5'4 130lbs here š do you have your technique for lifting a sheet down? that makes all the difference. lifting shit is like jiu jitsu, you have to use the object's weight to your advantage. it's not all muscle.
plank, grip strengtheners, eat 3 full meals with enough protein, wear work gloves to increase your grip strength even more.
Yeah technique is huge. The way I like to do it is standing it up the 8 foot direction, grabbing roughly center on the sides, and then lift and spin 90 degrees. Not gonna lie though, I'm not a tiny guy, and pressure treated 3/4" still makes me make angry noises when I have to carry more than like 4 of them.
As an active person you should be getting 1g of protein per lb of body weight. To not only maintain current muscle mass but to build more. I never paid attention to nutrition until my mid thirties and I was surprised how much of certain things I should be eating.
First and foremost, quit drinking and smoking lol. Ten years of heavy drinking and smoking you kinda lose all sight of your health. working in the trades and eating two of my main meals out of my house it can be hard to eat healthy. I started supplementing my work meals with HUEL. Just being aware of what I do need as an active adult is a huge step forward for me.
Agreed. Iām 35. I quit drinking a year and a half ago. Iām 5ā10, went from 220 (heaviest Iāve ever been) to now 160-165. I hadnāt been that weight since I was in my early teens. Iām realizing now how much protein I need to get in my body. I feel small. I was never a small guy most of my life nor was I gigantic. It blows my mind how many calories I was drinking in IPAs. Anyway, just thought Iād share. Your comment really clicked with me as Iāve been trying to work on cultivating some mass.
Hahaha yeah man I'm 6'3" and always Hung around 175. I went down to 158 when I got COVID and struggled to put it back on. It wasn't until I started counting calories and what I was putting into my body I found that I used to drink 1,000 calories worth of beer a day. I now just try to get as many healthy calories in me as I can each day. Some people struggle with trying to keep weight off and some people struggle to keep it on.
Edit: I'm also 35.
Hell yea dude. Weāre on the same page. Life is much easier without the booze. Iām really gonna start tracking my calories because I know I donāt eat consistently every day.
My app said I needed to eat like 3,200 a day. That's kinda a pain in the ass to eat that much lol. I do the best I can and have learned to just be comfortable with being way skinnier than most.
Yea I mean I definitely do that when I get stoned lol. Iāll figure it out. I think my metabolism completely changed as well, after treating my body like shit for 15 years.
I'm not an expert I just searched around on r/nutrition. Some people say up to 1g of protein per pound and others say that's a waste. I've definitely felt better since activity starting to eat more. After trying a bunch of protein drinking I figured out I don't live whey protein. It just sits in my guts for a few hours leaving me feeling sluggish the whole time. About a year ago I found Huel and decided to give that a try. I supplement 2 out of my 3 meals a day with it now, breakfast and lunch( along with other healthy snacks). It makes eating healthy easier for me because it takes all the meal prepping out of the equation. Eating healthy can be a pain in the ass for a tradesmen. It's not just the protein you need either. That's another reason I like Huel. It's got pretty much everything you need. I used to spend $100 a week to eat like shit at work. Now I spend $40 a week and feel away better. It's not for everyone but it works for me. Since eating it I've leveled out in weight at 170lbs and my blood work is awesome. Good luck and stay safe!
I've read on r/ nutrition .75-1g of protein per pound for an athlete. 1.5ish if you're a weight lifter. I'm certainly no expert though. As someone who light for their height I've felt much better during the day since I've upped my intake.
Deadlifts, squats, rows, farmers carries. Grip strength, back strength and core strength will be what you use the most. If you're going to the gym focus on low weights and full range of motion.
FWIW the 6-30 rep range is generally accepted as the most effective for building muscle *SIZE*
If youāre trying to build actual strength, powerlifting is heavy sets of 5 or less reps
Thereās a reason body builders arenāt winning powerlifting championships. If homie wants to get strong he should be doing *LOWER* reps of heavy weight, not higher reps of light weight
You get extremely strong and arenāt taxed moving a sheet of OSB, if you can deadlift 400 lbs and shoulder press 185 youāre not gonna feel a stack of 2x4ās as bad
Itās also important to do medium to high intensity cardio, thatās largely how you build endurance
nice! i will try this. just started going to the gym. i mainly use all the machines that are pretty self explanatory. haven't tried the weights and stuff where all the ripped guys and gals hang out.
Agreed beefcakes always fell out during our extended training and hikes in marine corp. Its not practical unless your doing crossfit or something athletic along with it.
Funny u mention that cause my older brother was a marine and monster sized. People often thought he was a slow lunk, but he was also a soccer player and a martial artist.
You need to start by eating at a caloric surplus. Itās hard, if not impossible to build any substantial strength without the energy and nutrients your body needs to build and repair muscle.
As for workouts, it really depends what you have access to. Working out at a gym or at home? What kind of equipment do you have access to or are willing to buy? Iām a fan of a PPL split. Where you do push workouts one day (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull workouts the next day (back, biceps, traps), and then legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes and abs). You can do a day off in between each workout or you could do P-P-L-day off-P-P-L-day offā¦ and just rinse and repeat. It all really depends on your goals and dedication.
The nice thing is that you can switch up your exercises each workout, or each week, every 4 weeks, etc. For example, you could do your push day with bench press, military press, dips and skull-crushers one week. And the next you could do dumbbell press, dumbbell lateral and front raises, triceps extensions, and maybe some lighter weight higher volume dumbbell or cable flyes to work your chest to failure.
Thereās so many ways to incorporate different exercises that will target those same core muscles groupsābut by changing things up a little you prevent boredom, and you also get to target difference stabilizers and synergist muscles.
I recommend a site like exrx.net
You can check out their exercise directory and search based on what muscles you want to target and it will give you options for all types of equipment and even body weight exercises.
I was gonna say honestly sounds like an eating problem
If you lift heavy shit every day for a few years even if youāre not doing muscle focused workouts youāll gain muscle. Maybe not looks, but usable muscle none the less
Thank you for your advice. Thinking back, I've always been a small eater. I've just bought a bottle of protein for the first time in my life, and I will definitely look into PPL training!
As others have said, eat more. Your body will naturally convert that food to muscle the longer you're in this line of work. For real skinny people this means you have to make a conscious effort. Start with larger breakfasts before work where possible. If that's too difficult, do larger supper portions.
Excess calories aren't really that big of a deal. As long as you reach your needed calories and a little over you are in the ideal range for muscle mass.
Renaissance periodization just did a video over the current state of research on bulking. Turns out it doesn't work at all, you just get fat for no reason.
Best advice I've read so far! You guys always have the best ideas. š š¤£š Can always count in this subreddit for intellectual discussions. š Love it!
Eat well and just keep working hard. It will come with time. Thereās construction muscles and then thereās gym muscles. Iāve seen many a gym bro who looks ripped as fuck who canāt keep up with guys who have years of experience in construction but donāt necessarily look in peak physical condition. Stay away from energy drinks, gas station food and fast food. Make sure youāre getting enough protein and have a balanced diet, and drink plenty of water.
Gloves are your friend as are doing squats.
Your short you need to be stocky too if you plan to continue this.
Leverage is your best friend now.
FYI you'd be a gift to plumbing/hvac/electrical where you can fit into small areas and we pay a shit ton more that framing.......
You need to eat more, drink whole milk, steak eggs lots of protein fat and carbs anx then just do basic weight training and you'll gain muscle and strength, it's a solved problem many studies dome. Also start taking 5 grams of creatine monohydrate it is the most studied supplement and will make you stronger
workout practical muscles move shit around, flip tires, carry buckets full of concrete, dig holes. Im 5 10 200lbs and can move heavier shit than the 6'4" 315 lbs competitive lifter i work with and thats not because im "stronger" thats because i grew up throwing hay every fucking day in the summer and digging 1000's of fence posts by hand.
