treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
That is where I was heading with those questions....maybe a gym membership as well?
fitness for climbers
- Thread starter treevet
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
That is where I was heading with those questions....maybe a gym membership as well?
Mikecutstrees
ArboristSite Guru
Thats a very generalized and innacurate opinion. I use my bucket all the time, in urban areas and my prune jobs are to ISA standards, all cuts just outside the branch bark collar etc. We used it today on two prunes, I climbed two others and Talltreeclimber climbed 4. It definately has limitations but in certain situations can be a life saver. I used to climb 5 days a week. You won't be doing that your whole life, believe me. .... Mike
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2: once you have had back problems and the associated pain and sciatica a few exercises a day are nothing to never have it again.
Another good general exercise, core inclusive and stress reliever is the good ole heavy bag.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
You need to do positive and negative movements with all them muscles. So many people stretch the back, but do nothing for a contractive movement.
Johndirt82
ArboristSite Operative
I personally think that is why most guys have back pain, lack of muscle to support the spine that makes your cartlidge between vertebre disappear before it should then the variours other back problems are well on their way, ruptured disc. Broken bones , and just all around missery. I lift weights alot. I go as heavy as I can for back , usually only do stiff leg deadlifts and save the bent knee for military presses or clean and presses. I start with 315 lbs x10-12 405 x 6-8 then 495 3-5. Guys at work keep tellin' me Im gonna " throw out my back " doing that but I think it keeps it strong and I havn't had a back pain in a long time.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yeah, it is a thin line between hurting and helping muscles.
Every exercise I do opposites like push then pull.
I do back curl ups with a 25# plate on the back of the neck. Used to do them on a roman chair but found I could do them on my leg curl machine so I tossed the chair. I am now thinking about dead lifts after hearing this. It gives a lot more for one execise....quads, back, grip etc
Every exercise I do opposites like push then pull.
I do back curl ups with a 25# plate on the back of the neck. Used to do them on a roman chair but found I could do them on my leg curl machine so I tossed the chair. I am now thinking about dead lifts after hearing this. It gives a lot more for one execise....quads, back, grip etc
Johndirt82
ArboristSite Operative
If you do start deadlifts start really light. Definately something you gotta build up and yes is surely gives the legs a good work out too. If you do start doing deadlifts you will quickly notice daily tasks like bending and lifting stuff gets alot easier.
Slvrmple72
Addicted to ArboristSite
I still suck in my gut and stick out my chest around the wife. She will sucker punch me when I don't! We just ordered the insanity workout and I will start running once the snow is almost gone. I hear you about lifting weights! I need to do it to keep everything in proper balance.
Greystoke
Tarzan
Weight training vs. Hard work???
I started out as a lean tough farm kid; Bought my first new chainsaw when I was twelve, and was falling timber for my Uncle and my Dad on the weekends and every Summer. Went to work falling timber for one of the largest...if not THE largest helicopter logging, and aerial lift companies in the world...fell timber all over the country from the swamps in Florida, to the Rain forest in Alaska on the most remote and rugged terrain imaginable. We worked 6, sometimes 7 days a week, 7 hours a day busheling (production timber falling), and I was in excellent shape...for a production timber faller that is ( which is the most physically demanding job I have ever performed), and when I was 21 I decided to go lift weights with my ex-wifes little brother, who was a senior in high school, and the star quarter-back on the football team. Now, I figured since I was a lean and mean timber faller that these high school boys had nothing on me...man was I WRONG! They made me feel like a sissy boy! I definitely had the endurance, but they were lifting way heavier weight than me, and that bugged me, so that is what inspired me to start lifting. Another wake up call was when I decided to play semi-pro football...those guys were strong and tough and muscular and most of them got that way primarily by a strict regimen of weight training, although there are a small percentage of naturally freakishly strong guys out there. I am pretty sure there weren't too many lean and tough farm boys that could have taken them out. I also noticed when I started lifting how imbalanced my body was. For example, my left ab muscles were way stronger and bigger than my right, which was from swinging an axe, either splitting firewood at home, or beating wedges at work. My right lat muscle is also much larger, which I can really see and tell when I am doing pull-ups. Right bicep, left tricep, traps, etc....all of this is from years of repetitious movements falling timber, and one reason why a lot of old timber fallers have so many joint problems...because they are imbalanced (although the main reason is probably because they get so banged up performing their job). I would challenge any hard core weight lifter, that does not have a physically demanding job, to come and do what you or I do, or have done (I also am a part time horse shoer), and I am sure they would really struggle, but I also challenge anyone who has never spent a day in the gym, but works like an animal, whether it be falling timber, climbing trees, shoeing horses, etc, to go to the gym with someone who is disciplined, and experienced in the weight room, and I bet, by the end of your session you would be crawling on your hands and knees, begging for mercy
I mean no dis-respect to anybody who works like an animal at their job, because I am one of them, but I think that respect is deserved to disciplined individuals who work out like an animal in the weight room or gym.
I partly agree with this. If you have the work to do it is the better way to stay in shape. Too many lean tough farm kids taking out the big tough muscle builders to ever argue with that.
This winter I ran into a problem I've not really faced before. There was no work to do, hard physical work anyway. I've got plenty to do on the property here, but some of that was underwater. and the rest just could not be done with all the wet.
