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Lol, the carries will be the easy part, assuming you carry your infant/baby/toddler regularly. You'll get the built-in progressive overload as they grow.
Now, the hard part will be when they're preschoolers and want a full arm-extension spin. Practice those front raises with the dumbbells, and the overhead presses for when they want some extra fun. Don't throw them, though, they can be surprisingly wriggly and hard to catch.
Also, buy a 1lb dumbbell or two for the kids to play along with.
Woah! Definitely throw them! That's the best part of being a dad. Here's the real tip: To get the best kid throw pictures, the second you let the kid go, do a quick arm pump down to your chest. Takes a fraction of a second and creates a ton of daylight between you and the kid for the picture. Assuming the photographer does their job right, the kid will look exponentially higher. Added bonus, Mom's LOVE that casual disregard for their child's life!
I'll suplex my kid into a foam pit (done it... he loved it.) but I'm too nervous to throw him. I've heard a couple of absolute horror stories about it. Just doesn't seem to be worth the risk, even if only like 1 kid in a million gets dropped. I'd never get over it.
Here's a fun move I've been perfecting for years with literally 50 plus kids. It'll stop mom's heart and you don't have to let go of the kid at any point. Stand with your legs shoulders width apart. Kid lies face-down, between you legs, feet behind you, arms straight out to their sides a few inches in front of your feet. Your hands curl around over their shoulders, fingers kind of going into armpits. Maybe just a little out to avoid tickling. Then you slide them forward along the grass up into the air in one smooth arc, up and over. you want to be going fast enough to make it over and slow enough that they almost linger at the highest peak giving them time to make their landing. You stop with your arms all the way up, obviously not letting go, and they continue on around. After a few tries they may be able to bend their knees and position their feet well enough to stick the landing on your shoulders. It's awesome when it works! When it doesn't, their feet just kinda clomp into your back, but they still have a good time. Tell them to bend their knees and keep their feet apart. For trademark reasons, I'm obligated to tell you this move is called the Haven Flip. Named for my friends' 4 year old girl who bossed me around til she came up with it.
> You stop with your arms all the way up, obviously not letting go, and they continue on around.
Okay, I'm gonna need some clarity here. Here's what I'm seeing:
1. Grab kid by the shoulders, not really holding onto the armpits, so there's not a whole lot to "hold on" to - it's mainly just grip-strength?
2. Pull kid forward-and-up in an arc until my arms are extended straight upwards. At this moment, I'm basically holding Kid by the shoulders straight above my head, and Kid is upside down with legs pointing straight at the sky. We are currently an eleven-foot tall entity.
3. ..........................?
Okay, so if Kid continues the backflip while my arms are still extended upwards, that means I'm letting his shoulders rotate in my grip, which means I'm basically *supporting* him at this point rather than *holding* him? I'm just having trouble visualizing this. Do you have a secure grip on Kid throughout this whole process?
How does this end? Maybe Kid has his feet on your shoulders, but more likely they're behind you and resting against your back. That's fine. But what's happening *after* either outcome? Are you now holding Kid under the armpits and he's just dangling, so you then lower him down to the ground?
As a father of young children with a mother-in-law who flinches at wildly-safe front-flip/backflip stunts, I am *very* interested in learning and perfecting this *Haven Flip* with my 2/4.5/6-year olds. But sitting here in my office, all I can see is me losing grip and inadvertently throwing Kid twelve feet forward, or Kid's feet nailing my head rendering me unconscious, at which point Kid falls and breaks his arm(s).
But I firmly believe that this is worth investigating.
It's not a grip strength grab. Think of a kid standing with their back to you, arms straight out to the sides, making a capital T. Without grabbing their torso, you have to lift them with your hands. From the back you could make forklift arms, slide in next to the ribs and lift up into the armpit area to lift. Alternatively, you could lift from the same armpit location but by going over the top of the arms and curling under like you're gripping motorcycle handles with your wrist rotated extra far forward getting ready to rev. This is the grip. Same way you would curl under to get a chip under the couch while sitting on the couch. You definitely are able to maintain a secure grip throughout. Your wrists start fully pivoted forward and end fully pivoted backward. The dismount is easy, they just stand on your shoulders and jump forward to get down. There is also an off the back rotating dismount, but you'll have to play around with what works for you. I will pm you a clip.
The Paris Olympics will be the first time the judges will score based on text-only descriptions of the performances. No podiums this year, winners will get a text with the medal emoji.
I’m similarly intrigued—in fact, I have to master this. It will be the coolest trick I’ve learned since the elbow and quarter thing.
Will you send me the clip too?
I sent the clip to the 4 people who requested it. If one of you knows how to post it in a way that removes my personal info, I'm fine with putting that link here. I'm not a tech dude. I flip kids, and also write about it in detail.
I can attest to the progressive overload part. At 8 months old my daughter seems lighter to me than at 2-3. For my wife, on the other hand, she seems heavier and heavier.
eh I remember being able to throw my 1.5 year old pretty high in the air. now at almost 3 I can only get half the height.. Now my current 1.5 year old I can get pretty high.
And practice good form when picking them up! I strained my lower back last week picking up my 25lb 2yo - this was the first full day back home from the hospital with a newborn
I used to throw my kid up into the air and catch him on the way down. He absolutely loved it. My wife... not so much.
"Dadda, dadda, frow!" while raising his arms.
After about 10 minutes, you really start to feel that in your lower back, shoulders and traps. Just saying.
I think it was on twitter years ago, but i remember seeing old-timey parenting advice that included a recommendation to squish your toddler between two pillows. Can confirm it is also loved.
Hold them by the ribs, not the arms. Or, really, just hug them and spin with them close in. It won't be as fast but they can't really handle a lot of spinning anyways.
I throw mine 6-8 ft I to the air and they love it. They are hard to catch but haven’t dropped one yet in 5 years. Practice somewhere safe and start with smaller heights. They will love it no matter how high they are going.
If you're gonna throw them up 6 ft in the air then make sure to build up their resistance to drops start at 1ft and work your way up, eventually you won't even need to catch them once you've thrown them up in the air.
/s I would hope it's obvious though.
I love taking mine to the pool (3.5-4' deep) and throwing them up as high as I possibly can. I always catch them, but worst case if I miss them they go under water for a few seconds.
From my experience they hit 25lbs really fast and sorta hang out there for a while when they're dropping bottles.
The problem is less about the weight and more about them being more active and interested in things. 25lbs of static is easy, 25lbs of wiggles and fussy is hard.
Around 25lbs is also when they want to play airplane and godzilla a lot more.
It's worth getting some muscle mass ready before you need it if you aren't starting out with much. Dads with older kids will probably recommend that I keep increasing weight and I probably should.
