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T

teza

Guest
Hi guys, I have something I would like to get comments/input please.
I was training in my gym the other day with my nephew Paul. He is 30 about 6 foot 3 inches tall, around 95 kilos and works in a maintenance crew falling trees. He is the climber whereby he climbs to the tops of the trees trimming and cutting branches, a physically demanding job. He doesnt do any sport or training. I was showing him how to benchpress and I was interested how much he could lift. We started of on 80 kilos for a double, then 100, 110, 120 and finally he maxed out at 135 for 2 reps. I was pretty impressed as he is a beginner and all lifts were done with a pause on the chest. I am wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences? Is he naturally strong or has his job given him his strength? Comments please.
 
If he's never used a barbell before, then more than likely he has good leverages.

More importantly id be interested to see his progress though over the next 3 months.

Does he have a "barrel chest"?
Standing straight in anatomical position How far does his harm extend past his old fella?
 
I made the mistake once of having an arm wrestle with a diesel mechanic who was about the same size and weight as me. He nearly twisted my arm off! From what I've seen, pretty much any tradie or farmhand/shearer tends to be quite strong from the demands of the occupation (and also personal experience).
 
No barrel chest, but one does strike me, he has very thick wrists and ankles and is what I call sinewy.
 
Use to row surf boats a lot and got massive fore arms, they were really strong. Job type plays a big role in strength.

The inverse of that is the guy sitting at a desk on a computer in an office who is fat and overweight and weak.
 
Any job will have a bearing on strength up to a point, at where you become conditioned.

do it too much though and you'll get weaker
 
In 1963 Serge Oliva moved to Chicago, Illinois. There he worked at a local steel mill and began working out at the Duncan YMCA. Working 10- to 12-hour days at the steel mill and putting in another 2.5–3 hours at the gym gave Oliva very little time for anything else. Soon the bodybuilding grapevine was abuzz with gossip about a Cuban powerhouse who lifted more than any of the local Olympic champs. Oliva won his first bodybuilding competition the Mr. Chicagoland contest in 1963.
 
A lot of jobs will develop certain strength, I have a mate who is a sheet metal worker, spends hours using tin shears, he does not look very strong, but has a crushing grip it's amazing, he could just about crush your hand in a hand shake.
 
Does job type have a bearing on strength?
Yes most definitely it does. Just as walking gives you energy by recharging your batteries so to speak, so does a job that involves the application of resistance against a muscle, would also force that worked muscle to adapt to the continuous task by getting stronger, larger, or both.

Continuous use of a muscle will leave it no choice but to adapt, just as continuous lack of use will make it atrophy. Two examples I share with you here:

1. The serving arm of a tennis player compared with his non-serving arm is there (visible) for all eyes to see.
2. The arm that is held in position by a plaster cast for few weeks to few months, compared with one that is not.
 
there isn't that much difference in the dominant arm [MENTION=2727]Fadi[/MENTION]; especially interesting when you consider how much time and use the arm is exposed to.

hence my statement in my earlier post.
 
there isn't that much difference in the dominant arm @Fadi; especially interesting when you consider how much time and use the arm is exposed to.

hence my statement in my earlier post.
I was thinking more on this line Andy: What makes a muscle shrink? you may check the image in post #16 for the difference in leg size after one has been immobilised.

And the following I've noticed back in the 70s when I used to watch Australian tennis players like John Alexander and the like. Here are two with distinct differences in arm size due to usage:

Troick-2i-e1451360849451-1024x765.jpg

The secret side effect of professional tennis: As photos of Serbian star Viktor Troicki’s massive right arm (or forearm) above go viral, it's revealed he's not the only tennis star whose playing arm is MUCH bigger than the other. Tennis pro Victor Troicki's dominant right arm is much bigger than his left. The disparity was made light of after his appearance at the Australian Open. Australian Rod Laver's left forearm was far more developed than his right. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are also known for having unevenly developed arms.

main-qimg-b35f50c4b0b46a2bc1f880010928e2d3-c.jpg

If you look at the above image, Nadal’s left arm is noticeably bigger due to him being a lefty. Now, these size and strength deficiencies can be limited by weightlifting that targets the weaker arm, but if you play the sport often,there will be some difference.
 
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The muscular pump can be quite considerable during play, but more often than not limb size is not that much different and although I'm not denying the difference in arm size, I'm still stating that activity outside the gym will only go so far, and in some cases a reduction in size, the worse case is injury.
 
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