“So You Want to Pick Up and Lift a Man Overhead”: A Fitness Roundtable

by Hieu Truong · November 13, 2014

Hieu Truong’s previous work for The Toast can be found here.

figure skater lifting manI thought it was hilarious at first when Mallory declared in a comment thread that it was her fitness goal to be able to pick up and lift a grown man over her head. Afterwards, I started noticing that other Toasties were declaring this in a tongue-in-cheek way, and I started thinking, “well, why not?”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn’t any more ridiculous or unlikely than any headline or superlative you catch on a mainstream fitness magazine, like “Get Amazing Abs in 16 Minutes!” I figured any program written to help a woman pick up a man and lift him overhead was going to lead to better overall health and fitness than any program written to “reveal your abs” in short period of time.

Who was going to write this? Well, it’s a poorly hidden secret that lifters like trying to do things that seem foolhardy to normal people just to see if they can do it. That’s why many “CrossFit Fail” pictures exist: pictures of people doing overhead squats on kettlebells or playing drinking games involving a shot of beer and a pull-up on the minute, every minute, for 100 minutes. For example, Camille Brown (a weightlifter and high-level Crossfitter) has posted a video of herself doing a no-hand clean and jerk. We goof around.

To put this together, I asked four friends of mine who coach strength sports. Their expertise lies in some combination of weightlifting, powerlifting, or strongman events, with an emphasis on one of those sports. This scenario raised some eyebrows, but everyone took it very seriously. How heavy was the man? How big is the woman? Is the man resisting, or not? Is there a set way to lift the man off the ground? Are push presses okay?

Tangent: I was also reminded multiple times that I should not expect to ever pick up my husband and press him overhead. Unfortunately, they’re right: my husband weighs twice as much and is over a foot taller than I am. Barring being transported to a comic book universe and being irradiated while touching an arachnid, I don’t really expect to pick up any man and put him over head, much less my husband. As one of them pointed out “you should’ve picked a smaller husband if you wanted to do this.” It’s okay, I have other means of establishing dominance.

The scenario I gave everyone was this: any woman, trying to pick up a 185 lb man any way she can, lifting him overhead any way she can. I chose 185lbs somewhat arbitrarily: although 200+ lb men seem very normal to me, I spend a lot of time in powerlifting and olympic weightlifting gyms and realize that my concept of “normal” is very skewed. Also, the median weight class for men in those sports seem to float around 185lbs.

***

Ultimately, two programs were written. There’s some common threads between the two, which may not be surprising given that both writers are primarily weightlifting coaches.

Both programs emphasize the following: 1) back squats, 2) push presses, 3) bench presses, 4) sandbag cleans. However, aside from differences in coaching and programming styles, there’s a key difference: one is for picking up a random man, while the other assumes that the man is a willing participant.

These training programs are untested, but if you do decide to do them, please let me know! Share any questions or feedback by commenting below, no matter how long it’s been since this has been posted.

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Scenario 1: if you want to press any man, and he’s not trying to help you

(From Philip Stablein, Weightlifting coach at South Baltimore Strength and Conditioning.)

We’ll define a man as being 185lbs for the purposes of this discussion. Of course, this directly conflicts with the internet strength training standards of man, which is 200lbs for anyone 5’8” or above, but since we’re looking at population average we’ll have to avoid that subset. The reality appears to be worse: according to the CDC we’re actually looking at almost 91kg or 200lbs for the average US male. Nevertheless, we’re going to persist with 185lbs, as it also happens to be conveniently loaded on a standard Olympic barbell, using 2x45lb plates and 2x25lb plates (plus the 45lb bar).

With the target man defined, we need to agree what it means to press. I assume this means from shoulder to overhead in any manner, not strictly using the arms. Allowing leg drive has a tradition from strongman to CrossFit, and even the best “presses” from the time when it was a lift contested at the Olympics generally had some hip drive and layback. The trainee wishing to press the man needs to figure out how to get him in place to be pressed. The Steinborn squat is going to be the most practical way to get the man into place.

