My Favorite Ounces of Literature

I have been bit by the post summit blues that was talked about by the folks that I had the pleasure of meeting in Kansas City this past weekend. The hangover from the experience and information overload has been far more profound and far longer lasting than the Saturday night debrief and the flight early Sunday morning. As always, it seems to take me a few days to get back into a groove as I have so much running through my head I don't even know where to begin. It always becomes a battle with myself to reignite the flow process immediately after these experiences when it comes to putting ideas to paper. For that reason, reading always becomes my saving grace. It gives me the opportunity to mellow out and bring a little balance back to the thinking process. This is also where I do get most of my information and inspiration one ounce at a time as opposed to pounding back the entire bottle. However, I can say that I have had no regrets to date reaching out for the bottle.

Essentials Of Strength And Conditioning - Thomas Baechle and Roger Earle

For a while this book was one that I couldn't live with or without. However, it really does cover a lot of ground on the fundamentals of strength and conditioning. How it is applied depends on the individual. I have spent a lot of time with this book and can say that I have taken a lot out of it.

Anatomy Trains - Thomas Myers

I have read this book twice and have been humbled beyond words both times. However, this book has been an absolute gem for me when able to understand the literature in a practical setting.

The New Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding - Arnold Schwarzenegger

I can't say that bodybuilding has the influence on my own training that it used to have but this book is still a classic. This is the book that put me into the gym and guided me through the early years of weight training. It has been around for a while but it is the principles of guys like Arnold that reminds me that bodybuilding still has its place in fitness.

The Pain Free Program - Anthony Carey

I spent a weekend picking Anthony's brain this past winter and have come to really enjoy his concepts of musco/skeletal balance as well as movement behavior. He has been at this for a long time and he knows his stuff. I do work with a lot of people looking to restore function and reduce pain and Anthony's book has been a great reference for me.

Crush It! - Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary's story is a feel good story from the very beginning and his book is a perfect example of the platform that the electronic era has given us to follow our dreams and do quite well while following them.

The Art of Non-Conformity - Chris Guillebeau

My most recent read as I finished this one yesterday. This has been a perfect read for me as there always seems to be a battle between what we are told to do and what feels right. The main message that I received from it is that we are defined by what we do and not what we own. Amen!

Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The biggest head scratcher of the bunch. This was a slow read accompanied by a lot of note taking, re-reading, vocabulary lessons, frequent napping. One of the toughest reads I have taken on but one of the most rewarding reads I have ever gotten through. Far from a self help book this one explains in extreme detail the nuts and bolts of what goes on mentally following a variety of experiences. For those of you suffering post summit blues like I am I can assure it is comforting knowing why it is happening.

There we go, some of my recent sources of information and inspiration. On the topic of information of inspiration I once again want to say thanks to everyone that I had the pleasure of meeting at the 2012 Fitness Summit in Kansas City. In my eyes there is no experience like seeing a new town, meeting new people, and absorbing world class information. More than anything, the connection made with people that I have only known for a weekend really is something special. While it is tough when the music is over, I wouldn't trade these type of experiences for the world and I am sure it will not be the last time the bottle will be passed around.