Welcome! You are reading Books & Biceps #295.

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BREAKING NEWS:

We picked up some amazing new endorsements for Macho Man this week:

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BOOKS

City in Ruins by Don Winslow

It’s a rare thing when a fiction book release feels like an EVENT, but that’s exactly where we are with Don Winslow’s City In Ruins.

Not only is this the third book in Winslow’s blockbuster Danny Ryan trilogy, it is also the LAST BOOK he’s ever writing. Yep, this is the 8x NY Times bestselling author’s swan song - his retirement book.

He’d been mapping out and game planning the story of Danny Ryan, a dock worker, low level Irish mobster in Providence who rises to fame and riches and back, for the better part of 30 years and now it’s time to conclude the story.

I recommended both of the first two books in this trilogy in Books & Biceps last summer, with the first book being one of the best novels I’ve ever read.

Here’s what I said at the time:

“I’ve seen it compared to the Godfather but I’d say it’s more of a mix between Goodfellas and Casino with a dash of The Departed. Yeah. All that. It’s a big boy, big time book. I hate to throw around words like ‘sweeping’ and ‘epic’, but that’s what City on Fire is. The book reads like a Scorsese movie.”

If you’ve been reading this series, then hell yes, go out and grab the third installment. If you haven’t, or if you’ve never even heard of Winslow but you love mysteries, thrillers, crime dramas, action and suspense, then start with the first book right here. You won’t regret it.

BICEPS

You all know Lenny Kravitz.

Singer. Songwriter. Rock star. Very cool. Fashion icon.

But did you know he was born in 1964… and that he’s still an absolute BEAST in the gym?

He shared this video on Wednesday and I had to break it down for you all:

1) We’ve got a 60-year-old dude banging out barbell weighted decline sit-ups on a bench at a fast clip.

2) He’s rocking leather pants in the gym.

3) Not only is he wearing a pair of shades inside while exercising, but his super trendy trainer is rocking shades too!

Everything about this is tremendous and I will be duplicating this soon in the Flex Factory hahaha. Stay tuned!

FYI, if you don’t have a spotter, you can do these in your home gym or your garage with dumbbells…

And if you don’t have an incline or decline bench, you’ll still get a majority of the benefits of the movement from doing the same lift on a flat bench.

QUICK FLEXES

My son and I went to WrestleMania XL in Philly last weekend to promote the Macho Man book and also, yeah, have the time of our lives!

Thank you to everyone who bought the book and I wanted to share a few photos from our trip.

We got the book up on the Jumbotron at Citizens Bank Park, we met the “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart, I filmed a Macho Promo on the floor of WrestleMania itself and we had an awesome book signing at WrestleCon:

It was an epic, legendary weekend as a dad and an author and I explain what it meant to me right here in this column:

REMEMBER: If you buy Macho Man today, I will PERSONALLY send you a signed book plate and sweet hologram sticker of the cover. Just reply to this email with a screen shot of your order and type in your full address. Thanks!

How to Honor Our Meathead Agreement

In the gym there is an unspoken agreement that if a fellow dude needs a spot you jump in and help, one meathead to another.

If you enjoy reading this newsletter every week, let’s spot each other.

Let’s consider my writing and sending each issue of Books & Biceps my spotting you the best books, interviews and meathead content around.

Your spot to me is that you share this issue with ONE person who you think would like it.

That’s the deal. I spot you. You spot me. Just like the gym. Thanks!

Here’s your personal sharing link to get free stuff for every share:

STRONG LINKS:

1) Running sucks! But I make myself do it. I run a 5k every Sunday and run sprints or a short 1-2 mile jog during the week. Lately, I’ve become interested in learning about the mechanics of running, prepping for races and more. This newsletter, The Rundown shares unique stories as well as stretches, nutrition tips and even cool upcoming races you might be interested in. You can join here.

2) Do you run a start-up? Have you ever wondered what tools and tactics the best founders use? This newsletter, Big Desk Energy, gives you deep insight into the ins, outs, dos, don’ts and definitely don’ts when it comes to starting a company - all with a little humor involved. Check it out.

3) I know squats, not stocks. I know the QB option, not trading options. I could make more bad analogies, but I won’t. What I will do is share the link to the Bullseye Trades email written every week by world-famous 20-year trading veteran Jeff Bishop. If you’re into getting daily hot stock ideas and learning options trading strategies, this email is for you. Subscribe here.

4) Readers always ask me what supplements I take or what pre-workouts and protein powder I use. I’ve been using the same brand since they launched about a decade ago: Jym Supplements. I’ve known the owner and founder for fifteen years and it’s the best tasting, highest quality stuff around. Try my favorite pre-workout (Blue Arctic Freeze) and protein powder (S’mores) here.

Thank you all for reading and have a phenomenal weekend!

PS - Don’t forget to buy Macho Man! - Jon

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PPS: You still reading Gus and Mallory? Thanks for getting through the whole thing! No skimming!

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