We’ve now answered “how much” and “how” for the target, we’ll outline the goals for getting there. Here are the standards and justifications:

Steinborn squat: 225lbs. Preferably done with 3-5 reps in the squat after loading. Since a man has a lack of symmetry and hand-holds, the trainee will need reserve strength above the goal load of 185lbs. Steinborn squatting is an asymmetrical exercise, which puts forces on the knees and back which are potentially very injurious – so using something safe like a barbell is going to be important for incremental loading and safe practice.

Bench Press: 225lbs. The bench press allows the most loading of all the upper body exercises and having reserve in this will help develop the overhead strength needs to elevate the man.

Push Press: 205lbs, or behind the neck variant at 225lbs. This exercise most closely mimics the actual lifting, but the extra loading leaves reserve strength for dealing with the asymmetry and lack of convenient hand holds on a human being.

Beyond these standards, there are two exercises which come to mind for developing this ability. First is the log press or push press, which is commonly contested in strongman and strongwoman competition. The log has a large diameter, and thus a less easy to wrangle center of gravity. Second is the sandbag, which is about the closest to a human body in terms of poor hand holds and shifting center of gravity. Some heavy sandbag Steinborn squats and behind-the-neck push presses complexes will be very helpful in developing proper technique for moving a man onto the shoulders and then overhead.

aneta lifting man for game showScenario 2: if you’re lifting a man who is a willing participant

(From Mike McKenna, Weightlifting and Strongwoman/Strongman coach, owner of McKenna’s Gym. Best quote from our conversation: “So I think I have some women here who could put up a guy already.”)

Assuming you’re working with a man within the realm of your strength–say, 100-150% of your weight–then you could put him over your head at some point. Here’s how I would train you to do it.

You need, more than anything else, to squat. Squat 3 days a week, two days back squats, one day front squats. For your front squats, do a solid five sets of three across the board with a few warm-up sets. These should be done about 80-85% of your best front squat. Your back squats should sandwich your front squat workouts, which means to back squat one day, front squat, then back squat.

One day of back squats should be volume based. I like Steve Shafley’s ladders for volume.

Basically, take 80% of your best squat and do 1 rep, then 2 reps, then 3 reps; repeat for a total of four groups, or 24 reps. If you make all the lifts, add 5 pounds the next week. You could also do 5,5,5, 3,3 at 80-95% of your best squat. The other back squat day should be for max strength. Get up to 90% for 1-3 sets of 2. Or five sets of 1. If the 90% feels easy, put more weight on the bar.

You also need to pull stuff from the floor. You can deadlift or do heavy cleans. (Hieu’s note: Mike didn’t specify power cleans or full/squat cleans, but for the purposes of this I’m choosing power cleans.) I would actually do the following one day a week:  Start at a weight easy for you to clean. Do six sets of 2, adding weight each time, getting up to a max set of 2. Then add weight and start to deadlift, doing another 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps in the deadlift. I would do these on the day you front squat. I’ll address other off the floor movements in the event training section.

For upper body strength, you will need to push press and bench press. You might want to even consider push jerks, as long as you do an upper body movement every day. Bench presses on the front squat day with dumbbells due to the one-sided stability they help you get. Do 4 sets of 6 in the bench, or even use the ladder system I suggested for the squats. For the push press or push jerk, do 5 sets of 3-6 sets of 2 as heavy as you can. This movement is the foundation or putting the guy overhead; so really focus on staying tight.

Another vitally important movement is overhead recoveries. Set up a power rack or something to hold a heavy weight, get under it with your arms extended and knees bent, and stand up. When you can do this with more than your husband weighs, you have a shot at holding him up over your head.

