Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Case Study: Laborers

                                                                         


Now, here we dive into our first example of  martial conditioning. The first thought that may come across your mind is what does a construction worker have to do with physical fitness? Well, as I explain the mystery will be solved. You see, a construction worker throughout the day has to do a lot of pushing, pulling, and lifting. These movements are reminiscent of what a powerlifter does in the gym. Instead of using barbells and dumbells, the construction worker uses 2x4's. I once worked construction and saw what could be described marvels of physical prowess. I once saw a guy who was about 5"9 160 pounds throw 5 large pieces of lumber over his shoulder like they were feathers. I tried that and struggled to kep par with him (I was clearly not in shape!). Another example can be seen in the life of my own father who was a delivery driver who worked for a meat processing company. He would have to lift two 50 bags of flour at the same time by throwing them up and putting them on their shoulders in a clean jerk motion. He did this for hours a day to load his truck and built an incredible amount of strength doing this. I remember as a kid that his biceps were as big as my head! Both of these cases show what happens when a person uses everyday objects in a physically challenging way. This type of physical activity embodies the essence of martial conditioning. If you are not a laborer, then how do you do this type of activity? Well, there is more to come...

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