Workout Update: Lift More: Day 27

Day 27 was the first of the two rest days, so, as I did last week, I did the two recovery routines from Lift 4: first the stretch routine, then the roll-and-recover routine.  I did notice a slight improvement in flexibility, even on the thing where you sit with your legs stretched out and reach for your toes. I have never been good at that stretch, even when I was a kid and much more flexible than I am now. I was able to bend my back down a little without using a yoga strap, which I have not been able to do probably since about 2008 or 2009. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 26

Day 26 marks the end of week 4 of Lift More, which is the halfway point of the program and the end of Phase 1. It was the shoulder workout, which this week follows the Lift/HIIT format. I was able to start with heavier weight for each exercise, but I had to drop-set the rotating front raises on both sets two and three of that exercise. The HIIT portion was not horrible, bench skiers, and Icky Shuffle pulses. Then, of course, you finish with core and a stretching cooldown. It appears that Phase 2 changes the format of the workouts, much like the last two weeks of Lift 4 did. It will be interesting to see how that goes.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 25

Day 25 was the glutes and hamstrings workout, which was a lift-only workout. All of the exercises remained the same, and I was able to use the increased weights for each exercise. The burnout required the power loops and was the same leg-lift sequence from two weeks ago. The core portion was also the same as it was two weeks ago. The pace of the workout(s) gets easier to adjust to, but is always challenging. That is really the hardest part of the program, transitioning between exercises and not falling behind the cast.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 24

Day 24 was the back-and-triceps lift/HIIT workout. It was another challenging one, but I am getting to the point where I am used to the overall pace of the workouts and know what to expect in each one. I was able to use the increased weight for the exercises and did not have to drop-set, aside from the skull crushers. The HIIT and core portions of the workout were brutal since you had to be in planks a lot. So, it is challenging but doable.

Product Review: Brame Glass Curio Cabinet with Adjustable Shelves and Interior Lighting

 

This is a very nice-looking curio cabinet that is perfect for displaying knick-knacks, glassware, or the like. It is large (about 6.5 feet tall, 3.5 feet wide, and almost 1.5 feet deep) and heavy (just under 200 lbs). It is mostly glass framed by real wood. The front side of the back wall is mirrored glass, so it will reflect anything that is in front of it. The back side of the back wall is a particleboard-like substance, but not the flimsy stuff often used for the backing of cheaper shelves. All other walls are made of standard glass, so you can easily see anything stored in the cabinet. It has a locking door that slides left and right (it slides farther to the left than to the right), and eight glass shelves that can be spaced as desired. It has lights at the top of the cabinet interior and a power cord on the back that plugs into a standard outlet. 

It comes fully assembled (aside from the glass shelves, which are taped to the bottom to keep them secure) and will require at least two people to move. I ordered it from Wayfair, and I highly recommend choosing the full-service delivery option (especially if you live alone) so they bring it into the room you want it left in and remove all the packing material (there is a lot of it). It looked to be packed extremely well and very securely. It is a great-looking piece, perfect for a formal dining room or living room. My only complaint is that the light control is a dial on the back of the cabinet, near the top of the power cord. It would be more convenient to have a switch on the side, which is an extremely minor point. Ultimately, if you are in the market for a curio cabinet, this is an excellent option.

Book Review: Shadow of Doubt (Scot Harvath Series #23)

 

Shadow of Doubt, published in 2024, is the 23rd book in the series of action-thriller/spy novels by Brad Thor centered around the character Scot Harvath. The storyline in this one ties into the storyline of Harvath's revenge against the Russians and its fallout, which has carried over into several novels. In this one, a high-ranking Russian defector goes to Norway, where Harvath's fiancée, Solvi, becomes his handler. The CIA learns of the defection and puts pressure on Harvath to pass them information. Harvath learns that there was another Russian operative responsible for the death of his wife, and the defector is willing to provide the identity of the person, but wants something in return. There are a few side stories as well that tie into the main storyline, including a Russian conspiracy in France and the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The hardcover version of the book is a little over 350 pages. Thor manages the storylines fairly well. My only fundamental critique is that he inconsistently jumps between them; sometimes a new chapter is a different storyline, and sometimes one storyline gets multiple chapters before switching to another. That can make things a bit hard to follow, but thankfully, the chapters are relatively short (most are five pages or less), so the storylines are not impossible to follow. The book has a good blend of action and suspense. While many of the books in the series are stand-alone and do not require reading the prior books to know what is going on, it does help to have read the novels from Spymaster onward. Ultimately, if you are a fan of action thrillers, spy novels, and/or the prior books in the series, this one is worth reading.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 23

