Pro Muscle Book Club (2025)

[massephase]

I had a period in my life where I lived like a bum, working shitty jobs 1/2 of the year and being unemployed the rest. I read a lot of philosophers during that time (and also a lot of psychology books, but I became very critical of (clinical) psychology later on). I also had a big ... life crisis if you want to call it that during those years. The only author that stuck with me for the last 15 years and through that time, and that I still continue to reread is Nietzsche. Reading his works was a big part of me starting to enjoy life again and actually live it in a way I enjoy. Most authors I eventually disagreed with or became bored by (not that I do not disagree with Nietzsche on some points - it is actually impossible not to) ... reading these other authors became unfruitful to me, but not so with Nietzsche. He keeps infusing my life with questions and doubts whenever I read him, and in answering those questions, I always find a renewed will to live life as fully as possible. It also resets my head whenever I've gotten into certain harmful ways of thinking about life (e.g. being envious of other people, becoming bitter/ resentful, passive, etc) because he attacks these states of mind as a "sickness" from a million different angles.

So Nietzsche ... all the works from his "middle period" are my favorites. He was the start of my journey into philosophy literature as a 16 year old, and funnily enough, also the end of it in my late twenties. I don't intend to ever read a lot of this literature ever again.

 

[Samson250]

I had a period in my life where I lived like a bum, working shitty jobs 1/2 of the year and being unemployed the rest. I read a lot of philosophers during that time (and also a lot of psychology books, but I became very critical of (clinical) psychology later on). I also had a big ... life crisis if you want to call it that during those years. The only author that stuck with me for the last 15 years and through that time, and that I still continue to reread is Nietzsche. Reading his works was a big part of me starting to enjoy life again and actually live it in a way I enjoy. Most authors I eventually disagreed with or became bored by (not that I do not disagree with Nietzsche on some points - it is actually impossible not to) ... reading these other authors became unfruitful to me, but not so with Nietzsche. He keeps infusing my life with questions and doubts whenever I read him, and in answering those questions, I always find a renewed will to live life as fully as possible. It also resets my head whenever I've gotten into certain harmful ways of thinking about life (e.g. being envious of other people, becoming bitter/ resentful, passive, etc) because he attacks these states of mind as a "sickness" from a million different angles.

So Nietzsche ... all the works from his "middle period" are my favorites. He was the start of my journey into philosophy literature as a 16 year old, and funnily enough, also the end of it in my late twenties. I don't intend to ever read a lot of this literature ever again.

I understand this! The more philosophy I learned about from 16 to 46 the less of it I kept in my life. I am quick to dismiss self help and contemporary gurus of any type. I’m skeptical from the jump and sometimes have to stop from being critical of others who read something and start talking to me every day about like they just discovered the secret.

The only quotes I ever memorized or stuck on the mirror was Nietzsche. Nietzsche drew me into the Stoics and if I ever adopted a religion it’s Stoicism but I never stay in one philosophical lane for to long and keep looking forward. Always forward.

A few months ago I randomly discovered Alan Watts and I’m studying his lectures and books like I’m trying to get my PhD but as soon as think I have a complete picture I’ll keep what I trust and throw the rest out. I’ll move on to something else. Always forward.

I like Watts and have all of Robert Greenes books not because they are so brilliant but because they never tried to get me to believe in something or adopt a new philosophy. All they do is take the research and years of understanding they have and translate it for my Western eyes and ears. That’s all I want. Always forward.

 

[Samson250]

Yup. Just talked with him for a couple of hours last week. He is an amazing man and a true friend.

Am trying to get him to write another book (before I distribute or donate all my research material) but they take so much time and effort for him (he is blind) that it probably, definitely(?) won’t happen.

And yes, while I did not write a word of Volume II, we worked together for a couple of years with me providing pretty much all of the Nautilus / Arthur Jones material which resulted in about a third increase in the size (he had not planed on this) and it was a huge book to begin with. (I am heavily credited though out the book.)

If anyone wants to read two of the best books on bodybuilding from its inception up through the 70’s there is no greater, more throughly researched book, Volume I and II in existence and I believe still available on Amazon, new and used. They are a bit dear but worth it in my opinion. (This is a free plug.)

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors
https://share.google/OQqpHBdCD5HZfxQWY

 

[Samson250]

Yeah Leroy was an absolute beast and former army guy who pushed Dorian hard !

Thank You! Leroy! I’ve mentioned him here before and sometimes the old schoolers will tell stories about him or about meeting him someplace.

 

[alfresco]

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors
https://share.google/OQqpHBdCD5HZfxQWY

From his website you can get a paperback version for around $70 USD.

