Real World Strength Usage

Q

quadancer

New Member
We always get a chance now and then to lift that big box no one can move, or be used as a mule when someone moves and the like. And it's fun to be da stud.

One of my laborors didn't show today, which left me with one guy in fair shape at around 38 years old, myself, and 5500 lbs. of 12 foot lumber to haul up FIVE LONG flights of stairs, to stack on a rooftop for a deck view of downtown atlanta. (it will be a 905 sq. ft. deck) With giant cement pillars in the way of the turns, the last two flights of steps extremely steep, and a long walk over the roof to the stacking area, this was a serious challenge!
This old man smoked his butt! I'm not sure he's even gonna show for work tomorrow, since there's still about a short ton sitting in the parking lot to haul up. It was a 7-1/2 hr. workout; I called it because we need some steam left for tomorrow. I hope I'm not too sore myself! This is one day that I wished I had continued doing cardio...but I got quite a dayfull of that today!
 
I have to move water heaters that weigh over 300 lb.s sometimes.  I prefer to NOT do it alone, but I have before.
The best part of a day like you had Quadancer, is recovery...the huge meal afterwards and then sleeping like a baby.
I predict you will be feeling it for the next couple of days.  On Tuesday I had to excavate a four foot deep trench about 30 feet long....I skipped wednesday's workout and went on an eating binge despite my current cut.  Also slept extra long for the past two days and was a little stiff all over.  And I was the boss, mainly supervising!  Man, I am getting old too!
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I get to lift non-iron objects at home for various things, but my job is a desk job which spares me from that work (even though I wouldn't mind it). Last summer, I did work as a "moving" assistant for Mayflower.
 
Yeah, this is fun. My parents live out in the sticks and do a lot of landscaping around their house. They take full advantage of the fact that I lift weights. I get called over there all the time to move boulders, chop down trees, move logs and all sorts of stuff.
It's fun seeing how strong you are in real world situations, though I've had my wednesday deadlifts suffer from moving boulders on sunday, which kind of sucks.
 
It's always nice to be able to use some functional strength to help others out. This is another reason why I like compounds so much in my training; there is a great deal of similarity in the movements I do for compounds with the kind of lifting that I get to do away from the gym environment. It's also surprising how hard something can be to lift if it is an awkward shape and size even if it is not that heavy.
 
i generally move about 17tons of beer per day, an 11 gallon keg weighs 60kg a 22 gallon keg weighs 120kg and a 36 gallon keg weighs 190kg some times i have to physically lift the barrels off the floor(22's only), which is quite difficult as they are round forcing most of the weight away from your body.

well, i dropped one off the wagon the other day by accident and had to lift it back on by myself.its ok but the waggon is just above waist height get it wrong and you can be in a world of hurt
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Stop sipping the product, Icars!
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I'd written an article some years ago for the merits of BB'ing, which included the 'hero in an emergency' aspect, health, functional strength, longevity, well-being, pride and appearance. My alltime favorite is the daily usage, like being able to stand up from a kneeling position with one leg easily, toting huge stacks of lumber or couches with ease and the like. That's probably the most that most of us can hope for anyway.
Day two on the lumber haul saw my assistant from yesterday quitting after one hour today, a new guy (21 yrs. old) spent the day pulling one board at a time up the stairs. Have to fire him; it's costing me $2/board! Looks like I'll have to finish it myself: 73 pieces left.
Funny thing is my muscles are pretty much okay. I have a goose egg on either shoulder and my achilles tendons hurt, but I feel pretty good otherwise! Sure surprised me !
 
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(quadancer @ Nov. 30 2007,18:52)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Stop sipping the product, Icars!
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LOL. honestly friend when i first started the job i couldnt beleive how much some of the workers drank, im talking a gallon a day and they were driving too
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, the land lords usually offer you a pint when youve finished the drop.i personally dont drink on the job but i do take a bottle home with me sometimes
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well back to the original post.

quad has proved you dont have to be young to be fit(although it helps) its our conditioning and genetics that determine our overall fitness.
 
years ago i was working doing plastering,at dinner time one day the guys decided to have a strongman comp,i came out as they were finishing lifting a kerb stone overhead,they said to me &quot;try that faz john has just done it&quot;,john was this big steroid head always bragging about how big and strong he was,so i managed to get it to my chest then i pressed it ten times,they all sat there with there jaws hanging,i said &quot; whats wrong how many times did john do it&quot; they said &quot;once&quot;
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i walked away very chuffed
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i know
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the best one is when you go out socialising at partys etc,us old guys all stand together and the younger members of our familys (young bucks) all stand with there freinds.
as the evening goes on the young ones always like to give us a bit of stick you know,&quot;you guys are all past it now&quot;
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that sort of thing.
so what i do is i lie on the floor face down, with my hands directly infront over my head thumbs touching,then i raise my body of the floor so that only my toes and fingers are touching the floor,then i say &quot;go on lads lets see you do that&quot;

then us old guys laugh as each one trys and fails and they all walk of with there tails between there legs
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Wow, that's HARD! I can barely do it.

Pride going before a fall of sorts, I had one of the young (21) mexicans from our bricklayer crew come to haul up the last of the lumber. This kid didn't even take off his coat until the 8th load! Like the EverReady Bunny, every 5 minutes, here he'd come with 2 boards on his shoulders...nonstop for 74 pieces! That blew my performance away!
Nice to be young, huh?
 
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(Martin Levac @ Dec. 04 2007,04:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You know: Levers, pulleys, cables, straps and various attachments. Complex machinery.</div>
Yeah, but this thread was about real world strength usage!  
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">so what i do is i lie on the floor face down, with my hands directly infront over my head thumbs touching,then i raise my body of the floor so that only my toes and fingers are touching the floor</div>

Hey Faz, that is a darned hard position to hold. Great stuff. It's now my new party trick. Great ab workout too.
 
and back good core workout basicly.
when you get better try putting one arm behind your back
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my other trick used to be (cant do it now flexebility)standing up hold the toes of your right leg,while keeping it locked out straight,then squat down on your left leg (ass to grass) stop at the bottom (literaly
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) then push back up without bending the right leg.
 
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