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Yesterday a friend asked me, "How's your back?" Without really thinking I said, "Great! What's up?" Turns out he needed a TV moved, so we moved it downstairs.

Thought 1: As nobody usually asks me how my back is -- why would they -- I just kind of blurted out "Great!" Later I thought it's nice to not even give it a thought when somebody asks you how fit you are.

Thought 2: It struck me today what an odd conversation that was. Here in the US of A, it is sufficiently likely that a middle-aged man will have "back trouble" that it actually affects our manners, it is polite to ask first how a guy's back is before asking him to lift anything.

Or the constant "oh my god watch you dont put your back out!"

Hehe I helped my parents move some stuff around (reasonably sized garden stuff) and my mom was constantly fretting assuming I was trying to be macho or something - I really hate that stiigma attached to lifting, I actually pride myself on being level headed and logical so to sort of be accused of being macho is a bit offensive and I have to watch my reaction (first thought is "Dont put me in with the dickheads!" but then I think "ok, its just someone worrying about your back, relax" :)

But yea, I have to stop myself preeching to people - there seems to be an attitude that anything involving your back is poison -
heres to a society who considers exercise a hazard to endure and fat a poison to sin with :(

I helped my sister move about over 6 months ago. She was moving to a Flat about 5 minutes away from where she already stayed. When she moved into the first Flat, on the second floor, I moved the TV up myself. It's an old school TV, not flat screen, but is still really wide. It was state of the art top of the range ultra wide TV when my dad bought it, before flat screens became popular. I don't know what size, I don't really know about TV's. I guestimated it weighed an awkward 80KG (I weigh just under that, btw). It "felt" more like double that but, it couldn't of been! It has handles on the sides so, you could do what could be described as a snatch grip deadlift walk with it, then snatch grip deadlift it up the stairs. I done this whilst waiting on a friend come and help. By the time he got there, I was finished.

Then she moved again but, this time hired a removal company. One guy turns up with a big Van. I help him with the TV. First, he didn't want to lift it like I knew he should of. "there's a trick to carrying TV's". So we lift it up, then lay it on it's front, and he almost drops his end, then starts swearing saying most washing machines are lighter than it. I suggest just using the handles (why else would they be there??). Nope. He had his "trick" which was clearly working really well. The TV now felt like 300KG each side. Thanks, Mr Removal man (as I think about starting a removal business).

We had to keep taking breaks. At one point, I got fed up, when we stopped mid way down a flight of stairs, I bent my knees and sat the TV on my knees and stabilised it with one hand whilst checking my phone with the other. Then he starts shouting, "you're going to ruin your back like that!!!". My back was completely upright!! He looked like quasimodo lifting a jumbo jet! I just said, "rather my back, than the TV!".

Then the kicker comes, "i guess it's ok, it's not like you do this everyday like I do". This made my sister burst into laughter. I just said, "yeh, right enough, that's probably it"...... Thinking "man, I wish I lifted heavy things every day, so I could look and move like this guy!"

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Thanks TimD

people are always asking me to help them move house. I wish I'd kept my weightlifting secret.

I actually don't mind it. I get asked quite a lot. My friends are also training partners so, they know if they ask one of us, then there's likely to be at least 2 or 3 turn up and it'll be done in under 10 minutes. We generally always get together on a Sunday. We joke that it's "Sunday Club". We go for a big breakfast, do any kind of chores that need done (i.e. helping someone move), go to the gym, train, then go wash our cars, then go and find a buffet somewhere. It's like a Gentlemens Club except we get things done (if there's stuff needing done), lift things, and eat lots. We keep meaning to start some kind of blog but no one ever does

What I hate is when someone says, "hey..... got a great work out for you". Then go onto to say they need a hand doing whatever it is. I just cut them off and say, "i work out plenty as it is, thanks, I really don't need any more and, um, when was the last time you had a workout?".

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Thanks TimD

haha so you guys are like a sort of meathead boy scouts division. That's wicked. My bathroom ceiling needs re-doing and my landlord's useless. Get on it!

... So after workout, chores and buffet, you hire some strippers?

"How's your back?" is the new "You got a truck?"

LOL. I had a truck when I lived in --- wait for it -- Texas. I moved a few friends around

Sounds more like the A-Team to me. I think soon you should carry out a few vigilante tasks.

On another note, I've never actually thought what Sundays could be like if I wasn't recovering from alcohol. This Sunday's gonna be a weird one, too many exams coming up to be an idiot and fail everything by going out!

That's actually what it was all about, initially. Sunday used to be a day I spent with my ex g/f. If we weren't doing things around the house, we would go out somewhere or do something together (or both). When I left her, all of a sudden I had a free Sunday. Naturally, I started training on Sunday since I had no one there to nag me about going to the gym AGAIN. It was great because I could train for as long as I wanted, then go for a steam, sauna etc (Until this point, it had been about 4 years since I used these facilities at my gym!).

Anyway, then a friend and training partner became single and also had that option lol. However, he was normally out with another training partner/friend on a Sat night, and would end up hungover all of Sunday. They eventually started joining me and it just became a Sunday thing. Everything else was added after that. I'll go out with them on the Sat night but i'm not one for binge drinking. I can't remember the last time I had a hangover. However, when I do, I just get up, go for a walk, buy some food, and generally shake it off. Then go to the gym. Years ago, I would of just lay around all day feeling sorry for myself.

You can get a lot done on a Sunday! It's a full free day. Spending it in your bed or moping around is basically a waste of half your time off (if you work mon-fri.... more so if you work more than that)!

We've also took up fishing recently, lol. Something I was never remotely interested in. I actually really enjoy it. We were going to add Golf, too. I've not played in years and wouldn't mind having another go at it. I enjoyed it when I was younger. This is all just because Sunday is no longer a "day of rest" for me. It's a day of "doing stuff". The "stuff" can be whatever you want.

KPj

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Thanks TimD