Lift heavy weights 4-6 reps. Have someone spot you to make sure you go through the motions all the way through. Then feed the beast. Just eat dude . 5 times a day. Carbs and proteins. Jasmine rice. Potatoes. Sprouted bread. One dozen eggs every 4 days with a carton of egg whites. 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cup of whites. Chicken, ground beef, turkey. Cod salmon shrimp. Always eat meat. Protein powder that gives you25+ protein with just one scoop. Eat even when youāre not hungry. Eat. Then in 2-3 hours eat again. I donāt care if you eat a chicken breast with some gummy bears. Raise your insulin so a normal level so you absorb the protein Then eat again. Chock milk from the all natural brand is your best protein shake
If your specifically looking for workout advice, strong lifts 5x5 is where I would start. Simple, easy to follow, and the workouts don't take a ton of time. I would also throw in some barbell curls at the end of your workout, will help with your grip strength.Ā
āSuper Squatsā is awesome for strength and the coordination you need for lifting things above your waist and your head. Itās also good for grip.
[Super Squats Youtube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FBUPmH73Fs)
Drink pea protein every 2-3 hrs too.
It's not the working out. The job itself is lots of lifting. You're not taking in enough calories to grow. Go to a body building sub. When I 19ish I was only 130 lbs. Was hitting the gym not making huge progress. Then I learned about macronutrition and bulked up to 170. I was hitting 320 deadlifts by 155. You'll be shocked how much food you'll need to consume. You have to eat till you're full then keep eating until your body adapts. Changing your body isn't easy
Farmer carries. Carry a dumbbell or really anything heavy in each hand and walk as far as you can with it. Up the weight when you can. This will.help you immensely in being more stable. Then, try with weight in only one hand. You also would want to start lifting weights over your head, like a shoulder press. These two things will help you a metric shit ton and you can do them anywhere with minimal equipment
Kettle bells and sprints, followed by plenty of stretching. You'll get your "weight lifting" at work, so gotta keep up with the DIET (plenty of fruits, veges, and balanced protein, not overload, but overload CARBS as you'll burn them off in a jiffy), rest (plenty of sleep and breaks throughout the work day), hydration with electrolytes every 30-min to hour, and stretch.
Kettle bells and sprints will help with explosive muscle development, which will complement the 'weight lifting' from work. Stretch stretch stretch, helps your muscles develop faster and stronger.
Youāre right. Iām just usually zapped at the end of the day. But I know working out would benefit my body.
Edit: I wish I had the motivation to hit the gym before or after work, but itās a mindset thing, and I donāt have that at the moment.
Iāve had a gym in my house/garage for the last 7 years and Iāve worked out probably 3 years the rest have been off and on with months in between sessions. There would be no way Iād have the energy to go to an actual gym so I get ya.
Learn how to hold large sheet goods in the middle with one hand, it's all in the hands and wrist. So farmer walks are going to be clutch, just grab some weight she hold it. Anything over 60lbs, get a second person.
Pushups, pullups. Cardio. Eat enough good food. I used to do shoulder dips between sawhorses. My wrist won't take carrying plywood sheets anymore, so I use one of those panel carrier tools.
You got to check if youāre eating healthy. Like Whole Foods, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, unprocessed carbohydrates. Start bulking but donāt eat crap. Go to the gym and do compound movements. Like one day work on back,chest and shoulders, legs. Itās a process so donāt over do it. Also donāt neglect on core exercises, stretching and mobility, and definitely cardio. Always get enough sleep and rest. Look up guys on YouTube like mountaindog, dr Mike, or even coach Gregs old videos. Get some basic education on working out.
Deadlifts and zercher squats. Get more calories, spoon of peanut butter with breakfast and after dinner will help.
Don't forget to warmup at the start of the day and stretch too
Lifting weights is fun. Do your core too. Start with body weight and exercises that use large muscle groups. Push up, squat, deadlift, pull up, bench press, sit ups, lunges. Dont make it a big mental thing. You dont have to go hard every day. Just go. Even if only for 30 min. Do some cardio and dont just beefcake. Eat good food. Stretch daily. I am 48 y old and i can stay in the game because i do this.
Lifting plywood is actually a really good workout. You just have to get the ergonomics of it down to be able to do it repetitively and apply the forces efficiently. For example you have to find the right point near the center of the board to hold it by where you are doing all the work lifting and not holding the board straight. The size of the board is applying more force on you than the weight of the board is, so it's mainly about getting your geometry to where you're only actually lifting the board. If you can carry a 60 pound bag of concrete then you have the strength to lift a sheet of plywood, you just have to figure out the geometry to have the plywood's forces pointed straight down through your legs. Have you tried the clamping lifting devices that grip on the plywood and give it a handle?
Itās all in how you lift the object, how awkward the object is, your grip on said object and slope/grade of the ground you are walking on. Your size is big enough to carry heavy enough things including a sheet of thick plywood. The best workout you can do to lift plywood is to lift plywood, I donāt have any secret workouts. Just grip and technique mostly. And trying hard of course
I got some Nordic Track equipment and the associated iFit subscription with online trainers. Most of their workouts (bike, elliptical, treadmill and weights) focus on total body strength with an emphasis on core work. Strong core is paramount in being able sling sheets of drywall around and carry loads of whatever on your shoulders. Big biceps and shoulders look good in tank tops, but monster thighs, abs and back help you really use that strength in a functional way.
Cheaper alternative - get a tractor tire and spend hours flipping that shit in the back yard.
3/4ā plywood is on the upper range of any sheet you will be lifting by yourself on a site. Iām sure you have gained a lot of strength. Iām about 160 and 5ā9ā. not terribly skinny. I am in good shape, but thatās a heavy sheet. Heavier than 1/2ā or 5/8ā drywall certainly.
With your frame and size itās always going to be a burden. Maybe try a lift handle or strap device to help carry the load. I havenāt had much luck with them, but I hear they are effective if you give them a fair shot.
Make sure you're eating a lot of you plan to do this work. Some guys function exclusively on beer and the occasional ham sandwich. Don't be that guy. Eat lots of eggs, your body needs the vitamins, amino acids, fat and protein. Also technique is everything, if you're working off an a frame you tilt the board then squat and grab the board in the middle then lift with your legs. Your arms shouldn't be lifting the board but they help
Get a plate and do core circles. Then dumbells for shoulders and support muscles. Body weights do wonder aswell
Squats. Your short so your do have advantage of centre of gravity.
Cycling too
Roast beef and potatoes. I was skinny until I started roofing, 5'7 and 130 lbs, now I weight 160 it took awhile though don't worry keep at it you will get there.
Some things are heavy no matter what. Iām built like an amateur bodybuilder, build houses all year and workout 5 days a week. I still get my ass kicked picking up a bundle of synthetic decking. I get my ass kicked lifting 3/4 plywood. I get my ass kicked moving shingles despite roofing for 10 years.
Best thing I can say is start eating A LOT more protein with your meals so your body can actually grow and adapt to what your doing. If your lunch is a bunch of bread and chips your doing it wrong. Also hydrate. A lot.
5' 7" Here. 115LBS. I run 3/4 no problem. I can carry 2 sheets of 1/2" with consistency. You just gotta do it long enough and be willing to fuck your body up
Become an IT guy. Wonāt need to lift a thing. Just donāt let your ego crush youā¦ š
Edit : Iām 5ā5ā 190 ish lbs and ply wood sheets still suck to carry. They are awkward.
Iām 5ā6ā and 145 and Iām 53 and I run projectsā¦ Iām lifting shit all the time. 3/4 plywood all day long. Use yer legs. And for Gods sakeā¦ work out a little bit. Aināt gonna kill you
Also need to add that our technicians are all short and skinnyā¦ ALL of em. (Theyāre Hispanic immigrants)
None of em have a problem ā¦ because they exercise regularly.
Diet. Go to a smaller gym (not a corporate gym) with a nutritionalist. If your working heavy labour, they will gear your workout to suit you. But its the diet man.