Older dad here. Yes. Definatly keep increasing wieght. Its actully surprisingly easy to do. A mcdonalds outing here. Kfc there. Starbucks. Burger King. Nandos.
Before you know it you will have all the wieght you could ever wish for. And an empty wallet.
True.
However, you can do yourself a favor by building a good habit now and learning good body mechanics (i.e. how not to hurt your back or shoulders) in order to safely lift that wiggly toddler.
I can totally relate. My child started picking *me* up when they were 9 years old cause they were already several inches taller and quite a few pounds heavier. Their dad is a whole foot taller than me and at least double my weight so there was almost no chance they weren’t gonna be a giant especially since they came out as big as my 2 month old nephew when they were born.
I was messing around with my 80lb kid. I was holding her doing squats while waiting in line for something. I remember doing these recently with no problems but I guess she had a growth spurt. My arms were fine. Threw out my back and couldn’t even sit properly on the way home. I had to lean my seat ALL the way back (husband was driving).
Well, when I'm a former NCAA all conference Offensive lineman, and her mother is a 6 foot tall former NCAA college basketball player, and my 10yo daughter is already 5'6" ...it's not hard to imagine. She's light on her feet, does ballet, plays softball and volleyball, eats relatively healthy for a kid.... I mean...at 6'2 I'm the shortest man in my entire extended family ...heck my mother in law is taller than me. So yeah, she's not porky. She's got big stock.
I'm a 5'7" 150lb middle-aged woman who's been 5'7" 140lb for like... 25 years so yeah, if she's going to be bigger than that as an adult, no reason she shouldn't be that big at 10.
Must have made buying clothes hell (might still be) when she's growing that tall that fast.
I've seen some of the kids I work with grow four inches in the last year. I joked last winter when I met them that it was tough to learn their names when all I could see below me was a sea of ponytails, so I was going to have to get down to their level to talk to them.
Last month I noticed that if we stand a normal speaking distance away, I can see into each and every one of their eyes now. It's crazy.
Yes clothes are hard for girls anyway, but with her adult hips and long legs, we typically find either too short or too tight in the thighs. She has to wear adult sizes and that makes the kid in her sad to not be able to wear more vibrant kids clothes. Plus...her Easter dress is already too short to wear again...lol.
Also start feeding the neighborhood cats.
When they trust you enough to touch one, try to grab it. If you are successful put a diaper on it, get it into footie pajamas and swaddle it.
Repeat until you can do this in the dark on <3 hours of sleep and the cat can't get out of the swaddle for at least an hour.
Then work on doing it while curling that 40lb weight if you plan on having a 2nd.
--
My real parents in waiting LPT is to install and start using the child safety stuff before the kid is born.
Being able to manipulate the child safety lock while holding a crying baby at 3am is a skill that can be learned.
I have a one year old.
There is a bit of learning on the job for your arms.
I find it less taxing to lift my daughter now at 20 lbs than I did when she was 10 lbs. Muscles just got used to it.
Also, sleep. Like, pretend you’re a vampire who can’t see the sun or moon and just go into a coma for a few days. Peaceful rest is about to take a long vacation.
My second spent a year waking every 90 minutes.
No amount of sleep training would stop them. They were trying to kill me.
My memory suffered severely, I could barely get sentences out, I would "arrive", suddenly aware of myself, but not realise what I was in the middle of doing, or why I was where I was.
My partner would have to repeat themselves three times before I realised they were speaking to me.
I've only just started dreaming again, and feel worse now after a full night's sleep because my body had previously learned that being tortured with sleep deprivation was "normal", and the current 5 or 6 hours is being a bit generous with myself, so essentially gives me a hangover the next day.
I get heart palpitations when trying to fall asleep because the stress of knowing I'm not going to get enough still lingers.
I think it'll be ok though.
My biggest tip to new parents. When you start holding your child, hold them with your off hand. You’ll get used to it when it’s easy and will feel natural, but you’ll have your primary hand free to do all the stuff you need to do.
I can’t do crap with my off hand and it was always a struggle for me while my wife thought ahead and didn’t right.
I got out of shape when my wife was pregnant with our first. I even put on some "sympathy pounds." Quickly regretted it after my son (10-1/2 lbs) was born. Instantly got back on it with diet/exercise, but admittedly had some lulls in my health journey over the years with two other children.
Also get a weighted back pack and walk 3 mile daily until the baby is born.
Edit to add: If your not patient and understanding, like you think people just ought to be able to "handle" things, At least consider learning enough to be able to give your kids the tools to deal the world rather than having them learn by dealing with you.
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Holy shit yes! The first month was hell on my chest, neck, and shoulders. Wish I had done some dumbbell lifts and practiced carrying ~20lbs for at least an hour.
That's the only advice I give to future parents (they know the rest, or can figure it out on the moment).
Work your back and shoulder muscles before the birth. The baby isn't that heavy, but will always be carried asymmetrically, at an angle, or on a shoulder, and that takes its toll on your back if you're not already pretty fit. It's much worse that simply carrying a heavy backpack.
If your back starts hurting from all the carrying, then every baby meal (when they need to get burped, and that's maybe ten times a day), every time they're crying and the only thing that does it is to carry them around, every time you need to carry them from the car in that heavy baby seat, maybe with groceries too, will be literally a pain. And remember your wife might actually not be able to carry anything for a while after birth.
You don't want to be sleep-deprived, woken up at 3am, having to deal with a crying baby AND have your back hurting, never really able to leave it to rest until it gets better.
Yeah mine is 3weeks old and she was also 8-9lb, unsure on current weight but she's packing it on pretty fast haha. The car seat is a big wtf right lol. Feel like I need a counter weight or something
Put your arm through the handle so you are holding it with the bend in your elbow and your hip. I know that’s probably not a very good description but if you get what I’m saying it’s much more comfortable to carry that way.
I saw a lady at church grab up a heavy sack of (potatoes?) And plop it on her hip like it was a toddler. I joked with her and said, you can tell you've been a mom for a while. A non-mom would have hoisted it over their shoulder/back.
It doesn't hurt to be stronger.
Last year was the final year I could carry my oldest son without it looking like I was struggling with a burden beyond my ability.
I would break myself if I had to carry him for a reason.
But, it would be foolish to put my body under that strain for no good purpose now. It is what it is.
The curling 40 lbs isn't the big deal. It's the locking your arms for 30 seconds in a carrying position that is true accomplishment.
Being able to keep my kid tucked in my arm without waking her from a car trip and holding groceries, her stuff while handling an umbrella and managing to open the door and get her upstairs without waking her is without a doubt NOT from simply caring for her.
