I really, really want to do this, I've already been accepted into an Arborist program and when asking my future Prof one-on-one for any advice he'd give himself starting out, he gave only this; "Work on upper body, really work on it." Otherwise, he was supportive but I need true, grounded (haha) opinions on my situation. I've been working out and pounding the protein, but I'm worried it won't end up being worth it once any employer gets a look at me. Should I try a different career?
55ish kilos, 5'5 woman... should I even be trying?
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Very physical business.. Yet the hardest muscle to train is the one above the shoulders... You can lift weights till you can't see, yet still feel pain at work. And wake sore in the morning.. The physical burn is something to familiarize yourself with. It's daily. Also something to take pride in doing... Don't be a quitter..
it is worth it then. thank you!
You never know until you try I would say. I like my boots on the ground lol
Gnat,
Cheers on your aspiration! I am a 5'1" male and got told "Not gonna happen" a lot in life. Been a climbing line man with the power utilities and the phone companies for 20 yrs+ . Switched over to line clearing arbor work when that stuff panned out. Never give up! Weight training your upper body, especially your shoulders and back are crucial. Your legs will develop as you learn to climb. Squats or leg press will help. Run to the canopy, you can reach the stars! Best of luck.
Cheers on your aspiration! I am a 5'1" male and got told "Not gonna happen" a lot in life. Been a climbing line man with the power utilities and the phone companies for 20 yrs+ . Switched over to line clearing arbor work when that stuff panned out. Never give up! Weight training your upper body, especially your shoulders and back are crucial. Your legs will develop as you learn to climb. Squats or leg press will help. Run to the canopy, you can reach the stars! Best of luck.
Thank you so much! I'll keep it pushin
CatMan Fetters
ArboristSite Operative
Learning how to Breathe is key to doing long Hard Work daily. I owned my own tree company and climbed daily for 25 years ,in that time I also did martial arts, aerobics, rollerblading besides my daily work, now at 70 years old I can still work the pants off most people 10 to 15 years younger .Best of luck in Your Future Endeavors!
Yes, small, light folks may even have an advantage when climbing.
Until I retired recently, my helper in tree work was a 55-yr-old woman who weighed about 125 lbs, but she was a dynamo. Do everything you're capable of, and you may surprise yourself and others.
Until I retired recently, my helper in tree work was a 55-yr-old woman who weighed about 125 lbs, but she was a dynamo. Do everything you're capable of, and you may surprise yourself and others.
Who remembers Bermie? She was a legend
And gnat, 2 takeaways from your original post... you really want to do this, and I second the post that the most important muscle is connected to your neck. Welcome to AS and we will help you any way we can.
Your at a good weight for your height. As far as upper body strength goes, yes you wanna “work on it” but you should also hit your core and lower body as well. An imbalance in strength will get you injured. Compound movements are your friend here. Squat, deadlift, and overhead press is what I’d be focusing on, with appropriate accessory movements mixed in to round it out. Strong man type training would carry over to logging and arborist work quite well also. Don’t for get to pace yourself.
There's an appropriate old saying for your situation:
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Also, your concern that a potential employer might look you over and pass--not real likely. In the arborist field good help is hard to come by. There's always demand for good, reliable, hard working people. If you show skill, determination to learn, reliability, and stamina, you will not lack for work opportunity.
I've done plenty of rough physical jobs. Moving van swamper, infantryman, technician, assault pioneer, office furniture mover, etc, etc...
Each was very satisfying (until it wasn't) for the most part. But the best part is that I can now, as a flabby old geezer, out lift, out last, out anticipate and basically out perform most people half my age because as you do physical thing, you develop a sense for the spatiality of the objects, a feel for their momentum, a sixth sense for knowing the leverage points and a general know how about moving yourself with/around/along/over stuff. And you get a handle on the tools you can use to really leverage your power.
Some people can't. They simply can't. Spatial awareness escapes them in the way that pitch escapes someone who can't hold a tune.
But I think they're rare.
Start, and go with it. You'll discover your abilities - and they're not very contingent on brute strength.
Sure, lift weights. But work with wheels, pulleys, boxes, lumber, shovels, axes, ropes, fulcrums, levers, furniture, ladders, etc.
And enjoy!
Each was very satisfying (until it wasn't) for the most part. But the best part is that I can now, as a flabby old geezer, out lift, out last, out anticipate and basically out perform most people half my age because as you do physical thing, you develop a sense for the spatiality of the objects, a feel for their momentum, a sixth sense for knowing the leverage points and a general know how about moving yourself with/around/along/over stuff. And you get a handle on the tools you can use to really leverage your power.
Some people can't. They simply can't. Spatial awareness escapes them in the way that pitch escapes someone who can't hold a tune.
But I think they're rare.
Start, and go with it. You'll discover your abilities - and they're not very contingent on brute strength.
Sure, lift weights. But work with wheels, pulleys, boxes, lumber, shovels, axes, ropes, fulcrums, levers, furniture, ladders, etc.
And enjoy!
Yes, I'm not going to say climbing isn't physical, but the best climbers versus the worst is way more mental than physical, attitude is everything
Concentrate on the muscle above your neck. Learn to identify trees, learn work safety habits, etc.
Muscle strength will come with muscle use.
Muscle strength will come with muscle use.
I haven't been there for years (and years) but for what its worth...
Not going to lie, brute strength helps. Can get you out of a situation you didn't expect, or that you misjudged. But, understand timing, balance, leverage, and being careful should mean you don't get into those situations. A light push in the right direction, at the right time, is as good as some oaf like me just pushing until it gives.
I was a ground hog, but a great mate who climbed was always trying to get his weight up to 65kg. And he made a living on it for a decade or so.
And what the others said...you'll needs strength...so make sure you are fit and strong for your size.
And be tenacious. Tackle the job...get the job done. Solve problems so your boss doesn't know there were problems. That advice works in any job, in any industry. You want a promotion? Help your boss get one.
