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Play On Published in 2018 by Jeff Bercovici, Play On focuses on the aging professional superstar athlete. Through interviews with coaches, doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists, sleep consultants, and the professional athletes themselves, the book attempts to determine whether inherent genetics, or perhaps better training, medicine and technology are the keys to the athletic longevity we are seeing across many sports (LeBron James, Christiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady come to mind). Bercovici also visited exclusive training camps, Silicon Valley startups, tournaments, anti-aging clinics - you name it and he was probably there during his research efforts, which including his own participation on occasion. He describes himself as a not "particularly impressive recreational athlete," on the precipice of middle age who wants to extend his athletic life (soccer, tennis, bicycling, running), making him, he believes, a good filter for the rest of us who do not have the unlimited budget and time of the pros. He concedes that finding peak performance as an older athlete isn't about denying that getting older means getting a little slower, a little weaker. It means trying to find the best version of yourself physically, thus feeling better and performing better. He says we just need to tilt the playing field a bit. To do this the pros, want-to-be pros, or athletes facing a physical challenge usually enlist specialized trainers to analyze their performance and suggest improvements in execution, speed, conditioning, diet, and recovery. Bercovici's profiles of athletes throughout the book and the problems that were solved make for interesting reading - especially for other athletes. As an example: - A young female soccer player who at 20 was cut from the US national under-21 team because her game had "big flaws." Taken in hand by a youth soccer expert at the request of her father, the expert required total commitment and no excuses - and handled her career without charge for 10 years. With a lot of dedication she completed phase one of the plan to increase her baseline conditioning by doing 90 minutes of running, 400 pushups and 1,000 sit-ups - every day for two years to reach the national fitness standards in the field. By the time she completed his multi-phased plan she had evolved into FIFA's woman player of the year for 2015 and 2016. Had she reached her peak? The coach continues: Your peak ends when you want it to end. There is no peak, there is no talent. Talent is made. No one is born hitting three-pointers on a basketball court. Clearly, most of the readers of the book are not professional athletes. Getting a glimpse into the case studies of athletes performing at a professional level, their specialized trainers, their problems and their results is a good read. It takes one out of the cocoon of your own training and gives you a chance to see the challenges, drive to excel, and dedication of athletes in other sports on a level that you can understand. Here is what some of the chapters cover: the physiology of the aging athlete, a better way to think about conditioning, the surprising benefits of cross-training, how technology makes workouts smarter, why older athletes are behind the recovery revolution, and others. And a fascinating chapter on strategy, complexity, and the advantages of experience. But in the Epilogue the author answers the question he was afterwards most asked, "What practical performance tips did you learn through your research to help the non-pro athlete who has a regular day job." Some of the items on his list: Periodize, periodize, periodize. This means using a periodization plan (see our book Ripped 3) to vary volume over time. This also means, he says, that you are careful to not make sudden jumps in intensity or volume which result in injury. Make unloading and mobility part of every workout. Try yoga, foam rolling, meditating, stretching, range-of-motion work, or a nap after workouts to unload from training compensations that can build up over time and cause injury. Eat a good diet with plenty of protein. Try collagen/bone broth. He says it's a rare fad that has data to back it up. Self-talk. Determine whether you like to challenge yourself or praise yourself and use it. It's a powerful performance tool. Harder, not heavier. Try push-ups on a medicine ball, or other exercise modifications. Try a new sport. Mix it up to challenge your body in a new way even though you may suck. And he adds: Greatness is a burden, and there's a profound freedom in knowing you'll never have it... Until science makes it possible to get younger, getting fitter, faster, and better at what you love will remain the closest thing most of us have. Try this book for a good vacation read. (Many thanks to Richard Rinck a long-time trainer and friend for this book recommendation) May 1, 2025 Comment on this article: FEEDBACK Ripped Enterprises, P.O. Box 51236, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-1236 Home | Products Index | Ripped Bks | Lean Adv. Bks | Lean For Life | Recommended Bks | |Consultations | Tapes | To Order | Feedback] Copyright © 2025 Clarence and Carol Bass. All rights reserved. |