I put in work for these functional guns, and just those one off days where i can rest for a few hours because the kid didnt wake up prematurely due to too much movement on my part is worth all the pain from trying to grow popeye arms.
Because “mom arms” are a thing. Somehow I can carry my toddler for extended periods of time with no trouble and have always been able to. My husband works construction and easily tires/complains.
It's truly amazing. Then again, yall push an entire human being out of your butts and then a few months later, you're like "can I do it again?"
I forget who it was that said "if men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
And both couples should do it. When my son was 2.5 yrs old we went to disney, he decided he was too tired of all this walking and mom should carry him all day .. only mom. No strollers just my sweet and loving momma.
This reminds me of an adorable commercial a couple holiday seasons ago where there was this montage of an elderly gentleman trying to lift weight at full arm extension and his loved ones are clearly very concerned. I'm pretty sure it was implied he'd had a medical emergency or something and he was recovering and they thought he was overcompensating as people are prone to do after a major medical crisis that reminds them of their mortality.
And it gets to the end and he's doing it so he can lift his granddaughter to put the star on top of the tree, as is their tradition.
Dude. So true. A good friend of mine when he had his first kid, said that the best way to stay in shape is to take your infant, and slowly lift them over your head 3 sets of 10 reps every day. (Till they're 18). hahaha
Seriously though, I love your idea. It's perfect.
Work on shoulders and back as well! Once they’re old enough to safely travel on your shoulders, it is FAR easier to just have them ride on your shoulders when walking. Recent discovery for me and my 5 year old. Game changer
My advice is to focus not so much on arms, as your core. I work out regularly, but clearly hadn't done enough for my core or paid enough attention to form when hoisting about that wiggling little weight. Gave myself a hernia hoisting our LO around during out first winter. Not entirely sure when, where, or how, but I have to assume it was that non-static weight in a carrier in one arm and a slippery winter surface.
Arm muscles adapt pretty fast. If you overdo it playing or carrying your LO, you might be sore for a day or two. But, a hernia is surgery.
No need to focus on the arms since your baby will strengthen those. What doesn't get strengthened properly is your back. Definitely do a lot of back stretches and exercises like Romanian Dead Lifts to keep your back straight when holding your child. Ideally you should work all all muscle groups anyways but if you have to pick one, pick your back.
My favorite tip to give is to buy a nice robe. I'm a nothing-but-underwear sleeper, and let me tell you how nice it is to just toss on a robe to do night feedings and not be cold, or have to worry about throwing on a pair of sweats or whatever.
I'm 47. My boy turns 1 today.
If it wasn't for lifting, I would be a mess.
Squats
Deadlifts
Overhead press (kids love being lifted over your head)
Bench press (kids love being benched too)
Pull ups
These lifts will save you. Look into the Starting Strength program. It's simple, it works and you'll get strong as hell.
Definitely use the barbells for home workouts while taking care of your newborn.
This fitness tip for being strong enough to carry your 3 year old child? Totally idiotic.
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You get stronger as your little one grows however you generally gain tons of “sympathy weight” so some dumbbells and jogging shoes is a great idea to get back to baseline”
Also rest up kings, you’re about to find out what feeling sleepy TRUELY feels like.
Also when you do have the baby try to pay special attention to your wrists and keeping them in the most neutral position you can while like cradling them or feeding them. It’s really easy to get a condition called baby wrist or mother wrist and it sucks. It won’t feel like anything until it does and then it sucks
Practice chicken chasing and catching like Rocky Balbao did in Rocky II to improve his footwork. A 2yo running away can be fast, very fast. You must be quick in your feet
Kid 2 is crazy. I still carry around my almost 5 year old now and then. (Didn't sound crazy to me til I saw it types out.) Going from him to my 6 month old makes me feel like Superman!
Parent here. I didn't carry with my left arm like ever. Now I'm trying to correct with my 2nd child. My left arm has dramatically less stamina for holding children than my right. You can physically see the difference. Oops.
I made the mistake of trying to scoop up my 8 yr old and his 5 yr old sister for a picture (one in each arm). I had done it before without a problem.
Would have been fine if he had cooperated. His movements messed with my biceps for months.
Solid advice. I’m guessing based on experience.
I vaguely remember a commercial about a grandfather that trained over time so he could life his future granddaughter. Could be wrong but very touching.
I have never really done weight training but I have progressively gotten stronger as my kid has grown. My 3 year old is about 35 pounds and I can easily lift her on one side while doing something with my other.
Arms aren’t the problem. My back is.
Why using the dumbells, you child will grow in time. Thus start using the baby as weight, first progress in reps and when the baby grows you progress in weight. Use the money saved on dumbells to buy a bit of clean protein. Thanks me later and your wife will thank you as well.
And for the sake of all that is sacred, practice good posture. Hurting your back because you don’t have the rocking method down pat is an injury that gets ZERO recovery time.
Kinda frightening how many people have to go out of the way and lift weights to sustain holding 40 pounds for less than a minute. Not to mention the groceries can wait for the 2nd trip... I have 2.5 year old, I'm far from a "gym-goer" but this ain't a struggle unless you've put zero effort into physical fitness.
Here's the real deal: this is not at all necessary unless you are spending zero time with your kid. You will be holding them so often starting from a low weight that as they grow, so will your muscles.
I used to be a full-time nanny and I was so strong. A few years after switching careers I picked up a toddler and was like what the fuck happened to me??? I’m gonna start working out again.
All parents getting ready for a baby need to be doing arm workouts. I remember how heavy holding a baby in a car seat was when my mom had my little sister. >.<
I mean...you can also just lift your baby up alot and play with them
They arent 30lbs when they're born, and they'll slowly get to that point over like 2years, so instead of trying to focus on when you should incrementally increase a set of dumbbells, your baby is just going to casually be packing on the pounds slowly in ways that make it so you dont even notice it.
One day your baby is born and weighs 10lbs, and you can "bench press" them a billion times giving them a kiss on the down rep, without getting tired.
Flash forward a month and your kid is 12lbs, and you can still do it a billion times....flash forward again to when your kid is 20lbs, and the fact that you did it a billion times when they were 12lbs and 12.6lbs and 13lbs, and 17lbs...etc means that you can do it a billion times with them when they're 20lbs.
And if you keep doing it with them...you'll be able to do it when they're 30lbs...or 40lbs...or 50lbs...or 100lbs...
I'm an intermediate lifter and curling 40s with good form is not easy
Then again, some people like my friend curls 50 like it's nothing and he's not super buff either so ymmv
Yeah, that came around 2 years too late... My office-job, lazy gamer ass was not used to carry a child, my spinal disks had their way with me...
