Boom! This is Books & Biceps #397!

Thanks to everyone who has shared this newsletter with a buddy or fellow sophisticated meathead. In fact, if an awesome B&B reader shared this with you, add your e-mail with the subscribe button below:

Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition and the Biggest Scandal in Chess by Ben Mezrich

I just pre-ordered this book and it doesn’t come out until June because I have a lifetime pass for Ben Mezrich books. Whenever I see a new one is available to pre-order I buy it. Then I usually forget about it until one day I get the mail (in this case, it’ll be early June) and I’ll think, “Sweet! A new Mezrich book!”

I’ve probably recommended a half-dozen of his books in the eight years I’ve been writing this newsletter. You definitely know about The Social Network and Bringing Down the House and Bitcoin Billionaires. One of my favorites was a book he wrote about a group of scientists using genetic engineering to bring back the woolly mammoth. It was aptly titled, Woolly.

So when I saw that Mezrich wrote about the world of chess (which my son and I have started playing regularly) I was curious. Then, when I read that the book is about this massive scandal that knocked the chess world off its axis and lead to a major investigation by Chess.com (where millions of people play) I was all in. If any of this is in your wheelhouse, check it out here. I’m sure someone like Timothy Chalamet will be starring in the movie in about three years, haha.

I don’t own a super yacht and I’ve never been a guest on a super yacht, so I’ve never worked out on one or had a trainer on one… So maybe that’s why I find this video fascinating. It’s a simple post with a simple workout and great looking food… But it’s from a trainer whose job is to, I guess, train billionaires on their yachts. Look at this:

I don’t know Josh Goosen, but I am so curious about how you find your way to living and training people on yachts. Did you see that scenery? And like, when you’re not lifting or helping other people lift, are you just on a yacht? Eating yacht food? Hanging out doing yacht things? Amazing.

If you’re a guy over 40 and you’ve been looking for a new digital magazine that’s written for midlife men, by midlife men, on the topics that actually matter to us: family, fitness, fashion, finance, food & fun, then join us at Midlife Male.

I write a column every Tuesday called The Manologue. This week, I tackled how the temptation to use AI is affecting our kids and how I talked to my son about understanding how damaging it can be when it comes to learning and thinking. But I explained it the only way I know how: using push-ups and meathead terminology. You’ll see. I think the analogy I stumbled into here will be useful to a lot of parents:

If you haven’t seen War Machine on Netflix yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s the ultimate 80s and 90s throwback action movie. Part Predator and part Commando and part Rambo and every other old school action hero you liked.

And Alan Ritchson rules in it. He did most of his own stunts, including this one, which, I can tell you, considering his size, the currents, the water temps and him being fully clothed, was a super difficult swim. Very impressive:

Most supplement routines are built on guesswork.

SuppCo fixes that. They help you audit product quality, optimize your budget, and track the exact nutrient density of your stack. You take the right dosages from trusted sources. Nothing more, nothing less.

Plus, their core features are free. Not a trial. Just free.

Download the SuppCo app to see what you're actually taking. Then start building a routine that makes sense for your body and your budget.

Your workouts aren't random. Your supplements shouldn't be either.

Download SuppCo

The ‘Read More, Lift More’ 30-Day Brain & Body Endurance Challenge

The Flex Factory Garage Gym Muscle Manual: 90 Days to Meathead Nirvana

So, I thought of this graphic (hahaha):

Yes, we’re nine months from publication day. And yes, we don’t even have a cover yet. And yes, I’m not reading the audio book for a few months… But that doesn’t mean that now isn’t a GREAT time to pre-order the book!

"It's insane. It's primal. It's poetic. Bear Brawl is like Rocky IV meets The Revenant, but with a deeper emotional undercurrent about grief and masculinity. Finkel captures the mind of a fighter better than most writers ever have--and reminds you that sometimes, the fight isn't just about the opponent, but also with yourself--or in this case, with a bear." - Ed Latimore

Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage, 1996: A Biography, Hoops Heist, The Life of Dad, Jocks In Chief, The Athlete, Heart Over Height, “Mean” Joe Greene and more. His books have been endorsed by everyone from Mark Cuban, John Cena and Tony Dungy to Spike Lee, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine. He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, Good Morning Chicago, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts and streams. Jon was recently profiled in The New Yorker about the awesome community he’s built around his Books & Biceps newsletter. They describe him as “a gym rat’s Reese Witherspoon”. Reply to this email for any media requests.

→ DO YOU READ BOOKS & BICEPS MOST WEEKS?

→ DO YOU WORK FOR A BRAND OR COMPANY OR SELL A PRODUCT?

Want to get in front of 27,000 awesome readers who focus on being smart, wellness, fitness, nutrition, entertainment, sports and more?

You could be our next title sponsor!

January and the 1st week of February are booked! Previous sponsors include Nike, Random House, Huel, HubSpot, SFH Nutrition, La Touraine Watches and more…

→ Download the media kit.

→ Or book while inventory lasts.