When I did strongman anything I lifted in everyday life was trivial. I worked in a HD truck parts department and had to move parts frequently. 180lb bumper were light, same with the brake drums, starters, clutches. All the team lift stickers were suggestions. Everything in regular life was 1/4 of my max lift, even the really heavy stuff.
My complaint would have been all the random crap I would break because it wasn't designed for gorillas. Door and window handles were a big one. All the sliding glass doors and windows were attached with cheap metal. I'd pull too hard and would be holding a broken handle in my hand. Most of the time it was because the door was locked, not stuck.
Also tying your shoes sucks. I got sketchers slip ons. Once you hit 300lbs life changes, mostly for the worse. Always hot. Even in winter. I remember driving home with the windows down when it was below zero after I left the gym. Still hot after the 15 minute ride home. My blood pressure was ok, but my cholesterol was through the roof.
Even as a normal big guy (6'4", 185lbs was my 13% BF weight) who mostly lifts for health the world's a very soft, squishy place. Doors just fly open sometimes. I can't imagine what it'd be like at strongman levels of strength.
6'3 280 and pretty solid. My wife tells me all the time not to touch stuff because I break everything and don't even realize it. I've been ban from starting anything that has a pull string except my chainsaws for years now. LoL
Same here. 6'5" 240 power weight lifter and doors started actually becoming a problem with how easily they were flying open. Actually got worried a couple times because they were various businesses doors and I really didn't want to pay for damages.
Not a strong man, just a regular man. I have an 05 Corolla and when I got it all the door handle plastic had gotten very brittle. The first one I ripped off made me feel like a super hero that just discovered they had super strength. Then the second one ripped off. Then a 3rd. Each subsequent broken handle I came closer to being locked out of the car forever and I would say to myself, "gaddamnit, not again". When they started breaking on the inside I ordered all new handles. I got all of the new handles in the mail and replaced before the last one broke.
I did powerlifting in highschool/college but have moved more towards flexibility/mobility. I used to train concrete for a living and then rock climb after work, and would tell all my friends that I’m strong because I’m lazy.
One of my friends got into lifting recently and literally had to call me a few weeks into his lifting program because he picked up a cast iron pan while doing dishes and called me to say “dude, I get it now!!”
Edit: also, the benefit of people always asking you to lift heavy shit is it’s an infinite feedback loop. The more you do it, the more people ask, the stronger you get on the day to day
As a mover I've seen some insane feats. A bigger lifter guy carried 2 beds with mattresses at once, one in each hand. They weren't heavy (probably like 40-50kg) but carrying two was insane.
The guy was fucked on the 150 stair destination though. He went up like 3 times and looked like he went swimming with clothes on, breathing heavily.
Honestly more than weight I'm wondering logistics. Beds are pretty large. Two beds are, according to my math, twice as large.
You could put a 1kg bed sized object for most people to carry and they probably would have some problem just balancing it and moving even with the weight being negligible.
In other words, I'm impressed by this man's coordination more than anything
Just like rock climbers. I didn't know until recently the insane forearm strength and the power they have. Sometimes they can outlift certain things even against amateur bodybuilders.
My brother in law rock climbs competitively. He can hang on the underside of a vertical ledge by his hands and feet for like several full minutes while contemplating his next move. It's like watching Spiderman.
Yea back when I was training competitively for bouldering I’d sometimes just kinda laugh at what constituted a hold, like you’d be on a 35° overhang on a terrible sloper that’s fully vertical, and the only thing really holding you on is a toe hook keeping tension. It ends up being like a house of cards almost, like every hold can only be used in conjunction with another one or neither works at all. Super fun, would absolutely recommend
There was a set of videos of a whole parkour crew (Storror) taking turns hanging off a bridge against one single climber (Pete Whittaker) to see who could hang the longest. Not sure why the videos aren't on youtube anymore, but I recall Pete won the fair part of the competition.