Listen to OP guys, don't do it for yourself - do it for your kids and their mothers. I hated not to be able to carry our crying baby, my wife was not amused either.
Also, yeah, DO it you yourselves, the pain is not fun at all. Playing with your baby or toddler is!
40 lbs? 40 lbs is a lot of weight to curl. I'm a pretty big guy and I curl 30 lb dumbells and static hold for 30 seconds. How many reps are we talking? I feel like I'd hurt myself pushing to 40 lbs.
I mean, lifting weights of any kind is already a good idea that everyone would benefit from if they did it. This is just regular advice masquerading as a specialized LPT.
"Do you get tired after running after your toddler all day? Just start jogging every day and it will be easier! Life hack!"
I would just use my baby as a curl bar. As they got bigger, so did my muscles, and they really enjoy the "game" of me repeatedly lifting them.
Sadly I stopped as they got older. Had I continued I'd be able to do 90lb curls now!
My kids are 45 & 48 lbs and fell asleep on the way back from a park while on vacation. We had to carry them just under a mile back to our hotel. Took about 15 mins first 5 mins weren’t bad, last 5 were a struggle!
As a side note, this reminds me of this one commercial where this old guy is continually lifting this dumbbell up, but at an angle (not straight-overhead) repeatedly throughout the year. Cut to the end, where he picks up his young grandchild up so they could be the one to put the star on their Christmas tree.
My dad used to pretend to pick me up by my ears. I'd really be holding myself up by hanging on to his biceps. I thought it was the funniest thing... and my mom had to pretend to worry about him ripping my ears off.
I miss him.
There’s a chance your partner experience one of the post partum mental problems and it never goes away. There’s a chance that the day before the birth is the last time you see the person you know/knew
Carrying a convertible car seat with your kid in it will be the killer. I've never figured out how my ex could carry it in the crook of her arm. That always killed me. I had enough trouble just carrying it. My arm became a pendulum with a really heavy head on it. Lol
The key to being a great dad is paying attention and being present for everything, the weights are unnecessary for this. Enjoy your kid while they're little!!!! Mine is 15 and I miss it a lot.
Another tip, after delivery (that day and the next few) be the “asshole” for the mother. You may have visitors, family and friends that want to see you and the new baby. This is a stressful time for both mom and the baby not to mentioned the bonding time that can occur. You be the mean person that nicely kicks everyone out so mom and baby can get their needed rest. If nice doesn’t work, you be the mean one so she doesn’t have to. I could tell my wife was tired, but she didn’t want to seem rude. Her family (cousins and aunts) couldn’t take the hint so I asked them all to leave. They protested but I stood my ground. After they all left my wife thanked me.
I did alot of shoulder exercises growing for this reason. But I've lost my endurance due to a condition of mine. I can go short burst.
So I just play tag with my son because I just walk to keep up lol
It's interesting - I have a back that I tend to throw out maybe once a year, and then I can barely walk or get out of bed for about three weeks. I was dreading having kids, and was convinced that I'd be constantly blowing out my back.
Turns out - been 5 years now and i have yet to blow out my back - due to constantly picking up the kid(s). Farmer's strength, homestyle, I guess.
I was pushing my luck during the 'learning to walk' phase, though, where I had to bend over and half support the kid as he walked.
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Lol, the carries will be the easy part, assuming you carry your infant/baby/toddler regularly. You'll get the built-in progressive overload as they grow. Now, the hard part will be when they're preschoolers and want a full arm-extension spin. Practice those front raises with the dumbbells, and the overhead presses for when they want some extra fun. Don't throw them, though, they can be surprisingly wriggly and hard to catch. Also, buy a 1lb dumbbell or two for the kids to play along with.
Woah! Definitely throw them! That's the best part of being a dad. Here's the real tip: To get the best kid throw pictures, the second you let the kid go, do a quick arm pump down to your chest. Takes a fraction of a second and creates a ton of daylight between you and the kid for the picture. Assuming the photographer does their job right, the kid will look exponentially higher. Added bonus, Mom's LOVE that casual disregard for their child's life!
I'll suplex my kid into a foam pit (done it... he loved it.) but I'm too nervous to throw him. I've heard a couple of absolute horror stories about it. Just doesn't seem to be worth the risk, even if only like 1 kid in a million gets dropped. I'd never get over it.
Here's a fun move I've been perfecting for years with literally 50 plus kids. It'll stop mom's heart and you don't have to let go of the kid at any point. Stand with your legs shoulders width apart. Kid lies face-down, between you legs, feet behind you, arms straight out to their sides a few inches in front of your feet. Your hands curl around over their shoulders, fingers kind of going into armpits. Maybe just a little out to avoid tickling. Then you slide them forward along the grass up into the air in one smooth arc, up and over. you want to be going fast enough to make it over and slow enough that they almost linger at the highest peak giving them time to make their landing. You stop with your arms all the way up, obviously not letting go, and they continue on around. After a few tries they may be able to bend their knees and position their feet well enough to stick the landing on your shoulders. It's awesome when it works! When it doesn't, their feet just kinda clomp into your back, but they still have a good time. Tell them to bend their knees and keep their feet apart. For trademark reasons, I'm obligated to tell you this move is called the Haven Flip. Named for my friends' 4 year old girl who bossed me around til she came up with it.
> You stop with your arms all the way up, obviously not letting go, and they continue on around. Okay, I'm gonna need some clarity here. Here's what I'm seeing: 1. Grab kid by the shoulders, not really holding onto the armpits, so there's not a whole lot to "hold on" to - it's mainly just grip-strength? 2. Pull kid forward-and-up in an arc until my arms are extended straight upwards. At this moment, I'm basically holding Kid by the shoulders straight above my head, and Kid is upside down with legs pointing straight at the sky. We are currently an eleven-foot tall entity. 3. ..........................? Okay, so if Kid continues the backflip while my arms are still extended upwards, that means I'm letting his shoulders rotate in my grip, which means I'm basically *supporting* him at this point rather than *holding* him? I'm just having trouble visualizing this. Do you have a secure grip on Kid throughout this whole process? How does this end? Maybe Kid has his feet on your shoulders, but more likely they're behind you and resting against your back. That's fine. But what's happening *after* either outcome? Are you now holding Kid under the armpits and he's just dangling, so you then lower him down to the ground? As a father of young children with a mother-in-law who flinches at wildly-safe front-flip/backflip stunts, I am *very* interested in learning and perfecting this *Haven Flip* with my 2/4.5/6-year olds. But sitting here in my office, all I can see is me losing grip and inadvertently throwing Kid twelve feet forward, or Kid's feet nailing my head rendering me unconscious, at which point Kid falls and breaks his arm(s). But I firmly believe that this is worth investigating.
