At
the end of August I decided to test my flexibility by reading the
largest book in my “to-read” pile whilst attempting the splits.
This book was Total Recall: My Amazingly True Life Story, the
autobiography of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It took
exactly 2 months to read. 158cm was my stretch record at the start of
the book. I varied in ability, depending on the time off I'd had from
practice and the length of time I'd sat in the position. I managed to
push the record up to 163cm- I work that out as being 3cm off the
widest possible distance I could attain.
The
hardest part of the project was a condition I refer to as “numb-bum”:
getting a numb arse from being sat on the carpet too long. A
condition I've not had since assembly in school, numb-bum in splits
can send pins and needles down the legs, making it hard to walk when
you get up after reading for long periods of time. I made a point of
standing up at every page break / chapter and walking it off, but it
sure slowed down the reading.
The book
itself was fantastic. Highlights include Arnie leaving the handbrake
off a tank and almost running over his whole platoon in training,
finding out American women shave their legs, almost killing himself
on a horse shooting True Lies and wrapping up Batman and Robin by
having vital open-heart surgery days later. Arnie has overcome so
much adversity- he dominated the bodybuilding championships
throughout the 70s, he had a Hollywood career despite having a
“ridiculous Austrian accent” (his words) and became a US governor
despite not being born in the country.
He had
absolute rock-solid belief in his abilities as a bodybuilder, as an
actor and as a businessman, and later as a politician. Anyone looking
to build confidence- don't bother with Dale Carnegie. Read this book
instead. Anyone who believes he's just this 'roided-up actor who got
lucky- think again. His last chapter, “Arnold's Rules”, can help
anyone wanting to build confidence or gain direction.
It's
possibly the best autobiography I've ever read.
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