I really like a four day a week training split, and our fourth day is purely event training. Your event is the adult man overhead, so on event day, you’ll want to do some specialized movements using  strongman implements. The two most important would be the sandbag clean and press. You can use kegs to mix up the training if you want, but a sandbag is much more like a person. Go for max efforts on these lifts, followed by some sets of 2-3 reps at a lower weight. You also need to do some log cleans and presses, with the biggest diameter log you can find. Again, work to a 1-2 rep max and then do some back off sets. Finally, event day should end with some yoke carries for core strength. 50-100 feet with as heavy a weight as you can manage; do 5-10 sets.

Screen Shot 2014-11-07 at 8.43.51 AM

There’s one other thing: your lifting implement should be able to help you on the lift. You’ll need to practice with him, both when he’s overhead and when he’s on the ground. Break up the movements: pull him off the bed or the couch to your shoulder, then toss him back down. Once you get him to your shoulder, press him a time or two, or even start with him at your shoulder and press him. See what type of press/jerk is most effective for you two, then drop him on the bed or couch. Also, pull him off the floor to your waist, then to your shoulder, and don’t forget to drop him. His body will absorb the impact. Don’t forget: when he’s overhead, his ability to hold the plank position is crucial to your success. Also, he should help you out a little by pushing on you to make sure he gets overhead.

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155 Comments

  4. sednarea51 +43

    Oh my god. This is so beautiful. It’s every single thing I have ever dreamed of, and the second I have access to a gym I am starting one or both of these programs. Glorious. GLORIOUS.

  5. melonby +62

    I literally use picking up my boyfriend as a metric of how strong I am so I can’t tell you how happy this article makes me.
    For those who have willing men, I would also recommend looking into pro-wrestling techniques. As you work towards this noble goal your male may be taught to push off from the ground or your thigh in order to aid you. I would consider successul ‘posting’ to be a good halfway progress point.

  6. erindubitably +134

    Also, pull him off the floor to your waist, then to your shoulder, and don’t forget to drop him. His body will absorb the impact.

    This is everything I wanted it to be and more.

    1. winterbymorning +101

      In some gyms, however, it is considered poor etiquette to just drop your man on the floor, because the noise can startle other lifters. I would recommend gently placing the man back on the rack for the comfort and convenience of the next woman who needs one.

      1. pocketsprings +32

        Naah. Some men just want to watch the world burn. Some women just want to watch a man drop.

  7. Linette +137

    “Honey? I need you to drop about 20 lbs.”

    “Why?”

    “Um. No reason. Certainly nothing to do with anything I read on the internet today.”

    1. slowseptember +18

      I was just thinking “hmm, if the Fellow were to lose a few, this might be feasible…”

  8. SarahDances +148

    Hmmm. My fiance weighs in at a whopping 115 lbs., so if I’m going to train up to this I think I will need additional weights. Or additional fiances.

  10. Elsa is Emily +66

    I have a bad back and a big, broad, tall husband, so I will have to target a smaller man for my overhead-lifting goals. Or possibly I’ll use a small nephew. IT COUNTS.

    1. Linette +70

      JUST SO YOU CAN CAST A MAN INTO THE FLAMES WHEN THE TIME COMES.

      Otherwise the ritual will be all cocked up.

      1. Elsa is Emily +80

        As a younger woman, I brooked a lot of street harassment and groping from small men who were vocally, vociferously fascinated by my height, and I really really wish it had ever occurred to me to just lift ’em up. I couldn’t have lifted them over my head, but just a silent hoist off the ground would have done a lot to change perceptions of these meetings from both sides.

        1. winterbymorning +103

          I am now imagining you holding up a small man by the scruff of his neck while he splutters in indignation and kicks out his tiny legs in a futile attempt to regain control of the situation.

          1. squiffyocelot +52

            I … may have done that to the playground bully in grade school, and it was just as satisfying as you might imagine

      2. bibliobotic +27

        I would like to propose that if, for any reason, you cannot pick up and lift a man overhead yourself, you may have another man pick up and lift the first man for you, and carry him to the specified location. Probably you should recline naked on a clamshell while giving direction.

