A dull ache.

Tense and untense my back and shoulders, trying to do the little I can to break up the lactic acid.

The mental burning buzz is over... fallen into faint relaxed enjoyment.

These are the dividends of iron.

Everyone should lift weights. There's no more consistent way of transcending the daily, the mundane, the rote, into a higher way of thinking and being.

I remember the best set of squats I ever did, falling to my knees afterwards and wretching, about to throw up.

And then, a smile. The wheezing and wretching subsides, and I'm laughing.

"Good set!" my buddy says.

I half-cough/half-laugh. "Yeah."

I'm just coming off a frenzied building cycle. I'd been neglecting my health.

I feel so stupid. Iron pays higher dividends than any stocks or bonds, anything else possible... maybe even higher than just human interaction, because you interact better after lifting. The burn from your muscles rushing to repair themselves and the rush of blood and arenalin and testosterone to your brain... it leaves a calm and strong presence. Good people smile at you; bad people become scared of you. Sales calls become trivial; who cares about a telephone rejection when you could kill a bear with your bare hands?

And you're more likely to tell someone you love them, to appreciate them, because why be self-conscious when you're so primally strong?

Women should lift, too. I didn't know many women that lifted in my life, they were all afraid of being bulky. But that's not right, women don't get bulky like men, it's impossible. Women should lift weights, the few women I know that lifted were better off for it. The more intense forms of yoga strengthen with bodyweight anyways, but this can be gotten straightforwardly with a little weight training.

Iron. If I'm not lifting, I need to start lifting again. Why do I ever let it stop? Not enough time? I don't have enough time not to do it... what a big quality of life push. It increases results across the board in all other areas of life.

If you haven't lifted before, try it.

If you've been neglecting it, start again. Today.

If you're on a good program now, well, no need to say anything to you. You already get it.