How fit should you be ??

[Mr Fowler]

I want to work here...

 

We get to stand around alot,have Tea breaks,sit in the nice Truck Cab between jobs.We are out for about 8 hours a day,actually work for around five.

 

Anyone who thinks that this job is "incredibly physically demanding" is a bit of a "Noddy" or has just left School/Home/The Post Office.

 

I still get aches and pains after doing it for a few years and I consider myself pretty fit and healthy. I'm one of the skinnys, so Im not as good at picking up heavy stuff / using big saws as some of the heavier people I've worked with. It must require more effort for those guys to get up trees than me.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I've had Royal Marines huffing and puffing when helping out with tree work and saying how surprised they were at how hard it was. Yet they can go running for miles and I get out of breath reversing the truck! Increased aerobic fitness for me would permit less breathers when felling timber so higher productivity and yet when I first started hand cutting I was 4 stone lighter and way fitter and yet didn't cut anything like what I get done in a day now. The body gains strength tuned specifically for what it's doing in my case felling and converting softwood day after day. I'm sure there's a psychological aspect to it aswell; hoovering around the house knocks me for six

[Ty Korrigan]

Last week we passed an EDF (ERDF) team out clearing lines from MEWPs.

One guy, probably not long from retirement, closely resembled Jabba the Hutt in Hi-Viz.

Corpulent, morbidly obese, red nose from his midday dose of Rouge and just how he got his boots on of a morning was beyond us.

But there he was, standing in the road, an immovable mass of blubber.

Just what was his role in the team?

Certainly wasn't dragging brash!

Ty

[Peasgood]

You need to be fit enough to have enough energy left to be able to play with your kids when you get home.

Use that as a measure and you won't go far wrong.

[roycurwen1]

Does anyone take wear and tear, arthritis, joint pain into consideration. Although not in arb I have worked outside for 30 years and at 46 I'm starting to feel knackered half way through the day, Anyone else experience this?

 

Sent from my LT30p using Arbtalk mobile app

[Graham]

I've had Royal Marines huffing and puffing when helping out with tree work and saying how surprised they were at how hard it was. Yet they can go running for miles and I get out of breath reversing the truck! Increased aerobic fitness for me would permit less breathers when felling timber so higher productivity and yet when I first started hand cutting I was 4 stone lighter and way fitter and yet didn't cut anything like what I get done in a day now. The body gains strength tuned specifically for what it's doing in my case felling and converting softwood day after day. I'm sure there's a psychological aspect to it aswell; hoovering around the house knocks me for six

 

Similar here. Had body building fitness freaks struggle doing this job and I wouldn't be able to do what they do. You just reach the level of fitness your job requires. If I lay off enduro riding for a while then my 'bike fitness' drops and the little fat bloke who rides every week will show me up.

[Graham]

Does anyone take wear and tear, arthritis, joint pain into consideration. Although not in arb I have worked outside for 30 years and at 46 I'm starting to feel knackered half way through the day, Anyone else experience this?

 

Sent from my LT30p using Arbtalk mobile app

 

Definitely. Although I feel knackered when I get up:001_smile:

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

You need to be fit enough to have enough energy left to be able to play with your kids when you get home.

Use that as a measure and you won't go far wrong.

 

Very good

[easy-lift guy]

As the easy-lift guy I find the need to keep myself in the best shape both physically and mentally a must every day. I train at the YMCA at least once a week with my trainer in lieu of maintenance work and the rest of the time I am riding my bike. My weight has pretty much remained the same for the last 5 years. Maintaining my weight is critical from a presentation standpoint. Just like Clark Kent, the job is not hard. Making the impossible look easy is what's really challenging, especially with a smile.

Ted, AKA easy-lift guy

[teepeeat]

I've had Royal Marines huffing and puffing when helping out with tree work and saying how surprised they were at how hard it was. Yet they can go running for miles and I get out of breath reversing the truck! Increased aerobic fitness for me would permit less breathers when felling timber so higher productivity and yet when I first started hand cutting I was 4 stone lighter and way fitter and yet didn't cut anything like what I get done in a day now. The body gains strength tuned specifically for what it's doing in my case felling and converting softwood day after day. I'm sure there's a psychological aspect to it aswell; hoovering around the house knocks me for six

 

There is also a familiarity factor - you get used to your regular work and constantly find ways for working smarter, whereas if you bung somebody new into that position they are going to struggle for a while until they in turn get more familiar. An experienced old hand will always trump a fit young gun due to efficiency.

 

Add to that the dangling at height factor in climbing - a lot of people dont cope as well as they think with this while some are completely at home. This is similar to fire fighting where some people will always suck a lot more air out of a BA than others.