Other/Mixed Thoughts on practical strength

[D-Rock]

Practical, functional, and real world strength is sometimes going to look different to different people, but I like to be "ready for anything" I might encounter either in my daily life, unexpected situations, and my hobbies. With my first successful whitetail hunting season, I was curious how my strength would hold up and what would actually be useful.

Working with and dragging the deer, my grip was by far the most used and the first to go.

I had always dreamed of carrying my prize on my shoulders back to the house. Grip and abdominals were necessary for getting it up there, and shoulders and hips for stabilizers got a workout walking. Definitely a loaded carry.

My cardiovascular system was on overdrive!

I also found isometric strength quite useful when a buck caught me with my pants down and I had to make like a snail and go for my gun.

My strength served me well, and it was neat to see what actually got used! I could definitely improve on my grip and cardiovascular system. And no matter how strong I am, isometrics are hard and demand so much control. I think loaded carries, grip work, abdominal training, getups, and work capacity/GPP would build the kind of strength needed for this situation.

I always think it's neat where training meets the real world, whatever that may be. Anyone else care to share a story?

 

[Deleted member 5559]

I find stamina to be really important. Real world things are never pound a nail, take a break, pound a nail, take a break. When it's time to cut wood for example, it's a long sustained effort that lasts all day - often multiple days. Loading is fatiguing on the back; splitting by hand takes a bunch of grip strength/endurance and core power and stamina. Real work for me is heavy and sustained.

 

[User 6372]

I find stamina to be really important. Real world things are never pound a nail, take a break, pound a nail, take a break. When it's time to cut wood for example, it's a long sustained effort that lasts all day - often multiple days. Loading is fatiguing on the back; splitting by hand takes a bunch of grip strength/endurance and core power and stamina. Real work for me is heavy and sustained.

Can agree with that.

 

[MattM]

@Bro Mo I agree with this but the opposite is also true. If you find yourself in an emergency situation it could often last only several seconds (tree/car falls on top of someone, kick down a door, etc)

 

[Billy59]

Starting in the spring of 2005, I got pretty heavily (no pun) into sled dragging and lifting/carrying odd objects like stones and sandbags. Of course this was all done outdoors, and as the summer bloomed, I started feeling more acclimated to the heat.

Then at the end of August, hurricane Katrina visited my area. The storm itself was pretty exciting, but the aftermath was mostly hard work. I actually started laughing when we were pulling wet carpet out of the house -- sled dragging was probably the perfect training for that particular task! And of course the cleanup involved moving lots of heavy junk, then there was a few weeks of unloading trucks. I'd love to make this sound as if I'd cleverly planned for the disaster, but have to admit it was sheer dumb luck. If 9 hadn't done that particular training, things would have been a lot less fun.

 

[crazycanuck]

I like the practical strength that kettlebells and Strongfirst methods give to me. I can do heavy yardwork in the summer and fall and shoveled waist deep-in-places snow this week with no snowblower help. In my work I am a nurse....lots of heavy lifting in the day, on my feet constantly, and get into some weird positions in my not so ergonomic environment (homes I work in, and hospitals). I am descendant stock of a Ukrainian granny who was 9th in line of a family of 16 and was strong as an ox in a practical strength way (all that farming!), sharp as a tack and the last in her family to pass, and was quite with it until the year before she passed. My goal is to be spry like her and keep active and mobile.

Also I have to say as a woman, I get great satisfaction (and a smile inside), when I can say things like "thank you, I've got it" , with things like the four 20kg bags of water-softener salt I lifted off the piles on the grocery store floor, into my cart, and then into the house. Awkward heavy loads for the win!

 

[pet']

Hello,

I chopped wood for a long time, for my parents and grand-parents. I also did a lot of "heavy DIY" such as building / breaking walls and so on.

Indeed, they require both strength and endurance to last all day long. My grand-father was a farmer in his early years and a carpenter after. When he got retired, I helped him a lot in his "profesional DIY" so for me, "real world strength" is about : lifting heavy odds objects (no good grip), lifting long time, carry heavy and long time, lifting overhead, climb a ladder with 40 or 50 kg on shoulders, etc...

S&S prepare very well for these kind of daily life events.

Otherwise do some "rustic" exercises such as farmer carries, DL / squats, presses and pistol and you will get the job done IMO

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[North Coast Miller]

For me most of it also comes down to stamina. I notice it when canoeing, and backpacking with a heavy load. I also notice it distinctly when positioning myself to lift or manipulate heavy objects from awkward postures and angles.

The bulk of it comes down to core muscles kicking in before the load is engaged, and keeping the load supported over the hips - both things that have been helped considerably by my KB training.

I should do more isometric...

 

[Anna C]

Then at the end of August, hurricane Katrina visited my area. The storm itself was pretty exciting, but the aftermath was mostly hard work. I actually started laughing when we were pulling wet carpet out of the house -- sled dragging was probably the perfect training for that particular task! And of course the cleanup involved moving lots of heavy junk, then there was a few weeks of unloading trucks. I'd love to make this sound as if I'd cleverly planned for the disaster, but have to admit it was sheer dumb luck. If 9 hadn't done that particular training, things would have been a lot less fun.

This was a motivator for me as well, as I was here in coastal MS where the hurricane hit. There was so much work to be done in the following weeks and months, just as you describe, and I was not in shape for it then at all. I began my current fitness journey soon after, in the spring of 2006, and that experience was a big part of the motivation for me. When you are hot, uncomfortable, tired, tested, needed, pushed to your limits, that's when you need to have done the work beforehand to be able to handle it. Stamina and strength are so valuable. You never know when you will need them.