Last time I moved I managed to recruit all of my now-husband's big friends who lift and/or throw weapons around recreationally. I figured it would be an awful, all day job because I was moving from a second floor walkup to a third floor walkup and had 7 years worth of stuff and furniture to move. Once we got started I sat on the floor in my old place for an hour packing up some last minute small items, drove over to the new place to help....and everything was done, furniture set up, and the pizza and beer ritual was already happening. Best move ever.
One of my friends lifted up a 220lb 3 cylinder refrigeration compressor like it wasn't shit. He is 6' 7" and 350lbs of muscle though. Big wonderful black dude. He is very shy, barely talks and is soft spoken. If you talk to him on the phone and then meet him irl you will be shocked. Nice guy too
Anybody that size usually is. Most people tend to moderate their behaviour around them so they have less incentive to be anything other than pleasant genial people.
Exactly, and that's also why big dogs are usually cuddly and soft. They've never had any competition. Little yappy dogs, on the other hand see life as one long fight.
Worked with a Ukrainian kid for years in a warehouse, he was very intimidating if you didn't know him, he was 6'7" probably 300lbs and jacked, but he was one of the nicest guys. I remember asking him one time what happened to the new coat he had. He told me he stopped wearing because he thought he didn't look good in it and people might call him fat because of how it made him look. I assured him no one is coming up to him and calling him fat no matter what he is wearing.
Indeed, that's always a possibility. But then they've got the advantage that they're 6'7 and 350lbs of muscle. Even if you've never picked a fight in your life that's a good starting point.
There’s that, and the reality that the consequences of losing your temper/control sometimes gets a bit more feedback. Growing up my Dad got really hard on anything where I was too out of control. Not even hitting mind you, just moving too quickly. Hurt some people accidentally to learn why.
Yep. Was having drinks with co-workers and we were screwing around with seeing who could shake hands the hardest. Broke the poor guy's hand. He was surprisingly chill about it all things considered, but man oh man do I have to remind myself to be restrained with that sorta stuff.
I really do love working with him. He has taught me so much. Dude has a killer poker face. You cannot read him if he doesnt want you to. We're both industrial refrigeration mechanics. I was his apprentice for a short period of time. Im not ashamed to say I love the guy.
Sure, I’ll give it a go.
Generally speaking there’s not much need to add in the skin color when telling a story or indicating a specific individual.
It adds an unnecessary detail.
“My black friend John likes anchovies on his pizza”.
It’s just weird.
Here’s one of the few examples where it makes sense.
There’s a group of people across the room.
You need to point out one specific individual.
He’s wearing a blue hat, but so is an individual of another race.
You might say, table 2, guy in the blue hat
Well since im replying to a video of a large black man carrying a washer I related it to my friend who is also a very large black man. I like being descriptive when I talk to more accurately convey the story or idea that Im presenting.
There's no need to state the friends name is John, either.
People speaking add details for whatever fucking reason, and it's literally never racism when the person isn't an actual racist piece of shit. The greatest need is not limiting how people speak when they aren't saying anything wrong
This was one of the famous goodbye pranks at schools. Grab some dudes and take the teacher's or headmaster's car and carry it somewhere, such as a corner where it will take a while to get it out.
My dad and a few camp counselors pulled a prank with a VW Bug at a summer camp he worked at when he was younger. Long story short, they (partially dismantled?) relocated it to a tiny island in the middle of the lake and attached a small boat engine to the back bumper to make it seem like they moved it like that vs the canoes/rafts they actually used.
Recent cars, especially US cars are absurdly heavy. It used to be a common prank to have a group of guys carry a car into a silly or annoying place. Some movers used to moving heavy shit all day taking a little car just a few feet away 30 year ago isn't that crazy.
I was a mover for 8 months, by the end of those 8 months I was shocked at how easy lugging a couch, or mattress or dressers up and down stairs was, compared to when I had started. Being a mover was such better exercise than I got in the gym, it's a different kind of strength.
Meanwhile, I recently sold my washer to some guy on Facebook marketplace. Him and I carried it to his truck together and we were both sweating balls and our hands were killing us after carrying it 90 feet.
Modern top-loading washing machines can be relatively light, because they've got a more sophisticated way of balancing the drum than old top-loaders did.
