Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Die Mouse Edition

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1.  Figured I’d start this week off with an Operation Co-Habitation update.  As many of you who already read this blog know – my girlfriend, Lisa, and I moved in together about a week ago today.  The good news:  neither of us have felt the need to strangle the other yet.  The bad:  read below.

I’m what you would call an introvert.  Mistakenly, many are under the impression that introverts are socially reclusive people, who hate human interaction, live in their mother’s basement, and play World of War Craft in their spare time.

In fact, as Lisa (who’s getting her PhD in Sports Psychology, so she’s wicked smaht) has noted to me on numerous occasions, introverts are just people who prefer to “re-energize” by doing stuff on their own.  For some, they need to be around others to “reboot” or derive energy from.  So, if you’re the type of person, for instance, who likes to go out with friends and colleagues for happy hour after work on a Friday, you’re most likely an extrovert.

Conversely, if you’re like me, you like to get a few hours to yourself every now and then and head to the local coffee shop to get some writing done, or maybe the local bookstore to peruse some books, chill, and catch up on some reading.  Heck, maybe you go catch a Saturday matinee at the theater, or head to the local Farmer’s Market and just walk around eating beef jerky.  It’s all good.  The point is, you just need some “me time.”

Well, as it so happens, every Friday night when I get home from the facility, I like to get away and have a little “Tony Time.”  Lisa is totally cool with it, and more often than not, usually takes the opportunity to make plans with one of her girlfriends.

This past Friday was no different:  I grabbed my backpack, put my laptop and book inside, kissed Lisa goodbye, and left her and her friend, Jess, to do whatever it is that girls do when they’re alone.  Which, of course, means pillow fights right?

Anyways, a few hours passed, when I finally got a text from Lisa saying, “babe, can you come home now, please?” Now, a few hours before she had texted me saying that she and Jess were attacked (attacked in this sense just means they saw it) by the elusive mouse that’s in our apartment, and I just assumed that she needed me to come home to take care of business.

Being the good boyfriend that I am, I packed my things, bolted out the door, and took the five minute walk home to prepare myself for World War III with this mouse.

What do I arrive to?  Lisa and Jess sitting on the couch watching, of all things, Pretty Woman.

Pretty FREAKING Woman

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

2.  Anyone looking for a good book to read should pick up Dan John’s Mass Made Simple.  I picked a copy up a few weeks ago, and am now just starting to dive into it.  I’ve always loved Dan John’s writing.  His other book, Never Let Go, is arguably one of my all-time favorite strength and conditioning books if for no other reason than he just makes sense.

One of my favorite quotes from that book was when, in response to someone saying that squats were dangerous, Coach John replied, “not wearing a seatbelt is dangerous.”

Pwnage!

That said, Mass Made Simple is no different.  The title alone speaks for itself – contrary to popular thought, you don’t need some advanced text giving you elaborate algorhytms that only a person with a degree from MIT can decifer.  Building muscle, while that easy, definitely isn’t THAT complicated.

I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to add some meat to their frame or just looking for great perspective from one of the best coaches out there.

3.  I’m not gonna lie:  One of the best perks of co-owning (and working) at a premiere facility is the free gear that’s often thrown my way.  Between all the college and professional athletes that walk through our facility, much to my girlfriend’s chagrin, I never have a shortage of t-shirts to wear.

Recently, however, the staff has been lucky enough to have the opportunity to try out a lot of New Balance gear – specifically their new Minimus footwear.

Like many shoe companies, New Balance has noticed the ever growing trend of minimalist footwear that has saturated the market, and they’ve gone out of their way to produce a shoe that not only feels amazing, but doesn’t look “silly” either.

I’ve had my pair for a week, and I can’t take them off.  The true test is to see how they hold up after a month or two of training, but for now, I love them!

4.  Just a quick reminder:  the Peak Training and Diet Design Seminar will be the weekend of July 8th.  Both Joe Dowdell and Dr. Mike Roussell will be presenting, and from what I hear, they’re expecting a great turn out.  I’ve already booked my tickets on Bolt Bus to take from Boston to NYC, and I can’t wait!

5.  I just read HERE that NBA star, Ron Artest, is going to legally change his name to, of all things, Metta World Peace.

Okay, so let me get this straight.  The same guy who, in 2004, jumped into the stands and attacked a fan causing one of the worst brawls in NBA history, is now changing his name to something douchy like Metta World Peace?