        1. OliviaPJones +18

          Better yet, you net yourself an amazonian goddess of a friend or lover, and ask her to do it for you. Practice your cackle.

        2. Elsa is Emily +9

          I mean, that is a piece of cake. So much so that I’m now searching my memory to be sure I haven’t done it at some point already.

      3. ct330 +24

        Keeping this in mind for the future, but for now at least I have my go to method of hip-checking men into the flames with my huge childbearing hips.

  11. czargasm +84

    This is the most beautiful and useful thing The Toast has ever posted. This is the most beautiful and useful thing anyone on the internet in the history of time has ever posted.

      1. Spongy & bruised +12

        Before scrolling down, I thought you’d just posted the picture and assumed everyone would get the reference.

  14. AddieJoy +43

    For the edification of anyone interested in the Marvel universe, here are the official weights of some characters. I use them for training goals. (Some of my faves don’t have official weights, and some are listed as laughably smaller than they are drawn, so those aren’t included. Also–hooray, Marvel finally gave Carol a realistic weight!)

    Lockheed:20
    Rocket Raccoon:55
    Pizza Dog:70
    Tiny Steve Rogers:95
    Kitty Pryde:110
    Kate Bishop:120
    Bruce Banner:128
    Natasha Romanoff:131
    Maria Hill:135
    Laura Kinney:147
    Carol Danvers:165
    Danny Rand:175
    T’Challa:200
    Clint Barton:230
    Big Steve:240
    Bucky Barnes:260
    Sif: 425

    1. braak +26

      Carol Danvers just recently went up to 165 lbs! She was actually at, I think, 5′ 11″ and 125 lbs forever, until people finally pointed out that this would make her literally stick-figure thin.

      Also, man, Hawkeye weighs 230? That is. Surprising to me.

      1. winterbymorning +18

        I only weigh a little bit more than Carol Danvers! That is a surprisingly effective mood booster. Granted, I am nowhere near 5’11, but I won’t let that cloud my mind.

        1. braak +16

          Frankly, considering her height and build, I feel like Carol Danvers maybe ought to weigh a little more.  I don’t think that Comics Would Be Destroyed Forever if we admitted this.

          2. braak +8

            Ugh, your incomprehensible metric measurements.  What is that, like 175, 180?  That feels right to me, too, though obviously it depends a lot on how she’s drawn; I think it’s only been the last maybe five years or so where she’s drawn consistently burly.

        2. sednarea51 +13

          I weigh as much as T’challa, which is making me feel pretty awesome. 😀 (Granted, he’s all muscle and I…am not, but still. Still.) Also FUCK YEAH Sif being a tank.

      2. AddieJoy +24

        Re: Carol–I remember laughing and laughing at the 124 figure. (And then being really annoyed.) The woman is MUSCULAR. She is tall. She has a lot of boobs. There’s just no way.

        So many of the Marvel women are listed as 110-130 lbs, despite being drawn with wildly different body types and heights. I had to dig to find anyone over 130, even when they are listed as quite tall and drawn with significant muscle/body mass. I have a private theory that Men are terrified of any weight over 130 lbs for women. (Even Laura Kinney, who has an ADAMANTIUM SKELETON, is only listed at 144.)

        Re: Hawkeye–he’s 6’3 and usually drawn as really built! He’s pretty lean in his current ongoing, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Given how often he plays foil to Captain Steve America, it makes sense that he would be a physical match as well. Big, tall, blond dudes: A Thing.

        1. braak +24

          It’s funny that Laura Kinney is that light, because Wolverine is only 5′ 3″ and when you take his skeleton into account, he weighs 300 lbs.  (Without the adamantium he’s 195, which means there’s at least a hundred pounds of metal in his bones).
           
          Also, whoah, Sif weighs 425 lbs?  Are Asgardians unusually dense, or something?  What is that about?
           
          Hm.
           
          Anyway. I am right there at Danny Rand level, and I feel pretty comfortable with that.
           

          1. AddieJoy +13

            I looked up Laura and it turns out I was mistaken–only her claws are adamantium. So that makes more sense.

            Asgardians are generally really dense, I guess. Thor is listed at 640 lbs and Frigga is 370. Even Kid Loki, who is 4’4, apparently weighs 188 lbs.

            Danny is great because he would be SUCH A DORK about being bench pressed or dead lifted or what have you. He’d be so proud!

        2. braak +14

          (Hahaha, on the Marvel website: “(Asgardian flesh and bone is about 3 times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to all Asgardians’ superhuman strength and weight).”; Guess that answers that question.

    2. winterbymorning +20

      How on earth can Bucky weigh more than post-serum Steve? Do they mean Bucky as the Winter Soldier and are including the weight of his metal arm?

      (Also, the words “Tiny Steve Rogers” have filled me with absurd glee.)

      1. sednarea51 +21

        WEE TINY STEVE. 95 pounds soaking wet!! Still kind of my favorite Steve in my heart of hearts.
        And yeah, I’m thinking they must mean Winter Soldier Bucky with the metal arm.

      2. AddieJoy +26

        I’m guessing they’re including the metal arm. That’s the weight listed when he’s being Bucky Cap, and he’s 5’9 to Steve’s 6’2. 

        (In my head, they are Tiny Steve and Big Steve. Bucky is either Bucky Yes or Bucky No, depending on how much eyeliner he’s wearing.)

      1. AddieJoy +30

        I AM DEADLIFTING A GRAY WOLF

        YAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHGHGHGHGHGH

        …you know, that might be a really fun, easy coding project. I might do it!

      3. bookwormV +18

        I went to a museum which had a similar feature! It had a scale to stand on, and told you what dinosaur was the same weight as you. (It was a big platform scale, so you could have lots of people on it and be a T-Rex!)

      1. braak +5

        The Marvel website says 640, which is about right if you accept that Asgardians are a little less than three times as dense as reglar humans.

    5. elsajeni +8

      Is there a canonical weight for Jen Walters/She-Hulk, in either form? (I don’t know why I’m even asking, I am 300% certain that the answer will be “Yes, and it’s 110 lbs.”)

      1. AddieJoy +9

        Actually, she’s 140 lbs in human form–still quite light given that she’s 5’10–and 650 lbs as She-Hulk.

        1. jmstevenson76 +17

          Okay, ridiculous physics question, but… where does the mass come from and go when she transforms?

    7. manulpika +6

      This seems really heavy for Rocket Raccoon. I don’t think raccoons usually weigh more than 20 pounds, so that’s a lot of extra weight in guns.

  15. GruntledDave +51

    Hieu! This is awesome! I’m also skewed, bodyweight-perception-wise. When you said 185, I was all, “Aw, a little guy.” Doh. But I weigh 240 or so and I usually feel small when I go to comps.

    PS: “It’s okay, I have other means of establishing dominance.” is the best line ever.

    1. rkfire +7

      I usually tend to think of powerlifting/weightlifting meets being pretty broad vis a vis body size and type, but yeah, you’re totally spot on. I can only imagine being a regular strongwoman/strongman competitor and reading this: “185lbs? I just lifted a stone that weighed that much for reps last weekend..”

  17. Diana_monkey +46

    Thank goodness this offers useful tips “for dealing with the asymmetry and lack of convenient hand holds on a human being.” I look forward to training for the Adult Man Overhead event!

    1. lemonadefish +21

      Couldn’t we install some handholds, for practice? Or would that encourage bad technique?

    2. winterbymorning +18

      I feel like there are plenty of convenient hand holds on my being, if you know what I mean.

      1. elsajeni +24

        Not a lot that you would want to be lifted by, though, I suspect. (I can just imagine the howling if you tried to lift a dude by his, shall we say, most obvious handhold.)

  18. MilesofMountain +183

    My boyfriend is only 155 lbs, and he was just suggesting we find more activities to do as a couple. I can only conclude that he will be thrilled when I tell him about this.

  19. deleted5647547 +32

    FINALLY a practical workout plan for people like me – people who want to be Grace Jones, basically!

  21. naglayaxuliganka +18

    I once tried to pick up my husband (who is more than a foot taller and weighs almost twice what I do). I got him an inch off the ground and then couldn’t walk right for a week. Clearly this is what I needed. Excellent.

  22. HotDoom +37

    Is there an advanced version of this, in case the man is struggling or not being helpful to me as I lift him?

  23. mandarinmarie +40

    HIEU YOU GLORIOUS WACKO I AM SO GLAD YOU ACTUALLY DID THIS

    “Your event is the adult man overhead” this is so great

    I need some video of this actually happening.

      1. mandarinmarie +20

        I thought the first video was good but in the second one I started laughing as soon as she threw the first guy and I realized there was a whole line. Amazing.

        1. rkfire +39

          My favorite thing about the line of men is that they’re all patiently standing there, waiting to be thrown as if it’s their only lot in life.

          Which, let’s not kid ourselves, it is.

      3. jenavira +15

        That guy in the second video who gets his arm position wrong and she’s like “no, dipshit, this way!” <3 <3 <3

        I nominate her for Toast Hero.

      5. tothesea +2

        Holy crap, she just picks ’em up and hucks ’em onto the floor (mat). Glorious. Utterly glorious.

  25. maggiegrift +18

    Hey Hieu,

    I only olympic lift (and know nothing about powerlifting or strongman), but I’m thinking a snatch-grip behind-the-neck jerk would be better than a push press or any pressing movement. Thoughts?

    (Also, “lifting implement” is a great new thing to call my boyfriend)

    1. rkfire +3

      Interesting question! I think either push presses or jerks would be fine, it just comes down to how comfortable you are with either movement. Personally, my first reaction to snatch grip BTN jerk is ” :/ ” but that comes out of spending six months or so doing SOTS presses as a warm up, which I realize isn’t the same thing at all.

      I would just say this: you should feel free to experiment as much as you’d like, with as many variations as you feel comfortable. I do wonder though if Phil and Mike suggested push presses vs. jerks because 1) push presses might be more intuitive for most people and 2) it’s harder to recover if your lifting implement(hahaha) rolls forward in a jerk. I don’t know about the second one though, I’m speculating.

      It’s been over a year since I’ve done oly, so I am kind of with you–I think I’d be more comfortable with jerking weight than push pressing! I’ve recently started playing around with trying to do a one-handed circus dumbbell event, any way overhead, and jerking was a lot easier. Also, no one cares if you press out.

      1. maggiegrift +7

        I do snatch grip btn jerks to get into an overhead squat position, and I can do a lot more than a regular jerk. I am thinking its because snatch grip means a shorter distance to get it up (and btn is necessary because you can’t snatch grip in front!). I’m legit going to try this… starting with the small children at my gym. Expect updates!

        I also love circus dumbbell events!

        Thanks for the article and the tips!

        1. rkfire +4

          Yeah, when you asked about it I was definitely thinking about how it would shorten the distance! I think I generally find any btn work uncomfortable because I’m not used to it, but if you can jerk more with it, I’d say do it!

          Please take pictures. 😀

    2. GruntledDave +8

      If you Steinborn the dude into place, jerking would be much easier than pressing or even push pressing. This is a great idea!

      1. J M +17

        I have never been so happy to not understand a single word of what is being said. Apparently I love weightlifting terminology! This is so great.

  26. robotneedslove +71

    My boyfriend and I once squatted each other – I won (but of course it was a contest) but I also whispered something creepy in his ear just as he went into his squat and so he fell down. Victory!

    1. DeepBlueC +4

      YES. Here I was, wishing that I had the willpower to get really strong, and you remind me that I’ve balanced a 200 lb guy on my back before completing a hip throw and didn’t even need to get freakishly strong to do it. Not quite as badass as katagaruma (which I hadn’t seen before!) but still quite satisfying. Do you practice judo or aikido, or both? It’s always nice hearing from like-minded martial artists! (Unpleasant ones wouldn’t read the Toast, haha.)

