# The downside of working out **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429 "2017-07-16T19:26:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/1 "2017-07-16T19:26:39Z")
My wife said I needed to trim some low-hanging tree branches, so I got out my almost-new titanium-bladed Fiskars bypass lopper, and started trimming. One branch was pretty thick, but I could get it into the lopper by opening it all the way. I was struggling to cut through the branch, so I thought to myself “I work out every day, I should be able to do this,” and I concentrated and gave a mighty squeeze - and sheared the pivot pin right off. I need to call Fiskars on Monday and see if it’s a replaceable part… ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/2 "2017-07-16T19:47:41Z")
That’s not workout power. That’s incompetent tool manufacture. I’ve done it too, and I never work out. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/3 "2017-07-16T19:48:35Z")
I bent the handles on my set. There’s definitely a threshold where you have to reach for a pruning saw. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/4 "2017-07-16T22:26:47Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > That’s not workout power. That’s \*\*incompetent \*\*tool manufacture. I’ve done it too, and I never work out. Bolding mine. You misspelled “Chinese targeted to an unrealistic price point”. 😃 Kidding aside that’s exactly it. The tool ought to be strong enough that even misuse by non-Hulks can’t break it. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/5 "2017-07-16T22:30:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Bolding mine. You misspelled “Chinese targeted to an unrealistic price point”. 😃 > > Kidding aside that’s exactly it. The tool ought to be strong enough that even misuse by non-Hulks can’t break it. Well, not to stealth-brag, but this wasn’t some cheap Chinese-made tool: [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/6 "2017-07-16T22:55:22Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, not to stealth-brag, but this wasn’t some cheap Chinese-made tool: > [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922) No stealth involved! But [this Fiskars bypass lopper](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2014/fiskars-recalls-bypass-lopper-shears)? > [@](#): > > Fiskars Recalls Bypass Lopper Shears Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Home Depot. … > > … Hazard: > The lopper handles can break when attempting to cut branches, posing a risk of serious injury and laceration. … > > … Manufactured In: China Nah. That one is already off the shelves. This one hasn’t been recalled yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/7 "2017-07-16T23:02:03Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > No stealth involved! > > But [this Fiskars bypass lopper](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2014/fiskars-recalls-bypass-lopper-shears)? > > Nah. That one is already off the shelves. This one hasn’t been recalled yet. > > 🙂 Yeah, I had the first one. It had Fiberglass handles. This one was the recall replacement, which has metal handles. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/8 "2017-07-17T15:03:52Z")
Seriously those _were_ cheap Chinese-made lopping shears. And I am no landscaping expert but I do know that lopping shears have a proper technique to use, not exceeding the capacity, making sure the cutting edge is on the top, pointing it away from the trunk rather than towards, being sure to not twist as cutting … doing it wrong spreads the blades apart and puts a bunch of leveraged force at the pivot pin. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/9 "2017-07-17T15:12:17Z")
A branch that can be reached by a lopper can also be reached with a chainsaw. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/10 "2017-07-17T16:26:52Z")
Other downsides: clothes don’t fit. If you have a 17 1/2 inch neck, shirt manufacturers do not expect a 35 inch waist. I have to be careful shaking hands with old people especially, so I don’t grip too hard. And the Lovely and Talented Mrs. **Shodan** has been known to complain that at Certain Moments, what is intended as an affectionate embrace could crack the ribs of a grizzly bear. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/11 "2017-07-17T16:38:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > A branch that can be reached by a lopper can also be reached with a chainsaw. 😉 And, fortunately, Chinese-made chainsaws with fiberglass handles are quite inexpensive! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/12 "2017-07-17T17:14:58Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, not to stealth-brag, but this wasn’t some cheap Chinese-made tool: > [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-PowerGear-Titanium-32-in-Bypass-Lopper-398542-1001/204705922) I have a pair with extendable handles, they give more leverage in those difficult cuts. Mostly though I use them so I don’t get lacerated when trimming the huge sprouts that come out of our bougainvillea. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/13 "2017-07-17T17:23:01Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > My wife said I needed to trim some low-hanging tree branches, so I got out my almost-new titanium-bladed Fiskars bypass lopper, and started trimming. One branch was pretty thick, but I could get it into the lopper by opening it all the way. I was struggling to cut through the branch, so I thought to myself “I work out every day, I should be able to do this,” and I concentrated and gave a mighty squeeze - and sheared the pivot pin right off. > > I need to call Fiskars on Monday and see if it’s a replaceable part… I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I thought this was about pube shaving at first. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/14 "2017-07-17T17:23:48Z")
As a runner, perhaps the most annoying downside is that it teaches your body how to sweat profusely. Even if it’s comfortable inside and you are at your desk at work, your well-honed sweat glands may think it’s time to amp things up for that long run. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/15 "2017-07-17T21:12:29Z")
OTOH, the more I exercise the less any given level of sweat stinks. Lay off workouts for a couple months and the slightest sweat will chase buzzards off last week’s roadkill. Work out daily and the buzzards are much happier. So are nearby womenfolks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/16 "2017-07-20T07:24:45Z")
A pruning saw on a pole is a remarkably efficient tool for high branches. Will have the job done before you can get your chainsaw started. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/17 "2017-07-20T14:12:49Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I thought this was about pube shaving at first. There’s nothing wrong with you, and it is about pube shaving, and I love where this thread is going. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/18 "2017-07-20T14:53:47Z")
First off - yes, you are a big, burly he-man, capable of bending iron with your bare hands! 😃 Gotta observe, tho, that this scrawny old man has managed to destroy all manner of yard tools by pushing them to (or past) their intended limits. I have one really tough pair of Fiskars loppers which I have not (yet) managed to break, however. Couldn’t open your link, but mine is geared, so you can keep taking a new bite at a troublesome branch. Can’t guess how many Craftsman shovels I had replaced, simply because I would use them to try to pry our some stump or rock, snapping the handle! :smack: > [@ticker](#): > > A pruning saw on a pole is a remarkably efficient tool for high branches. Will have the job done before you can get your chainsaw started. I’ve had a couple of those, but always find it difficult to get the angle right so that you get on top of the branch and the cut does not pinch as you saw. But I respect my incompetence too much to mess with a chainsaw. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/19 "2017-07-20T18:03:24Z")
I called Fiskars, and they said they would send me a new bolt, but only if I eased up on the Pec flies… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429/20 "2017-07-20T20:44:25Z")
Oh, come on guys! HE BROKE A TOOL! Rawr! He’s a beast!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-downside-of-working-out/791429.md?page=2)