When it comes to fat loss, health, and longevity, mentors are important. I’ve already discussed in a previous post how I learned “healthy sleep” from an energetic 67-year-old who looked like he was 40. Call me lucky, but I’ve always learned the most from strong, happy, healthy older folks - the kind who actually LIVE the life I want.

Who wants to “look their age” when they’re 60? Don’t we all want to maintain our youth and vitality as long as possible?

I know I do, and I bet you do too.

This is why mentors are important. We all want to lose a little fat, gain a little muscle, and live life with more joy and energy. But that often feels impossible unless we know someone who’s walked the walk, and who’s willing to inspire us and teach us the lessons.

For me, that person is Coach Dan John.

The Coach’s Coach

At Hibernate, we’ve been huge fans of Dan John’s work for years. Who is Coach John? He’s an All-American discus thrower and academic. He’s competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting and Highland Games, and holds the American record in the Weight Pentathlon. Dan now gives workshops around the world, writes books, hosts The Dan John Podcast, and works with private clients from all walks of life including professional athletes and military personnel.

Most importantly, Dan is still kicking butt well into his 60s, even after total hip replacement.

For me, he’s the perfect mentor.

So, when Dan released his “Easy Strength for Fat Loss” program in 2020, I was thrilled. I’d already followed Easy Strength for years, building strength while saving time and stress, and optimizing my health.

But “Easy Strength for Fat Loss” was different. It introduced a holistic health concept that promised fat loss and boundless energy with far less effort than you’d think.

Let’s examine this remarkable program:

Easy Fat Loss

Dan’s free YouTube workshop explains everything in detail, but the basics are as follows:

Five days a week:

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Wake up and drink coffee
• Keep fasting until you train

Training:

1. Ab Wheel: 1 x 10
2. Vertical Press: 3 x 3
3. Vertical Pull: 3 x 3 or six singles (adding load or staying the same)
4. Deadlift Variation: 3 x 3
5. Kettlebell Swings: Up to 75…push the heart rate up
6. On the last rep, go straight out the door and walk for about 45 minutes without getting the heart rate over 180-minus your age. If you’re 40, that means never letting your heart rate rise above 140. If you’re 60, it means 120.

The goal: One-hour workouts, up to five days a week.

Diet: Eat veggies and proteins at meals; drink water all day as appropriate

“Gut Biome Breaks:” Eat fermented food (like sauerkraut) and a piece of fruit daily.

Off days: On the other two days, do some additional mobility work and go for a stroll, but keep doing everything else.

Why do we love this program?

Notice the first thing Coach John noted. It wasn’t train hard. It wasn’t “Cut your calories!” or “Never eat carbs!” It was this: “Get a good night’s sleep.”

As a coach and master’s-level athlete who knows what it takes for normal folks like you and me to succeed, Dan understands that “health” is a holistic concept. He also understands that good sleep is the bedrock upon which a healthy body is built.

If you’re not sleeping right, you can’t train hard.

If you’re not sleeping right, you tend to eat poorly.

If you’re training too hard and eat poorly, your sleep tends to suffer and you tend to gain fat and get sick.

If you’re training hard, eating poorly, and sleeping poorly, everything will come crashing down soon enough. It doesn’t matter what program you choose. If you’re not covering all your health bases with small daily habits, stress will eat you alive.

In this age of “silver bullet” solutions for health and longevity, it’s important to remember that our bodies are singular and beautiful systems. As Coach John often reminds us: “The body is one piece.” Yes, you can train like a demon and lose a few pounds in 4 weeks. But what does it take to stay lean and mean into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and even 70s?

(Yes, even into your 70s. Coach John’s wonderful online community at DanJohnUniversity.com includes a number of folks in their 70s who are deadlifting 400+lbs, training mixed martial arts for the fun of it, traveling with their families, and all-around living their best lives.)

To succeed long-term, you need to view the body as a system. Sleep, training, diet, immunity, fat loss - these all go hand-in-hand. And when you take this holistic view, yes, fat loss can even be “easy.”

Does Easy Strength for Fat Loss work?

Like gangbusters.

The first time I myself followed Easy Strength for Fat Loss, I cut 7lbs of fat while increasing my max deadlift by 60lbs. It took 6 weeks, and it changed my life.

Recently, one member of the Hibernate team used this program to lose 5lbs of bodyfat and add 25lbs to his deadlift, all while enjoying more than a few healthy glasses of bourbon each week. (Hey, socializing is an important part of long-term health.)

Google around and you’ll find plenty other examples. The program has basically gone viral because so many folks have found tremendous success with this “easy” plan for all-around health, strength, and fat loss.

Where to Learn More?

As always, it’s best to learn from the mentor himself. We recommend Coach John’s 30-minute YouTube Workshop. It’s a master class in building longevity.

We also HIGHLY recommend DanJohnUniversity.com. It’s one of the best resources on the Internet for transforming your body at any age. If you want to live an active, healthy life. If you want to play catch with your grandson and dance at your granddaughter’s wedding, DanJohnUniversity.com is the place to learn how. The “Essays” section is a treasure trove. Plus, it always features a 14-day free trial.

How to Amplify Your Fat Loss and All-Around Health?

Hey, we’re Hibernate. You know we’re going to tell you to optimize your sleep if you want vitality and longevity. There’s a reason why the first rule of Easy Strength for Fat Loss is “Get a good night’s sleep.”

We recommend:

1. Take Hibernate. Consume the 4 healthy ingredients your brain needs to sleep every night of your natural life. Don’t take 50 unregulated plant extracts that leave you groggy, and which stop working after 2 nights.
2. Minimize electric light after sundown. I write about this constantly because it’s incredibly important. Natural, healthy sleep occurs in the absence of light. Don’t fight your own brain.
3. Don’t eat or drink anything within 2 hours of bedtime. This has two benefits. One, it kickstarts the fasting process that will heal your gut and give you all-day energy. Two, it prevents you from waking up in the middle of the night.

Conclusion

Mentors, folks. If you want to lose fat, gain strength, and live a long, healthy life, you need a mentor. We’ve introduced you to ours, and shown you a program that could change your life. It certainly changed mine.

In the end, I’d like to note that if you find Coach John on the Internet, you’ll notice that he often signs off with a message:

Make a Difference.

Live. Love. Laugh.

Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude).

Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk.

Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth.

Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights.

Reread great books. Say thank you.

Consider this article our “thank you.” We hope it will inspire you as well.