump everything else
2. Fundamental human movements are fundamental
3. Standards and gaps must be constantly assessed
4. The notion of Park Bench and Bus Bench workouts must be applied together throughout the training lifetime
5. Constantly strive for mastery and grace

My Take: 

1. Lean mass and joint mobility should be an aspect of every training program. 
2. A great way to accomplish this is by using human fundamental movements. We are not talking about banging biceps curls and the pec deck, we are talking about picking up weight off the floor, pressing it overhead, or carrying it over a distance.
   
3. We need a Point B. Set the standards high, big time goals brings on big time effort.
4. These two concepts might be new to some. The Bus Bench routine has a time-table. I want to complete so and so before March. It is setting a goal and a time constraint. Just like a bus, it has a schedule that you need to maintain. When I think of a Park Bench, I think of the movie Forrest Gump. Mr. Gump sits down on a park bench, explores his past, speaks with others, and learns from those he communicates with. The same could be said about this training method. It is an opportunity to explore and enjoy where you are training.
5. Ever think you'd see the word "grace" in a strength training book? This ain't ballet but it is important to make it look good when accomplishing goals. The idea is to complete incredible personal feats and do it with control, quality of repetition, and ease! 

Chris Fluck