You are reading Books & Biceps #276!

Welcome to the 101 new sophisticated meatheads joining us this week.

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If you missed my Top Secret e-mail earlier in the week, I finally unveiled the sensational cover to my Macho Man biography. Dig it!

The results and feedback from you all have been remarkable and I’m humbled in a very Macho way. Within 10 hours the bio was the #1 wrestling biography on Amazon - even though the release date isn’t until April 2, 2024.

In the meantime, PRE-ORDERS are HUGE for authors. They let us know how sales are going, inform the print run and set authors up for future books…

This means that while you’ll have plenty of opportunities to order, the best time is always NOW:

The e-book and print version are ready. Audio coming soon. And when you order, e-mail me a screen shot (reply to this email) and I’ll mail you an awesome, shimmery hologram sticker of the cover. Thanks!

BOOKS

Sting Like A Bee by Leigh Montville

Other than maybe Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali is probably the most biographed athlete we’ve ever had. No, I have no idea if biographed is a word. It doesn’t sound like one, and yet, it works and you know exactly what I mean.

Most Biographed: To have a ton of biographies written about you.

There we go, I just put it in italics, so now it’s an official phrase we can all use.

As for the book, legendary sportswriter Leigh Montville uses Ali’s appeal of his conviction for refusing to report to military service for the Vietnam War as the focal point to explore his life and impact, from childhood through his post-boxing legacy.

Montville, whose biographies of Ruth and Ted Williams I’ve also recommended over the years, navigates the story and tone perfectly, jumping from the civil unrest and the controversies that were tearing the US apart in the late 1960s back to Ali’s charisma and playful nature with ease.

Despite the seriousness of the book’s subject, it’s still an entertaining read because Ali himself is endlessly entertaining - even during a trial with the United States government.

One of my favorite vignettes is when Ali visits Alloway, a Scottish town outside of Glasgow in the British Isles. The town is the home of the famous poet, Robert Burns.

At one point during the visit, Ali is interviewed while sitting in a wooden chair made from the wooden presses that printed the poet’s first books in 1786…

Just as someone asks him a question, Ali leans back and says, “I heard of a man named Burns, who’s supposed to be a great poet. But if he was: how come I don’t know it?”

Classic Ali. Turned a dad joke into an incident that charmed an entire nation. This book is filled with stories like that. You can check it out here.

BICEPS

Ever since I committed to running twice a week (5k on Sunday and one day of sprints) I’ve been experimenting with my leg day, trying to combine it with other lifting days instead of having a dedicated day for legs.

With the running, I’d much rather have a recovery day or swim instead of hitting legs too often, especially since I still play hoops once a week.

I think this week I found my solution.

On Wednesday morning I did the following workout and it was great:

20 × 100s sprints (30 seconds rest between each)

3 × 12 hex bar deadlift

3 × 12 light cossack squat

Stretch.

Done.

The whole thing took 45 minutes and I kept the leg lifts to higher reps at about 50% max.

The lifting after the sprints was solid and now my legs can recover. I think coupling the high intensity training on one day will work.

Give the workout a try. Curious to hear what you think.

PS, if you don’t know what Cossack Squats are or you’re not sure on the proper form, Tim Ferriss released this great 60-second video explaining how to do them.

Quick Flexes

I witnessed a magical moment at a coffee shop this week between two older gentlemen. Been thinking about it for days and how it could impact so many people. Here’s the beginning:

I'm writing at a coffee shop and I notice an older guy sitting by himself waiting for someone. Maybe late 70s...

He's nervous. Eyes keep darting to the door...

After a while, another older man comes in and they make eye contact. A quick nod. It's cold. Curt.

The 1st man's eyes dash down to his cup…

Click below to finish the story. It’s amazing, I promise:

I made a cool 7-second teaser video of the Macho book cover reveal, complete with my sick Savage impression. Enjoy with the sound up:

And don’t forget to pre-order your copy here!

Strong Links:

This week I met author and speaker Antonio Neves.

Antonio’s book is titled Stop Living on Autopilot and he’s got a great newsletter called Man Morning, where he shares actionable lessons, stories and insights designed to elevate your personal and professional growth. Great topics for dudes, dads and husbands all around.

Check out some of his articles and subscribe to Man Morning here.

Are you an AUDIO BOOK fan? 

I’ve long resisted, but recently become a fan and have one or two going right now… I like them for fiction and have been listening to them in place of podcasts during drives…

A nice way to “read” a few more books a year.

If you love audiobooks or are thinking of joining Audible, use this link below and support Books & Biceps:

→ USE THIS LINK for an awesome Audible Premium Deal

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Thank you all for reading.

Have a great weekend! - Jon

PS: I’m gathering testimonials for this newsletter as we grow. If you have one minute, please reply with one or two sentences describing the best book, workout or thing you learned from the newsletter.

Thanks!