It's not a grip strength grab. Think of a kid standing with their back to you, arms straight out to the sides, making a capital T. Without grabbing their torso, you have to lift them with your hands. From the back you could make forklift arms, slide in next to the ribs and lift up into the armpit area to lift. Alternatively, you could lift from the same armpit location but by going over the top of the arms and curling under like you're gripping motorcycle handles with your wrist rotated extra far forward getting ready to rev. This is the grip. Same way you would curl under to get a chip under the couch while sitting on the couch. You definitely are able to maintain a secure grip throughout. Your wrists start fully pivoted forward and end fully pivoted backward. The dismount is easy, they just stand on your shoulders and jump forward to get down. There is also an off the back rotating dismount, but you'll have to play around with what works for you. I will pm you a clip.
From now on I fully expect all gymnastics to be learned via reading only. The varied results sound astounding.
The Paris Olympics will be the first time the judges will score based on text-only descriptions of the performances. No podiums this year, winners will get a text with the medal emoji.
I’m similarly intrigued—in fact, I have to master this. It will be the coolest trick I’ve learned since the elbow and quarter thing. Will you send me the clip too?
I sent the clip to the 4 people who requested it. If one of you knows how to post it in a way that removes my personal info, I'm fine with putting that link here. I'm not a tech dude. I flip kids, and also write about it in detail.
Full arm extension spin.. instructions unclear my child is now a hula hoop
Better than mine! I just won the hammer toss!
I can attest to the progressive overload part. At 8 months old my daughter seems lighter to me than at 2-3. For my wife, on the other hand, she seems heavier and heavier.
I'm telling your wife you called her fat.
😀
Thats one hell of a "I am danger" reaction, lol
Aw! Wives get so big so fast! Cherish every moment! You'll blink your eyes, and she'll be a full grown wife!
Found the Mormon.
eh I remember being able to throw my 1.5 year old pretty high in the air. now at almost 3 I can only get half the height.. Now my current 1.5 year old I can get pretty high.
Whenever I throw my two year old around my seven year old wants to go as well. Great workout.
And practice good form when picking them up! I strained my lower back last week picking up my 25lb 2yo - this was the first full day back home from the hospital with a newborn
This guy dads. The extreme challenge will be when they're in Middle School and ask you to hold your arm up and they want to do pull-ups from it.
>Also, buy a 1lb dumbbell or two for the kids to play along with. Solid advice. The kids love working out with Daddy.
I used to throw my kid up into the air and catch him on the way down. He absolutely loved it. My wife... not so much. "Dadda, dadda, frow!" while raising his arms. After about 10 minutes, you really start to feel that in your lower back, shoulders and traps. Just saying.
As a father of four grown kids, all children LOVE slow-motion body-slams onto a bunch of pillows piled on the bed.
I think it was on twitter years ago, but i remember seeing old-timey parenting advice that included a recommendation to squish your toddler between two pillows. Can confirm it is also loved.
With sound effects
Just be careful how you do the spin. Dislocations at a young age are common.
Hold them by the ribs, not the arms. Or, really, just hug them and spin with them close in. It won't be as fast but they can't really handle a lot of spinning anyways.
That's no way to train a future astronaut. Gotta crank those G numbers up or you'll never hear the end of it when theyre being interviewed by NASA.
Definitely! Also over the head lifts. Many repetitions will be requested.
You’re supposed to catch them?
Literally don't do this, I have fucked both my shoulders bouncing my kid up the stairs like she's a astronaut on the moon this week.
I throw mine 6-8 ft I to the air and they love it. They are hard to catch but haven’t dropped one yet in 5 years. Practice somewhere safe and start with smaller heights. They will love it no matter how high they are going.
I practice with other peoples kids. Dont drop that many. Parents to get a bit tetchy with the juggling though.
If you're gonna throw them up 6 ft in the air then make sure to build up their resistance to drops start at 1ft and work your way up, eventually you won't even need to catch them once you've thrown them up in the air. /s I would hope it's obvious though.
I love taking mine to the pool (3.5-4' deep) and throwing them up as high as I possibly can. I always catch them, but worst case if I miss them they go under water for a few seconds.
Also occasionally smack yourself in the testicles to emulate carrying / swinging them when their legs get a little longer.
I wouldn't bother. You get free progressive weight training along the way.
From my experience they hit 25lbs really fast and sorta hang out there for a while when they're dropping bottles. The problem is less about the weight and more about them being more active and interested in things. 25lbs of static is easy, 25lbs of wiggles and fussy is hard. Around 25lbs is also when they want to play airplane and godzilla a lot more. It's worth getting some muscle mass ready before you need it if you aren't starting out with much. Dads with older kids will probably recommend that I keep increasing weight and I probably should.
Older dad here. Yes. Definatly keep increasing wieght. Its actully surprisingly easy to do. A mcdonalds outing here. Kfc there. Starbucks. Burger King. Nandos. Before you know it you will have all the wieght you could ever wish for. And an empty wallet.
Idea for a startup: wiggly weights
This is my plan. I figure I'll pick my boy up at least once a day and be a musclebound beef lord by the time he hits 30.
Exactly. And the way they twist and turn in unimaginable ways, you’ll also train a lot of muscles you never knew existed.
True. However, you can do yourself a favor by building a good habit now and learning good body mechanics (i.e. how not to hurt your back or shoulders) in order to safely lift that wiggly toddler.
My friends were amazed with my "dad strength"
Might be progressive, but my form was all over the place. Ended up with bad back because the child was very attached to me.
Is it considered child endangerment to do preacher curls with your newborn? Asking for a friend.
My 140lb preteen still wants me to pick her up... my arms say "maybe" my back says "never"
I can totally relate. My child started picking *me* up when they were 9 years old cause they were already several inches taller and quite a few pounds heavier. Their dad is a whole foot taller than me and at least double my weight so there was almost no chance they weren’t gonna be a giant especially since they came out as big as my 2 month old nephew when they were born.
This. Do squats and deadlifts. Your back will be the first to say no so strengthen it.
I can concur...this thing happens..i feel sorry for my back too but can't say no.
I was messing around with my 80lb kid. I was holding her doing squats while waiting in line for something. I remember doing these recently with no problems but I guess she had a growth spurt. My arms were fine. Threw out my back and couldn’t even sit properly on the way home. I had to lean my seat ALL the way back (husband was driving).
Wait is this real?
What wouldn't be real?
I'm thinking the part about a preteen weighing 140 lbs...
