There’s nothing that lifts my spirits more than the dumbbell bench press. It’s what I’m into now — again and hopefully forever.

The perfect strength-building activity, especially for lazy people, it’s an exercise that is performed laying down. Flat on your back, you push dumbbells into the sky. And what is easier than that?

There’s none of the knee-bending of the squat, none of the waist-bending of a deadlift; there is only glorious slothfulness.

And this touches on another point: compared to many other exercises, there is little technique involved. Just make sure the elbows don’t fall below the torso, and you’re pretty much good. Press, lower. Press, lower. That’s it. It’s not rocket science, and it’s especially not a clean and jerk.

It is the dumbbell bench press, and it loves you. And because it loves you, it will offer you some escape. If your lift fails, you can drop the weights to your side. This is in contrast to the barbell, which will bury you under steel and embarrass you in the gym, if it can.

The bench press was there for me after my hip surgery years ago. When I finished physical therapy, I started an exercise routine. I took to the bench press, then starting with 25-pound weights, the most I could do, and I took off from there. This exercise was central to my routine, and it became how I marked my progress in overall fitness.

So whenever I reached a new number — 50, 75 and finally 100 — I felt joy.

Starting back with this exercise, after much time away from it, I’m again feeling happy.