Can she lift this? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779 Chronophobia Simple question, but I can’t find the answer. How much might a seventeen-year-old girl with regular strength be able to lift, and for how long? Would she be able to lift a 175 pound wolf (about 80 kilograms) for around fifteen to twenty minutes, or at least, would you believe it? Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:33:49 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107640 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107640 FamilyFriendlyComedy Egular strength for what era? What jobs has she had? Make her a farm girl or someone who has baled hay as a job, or even a girl whose boyfriend bales hay and she's done it with him, for a summer or more and I'd believe it as long as she takes a few rest breaks. A lot of strength like that is in practicing and keeping muscles used to it.. Indeed, even having to lift an ill grandparent at times to help them get in and out of the shower would help increase the plausiblity. I have a bit of cerebral palsy, though, so I've never been able to even bench more than like 75 pounds, though, so I can't go by myselrf. However, 17 is supposed tob e about the peak of athletic fitness. So, yeah, I'd believe it, but that heavy of a wolf, I'd say make some allusion to a past job she's had or something that shows this isnt' the first times he's tried to lift weight this heavy. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:43:03 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107646 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107646 WritingGeek97 She might be able to, if she's really strong (like my sister--she can lift up her husband, even). I'd say 15 minutes at the very maximum without having to stop for a few minutes. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:53:33 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107661 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107661 Chronophobia Thanks! It's medieval and she's probably done things like that. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:57:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107665 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107665 Screnwriter It might depend on how much she is lifting the wolf, I guess (does she have to outright pick him up?), but 175 pounds? That wolf weighs almost as much as I do. A few years back, when I WAS a 17-year-old girl, it would have weighed as much as or more than I did — and I'm pretty tall, so I might weigh more than your average teenaged girl. I'm not particularly athletic, but I'm not sure I could have lifted something that heavy to begin with, much less held it up for fifteen minutes. If she's medieval and has done farm work and such, maybe, but I'd expect her to be exhausted by the time she put down the wolf. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:14:00 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107745 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1107745 Carley124 I'm a seventeen year old girl who lifts at the gym and I wouldn't even be close to being able to do that much. Sorry. Plus, I'm assuming for her to be carrying the wolf that it's either unconscious or dead, in which case the animal becomes dead weight, making it harder. Add to that the irregular shape...I just don't think it's probable under normal circumstances. That being said, if there was just a big action scene or there was impending problems coming, a burst of adrenaline might make it possible. They say mothers have been able to life cars to save their children, so if there's a big enough adrenaline rush I could totally see this girl being able to lift the wolf. Without the adrenaline, even doing farm work, I would guess she could carry 100 pounds. (I don't know anything about farm work or medieval chores, I'm just going off what I do at the gym and adding some to get this number.) I've seen guys at my gym struggle to carry 100lb plates around the gym. As for the timing, even with adrenaline, I doubt fifteen minutes would be good for her. That's a really long time to be carrying something heavy. The wolf is probably her size if not bigger. You ever take a "lazy man's load" of shopping bags from the car to the house? (I do it with groceries all the time. Why make two trips when you can grab every bag in one?) By the time you get to the house, your arms are begging you to put the bags down. And that's what? Maybe thirty pounds and two minutes max? I realize this probably doesn't help your story, but if I were you I'd try to find a way to get her some help. Maybe a second person to help her? If that's not possible, have her drag the wolf if its dead and take breaks? Adrenaline? Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:34:12 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108039 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108039 Dennis Dunjinman I don't know about the weight, but I once carried a whole sack of recyclable glass bottles across a distance of two miles. Granted, I had to stop and put down the sack every twenty seconds (as was the extent of my stamina and willpower) and by the end I was bone tired. Glass can get really heavy when you carry enough of it. I wouldn't call myself too strong. I can lift a healthy amount but I'm no athlete or farm worker. It takes me fifteen minutes to leisurely walk one mile under ordinary circumstances. With the bottles it probably took twice the time or more. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:34:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108173 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108173 vate lift as in hold in the hands and raise ( curl ), or lift as in drape around the shoulders and stand up ( squat lift )? Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:15:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108276 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108276 TheBnf Not quite an answer to the question, but that is one heavy frickin wolf. According to wiki, the average European male grey wolf weighs only 85 lbs, 38.5 kilos. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:23:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108302 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108302 Notkieran When I was in the army at 18 years of of age, I had to fireman carry my buddy across the length of the parade square as part of my training. The guy was about 85 kilograms. The walk took a couple of staggering minutes. It was hell. I'm a guy. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:26:47 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108310 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108310 AndreaMuse ummm o.o ...don't wolves generally weigh less than 130 pounds? They're... not that big. The average weight of a male gray wolf is in the range of 85-115, and they're the bigger wolves around the world. Heck, there're species of wolves that only weigh 30-60 pounds regardless of gender. As a reader, I'd be more concerned with the believability of the weight of the wolf than what the girl can lift. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:46:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108347 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108347 Phoenix I'd be a little skeptical of both--I blew out a knee just carrying a 60-pound pack. :-( Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:05:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108388 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108388 Chronophobia It's an arctic wolf. I didn't really believe it either, but every site I've found has said that it can be up to 175 pounds and he's on the heavier side. He's conscious, but he won't be struggling, either. She has done farmwork (spring to autumn) and at the moment she's terrified for the wolf's life, so... Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:42:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108473 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108473 Thanatophobia If it /is/ an arctic wolf, and it's a male on the heavier side, 175 pounds is possible. As for the girl lifting it, if she's running on adrenaline and doesn't have to carry the wolf far, then I would find it believable--I don't know about how possible it would actually be, but definitely believable (to me, anyway). Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:46:52 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108485 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108485 aliaswriter 175lbs is a lot. I have a friend that's 6 feet tall at a relatively normal weight at 180. Of course, his was probably more fat than muscle. But a wolf would be muscle, not fat, too. It wouldn't be impossible, but she'd have to be a pretty buff person in my opinion. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:57:25 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108511 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108511 AndreaMuse ^^ ' Ah, my mistake. First reaction, I guess. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:18:17 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108551 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1108551 Dragonchilde 15 to 20 minutes? No. I simply would not believe it. She might be able to fireman's carry someone for a little ways, but 15-20 minutes straight? Grown men would have a hard time with that. Even if she's used to slinging weight around a barn (say, bags of feed) that's a whole different thing. Even if you figure in adrenaline, she's going to battling plain old physics, and she's going to get tired, FAST, and it's going to be the kind of tired that leaves your muscles shaking and burning. Your average bale of hay (the square kind) can average between 50-130, depending on the size. People don't tote those things around, they stick them on a cart and toss them where they need to go, generally. Dragging? I <em>might</em> buy that, although I will say one thing: Dragging even 25 lbs is a pain in the ass after about a minute. This I know because I've been working out for about 5 months, and dragging a 25lb weight around the gym floor is one of the insane exercises I have to do periodically. Your back hurts, your thighs hurt, and that's just 25lbs. And for generally no more than ONE minute at a time. And it's also on a flat, smooth, slippery workout room floor. I have a hunch that this wolf will not be conveniently placed on such a surface for her to drag. As a mom, I regularly have to lift 30-50 lbs. That's wiggly kid... and believe me, carry around a 42 lb kid (that's the weight of my 6 year old, roughly) and you get tired, fast. Keep in mind, too, that I've been lifting weights regularly for months, and have been lifting that much wiggly kid for a long time. I CAN lift both kids at once (about 80 lbs) and even run with them, but I can only manage it for short bursts, less than a minute, before my lungs try to explode and I fall over with them. This very morning, one of my instructors attempted to get us to carry each other at a slow walk for one of our classes. (I think he knew you'd asked this question, and wanted to give me the experience to answer.) Only one student was willing to attempt it; the guy she tried to pick up was about 150. This woman is about the size of your average 17 year old, and is far more fit than I am... she regularly lifts weights, and she's very toned. She staggered around a bit, and fell over. Suffice it to say, the instructor abandoned that idea. Now, if she's been picking up 130 lb bales of hay and running around her farm for fun with them for 15-20 minutes, I might start believing it, but she'd have to be training for it. Here's another comparison to make this amount of weight more concrete in your head: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keg#U.S._keg_sizes" rel="nofollow">Full beer kegs</a> weigh somewhere around 160 lbs. Most grown men these days don't try lifting that... they get a freakin' handtruck. So tell me your 17 year old farm kid is toting a 175 wolf for 20 minutes? No matter how many bales of hay she's used to tossing, I'm going to be asking to see her superhero card. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:36:16 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111000 Dragonchilde Oh! I just found something fun. This may help you in your research. This is what she would have to do to effectively pull this off: <a href="http://artofmanliness.com/2011/03/29/hero-training-the-carry-a-person-to-safety-workout/" rel="nofollow">http://artofmanliness.com/2011/03/29/hero-training-the-carry-a-person-to-safety-workout/</a> Yes, this is a training workout to fireman's carry someone. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:55:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111074 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111074 Kookaburra17 Just for the record, I'm a seventeen (almost eighteen) year old girl and I weigh about 106 pounds. Carrying ANYTHING 175 pounds would probably be impossible for me, but I'm built small and I don't do much as far as athletic pursuits. However, I, personally, would find it hard to believe that a girl my age (unless she's a giant or a jedi or something) could lift a 175 pound wolf. If you don't mention the weight of the wolf in the story though, I probably wouldn't think of it, so you might go that way, haha. BUT as others have mentioned, adrenaline can do a lot. Maybe she wouldn't be able to carry him, but depending on the situation, what about a frenzied rhythm that goes something like this: Carry, fall, drag, rest, drag/carry, rest, drag, fall, rest? A lot would depend on the situation and the setting. If the ground was icy or muddy she would be able to drag him, but she would probably fall more (just think about the position she'd have to assume to drag him; it'd be easy to slip). On rocky ground she'd probably try to carry him, and do more damage to herself when she falls. So basically you could do things to have her move him and make it work, but the idea of her straight-out carrying him seems very unlikely. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:18:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111149 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111149 vampyre_smiles When I was 18, I could pick up people almost twice my weight (heaviest was 245 lbs/~110 kg) and carry them... for a few FEET. And I was the person who actively tried to turn everything I did into training. (For what, I don't even know. I just never felt I was strong or fast enough.) So... No. I wouldn't believe she could do that. I might if it's fantasy, and there was a reason for magic to come into play here. But even counting in adrenaline AND good conditioning, not really something I'd believe. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:13:11 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111477 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111477 larelmian Lift it? Maybe, but that's stretching it. Carry it, what, a mile? No. Just no. Even people carrying heavy packs around only carry about a third of that weight. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:08:38 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112382 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112382 Gowan How would she carry that animal? In her arms? I am quite sure that is impossible. However, if she wants to carry that wolf on her back, I could be brought to believe that. There are grain bag carrying contests where people carry a 100 kilo bag. I don't know for what distance, though. Is there a reason you cannot change those 20 minutes to 5 minutes? Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:15:45 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1115290 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1115290 kei8 Well, 17-year-olds come in all shapes and sizes. I'm in my twenties but small (5'5" and 115 pounds). I'm in fairly good shape and I don't think i could carry that wolf more than a few paces even with the help of adrenaline. One time I was rafting down a creek at night with a friend of mine (this was a stupid idea) and we hit a boulder and she hurt her ankle. We didn't realize it until we got out of the water and started walking back home. I ended up carrying her piggyback part of the way back--I'm not sure how far it was but we went at least halfway with her leaning on my shoulder before switching to me carrying her, and it was a mile total, so let's say I managed to carry her half a mile. That sounds about right. She weighed about 125 or 130 at the time. And I could do the half mile, but I did have to stop from time to time. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:09:55 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1136365 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1136365 Safkhet I would be extremely skeptical. Of course, teenage girls vary, so if she had the build of a women's wrestling champion, okay, if she was a tiny pixie, quite another. You say she's a farm girl, which means she'd be fit, but piglets and wolves really aren't that similar. But- you're already having a medieval farm girl carrying an unprotesting arctic wolf. No conscious animal would let itself be carried, especially if injured, unless there was already some kind of fantasy/magic involved. It sounds like you have a kind of fantasy story going, anyway, so just don't mention the wolf's weight and skim over her carrying it, and people probably won't even think about it. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:25:12 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1139393 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1139393 Sayaren I'd be skeptical, but that's a bit hypocritical for me because I can lift more/punch harder than I'm apparently supposed to. BUT. I am not a petite woman. I'm close to six foot and there's hardly any fat on me. I can lift almost 200 pounds, but that's about it. Carrying it would be difficult for me, assuming I could get it into just the right position to do it. Boxes/chests fine. People/animals a lot harder. Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:34:37 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1180336 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1180336 Spuggey Punching is mechanical. It's more down to technique. I am weak. I'm 30, 5'3" and slightly podgy. I can JUST about do 5 push ups. But I've been to told by two martial arts teachers, in two seperate situations, that my punch is abnormal. I cannot lift, but I sure can punch! Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:13:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1184756 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1184756 Sayaren Probably helps that my dad taught me how to throw one when I was little then? Beats me how I can punch so hard, but everyone I happen to punch says I hit like a dude. Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:49:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1190935 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1190935 Notkieran You probably have your feet and core muscles locked solid. A lot of people don't brace themselves properly during a punch, so they lose some force as they slide back, and a LOT of force as the spongy parts around their midriff fail to transmit the momentum properly from feet to fist. Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:38:49 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1193460 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1193460 CherryCoke I wouldn't believe it. No way can a 17 year old of average strength hold 175 pounds, for whatever length. If you want it to be believable, then she has to be above average strength, however you want to portray that. But no, most teens, boy or girl, couldn't do it. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:58 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198411 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198411 lycaenide I've got a german shepherd and she is very heavy and awkward to carry. The only way I could imagine carrying her for that long is if I managed to get her onto my back, or draped across my shoulders while hunching over. She would have to be unconcious or asleep, though, as even a tame dog is unlikely to be willing to get into that position naturally - and would probably hurt themselves and the carrier in their confusion. Definately couldn't carry her in my arms - I would have to stop every minute or so. I imagine this would be similar for a wolf - hope it helps a little. Sun, 25 Mar 2012 08:13:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1237298 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49779?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1237298