 

[TravisDirks]

I had always dreamed of carrying my prize on my shoulders back to the house. Grip and abdominals were necessary for getting it up there, and shoulders and hips for stabilizers got a workout walking. Definitely a loaded carry.

Perhaps heavy sandbag shouldering and walking Plus barbell shouldering and walking. Like this, only aim to center the weight on the shoulder with a towel for a pad. I've dont this with 185 the shouldering is as tough as it looks. The walking is easier, but I wouldn't make it out of the woods... You might have to settle for a leg .

 

[Kozushi]

I think the reason we need to lift weights is precisely because there is little need for that kind of strength in everyday life and we've all gotten too weak therefore.

 

[pet']

Hello,

It can always be useful to be strong enough to lift a piece of furniture (closet, ...) or a washing machine in upstairs !

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[banzaiengr]

I've answered this type a question before. Always similar to the answer I'll give this time.

I call it farm boy strength. Anyone who has wrestled knows what this is, the guy doesn't look like much but when he grabs ahold of you it's like he has vise grips for hands.

And as others have mentioned sometimes it's something that last all day. In my experience it's the grip that generally goes first.

To look at it another way, check out a kid before he leaves for USMC recruit training. Then check him out when he gets done. There will be many changes, but pay close attention to how much his forearms have grown. I've ask several why this is and never get a good answer. But my guess is it's because they are always carrying something somewhere.

So for real world strength, carries of different types. Especially bear hug carries. Farmer walks, and throw in some swings and some pull -ups and you're good to go.

 

[D-Rock]

I find stamina to be really important.

Agreed!

I agree with this but the opposite is also true.

My ideal is to have a blend of both.

@crazycanuck Lifting a person is SO much different than lifting a barbell or an object. Great goals! They don't make em like they used to! The "hard as nails" kind of strength and mentality is great.

@banzaiengr I've met people like that. People that may not train or even be very strong in the gym but would mess you up if they got ahold of you or could lift all kinds of odd heavy objects like it was nothing.

The bulk of it comes down to core muscles kicking in before the load is engaged

Yes, even better when it is a reflex and you don't have to think about it! You can do some crazy stuff when the muscles reflexively act.

I've enjoyed all these stories. Being prepared for emergency situation is so valuable!!

 

[D-Rock]

I think the reason we need to lift weights is precisely because there is little need for that kind of strength in everyday life and we've all gotten too weak therefore.

Exactly!

And for people who think they don't need strength or stamina because their job or lifestyle do not demand it, I will give this experience.

I had a very important meeting. It was vital I be on time and make a good impression. Despite planning to be 45 minutes early, completely unexpected circumstances demanded that I sprint half-mile with a 20 pound backpack, half-mile without, and up several flights of stairs all in professional dress. I made it.

Even though I wasn't training stamina at the time, my strength served me well. More so was the mentality I had, the grit. I reached a point where I was choking because my throat was so dry and my legs were on fire. I felt like I couldn't take another step under the weight. But I thought to myself "this is why I train" and poured on the speed. I WAS NOT going to be late.

You never know what could happen, at any moment, in any walk of life.

 

[pet']

Hello,

Lots of "preppers" use S&S and Pavel's principles specially because it prepares you for anything anytime and always let you fresh.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Zack]

The first time I had to call upon my leg strength/endurance was when I found out I had hiked 5+ miles in the wrong direction. And had to get back before nightfall.

 

[Billy59]

Hello,

Lots of "preppers" use S&S and Pavel's principles specially because it prepares you for anything anytime and always let you fresh.

And even more should!

 

[pet']

Hello,

A lot of them, at least in France, also use a bodyweight approach, that is called "Méthode Lafay" (Lafay's Method).

I used it for a while and it worked pretty well. It builds a strong muscular endurance and also increase max strength. It is a full body approach. You maintain your level with 2 or 3 sessions a week. This method uses A+A. Advance users achieved OAC, dips with 70kg added, 150kg bench press, 160 DL, etc...

Basically, what it is:
More or less hard variation of dips, pull ups & chin ups, push ups, inverted push ups, squats and abs.

It uses a smooth progression (range of motion, lever) to get to harder variations. A final step is OA push ups and pistol squats for e.g.

The principle is to use between 5 and 7 sets of max reps (but avoiding failure), with very little rest between sets (25s).

The only thing you need is a PU bar. Otherwise, you can do dips with what you want (chairs, dip bars, furnitures...). It is a relatively "low-tech" approach.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Norcoaster]

As some would say, life is mostly about how you interpret events and what your response is. That's a nice way to reframe how you deal with a tragedy Btw I was in Cozumel at time of Katrina, remember seeing the weather reports - it could easily have turned to hit us.

Starting in the spring of 2005, I got pretty heavily (no pun) into sled dragging and lifting/carrying odd objects like stones and sandbags. Of course this was all done outdoors, and as the summer bloomed, I started feeling more acclimated to the heat.

Then at the end of August, hurricane Katrina visited my area. The storm itself was pretty exciting, but the aftermath was mostly hard work. I actually started laughing when we were pulling wet carpet out of the house -- sled dragging was probably the perfect training for that particular task! And of course the cleanup involved moving lots of heavy junk, then there was a few weeks of unloading trucks. I'd love to make this sound as if I'd cleverly planned for the disaster, but have to admit it was sheer dumb luck. If 9 hadn't done that particular training, things would have been a lot less fun.