    2. Beakses +2

      That Steinborn squat technique is about 90% a katagaruma technique, except you don’t have to get your uke tilted up off the ground first…

  28. geeblaster +85

    I heard that if you lift a man over your head when he is but a child, he will remain convinced for the rest of his life that you have that power, even after he is fully grown.

    1. Unreadaethel +12

      I regularly carry the 5-year old next door around slung upside down over my shoulder. Hopefully he will remain forever convinced that I am an Amazon.

    2. Unreadaethel +28

      NB: the 5-year old in question *wants* to be slung over my shoulder and carried around that way. Just to clarify.

  29. PonPonPotato +13

    I had to delurk to comment on this because it is so awesome! Great article, Hieu! 😀

    I’ve been struggling to improve my overhead press and bench numbers, and though it may take me a while to lift a 185# man overhead, I love the details and suggested exercises in these training plans. I’m going to add them into my lifting plan this week!

    Also, “As one of them pointed out ‘you should’ve picked a smaller husband if you wanted to do this’” is hilarious. <3

  30. logicbutton +9

    Oh, cool, I’ve been needing some direction in my strength workouts ever since my trainer left my gym.

  31. Alli525 +35

    As one of them pointed out “you should’ve picked a smaller husband if you wanted to do this.” It’s okay, I have other means of establishing dominance.

    Marry me next? you are wonderful.

  33. kilks401 +20

    As man whose weight floats between 145-150 it is funny to read about 185 considered on the low end. Not wrong, most of my guy friends are closer to 200, but funny.

    If my gf were into lifting, I would totally be down for this.

  35. Beerd +25

    “the other assumes that the man is a willing participant”

    I am going to be in California in ten days. 145 lbs. Just saying.

  38. ru_ri +2

    Aikido is my main art–I also practice iaido, and I box a bit. It’s definitely nice to hear from other martial artists here…I wonder how many of us there are?

    And, yes, nothing like the satisfaction of an effortless hip throw, when you get the timing and placement just right!!

    1. DeepBlueC +2

      I know that there are at least a few more! It came up on an open thread a decent while back. Maybe if you’re training with Birankai people I’ll see you at a seminar one of these days! (The other day we both replied to a thread about being in the same state. wow I feel creepy typing that.) And haha, they’re satisfying even when they aren’t effortless–I speak from experience! I don’t think I’ve gotten a truly effortless one off yet, but I haven’t had nearly enough chances to practice them (especially since we only have gymnastics mats and some relatively fragile ukes). Maybe one day!

    2. Beakses +4

      Judoka reporting here! I was reading this thinking smugly to myself “Well, we were just doing fireman’s carry drills (from a kataguruma entry, naturally) last night, and that guy had to weigh at least 160…” He doubted my ability to lift him, too. Ha! I say to that- lightweight in our club starts at 180 and below…160 is nothing, dude.

  39. nicoleet +46

    brb, sending this to my friend who lifts and who was once told by A Man at the gym: “You trying to impress someone? You don’t want to lose your curves.”

    1. mabissam +59

      “And then she punched a hole in his face and said “LOOK WHO LOST HIS CURVES – IN HIS FACE.'”

      I get really aggro when I lift.

  40. CleverManka +4

    This was fucking brilliant and god damn I can’t wait until I get back to lifting heavy things. GOD. DAMN.

  41. msjinxie +9

    I NEED TO GET BACK TO THE GYM.
    Also, just emailed this to the Bearded One. I hope he’s prepared to be my lifting implement some day.

  42. betsymore +22

    This may be the most Toast thing ever published.* Beautiful.

    *Minus Two Monks and various women in Western art history.

  43. mabissam +20

    Wait, did we have to stipulate that we’re free-lifting this man? Can’t I just get a climbing harness, a winch and cable, and pull?

  44. Beckie +4

    So, how would I get from my current, complete beginner status, to even doing one squat or deadlift or whatever? I just had my started-a-new-gym sessions with a personal trainer, and she had me doing bodyweight squats. When I said I wanted to work up to squats with weights, but I wanted to do it carefully, because I can feel the strain right above my knees, she said I shouldn’t try using weights at all. My husband also strained his back doing deadlifts in his training session. Can I just try on my own? Do I need a new trainer?

    1. Goomaly +8

      Well sure use weights! After body-weight squats get boring, you could just hold a dumbbell in each hand and try that. The basic idea is to gradually increase weight whenever it gets too easy.

      If you feel strain, above your knees or anywhere, it may be a flexibility or mobility thing (rather than a strength thing). You’ll want to keep an eye out for those things, and improve your mobility before increasing weight even if the squat feels too light.

      Also there’s a book series called “New rules of lifting” that you may like if you want to learn more about how and why to lift heavy things, check your library 🙂

      1. HeynowHeynownow +5

        New Rules of Lifting is good, but I found that Starting Strength had clearer guidance on proper form for the basic barbell lifts (squat, press, deadlift).

    2. GruntledDave +1

      I can also recommend Molly Galbraith’s articles on mastering the squat as a good starting place:
      Part 1
      Part 2

      She offers some progressions. Goblet squats have gotten several of my friends a lot stronger.

    3. sheistolerable +3

      Check out Strong Lifts 5×5. They have you start by squatting the bar (45lbs). There are videos for technique and a free app. One thing I would recommend is to use a hex bar for deadlifts, it makes your form much easier: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view…

      Never mind all the goofy muscleheadedness on weight lifting websites. Anyone can really get stronger if you start with low weights and lift consistently and with good form. you don’t need protein powder, fasting, XY chromosomes, etc.

  45. OncoMouse +13

    Going to implement this training program and use it on the next dude at my gym who tries to mansplain lifting to me.

  46. Jlove +15

    I can’t lift my boyfriend over head. But I can totally throw him over my shoulder and pick him up by the legs. I remember the first time I did that he just had a shocked look on his face that someone my size could pick him up. He’s 160ish I believe.

    1. bookwormV +10

      My brother’s ex-girlfriend is several inches taller than him (she’s about 6’0” and he’s maybe 5’8”, and very skinny). She can pick him up in her arms like a baby.

      I can only lift my boyfriend by wrapping my arms around his waist and hoisting him a few inches off the ground, but as I am only 5’0”, I still feel quite pleased when I do it.

  47. cheekypinky +8

    GLORIOUS.

    And apparently I need a shorter husband. 6’1″ and 195lbs is a lot of leg to deal with when you are 5’2″.

  48. Abanthis +12

    Started cackling at “As one of them pointed out “you should’ve picked a smaller husband if you wanted to do this.””, descended into whoooping guffaws by “It’s okay, I have other means of establishing dominance.” and did not stop throughout, also learned a lot and became highly motivated. Hieu you are a treasure.

  50. dakimel +4

    Sometimes I still give my 6’3″ son (a foot taller than me) piggy-back rides, but they’re comically short and stumbley. This looks like way more fun, and I throughly enjoyed being subdued by terminology.

  52. palancik +1

    Hi I’m a male person (and decently athletic) but there were like 25 lifting-specific terms in this piece that I simply don’t understand. Moar glossary plz? Thanks.

  53. sheistolerable +4

    Well, after today’s gym session I can confidently report that I could lift a 50 lb. man over my head. (holds for applause)

    And I may or may not be training to deadlift my husband! This is indeed the best post ever!

  54. Fl0ssieraptor +11

    I had a trainer for a really short while whom I told that my goal was to be able to ‘chuck a full grown man over a haystack.’ She just looked at me and then went back to using words like ‘toning’ and ‘food diaries.’

  56. Sussan +3

    Very interesting article, I tried that with my bf and as a matter of fact I can lift him overhead lol!