Day 23 was the quads and calves workout. This one was a Lift workout, with two blocks of quad sets and a burnout block. The only good thing about this workout is that both core exercises were performed lying down on the bench. Everything else was brutal. Of course, there was little to no rest time, the transition time was short, and because it works the lower body, you should be lifting heavy (and using increased weight from the first couple of weeks). The burnout block uses power loops for one of the exercises (side-walking squats), and then you do step-up lunges with a heel lift. So, yeah, it is not fun, but it works. You may or may not swear and/or flip off the TV, however.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 22

Day 22 was chest and biceps, Lift/HIIT. It is another challenging workout, despite the superset format, because, as is the norm with the Lift More workouts, there is almost no rest between sets or blocks. I found myself falling behind on reps, even when drop-setting (and I had to drop-set several of the eight total weighted exercises).  Once you blast your chest, the HIIT portion has you doing that awful push-up mountain climber combination, too, so you will be tired by the end of it.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 21

 On Day 21, I did the lower-body recovery routine from Lift More. This one combines lower-body stretching and foam rolling, and the foam rolling targets some of the same parts of the legs as the Lift 4 roll and recover routine, but swaps rolling the hamstrings for rolling the inner thighs. So, they are good to do back-to-back. Next week, I may do both routines on the same day, then combine the stretching routine from Lift 4 with the upper-body recovery workout from Lift More. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 20

Day 20 was a rest day, so I did the two recovery routines from Lift 4. I did the stretch routine first, then the roll-and-recover routine. Both felt good, but I did not notice a big change in my flexibility from last week. But I definitely had some knots in my legs that felt good to work out with the foam roller. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 19

Day 19 was the shoulders workout, which was a Lift format this week, meaning two blocks of quad sets followed by a burnout block. Then, of course, finishing with core and stretching. I did increase the weight initially for all exercises, but did drop-set some of them in the second and third sets. As with all the workouts, the minimal rest, which sometimes seems non-existent, makes this workout a challenge. Even the exercises that require using very light weights are hard by the third set.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 18

Day 18 was the second leg day of the week, hamstrings and glutes LIFT/HIIT. I was able to increase the amount of weight for the weighted exercises and stick with it for each set. The HIIT was bench mountain climbers and pulsing (or jumping) step lunges. Of course, you end with core and stretching. The lifting portion was not horrible, but the lunges in the HIIT portion, even modifying them, were tough. It was a good Christmas workout, especially since I did not eat well today. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 17

Day 17 was the back and triceps workout for week 3, which was a circuit workout with a burnout at the end. The burnout was probably the easiest part of the workout, and it included three sets of 45 seconds of dips. I was able to increase the amount of weight for the weighted exercises, but I did have to drop set the single arm triceps extensions in the second and third sets. It was challenging, especially because of the limited amount of rest between sets and blocks, but good. 

Book Review: Star Wars: The Secrets of the Clone Troopers

 

Secrets of the Clone Troopers, published in 2024, is a Star Wars canon book written by Marc Sumerak and illustrated by Alberto Buscicchio. It is more of a "coffee table" book than a novel. It is primarily a picture book (similar to Secrets of the Jedi, Secrets of the Sith, and the Han Solo Icons book). The text details the history of the clone troopers from Captain Rex's point of view, sometime after the Battle of Endor and the Rebels' victory over the Empire. It highlights events from the troopers' creation (mainly focusing on events occurring during the Clone Wars animated series) to their eventual decommissioning after the Empire was formed. The illustrations depict the various characters as live-action versions of themselves (Temura Morrison as the clones, Hayden Christiansen as Anakin, Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine, and Ariana Greenbatt as young Ahsoka), rather than the animated versions from the Clone Wars series.

