Pappy And The #2

[Rob928]

Don't really expect any replies to this. Just a bit of a story. I know I ain't no good at gripping yet, but I brought the #2 to my dad and he closed it for 7 reps. He grew up on a farm in Minnesota. He told me stories when I was little, but I guess I forgot. Anyways, I asked him again about the work he did on the farm. He said from the age of seven he carried 2 five gallon buckets of water from the well to the house and it was a quarter of a mile here to there. And 2 five gallon buckets (one in each hand) of slop to the pigs every day about the same distance. And so on with the chickens. Also he said he had to mow about 10 acres with those push mowers...with the revolving blades, and no motor..every week. He said he would throw up he worked so hard. Also he said when he weeded the garden for his mom he pulled up all kinds of roots. He said the big ones took 10 minutes of pulling (and digging) sometimes, and he worked all summer throwing bails of hay in the barn for his grandpa. Also said he said he had to pick up huge stones in fresh corn fields that have never been tilled before. Said he had to pick up the stones by hand, put them in a wheelbarrow, and pull them outside the field. I believe him because he's my dad and he's never lied. And I also say whoever says hard work doesn't stengthen hands is full of it. Cuz my dad did this from the age of 7-18. (he joined the Air Force to get off the farm) So Eli, I respect you and know that hard work in the real world pays off with hand strength. He crushes my hand to powder when we have a contest. So to hell with all the 'conditioning' that hard work is supposed to do. I know it made my dad's hand strong. He's all the proof I need. So that;s the just a story. (And on a seperate day he got the #3 to parallel or almost there). So thats my story.

Rob

[stranger]

nice story . did he do it no set? most dads do

Edited November 18, 2005 by stranger

[milkbone]

Manual labor today is a little different from the old days IMO. Today, we live in a world of power tools, cordless this and pnuematic that, so today's labor cannot be compared to the labor the old timers did IMO.

[Rob928]

He did about 4 reps on my hard #2 and 7 on my easier #2. Yeah, he tried it no set. LOL. He could only get 3 on the no set. But he got the hang of setting it once I taught it to him. Quicker than I got it, actually. Yeah, he uses power tools these days. But I still love him. Crazy man, I could NOT believe it! I've been .5 of a cm from my EASY #2 for like 2 weeks ( a deep a set at that) and he makes me look like a pussy. I have 7.8 in hands and he's got 8.5 or 8.7 in hand length. He says his grandpa was an Iceman and carried 40 pounds of ice from here to there every day and said he inherited the genteics....but comeon...ya gotta draw a line when even yer dads the lying to you. LOL. Thanks for the replies.

Rob

[Muscle Turtle]

this world of power tools you speak of, I still have to pick rocks and carry logs and split wood...

Maybe thats where my hand strength came from? lol

[Rob928]

He's more of a carpenter than I am. I gotta give him the specs for a TTK. I got a pony clamp, but if he can make 10 bird houses for my little sister, I think he can make a TTK for me. LOL

Rob

Train hard and live strong

Winners find ways, losers find excuses.

[king crusher]

i think his 8.7 inch hands have more to do with it then is 10 acre mowings.

but thats just one mans opinion.

my buddy no sets my 2 and his hands are the length of your dads. i dont think hes even seen a farm.

[Rob928]

I don't know man. I saw your reps on your #2 KC, and I was most impressed. I just don't think my dad could have done it without the growing up on the farm. I don't think that just because he has big hands he can click reps with the #2 like nobody's business. BTW, never got to compliment ya on that video, man. Good job, I think it's awesome that you pulled that off. I think some people are naturally stronger than others. But I also think my dad could not have done what he did without his farm strength. But that's just my opinion. I believe he worked hard all his life with his hands and it's payed off. I know for a fact it's not impressive to y'all that my dad closed a #2 for reps, but I'm damn proud. And I'm very reluctant to believe it's just 'natural' to believe he could have closed it without living a hard labor life. Perhaps just family pride. Well anyways, times were hard back then (on a 1950's farm back then) and I think he got strong from it. It might be false, but it's my opinion, and I think it's true. Anyway, Everyone on the whole board, Good luck w/ training. Live hard and live strong. Respect you all, from the newbies to the lvl 5 mash monsters.