 

[ripriot]

There is more fluffery then I think necessary but was a great find for me.

Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the …

WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER The author of the New Y…

www.goodreads.com

 

[Denkall75!]

I have a few books myself covering several different subjects on the sport. I’m an avid sports card collector and have just recently found out about bodybuilding cards. There are a lot of cool cards with autographs etc. Anyone collect them here?

 

[Samson250]

I have a few books myself covering several different subjects on the sport. I’m an avid sports card collector and have just recently found out about bodybuilding cards. There are a lot of cool cards with autographs etc. Anyone collect them here?View attachment 230753

This gave me an idea!
Pro Muscle Trading Cards!
It would be bigger than Bitcoin!

Jethro Tull: $999.99
Lynx: $1999.99
Lucian: $19.99 or $10,000 with Autograph
Big Kiwi: (only serious offers please)
Romo (pre owned/poor condition): Free

I might have to start looking for smart investors. Not here of course. Bodybuilding.Com or Reddit.
Smart investors..

 

[Reload]

Not so much books but I used to be an avid collector of muscle magazines.
I have just about every cover of Arnold going back to when he was in his teens.
Really old stuff as well, stuff from the 40's.

 

[hawkmoon]

I have PDF dumps from torrents going years back for BB books. Still like Aceto's books a lot.

I usually read (hard) sci-fi for pleasure in bed. Got 10+ years of uninterrupted reading logged on my kindle(s).

 

[Samson250]

I have PDF dumps from torrents going years back for BB books. Still like Aceto's books a lot.

I usually read (hard) sci-fi for pleasure in bed. Got 10+ years of uninterrupted reading logged on my kindle(s).

Dump em’ here man!

 

[alfresco]

I have PDF dumps from torrents going years back for BB books. Still like Aceto's books a lot.

I usually read (hard) sci-fi for pleasure in bed. Got 10+ years of uninterrupted reading logged on my kindle(s).

Damn. That’s impressive, 10+ years

199 weeks in a row and 204 days in a row. That’s my wife.

 

[hawkmoon]

Dump em’ here man!

See if this link works - 500 megs
BB books

 

[Samson250]

See if this link works - 500 megs
BB books

Oh HELL YES it works! @hawkmoon
Thank You!

You just ruined my weekend plans brother!

 

[j2048b]

A few of the best books ive read in a long while:

 

[Muay Thai]

I have come to dwell in the labyrinth of knowledge, navigating its corridors with near mastery, particularly in the realms of anabolic-androgenic steroids and the intricate dance of their pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. My explorations extend into the universe of peptides—though I confess an aversion to the GLP-1 class, whose mechanisms, however elegant, fail to captivate my scientific soul.


I have committed the Merck Index to memory, a self-taught chemist whose intellectual pilgrimage has traversed the pages of over ten thousand volumes. I have delved into every sacred text, canonical and apocryphal alike, seeking wisdom in the echoes of saints, gods, angels, aliens, prophets, kings, warlords, Caesars, Czars, ascended masters, and alchemists. I have absorbed the words of poets and chroniclers, threading together the luminous tapestry of human history across civilizations.


I speak four languages fluently, each a key to unlocking new worlds of thought and culture. And lately, driven partly by intellectual restlessness, I’ve immersed myself in the turbulent currents of global politics, staying ever attuned to the shifting alliances and silent machinations that shape our modern epoch.


I am fluent in the healing dialects of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Aztec Nahuatl practices, and the esoteric rites of Dutch paganism and Slavic /Celtic folk medicine. I hold formal credentials in phlebotomy and radiologic technology, yet my intellectual appetite ranges far wider, encompassing psychology, philosophy, neurology, kinesiology, and anatomy. Someone enlighten me and turn me onto something mindblowing

also I recommend autobiography of yogi by paramahansa yogananda, goethes fauste, be here now by ra dass, god in a pill by mehmer baba, lots of George orwell and all the beautiful Transcendentalism authors and poets, anais nin alan watts, studying st germaine and caligostro, deep dive into dr freud, JUNG above him, and the current genius prophet jordan peterson, I like huberman a lot joe organ is fucking boring, I'm so rigid I cant even enjoy tv movies or comedy especially I have to be learning 247 have an insatiable thirst for knowledge


Philosophy and psychology remain my greatest passions, alongside the scientific intricacies of steroids, the mysterious terrain of certain peptides, the grand sweep of world history, and the hidden doctrines of the occult—whether black or white. I’ve dipped my mind into rocket science, mapped the metaphysical architecture of sacred geometry, and fashioned computers with my own hands. I’ve devoured the literary canon and, blessed—or perhaps burdened—with a photographic memory, I wander ever deeper into the libraries of the world.


