"Ask the Coach" is the column in which Wolfgang Unsöld answers your questions. The book of the same name will be released on February 13, 2017. You can pre-order it right here on Amazon.
Question: Hello Wolfgang, I've already read a few books about strength training. I'm sure you too. What is a book that almost no one has read. However, you would recommend to trainers and serious exercisers? mike s
WU: There are many books on strength training. Few of them stand out clearly. A book that very few trainers and trainees have read - primarily because it was very hard to find but is now available as a Kindle book - is COAN The Man, The Myth, The Method: The Life, Times & Training of The Greatest Powerlifter of All Time"
A book about the training and achievements of powerlifter Ed Coan, referred to by many as the GOAT - short for Greatest Of All Time. Ed is a pioneer of strength training and in particular of powerlifting. He is a 12-time world champion, has set over 70 world records and has squatted more than 1000lbs/454kg more times than any other powerlifter in history. His deadlift performance of 406kg at 99kg bodyweight is considered by many to be the best lift in history. The book deals in detail with his success story and especially his training.
3 points that set the book apart from (almost) all others
1. Training programs including the weights - one of the biggest aha moments for me when I read the book for the first time was that not only the individual training programs are listed, but also the individual training weights per set. What a deeper insight into and a better understanding of everyday training. With " microperiodization " I have defined a term that deals precisely with the structuring of training weights. This book is one of the few that details training weights.
2. Walk the Talk – In January of this year I gave a talk at the Hawaii Strength Clinic in Honolulu, Hawaii where Ed Coan was also a presenter. Over the 4 days we had quite a few meals together and some of the best strength training talks I've ever had. There is only one other person I have spoken to in the last 10 years who has as much knowledge about strength training as he does. In theory. And impressive in practice. you think you are strong Not only has Ed Coan squatted over 1000lbs more times than any powerlifter in history, he also does 185kg seated neck presses, 260kg bent-over LH rows and wide pronated pull-ups as the third exercise of his back workout at 105kg bodyweight plus 90kg extra weight done for 5 repetitions. walk the talk
3. Strength takes time - The book also gives a chronological overview of his competitions. The services. And the story behind it. So Ed started powerlifting in 1980. He competed in his first competition that same year and posted a PR of 484lbs/220kg. In 1999 he squatted 1000lbs/454kg for the first time. So it took 19 years to increase his squat by 500 pounds. The lessons and methods he learned and used along the way are detailed in the book. Nobody gets strong overnight. Building strength takes time. As impressively detailed in this book.
This book entertains and motivates you to train even harder. It gives an insight into his simple and methodical approach as well as his focus and mindset to achieve what has long been thought impossible by many.
You can get the book right here on Amazon
Have fun with the book!
If you have a question for the Ask the Coach column, post it in the comments below and with a little luck your question will be selected for an upcoming post or the next Ask the Coach book.
Image: The cover of the book "COAN The Man, The Myth, The Method: The Life, Times & Training of The Greatest Powerlifter of All-Time"