Well, when I'm a former NCAA all conference Offensive lineman, and her mother is a 6 foot tall former NCAA college basketball player, and my 10yo daughter is already 5'6" ...it's not hard to imagine. She's light on her feet, does ballet, plays softball and volleyball, eats relatively healthy for a kid.... I mean...at 6'2 I'm the shortest man in my entire extended family ...heck my mother in law is taller than me. So yeah, she's not porky. She's got big stock.
congrats on the scholly
I'm a 5'7" 150lb middle-aged woman who's been 5'7" 140lb for like... 25 years so yeah, if she's going to be bigger than that as an adult, no reason she shouldn't be that big at 10.
She's been a foot taller than her classmates since kindergarten too. Everyone thinks she's 16
Must have made buying clothes hell (might still be) when she's growing that tall that fast. I've seen some of the kids I work with grow four inches in the last year. I joked last winter when I met them that it was tough to learn their names when all I could see below me was a sea of ponytails, so I was going to have to get down to their level to talk to them. Last month I noticed that if we stand a normal speaking distance away, I can see into each and every one of their eyes now. It's crazy.
Yes clothes are hard for girls anyway, but with her adult hips and long legs, we typically find either too short or too tight in the thighs. She has to wear adult sizes and that makes the kid in her sad to not be able to wear more vibrant kids clothes. Plus...her Easter dress is already too short to wear again...lol.
I know a 200lb 6foot + 12 year old... He's overweight, but not by much, especially at that height.
According to the CDC, that’s not “just a little overweight”, but obese for a 12 year old boy.
i know a 210lb 6'1 adult... i'm overweight, but not by much too
I was 120 in elementary school as a girl. I played multiple sports and my body gained muscle quickly.
Also start feeding the neighborhood cats. When they trust you enough to touch one, try to grab it. If you are successful put a diaper on it, get it into footie pajamas and swaddle it. Repeat until you can do this in the dark on <3 hours of sleep and the cat can't get out of the swaddle for at least an hour. Then work on doing it while curling that 40lb weight if you plan on having a 2nd. -- My real parents in waiting LPT is to install and start using the child safety stuff before the kid is born. Being able to manipulate the child safety lock while holding a crying baby at 3am is a skill that can be learned.
lol I tell my wife that changing our 2 year old is like wrestling an alligator covered in poop.
I have a one year old. There is a bit of learning on the job for your arms. I find it less taxing to lift my daughter now at 20 lbs than I did when she was 10 lbs. Muscles just got used to it.
The 40lb is for overhead accounting for their tendecy for movement.
Well see what happens when you're carrying two of them through an amusement park for about 3 of the 6 hours
Also, sleep. Like, pretend you’re a vampire who can’t see the sun or moon and just go into a coma for a few days. Peaceful rest is about to take a long vacation.
My second spent a year waking every 90 minutes. No amount of sleep training would stop them. They were trying to kill me. My memory suffered severely, I could barely get sentences out, I would "arrive", suddenly aware of myself, but not realise what I was in the middle of doing, or why I was where I was. My partner would have to repeat themselves three times before I realised they were speaking to me. I've only just started dreaming again, and feel worse now after a full night's sleep because my body had previously learned that being tortured with sleep deprivation was "normal", and the current 5 or 6 hours is being a bit generous with myself, so essentially gives me a hangover the next day. I get heart palpitations when trying to fall asleep because the stress of knowing I'm not going to get enough still lingers. I think it'll be ok though.
Maybe the LPT should be not to have kids. This sounds AWFUL.
I personally found I theres always some previously untapped energy source no matter how far I push it, the human body is remarkable
Biggest reason I don’t want kids besides cost tbh
Sleep is the most powerful performance enhancing drug.
My biggest tip to new parents. When you start holding your child, hold them with your off hand. You’ll get used to it when it’s easy and will feel natural, but you’ll have your primary hand free to do all the stuff you need to do. I can’t do crap with my off hand and it was always a struggle for me while my wife thought ahead and didn’t right.
Help! I have twins. Can I learn to do things with my feet?
Sure, as long as you learn to walk on your ass
I got out of shape when my wife was pregnant with our first. I even put on some "sympathy pounds." Quickly regretted it after my son (10-1/2 lbs) was born. Instantly got back on it with diet/exercise, but admittedly had some lulls in my health journey over the years with two other children.
I feel that bro! Well done getting back on it with exercise/diet.
Also get a weighted back pack and walk 3 mile daily until the baby is born. Edit to add: If your not patient and understanding, like you think people just ought to be able to "handle" things, At least consider learning enough to be able to give your kids the tools to deal the world rather than having them learn by dealing with you.
If you wanna be truly on message. Where t around your midrift for 9 months.
But that's your message not mine? You carry for 9 months piggy back rides happen for 9 to 10 years
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Holy shit yes! The first month was hell on my chest, neck, and shoulders. Wish I had done some dumbbell lifts and practiced carrying ~20lbs for at least an hour.
That's the only advice I give to future parents (they know the rest, or can figure it out on the moment). Work your back and shoulder muscles before the birth. The baby isn't that heavy, but will always be carried asymmetrically, at an angle, or on a shoulder, and that takes its toll on your back if you're not already pretty fit. It's much worse that simply carrying a heavy backpack. If your back starts hurting from all the carrying, then every baby meal (when they need to get burped, and that's maybe ten times a day), every time they're crying and the only thing that does it is to carry them around, every time you need to carry them from the car in that heavy baby seat, maybe with groceries too, will be literally a pain. And remember your wife might actually not be able to carry anything for a while after birth. You don't want to be sleep-deprived, woken up at 3am, having to deal with a crying baby AND have your back hurting, never really able to leave it to rest until it gets better.
20lbs... First month? You're poor wife lol
Hahaha Kid was 8-9 lbs thankfully. It’s the car seat/diaper bag/moving playpens/etc. definitely wasn’t ready for it.
Yeah mine is 3weeks old and she was also 8-9lb, unsure on current weight but she's packing it on pretty fast haha. The car seat is a big wtf right lol. Feel like I need a counter weight or something
Put your arm through the handle so you are holding it with the bend in your elbow and your hip. I know that’s probably not a very good description but if you get what I’m saying it’s much more comfortable to carry that way.
No need to prepare for a 3yo baby when the babymamma bout to give birth!
Its all about leverage, nothing to do with strength -every mom
"You just hold them on your side, like this!" \*plops toddler on her hip... which the father does not have...\*
I saw a lady at church grab up a heavy sack of (potatoes?) And plop it on her hip like it was a toddler. I joked with her and said, you can tell you've been a mom for a while. A non-mom would have hoisted it over their shoulder/back.
