Secrets to happiness: Secret #13

The most obvious physical not-so-secret secret out there has to be this one, yet most people either don't know it, or they believe that it's only for athletes, or they are really truly concerned with the results. We'll deal with these shortly, but first the secret:

Exercise anaerobically

That means, besides the walking (or other preferred movement) that you should be doing, you need some sort of intense resistance-type training.

This can come in many forms. Weightlifting is very common. If you are a runner, you might try interval training with hard sprints built in to your normal jog/run. For folks just getting started, you might like isometric exercises.

Now, to be sure, I am not a certified fitness expert and I am not a doctor (insert joke about where and when I play one here) and therefore I cannot dispense advice that you should be taking at face value. Before you begin a new program of exercise, you really should visit your doctor to make sure that you can handle it and to understand what is reasonable and safe for you.

There are a couple of big benefits to this type of exercise: you'll be and feel stronger and you'll increase your metabolism (and might actually decrease your appetite.) More details can be found here.

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking, "Hey, Happy Guy, I don't want to get big like this guy here."

Ok. I can guarantee that will not be a problem. First, this photo has been "enhanced" with the help of a popular software program. Second, bodybuilders are professionals who spend years working out and dieting to build huge muscles and eliminate body fat. It is their job. It isn't yours. You won't look like that, ever. Finally, you are not required to take steroids or growth hormone. You just need to exercise.

You might feel a bit sore after you first begin. You shouldn't feel too sore, though. That is a sure sign you've over done it. This will likely be a problem for you if you are male and under 40 and still believe that your body can do whatever it is you've decided it can do. Heh heh. If this should happen, be sure to rest an extra day or two. No reason to hurt yourself.

After you start though, you should feel immediately stronger. Next thing you know, you're body will act as it's own furnace burning away those extra stored calories you have taken on over time. You'll stand straighter, the backache will disappear and your knees will feel good. You'll be able to do more. You'll be predisposed to feeling good. It'll make you happier.

A quick personal note: Monica and I took Suzzie to have her staples and stitches removed yesterday morning. On the drive home, I stopped at a fitness store and bought an over the door chin up bar. For reasons that I will have to detail later, the garage will not be completed this week. There is a Goldbergian series of things that need to take place in order to move things around to their proper locations. Until those things happen, the garage can't be used as a gym.

So, because I have to do something, I'm doing the next best thing. I'm going to follow this plan from Simplefit for bodyweight exercises. I will be starting at Level 1. Monica will be following the plan with me. This is why I bought the chin bar. If you are interested in doing this, too, I'm logged in there as happyguy. I believe that you can share workout logs and support each other as you go along. Remember, this type of exercise is not a competition.

(Weightlifting, bodybuilding, and powerlifting are the competitive sports that come from lifting weights, but we're not training for those. You could though, if you really like it. Amateurs compete in these sports based on age, sex, and body size. The links provided are to the international governing bodies of the respective sport. Look for "members" or "national federation" links to find your country's governing body. They'll have links to local clubs and competitions.)

So, despite that laundry list of chores that I have to accomplish this weekend, I will be doing the following today:

For 20 minutes count how many sets of the following I can do: 1 pull-up, 2 push-ups, 3 squats. If I go slowly, like the website says to do, then I figure I'll be able to do 15 to 18 sets.

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Let me know about your favorite anaerobic exercises. Also, if you have a site to recommend, please let us know in the comments.