453,600 Pounds

453,600 Pounds is about the amount of metal products I have taken to the yard in 3 years all lifted by me in and out of the truck, yanking moving doing .Now in all this time I can't say I really hurt my self as I am careful But for the last 4 months i am getting some pain in my elbows , & I also don't feel as strong lately (but still getter done) Does any one know if this work slowly wears you out ?

Funny thing is you moved the stuff at least 4 times! In the truck, out of truck break down, in truck to yard, out of truck at the yard! Thats a good workout!

Maybe you could find some therapy exercises to do for the elbow that will help ease the pain. My neurologist showed me some exercises to get my hands unstuck in about 5min in the morning versus the normal 30 it used to take.

I move furniture,machinery, and all kinds of oddball stuff for a regular living. 17+ years. Plus I scrap. I figure I lift push or pull at least 20,000 lbs a week. So I'm well close to 2,000,000 lbs. So it could be worse. I'm not even in my mid thirties yet.

That's 415 lbs every day for three years. Might be time to just scrap the smaller stuff like e-waste, aluminum, copper. Thats what I do and I'm 61 and have no plans on stopping.

Well I haven't a clue how much I have lifted over the last 30 years, but it has been a lot. Have I paid a price ( just turned 48)? absolutely.. both shoulders are very arthritic and left knee is on its way out. I am very healthy living (have been for years) however I do not think the human body can take decades of repetitive lifting w/o damage. All my partners over the years are tore up as well. I do not think it is as bad as the beating a drywaller or framer endures. I am very careful lifter so my back is great and no hernia issues. Pay lots of attention to what you are doing and have help for the heavy,heavy items. I saved like crazy so now I have a yard and can hire help. Daily pain is the price I have paid, on the other hand I never had to "eat crap" from Bosses or corporations, I got to live free. For me there was no other way...Scrap on, safely

Originally Posted by Copper Head

453,600 Pounds is about the amount of metal products I have taken to the yard in 3 years all lifted by me in and out of the truck, yanking moving doing .Now in all this time I can't say I really hurt my self as I am careful But for the last 4 months i am getting some pain in my elbows , & I also don't feel as strong lately (but still getter done) Does any one know if this work slowly wears you out ?

ANY repetitive work can wear out joints, even typing on a keyboard. The key is varying how you do things, getting enough rest and eating healthy so your body has a chance to recover. If you're in your 40s like me it takes longer to recover than it will the guys in their 20s and 30s. I have the pain in my elbows and it isn't from lifting scrap metal. This spring I had trouble starting my weed whacker, pulled that cord hard about 30 times and it took my elbow weeks to get over that. So it is a combination of age and activity.

If you're up in your 60s now you know why that's when most people retire.

Yep both elbows have a tinge of pain & I am in my 50's - at age 22 I went into the painting business and proficiently was in the trade from many aspects so day after day I painted -fixed -Hung wall covers -removed wall covers Spackle mud rock & more - wait forgot - Drop cloths move furniture for the jobs .
Even if I end up with issues I can't blame it on scrap as my past was no joke and still do it also . But most important I have found in life be careful of the worries as what the future holds makes the original worry concern some thing you wish you still had . since my youngest child is 8 - retirement is not around the corner

I'm glad I'm not the only one. After almost 3 years of loading scrap into my truck by myself most times my finger joints are swollen all the time and my knees are starting to give out. I've been thinking about this and realistically, how much longer can I, by myself, lift washers and dryers and hot water tanks into the truck myself. And like someone up thread said, thats once into the truck at pickup, off the truck to break down, back into the truck to take to the yard and then offloading at the yard. I'm only so strong and I can't lift some stuff alone like fridges - especially the double doored ones. If I'm alone I have to pass it up if the owner isn't home and offers to help which most time they aren't. Ramps dont do me any good if I can't pull the real heavy object up them. My back doesn't last so long any more either