John Janecek, SSC

Strength training isn’t a hobby or second career for me. I never worked in any other profession. Strength training is all I’ve known. My passion started back in my high school weight room. I found the harder I worked in the weight room, the more successful I was in sports. That desire grew into helping others excel in the weight room too. When my high school counselor asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I told her, without hesitation, that I wanted to teach people how to lift and get stronger. For the past 30 years, I’ve worked as a college and high school strength coach. My college career includes Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, The University at Albany NY and SMU. My high school career includes stints at South Grand Prairie, Euless Trinity and Longview.

Throughout that time, I was paid to work with athletes, but also enjoyed training other coaches, staff members, their spouses and kids! I gained my introduction to strength training while playing football at University of Nebraska. It was there that Boyd Epley introduced me to Husker Power and I adopted the ideology that squats, cleans and presses are the key to strength and athletic development. When I arrived in Texas in 2000, I met Mark Rippetoe and discovered our philosophies meshed well. As a man over 50, my focus has shifted to researching and putting that research into practice. I aspire to not only maintain, but gain strength in myself and others who, at the age of 40 and beyond, may feel like they have lost a step or two (or three) in navigating life with independence. My goal as a Starting Strength coach is simple. I want to help those who desire to keep or regain their strength and independence through a