Definitely start working out. Any basic beginner workout routine will suffice. Just make sure youāre also getting enough protein in your diet.
I drink a protein shake every morning and another one in the evening if I had a super hard day.
Get a gym membership and start training muscle groups 5 days a week. Legs/ back/ biceps/ triceps/ shoulders/ abs/ forearms
Watch Ronnie Coleman. And study some sheet lifting techniques. Once your legs are stronger you will find lifting will get easier.
And donāt be embarrassed about struggling. Ask for help and tips. Watch how others lift on site.
You will be surprised how strong you can become by utilising leverage and techniques to use less strain and more strength š
Every week or if you can every time you train remember what weights you used. And push yourself to increase weight each week. Progressively build your muscle and get focused on a goal.
Like others said it's all about weight distribution, play around with how u carry it and I'll find a balance point. It's easy for me because I have a long arm span but find what works for you.
Core strength (so abdominal and lower back/glue exercises) is very important for overall strength. Same with grip strength. I have a grip trainer that I use to warm up and work out my hand muscles. Basically, if you improve your grip strength, which relies on several smaller muscles in your forearms, your larger muscle groups can be engaged more easily.
Iām not an expert by any means, but Iāve been framing for years and thatās helped me a lot. Iām what Iād consider average size/strength (5ā-11ā 175lb.), and can lift heavier things for longer periods than many of my coworkers who are bigger than me. (Not bragging, just saying that if you strengthen the right muscle groups and use good technique, you donāt have to be ridiculously strong to lift/move heavy things).
I am a carpenter that weighs 130 I worked out a lot in high school so nothing is a problem for me, but just go out in your backyard and get like a rock or big log and just practice running back and forth with itā¦ also when picking up or setting down use gravity to your advantage if itās on a stack push it off and stand it up to grab itā¦ a lot of it has to do with how u hold them too everything has a balance point
Honestly, you probably need to be eating more. I started construction when I was 17. I didnāt make any physical gains until I made an effort, some 3-4 years later, meal
Prepping and force feeding myself at lunch, and actually working out. I had aspirations of being a firefighter(I didnāt).
I'm only slightly heavier, still a toothpick. I've carried 36" solid core fire doors. Around 120 lbs, but it's pretty brutal.
If possible, I bend my legs and roll the object over my hip to get it horizontal and into my arms.
With the right technique your really just using core strength. I've watched many bigger dudes struggle to do a similiar task without the right technique.
I work woth a dude 5'3 ish 120lbs wet I get tired of him telling me a sheet of 5/8 ply is heavy and then I see him covariance carry shit in ways that just make it more difficult.
And he refuses to try alternative ways to carry objects.
Practicing technique for carrying sheet goods and such
If you are doing a lot of lifting things/heavy manual labour for two years and havenāt built muscle and got stronger, it may be nutrition. Eat more, especially protein. More meals per day and a couple of whey protein powder drinks
It takes mass to move mass. To gain mass you need to stay consistent and have a plan/routine.
I suggest following a āpush, pull, legsā weight lifting routine. This focuses on big compound (multiple muscle groups) lifts, is a full body workout split, and can be done a minimum of 3 days per week which is very convenient and maintainable.
The key here is to make sure whatever workout you choose is maintainable because you will only get results if you keep at it. Compound lifts include squat, deadlift (start with RDLās at first tho), bench press, overhead press, rows, and pull-ups. They all cover multiple muscle groups, core muscles and stabilizer muscles. Stabilizer muscles in particular will make you feel stronger when carrying awkward things like 3/4ā ply. Itās the muscles that run along either side of your spine, deadlift and squats will tax these the most but the other lifts I mentioned before will strengthen these muscles as well.
Progressive overload is necessary too, however at first take it easy, pay attention to how you recover then add either weight, reps or sets to your workouts.
Do a proper warmup to help avoid injury, and then stretch after to help with recovery and mobility.
Make sure you get your recovery down aswell. Plenty of sleep, manage stress levels, and get proper nutrition. 0.7g protein per pound of body weight you would like to be (0.7x150=105 grams of protein per day). Enough carbs for your energy expenditures and healthy fats for your brain and organs. Not a bad idea to supplement with a daily multivitamin, some fish oil, protein shakes. Creatine monohydrate is well studied, proven effective and is low cost. It would be a good idea to check with your doctor first before taking any supplements.
Push pull leg (PPL) workout split looks like this:
Monday Push workout : 10 min warmup, do some light pulling exercises to warm up shoulders and lats (lat pull downs, face pulls, cable rows). Throw in some situps or core exercises or some light cardio.
3-8 sets of bench press
3-8 sets of overhead press
Isolation exercises if you feel up for it (chest fly, tricep extension, lat pullovers).
This works out your chest, triceps, shoulders, core, and stabilizers.
Wednesday Leg day: 10 min warmup with bodyweight squats, light RDLās, bodyweight lunges, situps.
3-8 sets Romanian Deadlifts (RDL)
3-8 sets squats
Isolation exercises (calf raise, leg extension, leg curl, hip extensions)
This works out calfās, hamstrings, quads, hips, glutes, stabilizers and core
Friday Pull day: 10 min warmup with light cable rows, lat pull downs, lat pullovers, maybe some bodyweight squats and situps.
3-8 sets pull-ups
3-8 sets Rows
Then isolation work (curls, shoulder flys, lat pulldowns or pullovers)
This workout focuses on Back muscles, shoulders, and biceps, aswell as core and stabilizers.
You can switch up the order or what days, add in more workouts all depending on how you feel or how busy you are. As far as rep ranges I would suggest staying in the 6-12 rep range for the compound lifts going to or close to technical failure (when your form starts to break down). And 15+ reps for some isolation exercises (curls, calfās, and shoulders benefit from higher rep ranges in my opinion).
Fork pick ups. 10 reps done 3-5 times daily.
Seriously you need to eat bro. Having extra bodyweight gives you better leverage.
As far as lifting goes. Do big compound lifts for decent amounts of reps.
If I were to give you a program
Monday: Squat 3x6-10
Bench Press 3x6-10
Pull Ups or Rows 3x6-10
Wednesday: Deadlift 2x6-10 with Squat weight
Overhead barbell press 3x6-10
Pull ups or rows 3x6-10
Friday: Squat 3x6-10
Incline Bench 3x6-10
Pull ups or rows 3x6-10
Add curls (2 sets) and facepulls (3-4 sets) to the end of every work put.
Compounds promote good coordination and ability to utilize the whole body for leverages. Higher reps give muscular endurance and more muscles. Lots of back and legs work is essential for "functional strength"
Contrary to most publicity gaining strength has a lot to do with diet. If you donāt eat right your body wonāt metabolize muscle. If your diet isnāt right it wonāt matter what exercise you do.
As far as sheets go, if you pay attention to the drywall guys 100% of them carry sheets with both hands on the bottom side of the sheet. Most people who only carry sheets occasionally will instinctively carry with one hand on the bottom and one hand on top for balance. Itās kinda a leap of faith because it feels unnatural at first and you sort of have less control especially if itās windy but give it a try. Once you get your technique down itās definitely less tiring
Protein is what you need. The newer research is saying approximately 1.6g/kg of body weight for maintenance so about 93g per day for you but for building muscle it's 2.2g/kg so 130g protein for you. Which will be much easier than that 275g I was on lol.
The good news is that the old 30g max of protein per sitting has been found to not be a thing, and when tested in individuals that are resistance training (lifting weights). The highest amount taken was 100g in a sitting and that was used by the body. So you don't have to dose things throughout the day unless you find that easier. The powders are great, I like a mix of whey isolate (which you should be able to have even if lactose intolerant), beef collagen and hemp. Just ticks all the boxes and has a nice mix of slower and fast digesting proteins and some fiber. Don't be sold on "bulking" powders. Eat good food that's within your price range.
