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Barbell Buddha: The Collected Writings of Chris Moore
Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. BARBELL THE COLLECTED WRITINGS OF CHRIS MOORE contains all of Moore's previously published and new writings on the subjects of spiritual, mental, and physical strength, expressed in the characteristically engaging, irreverent, soulful, and witty style for which he is known and loved by his countless readers. This volume is not only an inspiration to all who seek growth, strength, and change in their lives; it's also a testament to Moore's life, which he lived with passion, integrity, and modesty.
550 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 4, 2022
Chris Moore was an amazing human with a special gift for writing. He wrote what he felt and how he saw the world. His writing was always a strange alchemy of middle eastern thought with rust belt inner angst. There was always a tension between what he was and what he wanted to be. This message so resonated with me. I had read each of these individually but straight through as a collection is a much different (more depth) experience.
March 7, 2017
Too many absolute brain bombs in this one. Defiantly something I'll come back to read parts of time and again.
January 22, 2018
Hard not to read too far too fast. With such short perfect little chapters this is a perfect bedside table book. Go ahead. Try to read only one.
January 15, 2018
A really long book. All 550 pages but was one of the best books I’ve read in recent years. I made 24 notes on this book and almost all of those were NOT about barbells or training in any way - to be summarised below:
1) P59 - Ask what is he most effective regime, 5 sets of 5 reps? Follow this and measure results. Adjust to 5,4,3,2,1 sets or 1 rep, or lighter weights & more explosive reps. Are you sleeping enough? Are you eating well? Change one thing at a time and experiment to find results.
2) P70 – Isolation tanks – the benefits of being inside one
3) P76 – “Happiness, A Guide to Developing Lifes Most Important Skill” by Matthieu Ricard
4) P89 – Foolish to always consider an obstacle to be a bad thing
5) P95 – As boring as it may seem, that machine I the product of millions of years of evolution, experimenting and preservation – act like it
6) P100 – Like a pot plant, or a tree stuck in a tiny pot stunting its growth,, when it would be a 100ft Red Wood – don’t limit yourself like that
7) P104 – Goals and planning are useless and essential at the same time
8) P107 – Cheshire Cat – Alice in Wonderland – “Where do you want to get to”, “I don’t know”, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
9) P112 – No matter who or where you are, get coaching
10) P118 – Pick one programme and stick to it, gradually add weight. Stop chopping and changing – consistency is key
11) P123 – Visualise your retirement account balances and work backwards from there
12) P127 – From Marcus Aurelius, “Everything we hear is an opinion, everything we see is a perspective – not the truth”
13) P151 – By letting go it all gets done, sometimes it just takes longer to let go. Letting go and giving in is terribly difficult. The future is just as unknown & scary as it’s ever been
14) P168 – The bucket fills drop by drop, the barbell pound by pound. A bucket takes a long time to fill so focus on each drop. If you want to add 50kg to the barbell focus on the next 5kg.
15) P252 –
a. 5-10 sets of 1-3 reps – as heavy as possible
b. 3-5 sets of 3-5 report – moderate weight
c. 3-5 sets of 10 reps – light weight
d. Rest week
e. Start again at a) and add 2.5kg
16) P275 – “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this and you will find strength” Marcus Aurelius.
17) P304 – Commit to 15 minutes a day working on the mind
18) P387 – Send a message to a friend saying you were thinking of them and miss them and hope they are doing great
19) P461 – Identify your king of attributes and apply it in double strength
20) P464 – Follow your own plan and be selfish. Don’t follow your parents or society’s plan.
21) P464 – If you want a higher quality life you must let go of the one you planned all along. Monkeys see food in a trap that their clenched fist cannot fit back through. They remain trapped rather than letting go of the food. You must let go to move on with life.
22) P469 – Realise reality for what it is – nonsense. Let go of the past and believe whatever you need to create a new reality.
23) P510 – Quit worrying about whether you are good or not and just be. Every human, however amazing feeling the same with the same doubts. Don’t risk regret down the line – do it.
24) P514 – “Notice there it is, that thought over there.” When something happens it is your Karma – your doing.
1) P59 - Ask what is he most effective regime, 5 sets of 5 reps? Follow this and measure results. Adjust to 5,4,3,2,1 sets or 1 rep, or lighter weights & more explosive reps. Are you sleeping enough? Are you eating well? Change one thing at a time and experiment to find results.
2) P70 – Isolation tanks – the benefits of being inside one
3) P76 – “Happiness, A Guide to Developing Lifes Most Important Skill” by Matthieu Ricard
4) P89 – Foolish to always consider an obstacle to be a bad thing
5) P95 – As boring as it may seem, that machine I the product of millions of years of evolution, experimenting and preservation – act like it
6) P100 – Like a pot plant, or a tree stuck in a tiny pot stunting its growth,, when it would be a 100ft Red Wood – don’t limit yourself like that
7) P104 – Goals and planning are useless and essential at the same time
8) P107 – Cheshire Cat – Alice in Wonderland – “Where do you want to get to”, “I don’t know”, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
9) P112 – No matter who or where you are, get coaching
10) P118 – Pick one programme and stick to it, gradually add weight. Stop chopping and changing – consistency is key
11) P123 – Visualise your retirement account balances and work backwards from there
12) P127 – From Marcus Aurelius, “Everything we hear is an opinion, everything we see is a perspective – not the truth”
13) P151 – By letting go it all gets done, sometimes it just takes longer to let go. Letting go and giving in is terribly difficult. The future is just as unknown & scary as it’s ever been
14) P168 – The bucket fills drop by drop, the barbell pound by pound. A bucket takes a long time to fill so focus on each drop. If you want to add 50kg to the barbell focus on the next 5kg.
15) P252 –
a. 5-10 sets of 1-3 reps – as heavy as possible
b. 3-5 sets of 3-5 report – moderate weight
c. 3-5 sets of 10 reps – light weight
d. Rest week
e. Start again at a) and add 2.5kg
16) P275 – “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this and you will find strength” Marcus Aurelius.
17) P304 – Commit to 15 minutes a day working on the mind
18) P387 – Send a message to a friend saying you were thinking of them and miss them and hope they are doing great
19) P461 – Identify your king of attributes and apply it in double strength
20) P464 – Follow your own plan and be selfish. Don’t follow your parents or society’s plan.
21) P464 – If you want a higher quality life you must let go of the one you planned all along. Monkeys see food in a trap that their clenched fist cannot fit back through. They remain trapped rather than letting go of the food. You must let go to move on with life.
22) P469 – Realise reality for what it is – nonsense. Let go of the past and believe whatever you need to create a new reality.
23) P510 – Quit worrying about whether you are good or not and just be. Every human, however amazing feeling the same with the same doubts. Don’t risk regret down the line – do it.
24) P514 – “Notice there it is, that thought over there.” When something happens it is your Karma – your doing.
February 15, 2021
I loved reading this book and grew to admire Chris Moore for the man he was, the journey he was on and the tone of his writing. It is relatable, honest and raw. This is a book that saw lots of highlights and notes and will be a reference going forward in my life. Thank you Chris and RIP.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews