Never Let Go by Dan John, (32) The Big Five, Notes

Post date: Nov 25, 2016 5:03:21 PM

Dan John - On Target Publishing

The Big Five

• • • Things that are good for us:

      • Don’t smoke

      • Wear a seatbelt

      • Floss Daily

      • Eat Vegetables

      • Get 8 hours of sleep

    • Short list of movements that are good for us. The five lifts are hard and take a few weeks to master, which is why we rarely see people perform them.

      • Squat

      • Good Morning

      • Plank

      • Deadlift

      • Bent Over Row

    • Goal: Perform these lifts well.

      • Squats do more for total body mass and total body strength than all other lifts combined. Doing them wrong can do more damage as well.

        • Basic

          • Squat Down

          • At the bottom drive knees out with the elbows.

          • Relax...go a bit deeper.

          • Feet should be flat on the floor.

        • Doorknob Drill:

          • Stand arm’s length from a doorknob.

          • Grab the doorknob. Get the chest up. Puffing up the chest tightens the low back and locks the upper body. The lats naturally spread out a bit and the shoulders come back a little.

          • Lower down. We soon discover we squat between the legs. The legs are not stuck like stilts under the torso. Rather, the torso is slung between the legs. We don’t unfold like an accordion. We sink between the legs. Go do it!

        • Goblet Squat

          • Grab a Kettlebell or Dumbbell and hold it against the chest.

          • Squat Down with the goal of having the elbows pointed down.

          • Elbows slide past the inside of the knees. It’s okay to have the elbows push down the knees as we go down.

          • Let the body

          • Goblet squatting is all most people need.

        • A great reminder how to deadlift: Potato Sack Squats.

          • Stand tall and hold one end of a dumbbell.

          • Hold it at arm’s length pointing to the ground.

          • Let the ‘bell descend to a point between the feet. Keep the head and chest proud. Lower the bell, touch, return.

          • To move on, stand on 2 boxes or two thick 45 lb plates.

          • Do 10 potato sack squats, then try and replicate the descending feel with the bar.

          • Hints:

            • Keep the weight on the heels. To test, slide 10 lb weights under the toe until the balls of the feet are under the plates. It will stress the hammies and gastroc.

            • Push the ground away with the heels. “Push your heels to China.”

            • The arms are steel rods in the deadlift. Lock them out and leave them.

            • Keep the head up, chin leading to the ceiling.

      • Good Mornings. Save the back, learn the movement with a broomstick first. Practice doing butt wall touches.

      • Bent Over Rows

        • Batwings X 2 sets. Cram the shoulders together, thumbs in the armpits. Only perform the last four inches of flexion. Discover the rhomboids.

        • Rows: Get into the good morning ‘V’ and strive to touch the chest with the load. Focus on the last 4” at the top.

        • Do a batwing any time we do a horizontal push. When we row, finish the stroke.

      • Planks. One minute plank test:

        • If the armpits burn, do more rows and batwings.

        • If the hamstrings hurt, do more goblet squats and possibly deadlifts. To wake up the glutes do a daily dose of light good mornings and goblet squats.

        • If we have a shaky torso and the last 10 seconds are screaming, do more planks.

      • Cramps in the plank? Better nutrition, sleep, etc.