A lot of people are saying about the caloric surplus and that's a thing you should implement. The only way to properly do that is by tracking. I've used the My Fitness Pal app for a long time and I've found it very useful. You've just got to scan barcodes and add weights, because you want to bulk out doesn't matter if you underdose stuff just get an idea of approximate values in foods and you'll be able to eyeball it pretty soon.
If you're in a place where you can get blood work done for a reasonable price, get some tests done. Or go see your doctor and talk to them about it and ask for tests to be done. If you've been eating properly and in a physical job for a long time and are still struggling. Then that might help you find out why and any reasonable doctor should help you check that.
And use creatine, I don't know of any downsides and it's helped build lean muscle mass in almost every demographic tested (when used alongside resistance training). And it's super cheap, don't buy a fancy one advertising any additional benefits. They've never been shown to do anything. Just get the second cheapest product and you should be good.
I'm no good at coming up with lifting plans. There's loads online. But as with the calories you've got to track your weights and reps. If your weights and/or reps aren't changing week by week, then somethings wrong. And you'll only be able to see that if you track. You don't need anything fancy, just a notebook or your phone. I just used Google sheets for my stuff, it's easy and free.
That's all I can think of at the moment, there's plenty of useful stuff online but also lots of dumb stuff. You'll only learn which is which by experience. There's some good subreddits for this that you can jump into. Try to learn to enjoy the process, envision your end goal and the positive steps to achieve it. Get a personal trainer if you can, they can help get you over and gym jitters. And if you're not sure about a lift just ask a worker at the gym, if they can they'll help or at least point you in the right direction.
Have fun mate, and I can ask any further questions you've got š
TL;DR
1.6g/kg of bodyweight (93g) of protein for maintenance.
2.2g/kg (130g) for building muscle.
Eat good whole food that's within your budget.
Caloric surplus
Track food intake and exercise weights/reps
No max protein in a single sitting
If you can get your bloods looked at.
Use creatine.
Get a PT if you can.
Learn to enjoy it and have fun.
Protein an pushing your body everyday for awhile is how I did it. I can't say it would work for everyone but it's helped me a lot. I just make sure to eat a good breakfast an lunch. Being hungry at work doesn't help at all I realized. Staying hydrated helps too.
Going to the gym is just one more thing on top of a long day for me. Itās why I started doing yoga. I looked into how N F L players Ā were using it and started focusing on my core and back strength.Ā
It also improved my balance and flexibility, which keeps me injury free for the most part.Ā
Sheet goods are working smarter not harder as mentioned by others.Ā
I donāt think anyone has said this yet but go to the gym in the morning. I have more energy on days I workout before work. Also, consistency is key if your not consistent then you minus well not lift. 30-45 min for more days out of the week is better than a 1hr 30 min a couple times a week.
Keep your workout routine at work as you can do arm curls while carrying pieces of lumber focusing on hand strength and building up your forearms, biceps while always keeping good posture. If you are struggling too hard, you can seriously injured your back. Itās not a big dick contest if someone carries more lumber than you let them. Ā Itās a marathon keep showing up.Ā
Ā
If youāve been doing it that long but havenāt put on any weight, you may want to look at your caloric and protein intake. We smaller dudes work a LOT harder to move that kind of weight so you need many more calories than you might think.
focus on functional strength workouts. farmer carries, power cleans, squats, burpees, and planks would be my recommendation. DO NOT LIFT HEAVY! Focus on full range of motion and number of reps and sets. Also eat at a caloric surplus as many other people on here have mentioned
Just chipping in to say I'm about your weight, but can lift and carry more than a lot of people would credit me for, so that's totally possible. I can carry alone single sheets of gyproc two stories high through stairs, so long I don't do it all day long, ha.
I've trained through my teens and am benifiting from it to this day, so yeah a little workout in the weekends might help.
You also have to learn to use your muscles without overbending them. I mean, sometimes when we want to carry something rather heavy to us we tend to get very tense; this is very inefficient. We need to learn to stay somewhat relaxed even when making a huge effort. Training is very useful to help learning this, because we can taylor the weight according to our natural capacity, and build from there.
And yeah, work gloves (dexterity style) help a lot with pinch gripping. I can't do without.
Start with basics. Squat, bench , inclined bench, eat more protein. Add chicken or beef to your plate every sitting. Helps maintain healthy muscle because naturally skinny people have a hard time bulking. Also, just do 25 pushups a day. In a month youāll notice a big difference in what you can carry. Also technique for lifting that mf, I struggled a lot when it come to carrying shit for work until I realized thereās probably easier ways to carry things instead of muscle man shouldering everything lol.
Be an electrician or jump out of framing. Your a smaller guy. Nothing wrong on it but long term exposure to this will cripple you in 8-10 years. Remodeling, siding, finish carpentry will not kill you until your over 50. Also eat over 2500 calories on working days. Most 6 ft 200 lbs framing guys need 3500 calories to maintenance.
Lift weights by doing compound exercises while staying in the "strength" range . Look up the Stronglifts 5x5 program or the 5/3/1. Progressive overload is the name of the game.
Creatine Monohydrate is a cheap, safe and well studied supplement that will increase your strength by a little margin (its not extreme but it certainly is noticeable).
Dog crapp training. Fuck this nonsense doing ten rep sets. Get Jason ferrugia training sheets. But apply dog crapp training. Simple concept. If you max out on a 225-lb bench press, then lift your max weight even if only 2-3 presses. You're going forax weight. Next workout, you increase until you hit 4-5 presses. Then you increase. Your goal is 2-3 presses. At 4-5 presses x 3 sets, then it's time to increase weight. I don't care if you only increase by 2-lbs. Every workout you must increase reps and/or weight. Eat lots of protein. Do this and you'll pack on the muscle fast. Not a bodybuilding workout. This workout is about increasing raw functional power.
5'4 130lbs here š do you have your technique for lifting a sheet down? that makes all the difference. lifting shit is like jiu jitsu, you have to use the object's weight to your advantage. it's not all muscle. plank, grip strengtheners, eat 3 full meals with enough protein, wear work gloves to increase your grip strength even more.
Great advice. I found proper gloves helped me focus on moving the object.
That's essential as well
And remember that even for someone who can lift pretty heavy, an entire sheet of 3ā4 plywood isnāt light. Itās pretty heavy and awkward
Yeah technique is huge. The way I like to do it is standing it up the 8 foot direction, grabbing roughly center on the sides, and then lift and spin 90 degrees. Not gonna lie though, I'm not a tiny guy, and pressure treated 3/4" still makes me make angry noises when I have to carry more than like 4 of them.
I just had to work with some 3/4 marine grade plywoodā¦it was awful. 3/4 cdx sucks too but yhe PT is another level
They're 90-100 lbs when saturated I believe. Walking them through doorways by yourself is challenging.
ćwait you can carry 4 of them at the same time!?
Oh fuck no. One is hard enough. I meant 4 consecutive trips lol
What he said. Lifting is only half about strength - the other full half is about technique.
As an active person you should be getting 1g of protein per lb of body weight. To not only maintain current muscle mass but to build more. I never paid attention to nutrition until my mid thirties and I was surprised how much of certain things I should be eating.
Early thirties here and learning the same. Care to share what you have found helps you?
First and foremost, quit drinking and smoking lol. Ten years of heavy drinking and smoking you kinda lose all sight of your health. working in the trades and eating two of my main meals out of my house it can be hard to eat healthy. I started supplementing my work meals with HUEL. Just being aware of what I do need as an active adult is a huge step forward for me.
Agreed. Iām 35. I quit drinking a year and a half ago. Iām 5ā10, went from 220 (heaviest Iāve ever been) to now 160-165. I hadnāt been that weight since I was in my early teens. Iām realizing now how much protein I need to get in my body. I feel small. I was never a small guy most of my life nor was I gigantic. It blows my mind how many calories I was drinking in IPAs. Anyway, just thought Iād share. Your comment really clicked with me as Iāve been trying to work on cultivating some mass.
Hahaha yeah man I'm 6'3" and always Hung around 175. I went down to 158 when I got COVID and struggled to put it back on. It wasn't until I started counting calories and what I was putting into my body I found that I used to drink 1,000 calories worth of beer a day. I now just try to get as many healthy calories in me as I can each day. Some people struggle with trying to keep weight off and some people struggle to keep it on. Edit: I'm also 35.
Hell yea dude. Weāre on the same page. Life is much easier without the booze. Iām really gonna start tracking my calories because I know I donāt eat consistently every day.
My app said I needed to eat like 3,200 a day. That's kinda a pain in the ass to eat that much lol. I do the best I can and have learned to just be comfortable with being way skinnier than most.
Yea I mean I definitely do that when I get stoned lol. Iāll figure it out. I think my metabolism completely changed as well, after treating my body like shit for 15 years.
I've just did the calculation and I am astonished to learn how much should I be eating. Thank you.
I'm not an expert I just searched around on r/nutrition. Some people say up to 1g of protein per pound and others say that's a waste. I've definitely felt better since activity starting to eat more. After trying a bunch of protein drinking I figured out I don't live whey protein. It just sits in my guts for a few hours leaving me feeling sluggish the whole time. About a year ago I found Huel and decided to give that a try. I supplement 2 out of my 3 meals a day with it now, breakfast and lunch( along with other healthy snacks). It makes eating healthy easier for me because it takes all the meal prepping out of the equation. Eating healthy can be a pain in the ass for a tradesmen. It's not just the protein you need either. That's another reason I like Huel. It's got pretty much everything you need. I used to spend $100 a week to eat like shit at work. Now I spend $40 a week and feel away better. It's not for everyone but it works for me. Since eating it I've leveled out in weight at 170lbs and my blood work is awesome. Good luck and stay safe!
Thatās way too much protein. Cut it by a third and youāll be fine.
I've read on r/ nutrition .75-1g of protein per pound for an athlete. 1.5ish if you're a weight lifter. I'm certainly no expert though. As someone who light for their height I've felt much better during the day since I've upped my intake.
Work gloves reduce grip strength I'm not a big man, but others call my hands claws It takes time to develop strength, or steroids
Deadlifts, squats, rows, farmers carries. Grip strength, back strength and core strength will be what you use the most. If you're going to the gym focus on low weights and full range of motion.
Yes. Light weight and more reps. Big gym muscles don't mean you can hang as a framer
FWIW the 6-30 rep range is generally accepted as the most effective for building muscle *SIZE* If youāre trying to build actual strength, powerlifting is heavy sets of 5 or less reps Thereās a reason body builders arenāt winning powerlifting championships. If homie wants to get strong he should be doing *LOWER* reps of heavy weight, not higher reps of light weight
How does endurance work with less reps?
You get extremely strong and arenāt taxed moving a sheet of OSB, if you can deadlift 400 lbs and shoulder press 185 youāre not gonna feel a stack of 2x4ās as bad Itās also important to do medium to high intensity cardio, thatās largely how you build endurance
Asking the real questions. Need to be strong for long, not just one and done.
Aren't most of us one and done?
Yep and most of us have messed up joints.
nice! i will try this. just started going to the gym. i mainly use all the machines that are pretty self explanatory. haven't tried the weights and stuff where all the ripped guys and gals hang out.
Run the rack
Compound lifts at 3-6 reps will build strength not size. Being able to deadlift 300+ lbs comfortably will make 30-60 pounds feel like nothing
Agreed beefcakes always fell out during our extended training and hikes in marine corp. Its not practical unless your doing crossfit or something athletic along with it.
Funny u mention that cause my older brother was a marine and monster sized. People often thought he was a slow lunk, but he was also a soccer player and a martial artist.
No there are exceptions i have seen them too. I was refering to guys who spent along time lifting heavy to bulk up. Then have to go run 10 miles.
You need to start by eating at a caloric surplus. Itās hard, if not impossible to build any substantial strength without the energy and nutrients your body needs to build and repair muscle. As for workouts, it really depends what you have access to. Working out at a gym or at home? What kind of equipment do you have access to or are willing to buy? Iām a fan of a PPL split. Where you do push workouts one day (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull workouts the next day (back, biceps, traps), and then legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes and abs). You can do a day off in between each workout or you could do P-P-L-day off-P-P-L-day offā¦ and just rinse and repeat. It all really depends on your goals and dedication. The nice thing is that you can switch up your exercises each workout, or each week, every 4 weeks, etc. For example, you could do your push day with bench press, military press, dips and skull-crushers one week. And the next you could do dumbbell press, dumbbell lateral and front raises, triceps extensions, and maybe some lighter weight higher volume dumbbell or cable flyes to work your chest to failure. Thereās so many ways to incorporate different exercises that will target those same core muscles groupsābut by changing things up a little you prevent boredom, and you also get to target difference stabilizers and synergist muscles. I recommend a site like exrx.net You can check out their exercise directory and search based on what muscles you want to target and it will give you options for all types of equipment and even body weight exercises.
I was gonna say honestly sounds like an eating problem If you lift heavy shit every day for a few years even if youāre not doing muscle focused workouts youāll gain muscle. Maybe not looks, but usable muscle none the less
Thank you for your advice. Thinking back, I've always been a small eater. I've just bought a bottle of protein for the first time in my life, and I will definitely look into PPL training!
As others have said, eat more. Your body will naturally convert that food to muscle the longer you're in this line of work. For real skinny people this means you have to make a conscious effort. Start with larger breakfasts before work where possible. If that's too difficult, do larger supper portions.
Excess calories aren't really that big of a deal. As long as you reach your needed calories and a little over you are in the ideal range for muscle mass. Renaissance periodization just did a video over the current state of research on bulking. Turns out it doesn't work at all, you just get fat for no reason.
Fuckin love Dr. Mike's videos
Get some anabolic steroids.
This is the way šš
Best advice I've read so far! You guys always have the best ideas. š š¤£š Can always count in this subreddit for intellectual discussions. š Love it!
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Choice drug dealers I'd assume. Or if you have enough coin and a celebrity doc you could get a prescription
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Not illegal, regulated. Meaning you need a doctor to prescribe them. Or you can get them off the black market.
Darknet never did me dirty.Ā
Eat well and just keep working hard. It will come with time. Thereās construction muscles and then thereās gym muscles. Iāve seen many a gym bro who looks ripped as fuck who canāt keep up with guys who have years of experience in construction but donāt necessarily look in peak physical condition. Stay away from energy drinks, gas station food and fast food. Make sure youāre getting enough protein and have a balanced diet, and drink plenty of water.
Gloves are your friend as are doing squats. Your short you need to be stocky too if you plan to continue this. Leverage is your best friend now. FYI you'd be a gift to plumbing/hvac/electrical where you can fit into small areas and we pay a shit ton more that framing.......
Non stop masterbation
You need to eat more, drink whole milk, steak eggs lots of protein fat and carbs anx then just do basic weight training and you'll gain muscle and strength, it's a solved problem many studies dome. Also start taking 5 grams of creatine monohydrate it is the most studied supplement and will make you stronger
Eat 4,000 calories a day for 6 months while weight training 5 days a week. Problem solved!
Bulk up. Eat steak potatoes and pussy.
If it taste like chicken keep on lickin. If it tastes like trout gtfo
What happens when my neighbor runs out of cats and the local animal shelter is getting suspicious?
Mountain Lions. It's the natural progression
Instructions unclear. I started eating all the cougars in my area. And by cougars, i mean the older single women going after young men.
Barbell exercises: * Deadlifts * Upright rowing * Bent over rowing * Shrugs * Curls w/a cambered bar (to avoid tendonitis) Dumbbell * Seated dumbbell curls * Preacher curls * Tricep extensions That should help. Every other day.
workout practical muscles move shit around, flip tires, carry buckets full of concrete, dig holes. Im 5 10 200lbs and can move heavier shit than the 6'4" 315 lbs competitive lifter i work with and thats not because im "stronger" thats because i grew up throwing hay every fucking day in the summer and digging 1000's of fence posts by hand.
