I've seen plenty of fat ones. And they're always smoking.

While lifting stupid weight. We are talking about fitness not fatness….there is a difference.

This guy for example:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/big-river-man

+ 1 for scaffolders, also plasterers and screeders labourers as they just don't stop working all day long.

Having worked as a roofer many years ago, that gets my vote. We were putting scaffolding up and down all the time and that is tough work. On top of that you were climbing ladders all day, carrying heavy loads onto roofs, carrying heavy loads off roofs (if you've ever tried to pick up a roll of lead you'll know what I mean).

The toughest day I can remember was working on a very tall building and we needed to get a load of slate up on the roof. No mechanical hoist so I spent the day filling a metal bucket with slate, climbing up to the roof then pulling the bucket and slate up from the ground using a rope. For eight hours. Brutal.

Ninjas

When I was a student I used to put up marquees at agricultural and flower shows.

That used to keep me nice and fit.

Ninjas

Ninjas? Spend all day in the their jimjams and slippers? Lazy sods. Invisible? Phoned in sick more like.

When I was a postman I remember we entered a road relay, and thoroughly trounced several local athletic clubs' A teams. I'm pretty sure it was the fittest I've ever been, when I first started I was getting through a loaf of bread a day and having pizza for breakfast to try and cope with the work load. Obviously scaffolders would win on upper body stuff but posties are hard to beat for CV fitness.

Although having said that, lake district hill shepherd used to work quite well for Joss Naylor.

brakeswithface – Member
When I was a postman I remember we entered a road relay, and thoroughly trounced several local athletic clubs' A teams. I'm pretty sure it was the fittest I've ever been, when I first started I was getting through a loaf of bread a day and having pizza for breakfast to try and cope with the work load. Obviously scaffolders would win on upper body stuff but posties are hard to beat for CV fitness.

Postman Pat drives around in a van all day and doesn't look very fit to me 😉

It must be mentioned at this point that our van drivers were, to a man, fat knackers!

Ninjas

Ninjas? Spend all day in the their jimjams and slippers? Lazy sods. Invisible? Phoned in sick more like.

Good point…sorry I meant ninjas who moonlight as plasterers

personal trainers?

Although SAS or SBS I'm sure is a good example of 'all round physical fitness', I would be surprised if their jobs required them to burn the same amount of calories 8 hours a day 5 days a week, as a hod carrier or ground worker/kerb layer

Probably not but the question was all round physical fitness and in any competition requiring that e.g. run, swim, row, cycle etc they would easily beat a labourer. For example a mate of mine is an ACU motocross and enduro coach and he coaches marines and a few "special" characters. Most people, who haven't ridden before, when faced with a tough enduro course won't be able to do much of it mainly due to the fear factor i.e they don't want to jump or wheelie over 4-5ft concrete pipes. Apparently these lads just had no fear at all and didn't get tired, hence in a very short time were doing well. Morale of the story being that they have the state of mind up top to push them selves further than everyone else, therefore in any physical competition apart from weightlifting they will suceed over the vast majority due to being able to push through the pain barrier long after everyone else has failed.

Iain

worked on building sites for years and its the plasterers you have to watch out for, scaffolders are stronger but usually too stupid to fight properly.

Pro boxers?
Pro triathletes, especially Ironman competitors?

Both very fit indeed.

Now most of us (me included) are sat at a desk all day, you have to do a lot to "keep up" with anyone in a physical job.

When doing demolition labouring, I had the most ridiculous appetite mainly due to needing so much fuel to keep going. Not handy on £6ph!

Scaffolders are all completely insane – not to be trusted either.

Riggers. The entertainment/rock&roll sort.

Brute strength (the kit is heavy), the agility & flexibility of a rock climber (some of them are), dexterity, speed (nothing else can get done until the points are up) and all that plus bloody long days leads to good CV fitness.

Obviously the beer, fags and nosecandy lifestyle has a bit of a detrimental affect, long term…

When doing demolition labouring, I had the most ridiculous appetite mainly due to needing so much fuel to keep going. Not handy on £6ph!

When I worked in construction it was basically a fish supper every lunchtime and I weighed about 11 stone. As soon as I started sitting at a desk the weight crept up, and up, and up…

Bob – I was doing weights three times a week as well (bit gym obsessed in those days) and actually gained healthy weight. The regular demolition guys (I was temping for them) were all built like brick outhouses.

The outdoor education instructors that I have encountered over the last few years all seem to have a good level of fitness just from work, and despite eating 5000+ calories per meal never gain weight. Might not be good at fighting though.

technical sales engineers. now they are both extremely physically fit and also the salt of the earth, ahem.

I'd hate to think what will happen to my gut (and everything else) the day I stop been a postie. Currently I walk about 7 miles on my round, five days a week, and eat loads just to keep refueled, and I still have 31" waist one year off my 40th birthday.