Mark Rippetoe

"Physical strength is the most important thing in life. This is true whether we want it to be or not...
...Our physical existence is, in the final analysis, the only one that actually matters. A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence. It is instructive to see what happens to these very people as their squat strength goes up."

I decided to start weightlifting at the YMCA. Call it a New Years resolution, if you want, but really, it is about prolonging my ability to play soccer. I am old relative to most players in my league. I feel the wear and tear of running more than I used to and I don't enjoy running on concrete. I think strength training might help. I got the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. It is like a text book on weight lifting basics. I quite enjoy it. And it is the first time I feel comfortable knowing what I am doing and trying achieve by lifting weights. So far, so good. My squat has gone up 15 pounds in a week.