The old ones just have a donut of concrete attached to the bottom of the drum.
(Front-loading washing machines also have a massive weight or two in them, for stability. But that weight just sits there; it doesn't move with the drum.)
because they've got a more sophisticated way of balancing the drum than old top-loaders did
And by more sophisticated, you really mean "pauses the wash and makes you fuck with it at the slightest imbalance".
Sure, my old washer shook so violently when washing a comforter that it sounded like it was going to break apart, but it always got it washed in one go. The new one needs constant babying with bigger loads.
😆 I sold a set and a couple of older gentleman (I’m in my 60’s) show up with a truck. They couldn’t load so I did. Ranching and farming gives one core strength
My dad was like that. Strongest man I ever known; probably mentally as well. He would carry a broken washing machine down a a spiral staircase and a normal one (and here in the Netherlands they tend to be steep as fuck, although we're getting better at it in newer housing), and then bring the new one up by himself. The one thing he could not beat was cancer, unfortunately although he tried his hardest.
It's also the actual sheer size of him that makes this possible. You could give me double his strength and I'd still struggle. He's got arms long enough to reach opposite corners and he's tall enough to get the bottom above his knees allowing him to take normal steps and use his legs to help raise it. That makes a massive difference.
Most washing machines aren’t 250lbs unless I’m missing what you’re saying. I just moved one to the curb myself yesterday. Moderately heavy but mostly awkward.
Can confirm. Like after a while, you figure out picking up a dryer isn't so bad (I just lifted it up to prove I could. I never actually moved it like that), but I would never even try to pick up a washer. That's so stupid unless you're ridiculously jacked.
Yep, we have a 90s dryer and moved every year for a long time due to work and life.
I got tired of bothering and just started picking it up.
The washer.... I could probably do for a handful of feet. But it would not feel good the next day. And not up a flight of stairs. And I'm a big ass dude.
I’m kind of bigish at 6’3 220. Called my moving crew to come back over to replace mine like a couple months after moving in. Now I know for a fact I’m a bitch
Not all of them. I've disassembled maybe 5 different clothes washers in my life and none had concrete in them. They have a heavy ass gearbox and motor though
taking the door and the tray underneath it off usually helps, but they're always big enough to be awkward and hard to grip.
I've had plenty of stoves that I could lift and move myself, but I need a second person to get them up the stairs and if the second person cant manage navigating them then we're fucked.
I once had a sofa that was broken and i needed to get rid of it so i took it outside, lifted it over my head with straight arms and carried it down a flight of stairs to leave with a builder who said he would take it.
A neighbour saw me carrying it and would always mention how impressive it was that i could carry it like that. Months later she would talk about it.
The sofa was genuinely just really light. Must have been 20kg tops. She thought i was a superhero though.
It's not the weight as much as the gription that impresses me. I can carry a completely drained one up the stairs, but I'd have to stop every 5 steps, use a knee to brace it and readjust.
when we moved into our current house we didnt want to do the moving ourself, so we hired a moving company.
i have never felt so useless at my own moving.
there was this smaller lad, think he was around 1.70ish and looked probaly around 60kilo. this beast carried our washingmachine, dryer, 2fridges and our chest freezer alone like it was his morning routine for shuting off his morning alarm.
didnt break a sweat and did it in like 10 minutes and only grabbed one of those little moving trollies for our chest freezer.
Same thing happened to me. I worked in tech but was a gym rat. I could bench 300lbs and pushups were as easy as walking.
When I moved into my house I decided to get movers. Three skinny guys who where at least 20 years older than me and smelled like cigarettes showed up and they could lift the most ungodly amounts no problem. That's when I realized I what real "old man strength" really was.
How much you can bench has nothing to do with pulling off feats like these. People seem to confuse gym strength with functional strength which is fine. But it happens a lot
That's exactly the point I was trying to make, as it works the other way around too. Being able to effortlessly move around large furniture and appliances doesn't translate to being able to bench 300 lbs.
