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Boom! This is Books & Biceps #334!

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If you’re a new subscriber or missed my yearly book round-up, The 16 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2024, you can read it here.

BOOKS

The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard

Every year I like to give myself an amateur course in a topic I’ve always been interested in but knew very little about. A few years ago I read a ton of books on the Civil War. Before that I read the top 4 or 5 books I could find on the American Frontier. I’ve had years where I read a lot about Teddy Roosevelt or Great White Sharks or shipwreck diving or space travel…

I have no plan or rhyme or reason for the topics I choose. It typically starts with me reading an article or book that sparks an interest and I decide to read more.

This year I’m going to read and learn about pirates. Yeah, pirates. Real ones.

Blackbeard. William Kidd. Calico Jack.

All the big names from the 1600s and 1700s who were true blue pirates of the Caribbean.

I’ve long been fascinated with how someone became a pirate, what life was like on a pirate ship, what battles were like, what pirates ate, how they lived, what they did on shore, how you become captain and on and on.

The one book all my research pointed me to for my first foray onto the high seas was this one, The Republic of Pirates.

I’ve just started and it does not disappoint. I promised myself I wouldn’t use the word ‘swashbuckling’ to describe it, so I won’t (but it is).

It’s got all the details I was looking for. From the types of ships (Brigantines, Snows, Sloops, Schooners, Galleons) to how someone entered piracy (criminals, traitors, escaped slaves, men looking for adventure, captured enemies) to what they really wore to how filthy they were to what the captains were like and more.

Want to jump on this literary adventure? There are also some great quotes that Woodard pulls from trials, diaries and archives. Henry Avery’s is my favorite so far. Before heading out to sea he said, “I am a man of fortune… going to seek my fortune.” Love it.

Yo ho, yo ho, it’s a pirate’s reading life for me this year hahaha.

Check out The Republic of Pirates here.

NOTE: This will be our Big Book of the Month to discuss on our Premium Flex Call. We can talk about any of my books, any B&B book we’ve recommended or other awesome books you’ve read, plus any fitness stuff or general Qs, but we’ll reserve time at the end to focus on this book as well. Upgrade to Premium Flex here and don’t miss out.

BICEPS

One of the top requests I’ve had from regular readers of B&B is to put all of the garage gym workouts that I share in this newsletter into a fitness plan that anyone can follow in their own garage with some basic equipment, or at their local commercial gym.

While I regularly share my favorite workouts and exercises here, I decided to spend some time at the end of last year on this because the requests for an offering like this were too frequent to ignore. And why would I ignore them?

We sophisticated meatheads are men of the people, haha. And we always give the people what they want.

So I want to share the cover of the workout plan here.

It’s called: The Flex Factory Muscle Manual. 90 Days. 60 Workouts. No Excuses.

This thing is OVER 50 PAGES. It’s a brain and brawn behemoth.

I’ve packed this guide with the kind of expert advice that helped me interview everyone from world-class trainers and Olympians to writing cover stories on NFL, NBA, WWE and MMA Hall of Famers. It’s your one-stop, three-month manual to finally hitting your goals in the gym. I’m talking about a full 3 month plan, with workouts to follow 5 days a week that you can do with basic garage gym equipment or at your local gym. This is a tried and true, old school program people pay high-priced trainers hundreds of dollars an hour for.

The best part?

You get it included in your Premium Flex Upgrade along with the chance to ask me whatever questions you’d like during the monthly live call.

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QUICK FLEXES

We rarely hit these low temps in South Florida:

Elmore Leonard is one of my favorite authors of all time… and his rise to literary stardom from obscurity is remarkable. You have to read it to believe it:

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STRONG LINKS

1) DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY IN 2025?

Hell yes, you do! You gotta try the Knees Over Toes program. I’ve been doing it for over 2 months and the results are legit. No BS. I’d never share this if it didn’t work wonders for me.

This is the EXACT workout I’m using to cure my longstanding low back pain, along with my longtime pathetic mobility and flexibility. So far, my tight hip pain has disappeared and my low back pain has gone from a constant five down to a two. This may sound dumb, but I can put my shoes and socks on without that familiar twinge and tightening. It’s incredible.

If you’d like to sign up, please USE THIS LINK FOR BOOKS & BICEPS READERS. B&B is an official Knees Over Toes affiliate and if you join it helps support this newsletter.

If you’d like to sign up, please USE THIS LINK FOR BOOKS & BICEPS READERS.

2) MIDLIFE MALE

If you’re a dude over 40 and you used to read Men’s Health or Esquire or GQ, and you’re looking for a digital magazine to get you on top of your game and keep you on top of your game, with incredible A-List interviews (Troy Aikman, Don Saladino, Gunnar Peterson and more), original columns and a curated list of weekly items second-to-none, subscribe to Midlife Male Magazine.

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

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