Is it possible to get big without using conventional weights ?

[Fitness 500]

This has been on my mind for the past week when I went to visit a friend who works in a large lumber mill/plant.

He took me on a small tour of the mill and I saw a lot of big dudes doing a lot of heavy work such as picking up and stacking large panels of wood, pushing heavy metal frames, picking up and carrying heavy ass metal bands, and putting heavy machinery on shelves.

Now when you watch TV and you see a construction site most of the guys seem to be in good shape, but that's TV and it made me think most of the guys I know in construction really are big guys(although they have a bit of a belly).

But what if you were on a bulking cycle and had to do heavy work like this every day would you actually grow? I don't seem to think the body would have anytime to rest if your using the same muscles every day and would cause you to actually get smaller.

Any thoughts on this ?

 

[Tom]

if it's what you do for a living every day, the body adapts and without an increase in intensity you would stay the same. a really skinny guy might put some size on initially but that would soon taper off due to adaptation.

 

[TheSyndicate]

This has been on my mind for the past week when I went to visit a friend who works in a large lumber mill/plant.

He took me on a small tour of the mill and I saw a lot of big dudes doing a lot of heavy work such as picking up and stacking large panels of wood, pushing heavy metal frames, picking up and carrying heavy ass metal bands, and putting heavy machinery on shelves.

Now when you watch TV and you see a construction site most of the guys seem to be in good shape, but that's TV and it made me think most of the guys I know in construction really are big guys(although they have a bit of a belly).

But what if you were on a bulking cycle and had to do heavy work like this every day would you actually grow? I don't seem to think the body would have anytime to rest if your using the same muscles every day and would cause you to actually get smaller.

Any thoughts on this ?

There's a bridge here where I live at here in Clearwater, Florida where underneath it on a small beach, that has hundreds of rocks ranging from 30-1000 pounds. Three days a week I've been going down there and picking those up and throwing them around (strongman competition structure) with my nephew and a couple of his teammates (high school football). Everyone is adding massive size to their shoulders, back and traps despite still completing normal workout regimes.

Just like these workers you saw, all these teenagers are on high calorie diets and this is a big reason they are packing on the muscle. If over-worked muscles were breaking down then wouldn't mechanics have the small forearms?

Gear helps tremendoussssssly, there's no question. Eat big to get big. It's hard to eat 5000 clean calories a day, day-in day-out, but that's why everyone can't be a bodybuilder.

 

[sbc5966]

Lots of guys who won world's strongest man grew up in rural areas/farms and grew up doing manual labor.

I'm sure it built an excellent base for conventional weight training to add on to.

My father is a carpenter/framer/contractor by trade and he MOST CERTAINLY maintains his mass by manual labor and HRT but I don't think he has put any on because of it.

 

[Running mantle]

They body adapts but there is also a difference between manual labor doing a specific routine in a gym. But it certainly is possible to put on some size, just a question of how much.

 

[ManoftheWorld]

definitely need progression of intensity or weight or volume etc to push past any adaptive sticking point... and an addition of belly now that its mentioned is probably from surplus of calories after the body adapted... could be from food/beer/etc since I met a fair share of framers and concrete layers who loved there beer after the hot sun went down LOL

 

[waynaferd]

I guy at work who's 52 spent most of his life in sawmills and woodyards, and looks like a powerlifter from it. Huge, huge, huge....

 

[bigsexy50]

Herschel Walker claimed to have never lifted a weight in his life, but did hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups per day, everyday. I personally think he is lying, he played college football in the SEC, then went on to a career in the NFL, and now competes in MMA. I mean, he had to weight train during one of those stops. Anyways, if he is telling the truth, his physique is fantastic for just using calesthenics.

 

[chrisotpherm]

Well being in the army and a drill sergeant I have seen some amazing transformation for guys who literally couldn't do 3 push ups and by week 10 knocking out 70+ push ups, 80+ setups and run 2 miles under 13mins with just basic fundamental exercises.

 

[mrcat]

It's possible, but it's one job in thousands. You need something that is progressive to some degree. The big kicker is it can't become an endurance job. That's what happens to most. I loaded trucks for a year. You would think everyone doing it would be build. None were. It became more endurance than strength, and tended to lead to injury.

It also changes with time. More and more manual stuff is replaced by machines. Jackhammers replaced with hammers on skidloaders. Stake driving replaced by a machine that does it. Carrying lumber up ladders/stairs replace with ladder elevators and cranes etc.....

 

[kingpeon]

Carlos Newton claimed that he built his physique without using any weight besides his own body weight.

Looking at his build I tend to believe him.

 

[nickels]

Look at the old school strongman guys.

 

[bigsexy50]

LMAO

Best laugh of the day.

 

[tmuscle]

if you are a naturally big fat guy with a mesomorphic endomorphic build

then all you really need is a playground with bars on it


for a naturally skinny guy, hell no, he will probably stay 115 ripped for the rest of his life while naturally big fat guy will be a ripped 190

 

[TNH]

If by unconventional, you mean not using traditional barbells, plates, etc, then yes.....
**broken link removed**

No one's growing any real size without lifting heavy stuff progressively though.

 

[Fitness 500]

If by unconventional, you mean not using traditional barbells, plates, etc, then yes.....

Ya just like Sly in Rocky IV

 

[Hmmm]

This has been on my mind for the past week when I went to visit a friend who works in a large lumber mill/plant.

He took me on a small tour of the mill and I saw a lot of big dudes doing a lot of heavy work such as picking up and stacking large panels of wood, pushing heavy metal frames, picking up and carrying heavy ass metal bands, and putting heavy machinery on shelves.

Now when you watch TV and you see a construction site most of the guys seem to be in good shape, but that's TV and it made me think most of the guys I know in construction really are big guys(although they have a bit of a belly).

But what if you were on a bulking cycle and had to do heavy work like this every day would you actually grow? I don't seem to think the body would have anytime to rest if your using the same muscles every day and would cause you to actually get smaller.

Any thoughts on this ?

I can tell you for fact, because I am a construction worker, that most of them are just as out of shape or even more so then the general population.

 

[chrisotpherm]

Just come on in the army and I will help how you guys some unconventional ways to get strong physically and mentally. He he.

 

[NITRO3]

Just come on in the army and I will help how you guys some unconventional ways to get strong physically and mentally. He he.

I'm all ears!

I'd like to see what you recommend for a decent athlete to get into even better shape and max out the APFT.

 

[chrisotpherm]

Simple methods are short burst and long slow form. What I mean that is knock as many push ups as you possibly can in two minutes, rest 30 seconds, go right into slow push ups focusing on forum and holding at the proper location, rest one minute, go right back into two minutes of however many you can do, rest 30secs and repeat. Do this for a total of five minutes. Once complete take the same approach to situps. Once this is complete repeat for a total of 4 complete sets. I can guarantee you that you will be smoked. Next you will go into running. Begin by walking at a moderate pace for 30secs, as soon as 30 secs has passed sprint for 1 minute giving it all you got, soon as time up walk at a moderate pass and repeat this for a total of 15mins. Once this complete run at a easy jog for 1 mile. Once complete you will do forward lunges for 300 yards. This my friend every other day will ensure you max out your pt test!!!