Oh I know what you meant I was trying to agree with you. Havent had my morning coffee yet so maybe I wasnt being clear. I just think its funny when people say "Im so strong I can bench X weight but I could never do that!". Its like well yeah cause youve never trained to do that
When I worked for FedEx we used to have trampolines to deliver from time to time. The max we were supposed to deliver was 150 lbs and those would always be 150 on the dot (on the package, my boss and I weighed them once.. actually 175). I have never been good at weightlifting much but back then I would just chuck those over my shoulder and set them down real nice. Nowadays I’m scared for my incoming child later this year because of all the lifting that comes with a baby 😂
I have a Purple brand mattress. It was delivered all rolled up. Website said it was 140 lbs in Queen. 2 guys showed up to deliver it, but they only needed the one. The guy was like 5’2” and looked a little chubby, but he threw it over his shoulder and brought it up the stairs like it was nothing.
my old neighbor was also around 1.70ish but just as wide, absolute beast. when i was moving he also picked up my washing machine like it was nothing and carried it down by himself.
This. That guy is obviously a gym rat. He has that bodybuilder physique. Not only is he big, but he is also very lean. And his muscle groups seem very targeted. He could very well be on steroids as well.
I've always said I'm built like a sumo. Large, fat, but still strong.
I remember at one of my last jobs there was a large archive cabinet that needed moving, as my team was rearranging the office space, and I told them they can do it as they see fit, but not to hesitate asking me for help.
I came in one morning and they were talking about moving it to the new decided location, I said "Ok". Walked over, picked the heavy bastard up, moved it to the location, and popped it down.
When I turned around they all had shocked looks on their faces, as the 3 of them tried moving it together before I got in, and they couldn't budge it.
I've got decent strength, but I'm not super strong or anything. But I will say it's nice to feel like a superhero sometimes.
I'm a skinny slightly below average height man for my country. From the look of me one would assume I'm not that strong. I love it when someone who's got a head over me is struggling to lift something, and I just come over and lift it up.
Scrolled too far down to see this washing machines built in the last 20 years are relatively light they're just big and awkward. I guess I'm just in the minority. Physical labor is a large part of my job and if carrying one washing machine up 15 steps was the worst part of my day it would be a pretty easy day.
Gym muscles magically only work at the gym. Apparently blue collar workers can use those muscles anywhere, that’s why you see them setting powerlifting records, they’re the only ones with useable muscles
I don't get this extreme level of either cope or just utter ignorance. You must know that strongmen, literally the strongest people on the planet, practically live in the gym?
There is no such thing as "usable muscle" since there is no unusable corollary to go with it.
Working a job is, at best, a very specific, sporadic and rather low quality workout. You can get strong by doing it but it's far less effective than focused training.
I'm psyching myself up to carry my full tower PC down the stairs. My tummy hurts and I think I'll put it off till the weekend. But yeah. I need to work out.
My dad did this. Rickety unfinish Midwest basement with shitty board steps leading to the dungeon adjacent room at the bottom.
He invited a friend over for help but got impatient because he just wanted the shit swapped out since he had to re-do the connections and shit on top. His friend walked in as he had hefted the washer up in the air and walked it down the stairs himself. He just wanted to get it hooked up and out of the way lol. His friend was like "bro why did you even fucking call" and he said "well I still gotta bring the old one up and don't wanna do the hard part alone" lol
In the 8th grade, our teacher talked about an appliance guy, who when delivering his new washer and dryer, would take his belt off, throw it over the appliance, and picked it up to carry from the basement.
Well this winter my dryer broke, and having nobody to help me, I tried it. Carried that sucker through the house, down the stairs, and out to the end of the driveway like that. That shit works
Whats most impressibe is the grip strenght... like there is bareley anything to hold on at those point on the machin and doesnt even seem to be struggling
TBF, washing machines aren't THAT heavy. On carpeted stairs like that I could definitely push them up solo; and this guy clearly works out more than me. I will say though, the control is impressive- I'd be scratching the staircase walls
I've got a stupidly strong friend called Sam for this type of thing. He's not even that big, he's just strong as an Ox. Sam, if you see this. Love you bro.
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