If that’s not an oxymoron of epic proportions, I don’t know what is.  What’s next?  Kobe Bryant changing his name to Kobe Fidelity?   LOL – get it?  Get it?  You see, he cheated on his wife and……. Oh never mind.

That should do it for today.  I’m out.

 

 

**Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

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Comments for This Entry

  • R Smith

    Tony, I have a great "I don't squat" story for ya. Walking out the gym last week, and this guy I frequently see but had never talked to gave me a compliment after I commented on his upper body. Then this ensued... Him: "I see you doing a lot of cool stuff that nobody else does...like that thing today on the [platform]." Me: "Those were Anderson Front Squats; and they were brutal." Him: "I never squat. I have a lot of buddies that hurt their backs while squatting." Me: "Well...doing anything incorrectly can injure you. But I love how people put down on squats and deadlifts, when in reality they just don't want to work that hard." Him: "I don't deadlift, either. [Pause] This past weekend, I moved a refrigerator, and I tweaked my back." Can anyone beside me see the irony here?

    June 27, 2011 at 6:48 am | Reply to this comment

  • Brock

    1. Great post Tony, and you pretty much described my personality to a "T", as well. I don't know that my wife is always happy about it, but I'm just as happy to hang by myself as to spend time around a bunch of other people. Definitely not anti-social, just prefer to be alone sometimes. 2. Yes, pillow fights. Almost always topless, I'm pretty sure. The girls in the picture clearly have too many clothes on. 3. I couldn't agree more with the assessment of Dan John. I haven't read his books yet (though they are on the list), but I just love reading any of his articles whenever I need to "bring myself back." Basically, whenever I find myself trying to overcomplicate things, reading Dan's work does a great job of reminding me that, most of the time, the KISS principle is the way to go.

    June 27, 2011 at 9:43 am | Reply to this comment

  • Dr M

    You mean Footwear, right? "Minimus foot ware" going out to get me a pair...

    June 27, 2011 at 9:45 am | Reply to this comment

  • Daniel

    Glad to see the mighty Gentilcore approves of the NB minimus trail. I've had my pair for about 2 months, and I've never loved a pair more. I wear mine without socks, feels great. Supposedly they're washable, but I haven't tried yet.

    June 27, 2011 at 1:40 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Chris P

    Hey tony, How are the NB shoes for the Prowler?

    June 27, 2011 at 5:11 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Jon

    Talking about minimalist shoes. I play a lot of basketball. What would your recommendation be about playing ball in minimalist shoes/ what minimalist shoe would you recommend? Thanks.

    June 27, 2011 at 5:27 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Darrel

    Hey, I'm on the market for a new pair of sneakers how does the Minimus compare to Nike Free 3.0? I've been wearing frees since they came out, but open to a change.

    June 27, 2011 at 8:24 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Tony Gentilcore

    @ Dr. M: DOH! Thanks for that. Sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers. @ Brock: Get those books NOW. You won't regret it. @ Chris P: Haven't tried them out with the Prowler yet. Will let you know. @ Jon: I wanna say that Kobe Bryant endorses and more minimalist (at least in basketball terms) shoe. That said, I'd suggest the Nike Frees 7.0, which still provide a little more support (compared to the 3.0 and 5.0) @ Darrel: I "think" NB's Minimus brand has the same set-up as the Frees where some provide more support than others. You may need to try out a few different pairs to see if any compare to the 3.0.

    June 28, 2011 at 4:33 am | Reply to this comment

  • Tony Gentilcore

    UPDATE: I caught the mouse!!!! We used an electrical mouse trap. Basically, the mouse enters, and its zapped. Tony Gentilcore: 1 Mouse: 0 I win!!!!!

    June 28, 2011 at 5:47 am | Reply to this comment

  • Ken

    I've had the minimus trails for a few months, couldn't endorse them more highly for just about everything. I did end up tearing part of the sole doing some agility drills though. (rubber floor 1, shoes 0).

    June 28, 2011 at 11:57 am | Reply to this comment

  • ChrisNunz

    Tony, how would you compare the NB shoes to Merrell's Barefoot Trail shoes? They both looks good, so I guess it comes down to pricing and availability (don't know where I would find the Merrell's locally but I assume the NB's are everywhere).

    June 28, 2011 at 1:09 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Tony Gentilcore

    @ ChrisNunz: Can't say that I'm very familiar with Merrell's Barefoot Trail shoes - but as you noted, I'm sure it just comes down to pricing and availability. New Balance is legit, though.

    June 29, 2011 at 5:23 am | Reply to this comment

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