Some guys rebuild classic cars. Some guys rock climb. Some guys collect wine. Some guys get fat playing video games. I lift weights.

Besides the obvious benefits of health and vanity quenching, weight lifting has allowed me to meet a wide cross section of the population. This diversity within my network of weight lifting friends has given me awesome insight into worlds outside my own realm. I have been privy to what goes on behind the scenes of college football. I have listened intently to a first-hand account of life in the Marines. I have witnessed men benching 500 pounds as a warm-up before a power lifting competition. I have learned what actually happens in restaurant kitchens. I have heard what cops go through during the anti-war protests and Super Bowl riots. I have received invaluable (and free!) advice on how much to expect to pay for car repairs and common scams to be wary of at auto shops.

In many ways weight lifting is its own subculture, complete with its own jargon and religious-esque beliefs, where for the most part, all that matters is your form and your grit. In the weight room nobody cares what your educational background is. How much money you make is irrelevant. Your age, race, and sex are equally inconsequential. If you've never lifted weights before you may be amazed at how easy it is to meet different people when your only common bond is weight lifting.

Oh and nobody gives a flyin' hoot how much or how little you lift. Contrary to popular belief we don't laugh at weaklings. (We laugh at the cheaters.)

Huge thanks to Jorge and Ly for introducing me to the sport in '97.