Rob

[j.scribner]

Rob- nice story! The very best thing you can do for your Dad is tell him just what you feel about him. "Garonteed" to make him feel good... every Dad wants the respect and admiration of their sons and daughters, and sometime he won't be there anymore to say it. Those old-fashioned hard days back on the farm still exist in some places in this country. My younger brothers and sisters grew up exactly like that on a hardscrabble farm here in NW OH. (my Mom remarried a dirt-poor farmer after I escaped to college). They worked from 0430 until they collapsed at night. No social life, and no heat in the upstairs. Wind whistled through the walls in the winter. My brothers are strong and tough, and a few years back my (step) brother got caught for 3 hours in an old corn-picker. Took his arm and leg off, but he survived, and it was probably because he is one of the hardest, toghest guys I've ever known in my life (Love ya, Jake!). I call it the American Spirit...

John Scribner

[Rob928]

I feel ya j.scribner. I can't even count all the uncles and cousins how many have fingered and things missing from the farm tools and tractors.. I know how it is. My mom and dad in '89 divorced when I was 4. We got donations from the church until my dad went to college and got a job and could support us the best he knew how. Now my cousins take over the O'Byrne farm as best as they know how. It IS the american spirit, and I'm glad that someone feels the same that I do. I remember my allowance was $3 a week for weeding the garden and things of that nature. I think this country is founded on hard work, and it will always will be. I'm fascinated by the strongmen of old and how they did their lifts. God bless America, and the strongmen who represent it. My respects who give a new meaning to the men who define hand strength.

[Darco]

Manual labor today is a little different from the old days IMO. Today, we live in a world of power tools, cordless this and pnuematic that, so today's labor cannot be compared to the labor the old timers did IMO.

←

I would say that carpentry today is harder ON the hands then it was before, with the exeption of sawing.

1. Standard framing hammers are bigger than before, both longer and heavier. (22 oz vs 16 oz)

2. Paslode Nail Guns are HEAVY ! AND I mean HEAVY, shooting straight out in front of me with that thing for 10 minutes is more taxing then swinging that damn hammer for an hour. ( Actually it's only 7 lbs + 1 lb of nails ubt it seems to get heavy real fast, I think the new lightweight models are 6 lbs)

3. Because everything is standardized alot of the pieces of wood you work with are thicker and heavier and since houses are genrally bigger than before beams and supports are longer and thicker.

4. The thing that definately easier is sawing, I cant argue with that.

[Wes]

Neat story, goes to show the power of hard work

Edited November 18, 2005 by Wes

[Wayne]

my dad could also no set my #2 his first try, he is 50 years old. my grandfather no set my #1 at age 75. strong old guys are cool!

[Sybersnott]

He said from the age of seven he carried 2 five gallon buckets of water from the well to the house and it was a quarter of a mile here to there.

←

Ah, Farmers Walks!! That requires a lot of GRIP!

And 2 five gallon buckets (one in each hand) of slop to the pigs every day about the same distance.

Slopping pigs... you need a good GRIP!

And so on with the chickens.

Dealing with chickens, you need your GRIP!

Also he said he had to mow about 10 acres with those push mowers...with the revolving blades, and no motor..every week.

Pushing those mowers requires a lot of GRIP!

Also he said when he weeded the garden for his mom he pulled up all kinds of roots. He said the big ones took 10 minutes  of pulling (and digging)

Pulling and digging requires a lot of GRIP!

... and he worked all summer throwing bails of hay in the barn for his grandpa.

Throwing hay bales into the barn requires a lot of GRIP!

Also said he said he had to pick up huge stones in fresh corn fields that have never been tilled before. Said he had to pick up the stones by hand, put them in a wheelbarrow, and pull them outside the field.

Pulling stones out of the ground and pushing a heavy wheelbarrow requires a lot of GRIP!

ROB!

That story is just like my Grandpa, that's what he used to do for a living - farming.

Hey!!! Did you find out if they have an anvil? If so, what kind is it and how heavy is it? Try and get it if you can... you can use it for anvil lifting!!

[Dave Lemanczyk]

Great story. He sounds like a man full of integrity. That's what matters. A man of honor.

[milkbone]

Manual labor today is a little different from the old days IMO. Today, we live in a world of power tools, cordless this and pnuematic that, so today's labor cannot be compared to the labor the old timers did IMO.

←

I would say that carpentry today is harder ON the hands then it was before, with the exeption of sawing.

1. Standard framing hammers are bigger than before, both longer and heavier. (22 oz vs 16 oz)

2. Paslode Nail Guns are HEAVY ! AND I mean HEAVY, shooting straight out in front of me with that thing for 10 minutes is more taxing then swinging that damn hammer for an hour. ( Actually it's only 7 lbs + 1 lb of nails ubt it seems to get heavy real fast, I think the new lightweight models are 6 lbs)

3. Because everything is standardized alot of the pieces of wood you work with are thicker and heavier and since houses are genrally bigger than before beams and supports are longer and thicker.

