# Workouts/Physical Demands for Riggers and Technicians



## Lindsey Easterwood (Nov 19, 2015)

Hi, I am highly interested in expanding my skill set to include rigging. I will be focusing mostly on ground rigging, but also wish to be a competent up rigger. The problem is I am a young female and have concerns about the physical aspect of rigging and some tech work. I weight lift 3-4 times a week, can lift more than most females, and am keeping up fairly well with the men in my stage hand job. 
My questions are:

In detail, what are the physical demands of a ground and up rigger?
What are the common muscular imbalances and injuries?
How can I best prepare to overcome these challenges? 
Do yall recommend any workouts or exercises? 
I understand this is not medical advise and that a professional physician should be consulted before starting.


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## MrsFooter (Nov 20, 2015)

First off, let me be the first to welcome you to the booth, Lindsey!

Secondly, some disclosure. I am not a rigger of the up or down variety. But I do know my way around a fly system, including a stint last summer working for the rigging company who installed our new fly system, so I know just enough to be dangerous. But everyone's experience is different, take my thoughts for a grain of salt, blah blah blah.

Thirdly, my thoughts. The most physical discomfort that I experienced in my time working for the rigging company was in my lower back and shoulders. My lower back was primarily due to all the time I spent in the grid either crouching or on my knees, which took my legs (my strongest muscle group by far) entirely out of the picture. So I would say that you can never do too much to focus on your back in general. If you have access to any of the P90X videos, I've found that the Legs & Back video is spectacular for working your legs in a way that ties them into your back and core. And my shoulder soreness, that was due to the fact that we were continuously moving lead bricks up and down 16 flights of stairs. For that, I would try to avoid gigs that involve moving lead bricks up and down 16 flights of stairs. In all seriousness though, I've seen more than a few shoulder injuries due to guys trying to muscle stuff up, so it's another area to watch.

And finally, a thought that I'm sure you're no stranger to, but sometimes it's nice for everyone, man and woman, to hear again. Know your physical limitations, and don't be afraid to defend them. I know what it's like to be pushing cases and have some meathead try to take an amp away from you because they think you're a delicate little flower. I've had to take more than a few cases back from aforementioned (and usually well-intentioned) meathead and say, "Dude, I got it, go get your own box." I know what it's like to want to prove that your gender isn't a liability. I get it. But I also know that our careers will only last as long as our bodies do, and my career isn't worth sacrificing for the sake of my pride. There is ZERO shame in asking for some extra hands when you know that something is heavier or more awkward than you can handle. Pull your weight, throw down, and be the first one to dive in, (as I'm sure you do,) but also know what you can and can't physically handle and protect your most valuable asset: you.


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## cbrandt (Nov 20, 2015)

Some perspective, a single reeved 120' 1ton chain is 120(ish) pounds by itself, plus weight of shackles/steel/burlap/etc. *most* of the time, one person is not going to be pulling that kind point by themselves, but that is a reasonable place to start on what is going to be a maximum expected workload. Normal points are much less than that, but also not in the most practical conditions.


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## SE001 (Nov 25, 2015)

What Mrs Footer and Cbrandt say are spot on. As a Man, gender aside I always make sure to get help whenever necessary. Take no chances with it. If its between you or a piece of gear falling off a truck better it than you. And honestly if you are in the gym working out regularly, you are in better shape than most guys in the industry. The take away is just go for it and remain safe.

Sent from my LG-D415 using Tapatalk


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