The hardcover version of the book is short, just about 30 pages long. It has many pictures, so it is a very quick read. It has some fold-out pages and inserts that can be a bit of a pain, which is my only real criticism. If you have watched the Clone Wars and Bad Batch animated series, you know most everything in the book. Ultimately, it is the kind of book that most people, especially casual Star Wars fans, will flip through rather than read it cover to cover. It is not one of the must-read books, but if you enjoyed the Clone Wars and, to some extent, the Bad Batch animated series, it is worth checking out.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 16

Day 16 was the first of two leg days for the week. This was the quads and calves workout. It is the LIFT/HIIT format, so you do four blocks of lifting (two blocks of calves and two blocks of quads). Of course, there is almost no rest between sets or blocks, so by the time you get to the HIIT block, you are already exhausted. HIIT is kind of brutal (even if the Lift part hadn't been as challenging), and then you finish with core (no joy there either) and stretching to cool down. I increased the weight I used for each exercise in weeks 1 and 2. It was a good workout, but it was definitely harder than any of the Lift 4 leg days.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 15

Day 15 was the beginning of week 3, so it was the chest and biceps workout. This one goes back to the circuit format in which you do two blocks of quad sets, and then a burnout block, alternating between push-ups using the bench and variations of bicep curls. I increased the amount of weight that I used in weeks 1 and 2, but I did have to drop-set some of the exercises, as did all three of the people in the video, including Joel. Of course, it ends with core and stretching. It is a good workout. There is still not a lot of rest once you get going, but you do get used to the pace. I did have to pause the video after the first block to get weights set up for block 2, because of the minimal amount of time between the two blocks, which is really my only criticism of the program up to this point.

Book Review: Just Visiting This Planet: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia

 

Just Visiting This Planet, published in 2025, is the second book by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, reprinting correspondence from the question-and-answer column of Star Date magazine, in which Tyson answers letters from the public as the fictional Merlin, an intergalactic traveler from the Andromeda Galaxy. The chapters are organized topically, covering topics such as black holes, our solar system, other star systems, other galaxies, possible other universes, and more. Some responses are humorous, some are a bit snarky, and some provide a pretty detailed scientific explanation of the given topic. However, the responses are written in such a way that you do not need a science or engineering degree to understand them.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 320 pages. It reads pretty quickly, especially if you have a bit of a science or engineering background, or have read any of Tyson's other books. It is absolutely worth reading, especially if you are interested in Astronomy or Astrophysics.

Book Review: Never Flinch

 

Never Flinch, published in 2025, is a novel by Stephen King, set in Ohio, featuring the character of Holly Gibney. This is one of King's crime dramas/thrillers, rather than one of the supernatural horror stories he is known for. There are two storylines in this novel that mostly remain parallel until the end, when they intersect. In the first, Holly Gibney, the private investigator first introduced in the book Mr. Mercedes, is assisting a detective who is investigating a killer who threatens to kill 14 people, 13 innocents and one guilty, after an innocent man who was tried and convicted for a murder he did not commit is killed in prison. In the second, Gibney is hired to act as a bodyguard for a celebrity women's rights activist who is being stalked during a speaking tour.

The hardcover version of the book is a little over 430 pages. It reads pretty quickly, much like King's more recent novels, Holly, Fairy Tale, and Billy Summers. While the two storylines are mostly separate, King does a great job alternating between the two of them, so it is easy to keep track of what is going on in each one. While King does insert his political and social opinions into the book, I did not find it all that preachy (although people who disagree with his viewpoints probably will). As with many of King's books, there are a couple of twists in each storyline that are revealed over the course of the book. Ultimately, it is an entertaining book that is absolutely worth reading, especially if you are a fan of King's more "reality-based" novels or crime thrillers in general.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 14

On day 14, I did the lower-body recovery routine from Lift More. I absolutely had some knots in my legs, so the foam rolling helped a lot. I also found that I had more flexibility and mobility this week than I did last week. So, my flexibility is getting better.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 13

Day 13 was a rest day for Lift More, so I did the stretching routine from Lift 4. I was not able to get to it until later in the day, so I did not do either of the longer Lift More recovery routines.