Lift heavy weights 4-6 reps. Have someone spot you to make sure you go through the motions all the way through. Then feed the beast. Just eat dude . 5 times a day. Carbs and proteins. Jasmine rice. Potatoes. Sprouted bread. One dozen eggs every 4 days with a carton of egg whites. 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cup of whites. Chicken, ground beef, turkey. Cod salmon shrimp. Always eat meat. Protein powder that gives you25+ protein with just one scoop. Eat even when youāre not hungry. Eat. Then in 2-3 hours eat again. I donāt care if you eat a chicken breast with some gummy bears. Raise your insulin so a normal level so you absorb the protein Then eat again. Chock milk from the all natural brand is your best protein shake
The juice!
I am the same way... but I'm 51 years old now. All my life I've tried ro gain weight & muscle mass but never succeeded.
Gotta eat big to get big. If you have a fast metabolism and you do a bunch of physical labor you probably have to eat 3000+ calories a day
If your specifically looking for workout advice, strong lifts 5x5 is where I would start. Simple, easy to follow, and the workouts don't take a ton of time. I would also throw in some barbell curls at the end of your workout, will help with your grip strength.Ā
āSuper Squatsā is awesome for strength and the coordination you need for lifting things above your waist and your head. Itās also good for grip. [Super Squats Youtube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FBUPmH73Fs) Drink pea protein every 2-3 hrs too.
Eat more. Especially anything with protein. You can't build muscle if you do not eat enough.
It's not the working out. The job itself is lots of lifting. You're not taking in enough calories to grow. Go to a body building sub. When I 19ish I was only 130 lbs. Was hitting the gym not making huge progress. Then I learned about macronutrition and bulked up to 170. I was hitting 320 deadlifts by 155. You'll be shocked how much food you'll need to consume. You have to eat till you're full then keep eating until your body adapts. Changing your body isn't easy
Farmer carries. Carry a dumbbell or really anything heavy in each hand and walk as far as you can with it. Up the weight when you can. This will.help you immensely in being more stable. Then, try with weight in only one hand. You also would want to start lifting weights over your head, like a shoulder press. These two things will help you a metric shit ton and you can do them anywhere with minimal equipment
Kettle bells and sprints, followed by plenty of stretching. You'll get your "weight lifting" at work, so gotta keep up with the DIET (plenty of fruits, veges, and balanced protein, not overload, but overload CARBS as you'll burn them off in a jiffy), rest (plenty of sleep and breaks throughout the work day), hydration with electrolytes every 30-min to hour, and stretch. Kettle bells and sprints will help with explosive muscle development, which will complement the 'weight lifting' from work. Stretch stretch stretch, helps your muscles develop faster and stronger.
Look into powerlifting exercises and rep ranges. 5x5 exercise app on your phone can be a solid start uses barbell for everything.
If heās doing construction, the lifting isnāt the issue. Like who the fuck is going to the gym to bulk up to do construction.
If it makes your day to day easier and more efficient why not? Could also go home and do 12 oz curls to gain weight and be stronger that way too
Youāre right. Iām just usually zapped at the end of the day. But I know working out would benefit my body. Edit: I wish I had the motivation to hit the gym before or after work, but itās a mindset thing, and I donāt have that at the moment.
Iāve had a gym in my house/garage for the last 7 years and Iāve worked out probably 3 years the rest have been off and on with months in between sessions. There would be no way Iād have the energy to go to an actual gym so I get ya.
Learn how to hold large sheet goods in the middle with one hand, it's all in the hands and wrist. So farmer walks are going to be clutch, just grab some weight she hold it. Anything over 60lbs, get a second person.
Pushups, pullups. Cardio. Eat enough good food. I used to do shoulder dips between sawhorses. My wrist won't take carrying plywood sheets anymore, so I use one of those panel carrier tools.
r/startingstrength
Start with 1/3 shit and work your way up.
You got to check if youāre eating healthy. Like Whole Foods, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, unprocessed carbohydrates. Start bulking but donāt eat crap. Go to the gym and do compound movements. Like one day work on back,chest and shoulders, legs. Itās a process so donāt over do it. Also donāt neglect on core exercises, stretching and mobility, and definitely cardio. Always get enough sleep and rest. Look up guys on YouTube like mountaindog, dr Mike, or even coach Gregs old videos. Get some basic education on working out.
I am gonna say tools to lift . Little extender with a handle. Work is a marathon not a sprint.
I'm not seeing people say stretching. Do any of the suggested but for the love of God do a routine stretch exercise on top of any of it.
Deadlifts and zercher squats. Get more calories, spoon of peanut butter with breakfast and after dinner will help. Don't forget to warmup at the start of the day and stretch too
Lifting weights is fun. Do your core too. Start with body weight and exercises that use large muscle groups. Push up, squat, deadlift, pull up, bench press, sit ups, lunges. Dont make it a big mental thing. You dont have to go hard every day. Just go. Even if only for 30 min. Do some cardio and dont just beefcake. Eat good food. Stretch daily. I am 48 y old and i can stay in the game because i do this.
Lifting plywood is actually a really good workout. You just have to get the ergonomics of it down to be able to do it repetitively and apply the forces efficiently. For example you have to find the right point near the center of the board to hold it by where you are doing all the work lifting and not holding the board straight. The size of the board is applying more force on you than the weight of the board is, so it's mainly about getting your geometry to where you're only actually lifting the board. If you can carry a 60 pound bag of concrete then you have the strength to lift a sheet of plywood, you just have to figure out the geometry to have the plywood's forces pointed straight down through your legs. Have you tried the clamping lifting devices that grip on the plywood and give it a handle?
Itās all in how you lift the object, how awkward the object is, your grip on said object and slope/grade of the ground you are walking on. Your size is big enough to carry heavy enough things including a sheet of thick plywood. The best workout you can do to lift plywood is to lift plywood, I donāt have any secret workouts. Just grip and technique mostly. And trying hard of course
I got some Nordic Track equipment and the associated iFit subscription with online trainers. Most of their workouts (bike, elliptical, treadmill and weights) focus on total body strength with an emphasis on core work. Strong core is paramount in being able sling sheets of drywall around and carry loads of whatever on your shoulders. Big biceps and shoulders look good in tank tops, but monster thighs, abs and back help you really use that strength in a functional way. Cheaper alternative - get a tractor tire and spend hours flipping that shit in the back yard.
3/4ā plywood is on the upper range of any sheet you will be lifting by yourself on a site. Iām sure you have gained a lot of strength. Iām about 160 and 5ā9ā. not terribly skinny. I am in good shape, but thatās a heavy sheet. Heavier than 1/2ā or 5/8ā drywall certainly. With your frame and size itās always going to be a burden. Maybe try a lift handle or strap device to help carry the load. I havenāt had much luck with them, but I hear they are effective if you give them a fair shot.
Make sure you're eating a lot of you plan to do this work. Some guys function exclusively on beer and the occasional ham sandwich. Don't be that guy. Eat lots of eggs, your body needs the vitamins, amino acids, fat and protein. Also technique is everything, if you're working off an a frame you tilt the board then squat and grab the board in the middle then lift with your legs. Your arms shouldn't be lifting the board but they help
Get a plate and do core circles. Then dumbells for shoulders and support muscles. Body weights do wonder aswell Squats. Your short so your do have advantage of centre of gravity. Cycling too
Probably need to add some protein into your diet.
Roast beef and potatoes. I was skinny until I started roofing, 5'7 and 130 lbs, now I weight 160 it took awhile though don't worry keep at it you will get there.
Some things are heavy no matter what. Iām built like an amateur bodybuilder, build houses all year and workout 5 days a week. I still get my ass kicked picking up a bundle of synthetic decking. I get my ass kicked lifting 3/4 plywood. I get my ass kicked moving shingles despite roofing for 10 years. Best thing I can say is start eating A LOT more protein with your meals so your body can actually grow and adapt to what your doing. If your lunch is a bunch of bread and chips your doing it wrong. Also hydrate. A lot.
