Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Argo, Books to Check Out, Squatting 4x Per Week
1. I’m your prototypical bookworm. At any given point, I’m reading 3-4 books at once. Okay, technically I’m listening to one book in my car as I drive to the facility everyday (I have a 40-45 minute commute both ways),but I’m counting that as part of the grand total.
I get a lot of various emails from people thanking me for the book suggestions I make on this blog, so I figured I’d take a few moments to let people “in” on what I’m currently reading.
I know I’ve mentioned this before at various times, but I have a set system of what I read and when. For instance on the weekends, when I have a bit more free time, I like to dive into books related to my field or more non-fiction type books.
Currently I’ve got a few books on my plate:
- Deadlift Dynamite (not to be mistaken by Napoleon Dynamite) - Pavel and Andy Bolton
John Du Cane – CEO of DragonDoor Publications – reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in reading an advance copy. What the what….like he had to ask!?!?! He had me at deadlift.
Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back? Of course I’d want to read it!
For those who don’t know: Pavel (Tsatsouline) is the Godfather of the kettlebell movement and Andy Bolton has deadlifted over 1,000 lbs. I’m pretty sure the man could deadlift an aircraft carrier if you asked him to.
Anyways, the book doesn’t come out for another few weeks, but I started reading it over the weekend and if it’s any consolation my face literally (well, not literally) melted from all the knowledge bombs thrown my way.
Trust me people, this book is going to be a game changer.
- I’m also still making my way through Corrective Exercise Solutions to Common Hip and Shoulder Dysfunction by Evan Osar.
This too is a phenomenal book that really tackles the corrective and movement dysfunction side of things. In addition, Dr. Osar spends a lot of time discussing breathing patterns which is all the rage lately (and something we utilize with many of our own clients at Cressey Performance).
- One book that I just finished – yesterday in fact – was The Art of Choosing, and it was fascinating.
Why do people choose not to enroll in their company’s 401(k) plan?
Why do people choose to smoke despite knowing the risks involved?
Why do we choose one brand of bottled water over the other?
Why doesn’t Olivia Munn answer my phone calls?
Life is full of choices, and this book – fascinatingly – tells you WHY we choose the things we choose.
2. THIS is probably one of the coolest blog posts I have read in a while, and really sheds some light on why I work in arguably the most rewarding profession out there.
I know Dean Somerset and consider him a good friend. He’s a brilliant guy, an awesome coach, and just a cool human being in general.
Put simply: This. Was. Awesome. I can’t even imagine how it must have felt to have this sort of email waiting in your inbox to read.
Kudos to Dean for being the man!
3. Anyone who reads this blog knows I love movies. For the most part, 2012 has been a pretty dull season comparatively speaking. The Dark Knight Rises was awesome, of course, but if I had to choose my favorite movie thus far I’d probably go with Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.
That is until yesterday, when Lisa and I went to go see Argo.
There was a time when I used to hate Ben Affleck – partly for marrying my one-time crush Jennifer Garner, but mostly for movies like Gigli and Jersey Girl – but the man can do no wrong as of late having directed past gems like Gone Baby Gone and The Town.
Argo, which Affleck both directs and stars in, is a very well researched, well acted, well written, intelligent, intense movie.
At one point I think both Lisa and I were biting our finger nails sitting at the edge of our seats. If you’re interested in a smart movie with snappy dialogue and a great (true!) story, do yourself a favor and go see this, like tomorrow! Thank me later.
4. I’m placing the finishing touches on my next T-Nation article - The Squat 4x Per Week Experiment.
For the past 5-6 weeks, I’ve been squatting (SPOILER ALERT) 4x per week – and I feel AWESOME!!!!
What’s it entail? Here’s an excerpt from the article itself:
No, I’m not going to promise anything sexy or lavish in this article like quadriceps the size of Colorado or that by following this program every woman within a two mile radius from where you’re standing will spontaneously conceive.
It’s more like one-mile.
Instead what I am going to offer is an article about how I implemented a high-frequency squatting routine into my own training arsenal, why I wanted to do such a thing, how I tweaked the experiment to fit my own needs and goals, and maybe even most important of all, the surprising result(s).
I’ll be submitting it this week, and barring any catastrophe (Nickelback releasing a new album, or the powers that be don’t like it), should be ready to go live shortly thereafter. Keep your eyes peeled. I think it’s going to be pretty cool.
5. A few weeks ago I was invited to participate in a podcast with the peeps from Greatist.com, and it just went live. In it I discuss some of the reasons why people never get stronger, a few of my favorite strength exercises, and some other stuff. It’s a short interview – less than 20 minutes – and I didn’t even swear! Score!
If you have a few minutes, definitely check it out.
6. And lastly, I leave you with this picture: Just when you think you’ve seen it all……..
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