EricMilfeld Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 No, not that kind. Who else uses their hands at work, in atleast a somewhat strenuous manner? Connecting hoses, fittings, and loading arms as a gasoline hauler provides for a mild grip workout, unlike the heavy duty workout I used to get digging ditches in the central Texas limestone, for sprinkler systems. And then there was my stint as a mobile home installer, which actually gave the ditch diggin a run for its money. It entailed a lot of steel rod driving with a sledge hammer, as well as carrying tons of heavy concrete blocks. My time swingin a hammer as a carpenter was easy, in comparison. I wonder if all of this built a good base for my grip hobby So, any other current or former manual labor grunts out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Harlan Jacobs Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I use to work with a well drilling company digging ditches and pulling pumps. Pulling a pump is a GREAT grip workout ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sjeff70 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Man, I have to start going back to church. I've got a dirty mind. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I worked as a sheet metal fabricator and heavy machinery mechanic for years, and also in construction. In constuction as a 20 year old, I was a hod carrier back in the UK. That is the hardest job there is as far as construction of houses goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emsquared Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 For 7 years I worked as a semi-mechanic wrenching on cars, twisting oil filters off of cars by hand untill they twisted up like a pop can Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan McMillan Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Inconsisent grip work at my job. On my floor there's a steady rate of low intensity grip work helping demented patients with their daily care and breaking up scuffles between them. Then when I have to care the emergency pager I could be called at any time to help with disturbed behaviour in the rest of the hospital...it's the reason why I take grip training so seriously, as you can never be strong enough in those situations!!! Jon@han Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 From the time I was 8-I worked on the family beef farm and the neighbors dairy farm. Nothing trains the body like wet green bails! I also worked in a plastics factory in the summers-used my hands a lot. Then a year stint at a saw mill-lots of hand work there-especially when we did a 10 hour day of 8/4 white oak-the 14 footers were murder. Now-I am a strength coach/trainer-so, I use my hands all day long loading and unloading, lifting bars, plates, etc. Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mikebyoung Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I've been a commercial plumber for the last 15 years. Laying cast iron pipe in trenches, fitting larger size gas pipe, etc. One tool I use every day,all day, is my water-pump pliers. I credit my trusty pliers for building my base strength in gripping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2strong Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I work as a "Collision repair technician", and I use my hands a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I AM A HOD CARRIER,MY HANDS ARE ALWAYS TIRED BEFORE MY GRIP WORKOUTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Gazza, tell them how hard hod carrying is. It is brutal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted March 15, 2003 Author Share Posted March 15, 2003 I saw a world record breaking performance of hod carrying up a vertical ladder on the Guinness Book of World Records show, many years back. I wish I could remember the exact weight, but know it was several hundred pounds. No need to work your quads, lumbars, abs, calves, obliques, delts, and according to Gazza, your hands, at a commercial gym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 A hod carrier has to carry on his shoulder bricks, concrete or cinder blocks and also the cement mortar. He needs to keep the bricklayers supplied. All day he is climbing ladders with a heavy load on his back. It is relentless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Yeah, those construction guys carry and lift lots of weight to and from a site. Also, pushing a heavy wheelbarrow is murder on your grip. Those days long since gone by for me. Now, my current job consists of heavy boxes and various odd objects to lift and move. I get a grip workout when I go to my gym and lift my weights and other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tou Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I'm a elementary school teacher. I teach 3rd grade. I use my hands a lot : type exams, correct exams, and a lot of paper work. However, nothing of it is tough. I sometimes perform feats of strength for my students and they're always amazed. They think for sure that I'm WSM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Styles Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I type all day. The most grip work I get is plunging the office toilet when it can't handle the output of my high fiber diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 OLDGUY YOU ARE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THE HOD IS SOMETIMES RELENTLESS,MY DAD WAS ALSO A HOD CARRIER,SO I WAS OFTEN TAKEN TO THE BUILDING SITES AT AN EARLY AGE EVERY TIME THERE WAS SCHOOL HOLIDAYS I HAVE DONE A LOT OF JOBS BUT I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE HOD,EVEN WHEN I DONT TRAIN I STILL KEEP MY BASE STRENGTH BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH/FITNESS INVOLVED WITH HOD CARRYING,I USED TO BE ABLE TO CLIMB A LADDER WITH 3 HUNDRED WEIGHT BAGS OF CEMENT ON MY SHOULDERS,1 ON EACH SHOULDER AND 1 ACROSS THE OTHER 2,I WAS NEVER BETTEN AT THIS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I SQUATED 550LBS AND DEADLIFTED OVER 600LBS RAW AT A BODYWEIGHT OF 215LBS THIS WAS DUE TO THE HOD AS I ONLY WENT TO A GYM ONCE A WEEK BACK THEN,I SQUATED 140KILOS THE 1ST TIME I EVER TRIED IT. tHE SUMMERTIME IS GREAT FRESH AIR SHORTS N O TOP GREAT,THE WINTERS ARE HARD,RAIN MUD WET COLD HANDS ALL THE TIME, HANDS ARE ALWAYS GETTING CUT ON THE BRICKS AND BLOCKS,BUT I CANNOT COMPLAIN I COULD BE STUCK ON A FRODUCTION LINE SOMEWERE,GIV E ME THE HOD ANYTIME,BESIDES I LIKE HARD WORK,AND IF I HAVE TIME AFTER WORK I ALWAYS DO SOME THICK BAR AND BEER BARREL LIFTING,WHICH IS MOST NIGHTS. THE ONLY REAL PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH THE HOD IS THAT I HAVE TO EAT LIKE A HORSE TO KEEP MY SIZE,I BURN A LOT OF CALORIES FOR A 41YEAR OLD,O WELL CAN,T HAVE IT ALL,ANYWAY THANKS FOR LISTENING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Gazza I haven't carried the hod since 1973. It was so demanding that my weight never went above 13 stone however much I ate. I used to carry 3 x 56 lb blocks up a ladder for 2 stories. I made 10 quid a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 OLDGUY THATS A FIVER A DAY MORE THAN I,M ON SERIOUSLY 3X 6" CONCRETE BLOCKS UP A LADDER ON YOUR SHOULDER AT 13 STONE IS VERY IMPRESSIVE,I CAN DO IT BUT AM 15.5 STONE AT THE MOMENT I ONCE TRIED TO BE COCKEY AND GO UP A LADDER WITH 2 CURB EDGINGS ON MY SHOULDER,A RUNG ON THE LADDER BUST AND I NEARLY TOOK MY BACK OUT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wells Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 Occassional 'hand-cuffing', 'restraining', and escorted 'removal' of 'undesirable' individuals requires a strong grip. I almost forgot about picking up 'thick bar' parking barriers! Constant challengings and 'horseplay' with my fellow french collegues over the grippers as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mac Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 I agree fully about Hod-carrying. Some of the strongest people I know (or at least used to) carry the hod - the classical example of "non weight-trained" strongman we often refer to. I think the guy on the TV clip was probably Russell Bradley (he also held records for brick-lifting). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmmicklabs Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 No wonder all you guys have such a great grip. I am a computer tech at a Help Desk. I type and surf the net all day long. I do get to train with my grippers all day long though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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