One of the better parts about working for Google is the office gym and the community and camaraderie of working out and striving towards fitness goals together with your coworkers. This past year, we had the GFit games. The friendly competition gave me the boost I needed to finally hit two longstanding goals of mine, to deadlift 4 plates (405 pounds) and squat 3 plates (315 pounds). In competition, I was able to hit exactly 405 pounds for the deadlift, and I smashed my goal for the squat with 345 pounds. Yay!

People often wonder why I lift. It's certainly not for the girls given my dating life. Despite my love of problem solving that I discussed in my previous article, there is something deeply unsatisfying about urban intellectual work. I'm apparently not alone in this. I recently read this wonderful article about French people leaving the city to farm, Life on the Farm Draws Some French Tired of Urban Rat Race. I often wonder how software engineering became such a male-dominated field because pressing buttons all day on a keyboard makes nursing look like the epitomy of masculinity since they do much more hard labor that we do.

I suppose that through some defect of evolution, there's some primitive vestige left in my brain from our caveman days that associates work with physical labor. I guess a lot of people are of the same mind given the strong grip that manufacturing industries have on the American pysche as shown in this past election cycle. For this reason, when I go to work in the morning, my first stop is the gym. It seems dumb and brutish of me, but I find a lot of satisfaction in picking heavy things up and putting them back down.

There is something spiritually fulfilling about working towards fitness goals, too. As I've gotten stronger and tested my limits, I've gained a new found appreciation for creation. Conquering fear to do a backflip was exhilirating. Working on my balance to do handstand pushups often helps me relax and focus. I can't really get on board with the fitness industry about how being in great shape will radically transform your life. No, despite my abs, girls do not flock to me. However, I do find a lot of joy in pushing myself physically. Hopefully, 2017 will be another great year.