Physical training has a lot of carry over to other domains of your life. It can help you become a better husband and father, a more productive worker, and a more disciplined student. My guest today is a living manifestation of the multiplier effect that physical training produces. His name is Dan John. He holds several records in discus and the highland games, and coaches and consults top athletes in the throwing sports and Olympic lifting. Dan also holds master’s degrees in history and religious studies and was a Fulbright Scholar in religious education. He teaches religious studies for Columbia College of Missouri.
Today on the show, Dan and I discuss how physical training can make you a better man in all domains of your life. We begin our discussion on how his training has made him a better scholar and how his scholarship has improved his training. Dan then explains what “shark habits” are, how they contribute to your long-term goals, and how to develop your own shark habits.
We end our conversation getting into the specifics of strength training. Dan shares the top 3 mistakes he sees people make with their training, why you need to start carrying heavy instead of just lifting heavy, and why you need to put a premium on recovery.
This episode combines both brains and brawn for a compelling conversation on being a well-rounded man.
Show Highlights
- How injuries actually allowed Dan greater longevity in his sport
- How Dan got into strength coaching
- The secret to longevity
- Why “fitness” encompasses the whole man
- What makes someone coachable?
- Why a coach-athlete relationship is like a soup
- Long-term thinking in both lifting and life
- Why you should welcome bad workouts
- How Dan’s intellectual scholarship and training have worked together
- The 4 different types of habits
- Why you should “shark habit” — that is, automate — as many things as you can
- How Dan starts his day to get on the right track
- The importance of de-cluttering
- How long Dan has been keeping a weightlifting journal, and how it’s motivated him over time
- What are the 3 mistakes athletes make in their training?
- Why sport specialization is a problem for kids
- Basic human movements and skills every man should practice
- The importance of recovery — and rituals you should create around your recovery
Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast
- Know Your Lifts series
- Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Podcast: Building Your Band of Brothers
- Podcast: How to Cure Sad Clown Syndrome
- Spring Chicken by Bill Gifford
- Everything You Know About Cholesterol is Wrong
- Stone Soup
- Embracing the Grind in Barbell Training
- Hacking the Habit Loop
- The Power of Checklists
- 22 Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
- Getting Ripped vs. Getting Strong
- Podcast: The Sports Gene with David Epstein
- 10 Physical Skills Every Man Should Master
- How to Master Your Recovery
- A Beginner’s Guide to Foam Rolling
- Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
Connect With Dan
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Coming soon!
The post Podcast #354: Brains & Brawn — Tips and Inspiration on Being a Well-Rounded Man appeared first on The Art of Manliness.
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