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Welcome! You are reading Books & Biceps #299.

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If you’re a new subscriber or missed my yearly book round-up, The 15 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2023, you can read it here. And don’t miss the New Yorker Profile on our Books & Biceps crew.

Before we get into today’s issue, I have one question: 

Have you ever been on a reading retreat? No? Me neither….

But imagine unplugging from the world on Friday and heading to a cabin in the woods… or a beach bungalow… or even a lodge in the mountains… with nothing but a stack of books, peace and quiet and time to read for the weekend… How sick would that be?

Well, here’s your chance to win that exact scenario. Penguin Random House is running a contest where they give one person $1,000 in cash to buy the books you want and send you on the weekend reading retreat of your dreams. Solo. With friends. Whatever… The books in the ad aren’t exactly B&B-focused, but that’s just the stock image. You can use the cash to buy whatever books you want.

Sound dope? All you have to do is click on the ad below to win. And this could be you soon, overlooking water, relaxed, but with a good book instead of a heavyweight belt:

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BOOKS

Pipeline to the Pros: How D3, Small-College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA by Ben Kaplan and Danny Parkins

If you’re watching the NBA Playoffs right now, here’s something you likely didn’t realize:

The favorites to win the championship, my Boston Celtics, are run by D3 graduate Brad Stevens, who was a four year letterman at DePauw University.

The team stealing all the headlines, the New York Knicks, are coached by Tom Thibodeau, who played hoops at D3 school Salem State University.

Sam Presti, the architect of the Oklahoma City Thunder, played D3 ball at Emerson. Phoenix Suns coach and former championship head coach with the Lakers, Frank Vogel, played at D3 Juniata College. Ex-Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, who won a title in 2021, played at tiny Pomona College.

Notice a pattern here? The NBA is in the midst of a D3 boom in terms of leadership, coaching and management. And this excellent book by Kaplan & Parkins essentially answers the question you’re asking yourself now:

How the hell did that happen?

Years ago you’d have assumed that in order to lead an NBA franchise on the court or in the office you’d need to have success at the highest level in the NBA or college. Maybe you played or coached at Duke or UCLA or Kentucky or Villanova or UNC or any of the basketball blue bloods.

Now? Not so much.

This book is loaded with incredibly researched hoops history and anecdotes, as well as fun personal stories, like the time legendary coach Gregg Popovich lived with his wife and kids in the dorms at Pomona College… or how Brad Stevens’ dominance in Ms. Pac-Man is a testament to his competitiveness.

This is a great read for NBA fans. Check it out here.

BICEPS

My son advanced to his blue belt in Taekwondo recently and the step-up has been intense, both from a form standpoint and from a conditioning standpoint.

Gone are the days of doing basic jumping jacks and agility drills for 10 minutes at the end of the class for cardio. That’s for little kids. His new class includes black belts, tournament winners and teens from 18 on down (he’s 11) and there’s a real focus on stamina, fast twitch muscle building and more - which I love - but which my boy is quickly having to adjust to.

The last 30 minutes of his class is a series of 8-10 stations at a high pace with all kinds of great core, balance, kicking and punching applications.

After a few classes where he came out drenched and winded he asked what he could do on off-days to get better (man, I LOVED that) so I put this circuit together that we now do on days with no practice:

We could call it the “shit just got real” workout haha:

15 Minute Jump Rope (1 minute jump / 30 seconds rest)

10 Slam Ball Slams (5 sets / 1 minute rest)

5 sets of 5 Push-Ups

5 sets of 5 Bar Hangs (30 seconds on / one minute off)

Plank to failure

½ mile jog

I made it up on the fly to cover all the bases and it worked well.

Took maybe 40 minutes. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

QUICK FLEXES

If you watch the the NBA on TNT with Ernie, Chuck, Kenny & Charles, then you have to read this story. It’s a phenomenal look at how great of a guy Ernie Johnson is:

NEW MACHO SWAG!: If you buy my Macho Man biography today, I will PERSONALLY send you one of these brand new Macho Man bookmarks signed! Just reply to this email with a screen shot of your order and type in your full address. Thanks!

Time 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) I try to eat healthy, but I don’t ALWAYS eat healthy… And when I don’t want to eat healthy, and I want to know the latest tips, tricks and secret off menu items in fast food, there is only one place I turn to, the Fast Food Club. When you want to eat like crap in the best way possible, check it out:

2) Running sucks! But I make myself do it.

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.

3) 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.

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!

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BONUS 2: Have you read these greatest hits?

1) This feature has been read by more than 10 MILLION PEOPLE:

How ESPN’s SportsCenter United a Generation in the 90s

2) This breakdown of iconic author Lee Child’s success was read by over 4 MILLION:

Did you know Lee Child started his Jack Reacher literary empire with $6?

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