Dan John

Dan John is a strength coach and a track and field coach, a coach of the annual John Powell Discus Camp, a competitive Master’s throwing athlete and Highland Games competitor, and an RKC kettlebell instructor. He’s a writer who covers all aspects of weightlifting, athletic training and throwing, is a contributor to several online and print magazines, and is the editor of Get Up! newsletter for weightlifting, throwing sports and Highland Games competitors.

Coach John is an accomplished lecturer of the weight training sports, and commands a large following among competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Dan has a reputation for advocating adherence to basic weight training principles, such as focus on form and nutrition. His popularity is due in part to his simple and effective approach to “the basics” of weight training. He’s also a heck of a writer, weaving stories of life into his thoughts on training.

Currently, Dan is ranked as a Masters Highland Games athlete, holds the American Record in the Weight Pentathlon and holds numerous National Championships in weightlifting and throwing. His most recent competitions were the Pleasanton Highland Games, August, 2008, where he took first place in the Master’s Division (50+), and the US Master’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Spokane, Washington, last summer, where he placed first in the discus, second in the hammer throw and third in the shot put in the 50-55 age division. He rounds out his athletics with two Masters degrees (history and religious education); he’s married to Tiffini and has two daughters, Kelly and Lindsay.

After a couple years of email communication, I met Dan and Tiffini at the Pleasanton Games, where I watched him win his division and when we began a conversation about the publication of his first book, what you know now as Never Let Go. A few months later another conversation led to his headlining our 9th annual IronOnline camaraderie weekend, which we filmed for DVD, the popular four-part Never Let Go seminar series released in the fall of 2009.

His website is danjohn.net, where he updates a few times weekly. He’s regularly online answering questions in our forum here on his Q&A deck. You can also reach him via email at dan@danjohn.net for interview or article contribution requests.

He’s currently at work on his second book with On Target, and is co-authoring a book with Pavel Tsatsouline.