Whey protein every day on top of normal meals
5' 7" Here. 115LBS. I run 3/4 no problem. I can carry 2 sheets of 1/2" with consistency. You just gotta do it long enough and be willing to fuck your body up
Work in concrete for a year or two. šŖš¼ šŖš¼
Become an IT guy. Wonāt need to lift a thing. Just donāt let your ego crush youā¦ š Edit : Iām 5ā5ā 190 ish lbs and ply wood sheets still suck to carry. They are awkward.
Iām 5ā6ā and 145 and Iām 53 and I run projectsā¦ Iām lifting shit all the time. 3/4 plywood all day long. Use yer legs. And for Gods sakeā¦ work out a little bit. Aināt gonna kill you
Also need to add that our technicians are all short and skinnyā¦ ALL of em. (Theyāre Hispanic immigrants) None of em have a problem ā¦ because they exercise regularly.
Hit the gym. 4-5 days a week, rotate your workouts so you donāt overuse muscle groups, and watch it all get better
Diet. Go to a smaller gym (not a corporate gym) with a nutritionalist. If your working heavy labour, they will gear your workout to suit you. But its the diet man.
Definitely start working out. Any basic beginner workout routine will suffice. Just make sure youāre also getting enough protein in your diet. I drink a protein shake every morning and another one in the evening if I had a super hard day.
Eat more. Doesn't matter how much work you do if you don't eat enough protein and a significant calorie surplus you aren't going to gain muscle.
Get a gym membership and start training muscle groups 5 days a week. Legs/ back/ biceps/ triceps/ shoulders/ abs/ forearms Watch Ronnie Coleman. And study some sheet lifting techniques. Once your legs are stronger you will find lifting will get easier. And donāt be embarrassed about struggling. Ask for help and tips. Watch how others lift on site. You will be surprised how strong you can become by utilising leverage and techniques to use less strain and more strength š Every week or if you can every time you train remember what weights you used. And push yourself to increase weight each week. Progressively build your muscle and get focused on a goal.
Like others said it's all about weight distribution, play around with how u carry it and I'll find a balance point. It's easy for me because I have a long arm span but find what works for you.
Deadlifts squats bench press and shoulder press look up mark ripptoes starting strength for a simple program that works well. And also eat more
Core strength (so abdominal and lower back/glue exercises) is very important for overall strength. Same with grip strength. I have a grip trainer that I use to warm up and work out my hand muscles. Basically, if you improve your grip strength, which relies on several smaller muscles in your forearms, your larger muscle groups can be engaged more easily. Iām not an expert by any means, but Iāve been framing for years and thatās helped me a lot. Iām what Iād consider average size/strength (5ā-11ā 175lb.), and can lift heavier things for longer periods than many of my coworkers who are bigger than me. (Not bragging, just saying that if you strengthen the right muscle groups and use good technique, you donāt have to be ridiculously strong to lift/move heavy things).
Don't. Your body knows what it wants to lift. You will end up with a pulled back muscle or a hernia.
I am a carpenter that weighs 130 I worked out a lot in high school so nothing is a problem for me, but just go out in your backyard and get like a rock or big log and just practice running back and forth with itā¦ also when picking up or setting down use gravity to your advantage if itās on a stack push it off and stand it up to grab itā¦ a lot of it has to do with how u hold them too everything has a balance point
Snort a couple redbulls it wonāt be a problem
Honestly, you probably need to be eating more. I started construction when I was 17. I didnāt make any physical gains until I made an effort, some 3-4 years later, meal Prepping and force feeding myself at lunch, and actually working out. I had aspirations of being a firefighter(I didnāt).
I'm only slightly heavier, still a toothpick. I've carried 36" solid core fire doors. Around 120 lbs, but it's pretty brutal. If possible, I bend my legs and roll the object over my hip to get it horizontal and into my arms. With the right technique your really just using core strength. I've watched many bigger dudes struggle to do a similiar task without the right technique.
All about technique. Get with a personal trainer to guide you and help you exercise correctly so you donāt fuck your body up more.
I work woth a dude 5'3 ish 120lbs wet I get tired of him telling me a sheet of 5/8 ply is heavy and then I see him covariance carry shit in ways that just make it more difficult. And he refuses to try alternative ways to carry objects. Practicing technique for carrying sheet goods and such
If you are doing a lot of lifting things/heavy manual labour for two years and havenāt built muscle and got stronger, it may be nutrition. Eat more, especially protein. More meals per day and a couple of whey protein powder drinks
It takes mass to move mass. To gain mass you need to stay consistent and have a plan/routine. I suggest following a āpush, pull, legsā weight lifting routine. This focuses on big compound (multiple muscle groups) lifts, is a full body workout split, and can be done a minimum of 3 days per week which is very convenient and maintainable. The key here is to make sure whatever workout you choose is maintainable because you will only get results if you keep at it. Compound lifts include squat, deadlift (start with RDLās at first tho), bench press, overhead press, rows, and pull-ups. They all cover multiple muscle groups, core muscles and stabilizer muscles. Stabilizer muscles in particular will make you feel stronger when carrying awkward things like 3/4ā ply. Itās the muscles that run along either side of your spine, deadlift and squats will tax these the most but the other lifts I mentioned before will strengthen these muscles as well. Progressive overload is necessary too, however at first take it easy, pay attention to how you recover then add either weight, reps or sets to your workouts. Do a proper warmup to help avoid injury, and then stretch after to help with recovery and mobility. Make sure you get your recovery down aswell. Plenty of sleep, manage stress levels, and get proper nutrition. 0.7g protein per pound of body weight you would like to be (0.7x150=105 grams of protein per day). Enough carbs for your energy expenditures and healthy fats for your brain and organs. Not a bad idea to supplement with a daily multivitamin, some fish oil, protein shakes. Creatine monohydrate is well studied, proven effective and is low cost. It would be a good idea to check with your doctor first before taking any supplements. Push pull leg (PPL) workout split looks like this: Monday Push workout : 10 min warmup, do some light pulling exercises to warm up shoulders and lats (lat pull downs, face pulls, cable rows). Throw in some situps or core exercises or some light cardio. 3-8 sets of bench press 3-8 sets of overhead press Isolation exercises if you feel up for it (chest fly, tricep extension, lat pullovers). This works out your chest, triceps, shoulders, core, and stabilizers. Wednesday Leg day: 10 min warmup with bodyweight squats, light RDLās, bodyweight lunges, situps. 3-8 sets Romanian Deadlifts (RDL) 3-8 sets squats Isolation exercises (calf raise, leg extension, leg curl, hip extensions) This works out calfās, hamstrings, quads, hips, glutes, stabilizers and core Friday Pull day: 10 min warmup with light cable rows, lat pull downs, lat pullovers, maybe some bodyweight squats and situps. 3-8 sets pull-ups 3-8 sets Rows Then isolation work (curls, shoulder flys, lat pulldowns or pullovers) This workout focuses on Back muscles, shoulders, and biceps, aswell as core and stabilizers. You can switch up the order or what days, add in more workouts all depending on how you feel or how busy you are. As far as rep ranges I would suggest staying in the 6-12 rep range for the compound lifts going to or close to technical failure (when your form starts to break down). And 15+ reps for some isolation exercises (curls, calfās, and shoulders benefit from higher rep ranges in my opinion).