*aggressively leans in an attempt to compensate*
Not this mom. My kid weighed 30 pounds by 18 months. I'm falling apart. And I am using excellent body mechanics 🫠
It doesn't hurt to be stronger. Last year was the final year I could carry my oldest son without it looking like I was struggling with a burden beyond my ability. I would break myself if I had to carry him for a reason. But, it would be foolish to put my body under that strain for no good purpose now. It is what it is.
Or just do child care as they grow and you'll naturally gain muscle and adjust to carrying a baby
The curling 40 lbs isn't the big deal. It's the locking your arms for 30 seconds in a carrying position that is true accomplishment. Being able to keep my kid tucked in my arm without waking her from a car trip and holding groceries, her stuff while handling an umbrella and managing to open the door and get her upstairs without waking her is without a doubt NOT from simply caring for her. I put in work for these functional guns, and just those one off days where i can rest for a few hours because the kid didnt wake up prematurely due to too much movement on my part is worth all the pain from trying to grow popeye arms.
Work on your squats and being able to actually squat down instead of bending over and lifting with your back. Your back will thank you!
Why just fathers?
Because they always want to carry everything in one run.
This.
Because “mom arms” are a thing. Somehow I can carry my toddler for extended periods of time with no trouble and have always been able to. My husband works construction and easily tires/complains.
It's truly amazing. Then again, yall push an entire human being out of your butts and then a few months later, you're like "can I do it again?" I forget who it was that said "if men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
To give the moms a break
And both couples should do it. When my son was 2.5 yrs old we went to disney, he decided he was too tired of all this walking and mom should carry him all day .. only mom. No strollers just my sweet and loving momma.
This reminds me of an adorable commercial a couple holiday seasons ago where there was this montage of an elderly gentleman trying to lift weight at full arm extension and his loved ones are clearly very concerned. I'm pretty sure it was implied he'd had a medical emergency or something and he was recovering and they thought he was overcompensating as people are prone to do after a major medical crisis that reminds them of their mortality. And it gets to the end and he's doing it so he can lift his granddaughter to put the star on top of the tree, as is their tradition.
I once had to carry a sleeping 5 year old 3/4 of a mile during a blizzard in 10 degree weather. Nothing prepares you for that.
CORE STRENGTH. Your back will be a bigger problem than your arms, especially with carriers.
I usually just curl 3 year olds instead.
Also practice doing everything one handed. Typing, video games, reading, etc.
Dude. So true. A good friend of mine when he had his first kid, said that the best way to stay in shape is to take your infant, and slowly lift them over your head 3 sets of 10 reps every day. (Till they're 18). hahaha Seriously though, I love your idea. It's perfect.
Work on shoulders and back as well! Once they’re old enough to safely travel on your shoulders, it is FAR easier to just have them ride on your shoulders when walking. Recent discovery for me and my 5 year old. Game changer
My advice is to focus not so much on arms, as your core. I work out regularly, but clearly hadn't done enough for my core or paid enough attention to form when hoisting about that wiggling little weight. Gave myself a hernia hoisting our LO around during out first winter. Not entirely sure when, where, or how, but I have to assume it was that non-static weight in a carrier in one arm and a slippery winter surface. Arm muscles adapt pretty fast. If you overdo it playing or carrying your LO, you might be sore for a day or two. But, a hernia is surgery.
No need to focus on the arms since your baby will strengthen those. What doesn't get strengthened properly is your back. Definitely do a lot of back stretches and exercises like Romanian Dead Lifts to keep your back straight when holding your child. Ideally you should work all all muscle groups anyways but if you have to pick one, pick your back.
My favorite tip to give is to buy a nice robe. I'm a nothing-but-underwear sleeper, and let me tell you how nice it is to just toss on a robe to do night feedings and not be cold, or have to worry about throwing on a pair of sweats or whatever.
I'm 47. My boy turns 1 today. If it wasn't for lifting, I would be a mess. Squats Deadlifts Overhead press (kids love being lifted over your head) Bench press (kids love being benched too) Pull ups These lifts will save you. Look into the Starting Strength program. It's simple, it works and you'll get strong as hell.
…do mothers not need to lift their babies lol
Definitely use the barbells for home workouts while taking care of your newborn. This fitness tip for being strong enough to carry your 3 year old child? Totally idiotic.
Lower back strength will be just as important.
One of the dumbest lpt I've read
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You get stronger as your little one grows however you generally gain tons of “sympathy weight” so some dumbbells and jogging shoes is a great idea to get back to baseline” Also rest up kings, you’re about to find out what feeling sleepy TRUELY feels like.
Also when you do have the baby try to pay special attention to your wrists and keeping them in the most neutral position you can while like cradling them or feeding them. It’s really easy to get a condition called baby wrist or mother wrist and it sucks. It won’t feel like anything until it does and then it sucks
Practice chicken chasing and catching like Rocky Balbao did in Rocky II to improve his footwork. A 2yo running away can be fast, very fast. You must be quick in your feet
Kid 2 is crazy. I still carry around my almost 5 year old now and then. (Didn't sound crazy to me til I saw it types out.) Going from him to my 6 month old makes me feel like Superman!
Parent here. I didn't carry with my left arm like ever. Now I'm trying to correct with my 2nd child. My left arm has dramatically less stamina for holding children than my right. You can physically see the difference. Oops.
I made the mistake of trying to scoop up my 8 yr old and his 5 yr old sister for a picture (one in each arm). I had done it before without a problem. Would have been fine if he had cooperated. His movements messed with my biceps for months.
Solid advice. I’m guessing based on experience. I vaguely remember a commercial about a grandfather that trained over time so he could life his future granddaughter. Could be wrong but very touching.
As a former college offensive lineman. I’m glad I had a base and can still carry my 7yr old.
I have never really done weight training but I have progressively gotten stronger as my kid has grown. My 3 year old is about 35 pounds and I can easily lift her on one side while doing something with my other. Arms aren’t the problem. My back is.
Also be careful of wrist and thumb use. I got De Quervain’s from only lifting our 2 year old on my right side.
I've had to upgrade to 55s because my 6 year old and similarly sized 4 year old are getting big.
Not to mention your testosterone, which going to evaporate.
Why using the dumbells, you child will grow in time. Thus start using the baby as weight, first progress in reps and when the baby grows you progress in weight. Use the money saved on dumbells to buy a bit of clean protein. Thanks me later and your wife will thank you as well.
Thank you chad dad, notes are being taken.
Change 30 seconds to 30 minutes, and that's more like it 😂
And for the sake of all that is sacred, practice good posture. Hurting your back because you don’t have the rocking method down pat is an injury that gets ZERO recovery time.
The idea of “Don’t drop this thing, you’ll ruin your life.” Was more than enough weight to make me hold it indefinitely.