My thirst for knowledge is insatiable. I stand here, restless, yearning for a spark to ignite new synapses. Someone, please, send me a book that might transform my consciousness, challenge my convictions, and shake the foundations of my mind.


Among the tomes that have shaped my journey are Manly P. Hall’s Secret Teachings of All Ages—the opus of a 33° Mason and Rosicrucian adept whose path resonates with my own—The Popol Vuh of the Maya, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Mein Kampf, Soledad Brother, The Turner Diaries, and even the Anarchist Cookbook.


Yet here I am, standing on the precipice of boredom, eager for revelation. Enlighten me, for I crave the kind of knowledge that illuminates the shadows and bends reality itself.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In by Brett Bartholomew

 

[Samson250]

I have come to dwell in the labyrinth of knowledge, navigating its corridors with near mastery, particularly in the realms of anabolic-androgenic steroids and the intricate dance of their pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. My explorations extend into the universe of peptides—though I confess an aversion to the GLP-1 class, whose mechanisms, however elegant, fail to captivate my scientific soul.


I have committed the Merck Index to memory, a self-taught chemist whose intellectual pilgrimage has traversed the pages of over ten thousand volumes. I have delved into every sacred text, canonical and apocryphal alike, seeking wisdom in the echoes of saints, gods, angels, aliens, prophets, kings, warlords, Caesars, Czars, ascended masters, and alchemists. I have absorbed the words of poets and chroniclers, threading together the luminous tapestry of human history across civilizations.


I speak four languages fluently, each a key to unlocking new worlds of thought and culture. And lately, driven partly by intellectual restlessness, I’ve immersed myself in the turbulent currents of global politics, staying ever attuned to the shifting alliances and silent machinations that shape our modern epoch.


I am fluent in the healing dialects of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Aztec Nahuatl practices, and the esoteric rites of Dutch paganism and Slavic /Celtic folk medicine. I hold formal credentials in phlebotomy and radiologic technology, yet my intellectual appetite ranges far wider, encompassing psychology, philosophy, neurology, kinesiology, and anatomy. Someone enlighten me and turn me onto something mindblowing

also I recommend autobiography of yogi by paramahansa yogananda, goethes fauste, be here now by ra dass, god in a pill by mehmer baba, lots of George orwell and all the beautiful Transcendentalism authors and poets, anais nin alan watts, studying st germaine and caligostro, deep dive into dr freud, JUNG above him, and the current genius prophet jordan peterson, I like huberman a lot joe organ is fucking boring, I'm so rigid I cant even enjoy tv movies or comedy especially I have to be learning 247 have an insatiable thirst for knowledge


Philosophy and psychology remain my greatest passions, alongside the scientific intricacies of steroids, the mysterious terrain of certain peptides, the grand sweep of world history, and the hidden doctrines of the occult—whether black or white. I’ve dipped my mind into rocket science, mapped the metaphysical architecture of sacred geometry, and fashioned computers with my own hands. I’ve devoured the literary canon and, blessed—or perhaps burdened—with a photographic memory, I wander ever deeper into the libraries of the world.


My thirst for knowledge is insatiable. I stand here, restless, yearning for a spark to ignite new synapses. Someone, please, send me a book that might transform my consciousness, challenge my convictions, and shake the foundations of my mind.


Among the tomes that have shaped my journey are Manly P. Hall’s Secret Teachings of All Ages—the opus of a 33° Mason and Rosicrucian adept whose path resonates with my own—The Popol Vuh of the Maya, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Mein Kampf, Soledad Brother, The Turner Diaries, and even the Anarchist Cookbook.


Yet here I am, standing on the precipice of boredom, eager for revelation. Enlighten me, for I crave the kind of knowledge that illuminates the shadows and bends reality itself.

A friend of mine picked up one called Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault and wants me to read it next.

 

[Josefein421]

Tribe by Sebastian Junger
Amazing read. About societal trends that span time and the human need to belong. References veterans, native Americans, WWII Brits. Got to speak with Sebastian and he’s a brilliant man.

Fire lighters 365
Short daily reads with inspiration from the experience of a D1 strength coach. About human psyche, leadership and psychology. 2 min read for every day to get your day started

 

[Muay Thai]

A friend of mine picked up one called Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault and wants me to read it next.

i read the summary generated by ai (modern day cliff notes on steroids) and it was extremely interesting and analytical ty sir