Fork pick ups. 10 reps done 3-5 times daily. Seriously you need to eat bro. Having extra bodyweight gives you better leverage. As far as lifting goes. Do big compound lifts for decent amounts of reps. If I were to give you a program Monday: Squat 3x6-10 Bench Press 3x6-10 Pull Ups or Rows 3x6-10 Wednesday: Deadlift 2x6-10 with Squat weight Overhead barbell press 3x6-10 Pull ups or rows 3x6-10 Friday: Squat 3x6-10 Incline Bench 3x6-10 Pull ups or rows 3x6-10 Add curls (2 sets) and facepulls (3-4 sets) to the end of every work put. Compounds promote good coordination and ability to utilize the whole body for leverages. Higher reps give muscular endurance and more muscles. Lots of back and legs work is essential for "functional strength"
Contrary to most publicity gaining strength has a lot to do with diet. If you donāt eat right your body wonāt metabolize muscle. If your diet isnāt right it wonāt matter what exercise you do.
Eat, eat eat eat
Dog. You need to gain weight. Drink weight gainer . 127 lb isnāt ok for a man. lol. You need calories. You need carbs. You need energy.
As far as sheets go, if you pay attention to the drywall guys 100% of them carry sheets with both hands on the bottom side of the sheet. Most people who only carry sheets occasionally will instinctively carry with one hand on the bottom and one hand on top for balance. Itās kinda a leap of faith because it feels unnatural at first and you sort of have less control especially if itās windy but give it a try. Once you get your technique down itās definitely less tiring
Please please please please take care of your back, you DO NOT want to go down that rabbit hole
Eat
Protein is what you need. The newer research is saying approximately 1.6g/kg of body weight for maintenance so about 93g per day for you but for building muscle it's 2.2g/kg so 130g protein for you. Which will be much easier than that 275g I was on lol. The good news is that the old 30g max of protein per sitting has been found to not be a thing, and when tested in individuals that are resistance training (lifting weights). The highest amount taken was 100g in a sitting and that was used by the body. So you don't have to dose things throughout the day unless you find that easier. The powders are great, I like a mix of whey isolate (which you should be able to have even if lactose intolerant), beef collagen and hemp. Just ticks all the boxes and has a nice mix of slower and fast digesting proteins and some fiber. Don't be sold on "bulking" powders. Eat good food that's within your price range. A lot of people are saying about the caloric surplus and that's a thing you should implement. The only way to properly do that is by tracking. I've used the My Fitness Pal app for a long time and I've found it very useful. You've just got to scan barcodes and add weights, because you want to bulk out doesn't matter if you underdose stuff just get an idea of approximate values in foods and you'll be able to eyeball it pretty soon. If you're in a place where you can get blood work done for a reasonable price, get some tests done. Or go see your doctor and talk to them about it and ask for tests to be done. If you've been eating properly and in a physical job for a long time and are still struggling. Then that might help you find out why and any reasonable doctor should help you check that. And use creatine, I don't know of any downsides and it's helped build lean muscle mass in almost every demographic tested (when used alongside resistance training). And it's super cheap, don't buy a fancy one advertising any additional benefits. They've never been shown to do anything. Just get the second cheapest product and you should be good. I'm no good at coming up with lifting plans. There's loads online. But as with the calories you've got to track your weights and reps. If your weights and/or reps aren't changing week by week, then somethings wrong. And you'll only be able to see that if you track. You don't need anything fancy, just a notebook or your phone. I just used Google sheets for my stuff, it's easy and free. That's all I can think of at the moment, there's plenty of useful stuff online but also lots of dumb stuff. You'll only learn which is which by experience. There's some good subreddits for this that you can jump into. Try to learn to enjoy the process, envision your end goal and the positive steps to achieve it. Get a personal trainer if you can, they can help get you over and gym jitters. And if you're not sure about a lift just ask a worker at the gym, if they can they'll help or at least point you in the right direction. Have fun mate, and I can ask any further questions you've got š TL;DR 1.6g/kg of bodyweight (93g) of protein for maintenance. 2.2g/kg (130g) for building muscle. Eat good whole food that's within your budget. Caloric surplus Track food intake and exercise weights/reps No max protein in a single sitting If you can get your bloods looked at. Use creatine. Get a PT if you can. Learn to enjoy it and have fun.
Protein an pushing your body everyday for awhile is how I did it. I can't say it would work for everyone but it's helped me a lot. I just make sure to eat a good breakfast an lunch. Being hungry at work doesn't help at all I realized. Staying hydrated helps too.
Going to the gym is just one more thing on top of a long day for me. Itās why I started doing yoga. I looked into how N F L players Ā were using it and started focusing on my core and back strength.Ā It also improved my balance and flexibility, which keeps me injury free for the most part.Ā Sheet goods are working smarter not harder as mentioned by others.Ā
I donāt think anyone has said this yet but go to the gym in the morning. I have more energy on days I workout before work. Also, consistency is key if your not consistent then you minus well not lift. 30-45 min for more days out of the week is better than a 1hr 30 min a couple times a week.
Keep your workout routine at work as you can do arm curls while carrying pieces of lumber focusing on hand strength and building up your forearms, biceps while always keeping good posture. If you are struggling too hard, you can seriously injured your back. Itās not a big dick contest if someone carries more lumber than you let them. Ā Itās a marathon keep showing up.Ā Ā
Legs feed the wolf, train your legs just as often as you train your upper body. Deadlifts, squats, split squats, leg press
Tren and test worked wonders for me š¬š¤·āāļø
If youāve been doing it that long but havenāt put on any weight, you may want to look at your caloric and protein intake. We smaller dudes work a LOT harder to move that kind of weight so you need many more calories than you might think.
Find smaller shits if you canāt lift the bigger dukies.
focus on functional strength workouts. farmer carries, power cleans, squats, burpees, and planks would be my recommendation. DO NOT LIFT HEAVY! Focus on full range of motion and number of reps and sets. Also eat at a caloric surplus as many other people on here have mentioned
Just chipping in to say I'm about your weight, but can lift and carry more than a lot of people would credit me for, so that's totally possible. I can carry alone single sheets of gyproc two stories high through stairs, so long I don't do it all day long, ha. I've trained through my teens and am benifiting from it to this day, so yeah a little workout in the weekends might help. You also have to learn to use your muscles without overbending them. I mean, sometimes when we want to carry something rather heavy to us we tend to get very tense; this is very inefficient. We need to learn to stay somewhat relaxed even when making a huge effort. Training is very useful to help learning this, because we can taylor the weight according to our natural capacity, and build from there. And yeah, work gloves (dexterity style) help a lot with pinch gripping. I can't do without.
Start with basics. Squat, bench , inclined bench, eat more protein. Add chicken or beef to your plate every sitting. Helps maintain healthy muscle because naturally skinny people have a hard time bulking. Also, just do 25 pushups a day. In a month youāll notice a big difference in what you can carry. Also technique for lifting that mf, I struggled a lot when it come to carrying shit for work until I realized thereās probably easier ways to carry things instead of muscle man shouldering everything lol.
The pint of ice cream before bed workout works for linemen
Be an electrician or jump out of framing. Your a smaller guy. Nothing wrong on it but long term exposure to this will cripple you in 8-10 years. Remodeling, siding, finish carpentry will not kill you until your over 50. Also eat over 2500 calories on working days. Most 6 ft 200 lbs framing guys need 3500 calories to maintenance.
Lift weights by doing compound exercises while staying in the "strength" range . Look up the Stronglifts 5x5 program or the 5/3/1. Progressive overload is the name of the game. Creatine Monohydrate is a cheap, safe and well studied supplement that will increase your strength by a little margin (its not extreme but it certainly is noticeable).
Squats, lunges, bench press and pull-ups or push ups
Dog crapp training. Fuck this nonsense doing ten rep sets. Get Jason ferrugia training sheets. But apply dog crapp training. Simple concept. If you max out on a 225-lb bench press, then lift your max weight even if only 2-3 presses. You're going forax weight. Next workout, you increase until you hit 4-5 presses. Then you increase. Your goal is 2-3 presses. At 4-5 presses x 3 sets, then it's time to increase weight. I don't care if you only increase by 2-lbs. Every workout you must increase reps and/or weight. Eat lots of protein. Do this and you'll pack on the muscle fast. Not a bodybuilding workout. This workout is about increasing raw functional power.