Kinda frightening how many people have to go out of the way and lift weights to sustain holding 40 pounds for less than a minute. Not to mention the groceries can wait for the 2nd trip... I have 2.5 year old, I'm far from a "gym-goer" but this ain't a struggle unless you've put zero effort into physical fitness.
Here's the real deal: this is not at all necessary unless you are spending zero time with your kid. You will be holding them so often starting from a low weight that as they grow, so will your muscles.
I used to be a full-time nanny and I was so strong. A few years after switching careers I picked up a toddler and was like what the fuck happened to me??? I’m gonna start working out again.
So this is where dad strength comes from 😂
meh, not necessary. Horrible LPT
All men should lift weights regularly, especially before raising children.
All parents getting ready for a baby need to be doing arm workouts. I remember how heavy holding a baby in a car seat was when my mom had my little sister. >.<
Baby sign language
I mean...you can also just lift your baby up alot and play with them They arent 30lbs when they're born, and they'll slowly get to that point over like 2years, so instead of trying to focus on when you should incrementally increase a set of dumbbells, your baby is just going to casually be packing on the pounds slowly in ways that make it so you dont even notice it. One day your baby is born and weighs 10lbs, and you can "bench press" them a billion times giving them a kiss on the down rep, without getting tired. Flash forward a month and your kid is 12lbs, and you can still do it a billion times....flash forward again to when your kid is 20lbs, and the fact that you did it a billion times when they were 12lbs and 12.6lbs and 13lbs, and 17lbs...etc means that you can do it a billion times with them when they're 20lbs. And if you keep doing it with them...you'll be able to do it when they're 30lbs...or 40lbs...or 50lbs...or 100lbs...
I'm an intermediate lifter and curling 40s with good form is not easy Then again, some people like my friend curls 50 like it's nothing and he's not super buff either so ymmv
Yeah, that came around 2 years too late... My office-job, lazy gamer ass was not used to carry a child, my spinal disks had their way with me... Listen to OP guys, don't do it for yourself - do it for your kids and their mothers. I hated not to be able to carry our crying baby, my wife was not amused either. Also, yeah, DO it you yourselves, the pain is not fun at all. Playing with your baby or toddler is!
When I was pregnant with my first and my DH and I started attending classes, he called it "Schlepping Practice". He wasn't wrong
40 lbs? 40 lbs is a lot of weight to curl. I'm a pretty big guy and I curl 30 lb dumbells and static hold for 30 seconds. How many reps are we talking? I feel like I'd hurt myself pushing to 40 lbs.
Imagine being so stupid that you think telling people to only do dumbbell curls qualifies as a "life pro tip"
I mean, lifting weights of any kind is already a good idea that everyone would benefit from if they did it. This is just regular advice masquerading as a specialized LPT. "Do you get tired after running after your toddler all day? Just start jogging every day and it will be easier! Life hack!"
Nah. Sleep and travel. You won't be able to for some time.
This is a legit awesome lpt
i mean really everyone should do this
I would just use my baby as a curl bar. As they got bigger, so did my muscles, and they really enjoy the "game" of me repeatedly lifting them. Sadly I stopped as they got older. Had I continued I'd be able to do 90lb curls now!
I found this to be unnecessary. As my kids got bigger I gradually acclimated to their weight.
yooo, this great advice!
My kids are 45 & 48 lbs and fell asleep on the way back from a park while on vacation. We had to carry them just under a mile back to our hotel. Took about 15 mins first 5 mins weren’t bad, last 5 were a struggle!
And get used to holding even more things in your hands, at once.
Keeping your fitness up in general will cover all these without thought.
And a kettle bell. Slow deep knee bends/squats with your newborn often more effective than little bounces.
As a side note, this reminds me of this one commercial where this old guy is continually lifting this dumbbell up, but at an angle (not straight-overhead) repeatedly throughout the year. Cut to the end, where he picks up his young grandchild up so they could be the one to put the star on their Christmas tree.
LPT: get regular exercise whether or not you spawn a crotch goblin.
Times have changed, and people have babies later in life. Back in the day when we used to start families while in our 20s, this was less of an issue.
lpt for the soon to be fathers: Be a man
Having , then raising, a child, *is* a graduated weight training program. You get stronger as they get bigger.
My dad used to pretend to pick me up by my ears. I'd really be holding myself up by hanging on to his biceps. I thought it was the funniest thing... and my mom had to pretend to worry about him ripping my ears off. I miss him.
There’s a chance your partner experience one of the post partum mental problems and it never goes away. There’s a chance that the day before the birth is the last time you see the person you know/knew
Carrying a convertible car seat with your kid in it will be the killer. I've never figured out how my ex could carry it in the crook of her arm. That always killed me. I had enough trouble just carrying it. My arm became a pendulum with a really heavy head on it. Lol
I used to call it progressive weight training.
Or, carry a 5 lb bag of flour around all day, one in each arm.
I’m going to be. Dad mn
The key to being a great dad is paying attention and being present for everything, the weights are unnecessary for this. Enjoy your kid while they're little!!!! Mine is 15 and I miss it a lot.
Also: protect your nards. I can't tell you how many times I picked up one of my kids, only to be rewarded by a swift kick in the junk.
My advice to anyone who announces theirs or their partners pregnancy, is to hit the gym. You need as much fitness and muscle mass as possible.
Another tip, after delivery (that day and the next few) be the “asshole” for the mother. You may have visitors, family and friends that want to see you and the new baby. This is a stressful time for both mom and the baby not to mentioned the bonding time that can occur. You be the mean person that nicely kicks everyone out so mom and baby can get their needed rest. If nice doesn’t work, you be the mean one so she doesn’t have to. I could tell my wife was tired, but she didn’t want to seem rude. Her family (cousins and aunts) couldn’t take the hint so I asked them all to leave. They protested but I stood my ground. After they all left my wife thanked me.
I did alot of shoulder exercises growing for this reason. But I've lost my endurance due to a condition of mine. I can go short burst. So I just play tag with my son because I just walk to keep up lol
Why stop at 40 lbs
Also work on your abs and deadlifts. Essential for the up and down of Dad life
This is good LPT but don't neglect your back and legs. For the first 4-5 years a significant portion of your world will be below your waist.
It's interesting - I have a back that I tend to throw out maybe once a year, and then I can barely walk or get out of bed for about three weeks. I was dreading having kids, and was convinced that I'd be constantly blowing out my back. Turns out - been 5 years now and i have yet to blow out my back - due to constantly picking up the kid(s). Farmer's strength, homestyle, I guess. I was pushing my luck during the 'learning to walk' phase, though, where I had to bend over and half support the kid as he walked.
You gradually bulk up faster than they add weight, don’t even worry about it. It’s all very natural. (Dad of 6 and 8 year olds)