4. The thing that definately easier is sawing, I cant argue with that.

←

This is an interesting perspective on manual labor in today's world. I would think the 8lb nail gun would be more taxing on your shoulder than your grip, if you are having to hold it out in front of you. This is an interesting topic and I'm sorry I missed the original thread.

I landscaped with my uncle when I was a teenager and I remember pinching two squares of sod in each hand and doing a farmers walk to where they needed to be laid ... pallet after pallet for sometimes 10 hour days. That was hard for me back then but I have no idea what it would feel like today.

[unseenbeat]

Great story.  He sounds like a man full of integrity.  That's what matters.  A man of honor.

←

No offense Dave, but I see differently. To me, a man of honor is just a man. Being honorable is one of those qualities I think that it is necessary for a man to have, integrity as well.

Having grown up and worked with men who worked with their hands and backs every day, he sounds like just that to me; a man.

[unseenbeat]

I landscaped with my uncle when I was a teenager and I remember pinching two squares of sod in each hand and doing a farmers walk to where they needed to be laid ... pallet after pallet for sometimes 10 hour days. That was hard for me back then but I have no idea what it would feel like today.

←

I worked in a job landscaping for two years, throwin grass is no joke, definetely right up there with cleaning outhouses.

Those pneumatic nail guns have some serious kick to them, BTW, not horribly taxing on the grip, but aggravating.

[Oldtime]

You can only go so far with indirect work...Genetics and hand size are hughe factors aswell.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Oldtime

[king crusher]

oldtime is a wise man

for every embellished old story there are tales of people doing the same things without ever doing any manual labor.

theres no right or wrong conclusion...it is what it is.

[Rob928]

I agree. He does have big hands and I'm sure he has good genetics. But I still credit at least some of the strength to all the work he did with his hands. But I'm gonna do something a little unique here. Instead of starting a new topic with a seperate post I'll keep it right here. As everyone knows, christmas is around the corner, and that means chestnuts and all kinds of nuts. Has anyone done any nut cracking with their grippers? Like crack a walnut with the #2 or a brazil nut with the #1 or a pecan with the #3? Just wondering. I guess it would kind of be like a straphold in a way...maybe. Just crossed my mind in the grocery store today, that's all. Anyone ever try it?

[Darco]

Manual labor today is a little different from the old days IMO. Today, we live in a world of power tools, cordless this and pnuematic that, so today's labor cannot be compared to the labor the old timers did IMO.

←

I would say that carpentry today is harder ON the hands then it was before, with the exeption of sawing.

1. Standard framing hammers are bigger than before, both longer and heavier. (22 oz vs 16 oz)

2. Paslode Nail Guns are HEAVY ! AND I mean HEAVY, shooting straight out in front of me with that thing for 10 minutes is more taxing then swinging that damn hammer for an hour. ( Actually it's only 7 lbs + 1 lb of nails ubt it seems to get heavy real fast, I think the new lightweight models are 6 lbs)

3. Because everything is standardized alot of the pieces of wood you work with are thicker and heavier and since houses are genrally bigger than before beams and supports are longer and thicker.

4. The thing that definately easier is sawing, I cant argue with that.

←

This is an interesting perspective on manual labor in today's world. I would think the 8lb nail gun would be more taxing on your shoulder than your grip, if you are having to hold it out in front of you. This is an interesting topic and I'm sorry I missed the original thread.

I landscaped with my uncle when I was a teenager and I remember pinching two squares of sod in each hand and doing a farmers walk to where they needed to be laid ... pallet after pallet for sometimes 10 hour days. That was hard for me back then but I have no idea what it would feel like today.

←

The nail gun has a thick a handle, it would be ergonomic if your Cleave Dean and the weight is levered forward. You also have to hammer curl the sucker all day everyday.

I'm not talking about Pneumatic nailguns, those are fine for kids and girls. I'm talking about the ones with fuel cells that fire 3 1/2" nails.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Darco

[king crusher]

ive broke tic tac containers with the grippers though lol

[Darco]

ive broke tic tac containers with the grippers though lol

←

Oddly enough so have I.

[Left Side]

Has anyone done any nut cracking with their grippers? Like crack a walnut with the #2 or a brazil nut with the #1 or a pecan with the #3? Just wondering. I guess it would kind of be like a straphold in a way...maybe. Just crossed my mind in the grocery store today, that's all. Anyone ever try it?

←

After reading this I broke a walnut with a #2. A really neat idea Rob, I've never thought of that.