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BOOKS

Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler

There’s a scene early in this book, right after Jesse invites a harder-than-nails Navy SEAL to live with him and train him that is instantly relatable to dads everywhere - before it goes sideways…

Jesse’s at home. His day is winding down. He’s hanging with his wife and kids and relaxing. It’s raining out. It’s cold. The perfect night to chill…

Except Jesse has David Goggins in his house. And at 9 or 10pm, Goggins says they’re going for a run. In the cold rain. Doesn’t even let Jesse change. Says, “let’s go” and they’re off.

Goggins wants to see what Jesse is made of. How long can he go? How long will he go? Jesse is miserable. Freezing. Chafing. Tired… But he doesn’t quit. For hours.

And thus, the relationship and respect between two complete strangers - one, a half-billionaire entrepreneur, the other, a Navy SEAL - is born.

The book is about a comfortable man who is forced to push himself by a man who thrives on pushing himself to the limits. It’s also clever. And motivating. And in a way - heartwarming. This is a very different kind of read, but it’ll make you think: am I pushing myself to be better? To take on new challenges? To get out of my comfort zone?

You can buy the book here.

BONUS: Jesse was just on the My First Million podcast last week and it was one of my favorite episodes of all time. Interesting. Motivating. Full of positivity and ideas. Check it out here.

BICEPS

This week’s ‘BICEPS’ section is a Q&A with Greg Scheinman. Greg and I met a while back and after I was a guest on his great Midlife Male podcast (you can listen here) we’ve become buds.

He’s a very Books & Biceps kind of dude. He’s got a sick garage gym, stays jacked at 50, has interesting, athletic hobbies, is an entrepreneur, husband, author and awesome dad.

You should follow him on Instagram here to see his gym, his workouts, his motivational tips and way too many fancy sunglasses to count haha (it’s an inside dig).

The reason I’m introducing you to Greg is because he recently shared his experience taking on a super hard, intense physical challenge that I’d never heard of. It’s a big one. It’s unique. And it’s awesome. I thought you all would agree, so I asked Greg if he’d share what it was like and he was all in.

You’ll enjoy this:

FINKEL: I was captivated by this recent challenge you entered, the Whistler Mountain 29029. I don’t think my explanation would do it justice. Can you tell everyone what it is?

SCHEINMAN: The goal of 29029 is to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest in 36 hours. It's a challenge, not a race, that was created by Jesse Itzler, Mark Hodulich and Colin O'Grady, the adventurer, and they started this years ago on a mountain in Stratton, Vermont, where you would hike up and gondola down and repeat it as many times as necessary until you reach the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.

The event has since expanded to multiple mountains across the country, including Canada. And it's an incredible experience. It's an incredible community. They do an amazing job of bringing you in, getting you to commit to train and to prepare and providing this combination of a luxury, high end, physical challenge and experience with this mental, emotional and spiritual accomplishment.

This sounds incredible. How did you even hear about this thing? Did you know anyone who had done it before?

I first heard about the event online. It was forwarded to me by a friend who had done it and he said, “I think this is right up your alley.”

I had long been a fan of Jesse Itzler and when I researched it I really felt that this was doable. And you should know: I'm not a runner. I don't like to run. Training-wise, I had typically been more of a shorter High Intensity Interval Training guy. But I love trails. I love being outdoors. And I love the challenge. So when I first heard about it, which goes back about three years ago, I only knew one person that had done it.

Anyone who follows you knows your baseline level of being in shape is excellent. Did you have to do any special training to prep for this? And what kind of gear did you need to bring?

I appreciate the compliments about my baseline level of fitness. I absolutely pride myself on being in shape. And I consider being in shape and being healthy and being fit at 50 years old (and approaching 51) a combination of emotional health, mental health, spiritual health, financial health, physical health, with an emphasis on sustainability and longevity.

For this last one, I had learned so much from the first one that I was able to strategize it and enjoy the experience much more. We don't have a lot of hills or mountains in Houston. So I would just put on a weighted vest and I would do more weighted walking and rucking around the neighborhood and parks.

I did increase my cardio on the rowing machine, assault bike and VersaClimber so I could build endurance. As for gear, I went out there with a pair of great socks, a pair of great trail shoes, some hiking poles and Roan outfitted me with great apparel.

I love everything about this. Why do you think it’s so important for dudes who hit their 40s and beyond to keep challenging themselves and pushing themselves?

I think it's incredibly important for guys, at every age and stage, to continue to challenge themselves. I like to look at midlife as having our best days in front of us, not behind us. And what does that mean? What does that require?

I think a slow fade to being out of shape and mediocre is becoming way too common as men age, to put it politely. And I think sedentary lifestyles have unfortunately become the norm. It’s sad. I think the stereotypes around midlife and it being a period of crisis and uncertainty and poor health and conformity and complacency and redundancy are largely true for most people. I don’t want to be “most people”. I want all men to break that cycle of dysfunction and decline.

My philosophy is: Seek out challenges. Put them on your calendar. Commit to them. Have goals. You’ll be surprised how fast you can feel young and energetic and purposeful again when you’re training for something you’re looking forward to.

I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Greg!

To learn more about Greg, his podcast, his book, or his Midlife Male newsletter, visit his site here.

Quick Flexes

Do you know who the wealthiest ex-NFL superstar is? Are you thinking Brady? Manning? Deion?

Nope, nope and nope. The richest NFL player also happens to be the only one who won the Heisman Trophy in college, served four years in the Vietnam War, then went on to win two Super Bowls as a QB and become a Hall of Famer.

And my column this week on him got near 1M views across Twitter and Facebook. Please enjoy this piece on the OG Captain America, Roger Staubach:

Did you know I wrote the only book that researched, reviewed and ranked every single United States President - Athletically?

Zero politics. Just sports.

It’s called Jocks In Chief and it was endorsed by The New York Post, CBS: This Morning and Muscle & Fitness.

"Presidents aren't just the commander in chief - they're also athlete in chief... The Oval Office has a long history of being occupied by athletes. These sweaty pursuits are detailed in Jocks in Chief." - The New York Post

Buy Jocks In Chief HERE.

And check out all my other books right here.

Strong Links

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Thank you all for reading.

Have a great weekend! - Jon

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