I helped a few friends out for nothing just for the excercise. LOL
Anyway, when I was working every day dawn to dark, several guys saw my skinny frame and agreed to arm wrestle. To date I have never lost to anybody except one tough little farm kid from Tillamook, OR. He could bench three times his own weight, and that was as high as my weight set went. 150/450:jawdrop:
Mr. HE
I started out as a lean tough farm kid; Bought my first new chainsaw when I was twelve, and was falling timber for my Uncle and my Dad on the weekends and every Summer. Went to work falling timber for one of the largest...if not THE largest helicopter logging, and aerial lift companies in the world...fell timber all over the country from the swamps in Florida, to the Rain forest in Alaska on the most remote and rugged terrain imaginable. We worked 6, sometimes 7 days a week, 7 hours a day busheling (production timber falling), and I was in excellent shape...for a production timber faller that is ( which is the most physically demanding job I have ever performed), and when I was 21 I decided to go lift weights with my ex-wifes little brother, who was a senior in high school, and the star quarter-back on the football team. Now, I figured since I was a lean and mean timber faller that these high school boys had nothing on me...man was I WRONG! They made me feel like a sissy boy! I definitely had the endurance, but they were lifting way heavier weight than me, and that bugged me, so that is what inspired me to start lifting. Another wake up call was when I decided to play semi-pro football...those guys were strong and tough and muscular and most of them got that way primarily by a strict regimen of weight training, although there are a small percentage of naturally freakishly strong guys out there. I am pretty sure there weren't too many lean and tough farm boys that could have taken them out. I also noticed when I started lifting how imbalanced my body was. For example, my left ab muscles were way stronger and bigger than my right, which was from swinging an axe, either splitting firewood at home, or beating wedges at work. My right lat muscle is also much larger, which I can really see and tell when I am doing pull-ups. Right bicep, left tricep, traps, etc....all of this is from years of repetitious movements falling timber, and one reason why a lot of old timber fallers have so many joint problems...because they are imbalanced (although the main reason is probably because they get so banged up performing their job). I would challenge any hard core weight lifter, that does not have a physically demanding job, to come and do what you or I do, or have done (I also am a part time horse shoer), and I am sure they would really struggle, but I also challenge anyone who has never spent a day in the gym, but works like an animal, whether it be falling timber, climbing trees, shoeing horses, etc, to go to the gym with someone who is disciplined, and experienced in the weight room, and I bet, by the end of your session you would be crawling on your hands and knees, begging for mercy
I mean no dis-respect to anybody who works like an animal at their job, because I am one of them, but I think that respect is deserved to disciplined individuals who work out like an animal in the weight room or gym.
Greystoke
Tarzan
Greystoke
Tarzan
I bet he still is one heck of a tree climber!
Greystoke
Tarzan
How can you say you are in better shape? Obviously you are half his age making arrogant statements like that. I propose a competition...I got my money on the tree climbin, weight liftin, hardened Marine corps vet
Kinda like on the movie "Heartbreak Ridge" when the much senior Gunny Highway takes out the hot-headed officer in the water pit...Yayeah!
mr. holden wood
ArboristSite Guru
Generalizations are generally true. Buckets are great for turning trees into balls,squares or the ever popular flat top but do not produce quality prunes just quantity.. How many branches did you smash through to make those collar cuts.
Johndirt82
ArboristSite Operative
Ill just chime in once again, and get back to what this thread was originally about, general fitness that would aid in tree work. Aside from the workouts and just working hard probably the most important and hardest portion of fitness is the nutrition/daily diet. I know that when you are super busy bustin yer a$$ that most, including me just grab the closest thing you can and lots of it. Eat lots of protein, good carbs and healthy fats. 50% carbs 30% protein and 20% fats. Eat often every couple of hours, you will be amazed how much your energy will go up by leveling out your blood glucose levels and keeping a steady source of nutrients in you. Lastly , drink as much water as possible . I aim for a gallon a day.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
I had 12 chicken nuggets for breakfast with a can of diet pepsi?
Johndirt82
ArboristSite Operative
Nice, I think a jack in the box breakfast bowl Is callin my name, haha. Fast food won't kill you as long as its not all you eat all the time.
time to go to work blah, I hate morning sometimes.
time to go to work blah, I hate morning sometimes.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
I get the big Tyson bags and run them in the nuke-ro-waver. We did go out for Chinese just now, Singapore Noodle...MMMMMM
Yup...but add goldenseal to the mix.....(both) in tincture form is best....
I had accupunture treatment last week, and prolotherapy today, for my separated shoulder---class 3 separation. Sure hope it works...will be continuing both.....
the knee is getting better after last weeks minor surgery..
Felled about 15 smallish trees today..the crew did most of the hard work, well, and the chipper winch....
Have to work tomorrow, but work is slow...need to try to allow the shoulder to heal.
Hopefully, next season, when I'm 61, I'll be back to skiing all day with the young studs--- steep, deep, or 60 mph pin-your-ears-back cruisers......and carrying 30 lb of camera gear.
Last edited:
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
Get better soon Roger.
Well I'm around 5' 10" and I weighed 130lb when I graduated, now I weigh 175lb. I just started excersing again, so running a mile a day at my own pace is pretty easy.
