i worked in a steel yard for a summer- it was horrendous and really hot. there was a crazy heat wave that summer and sitting atop rebar cutting it with a torch was hellish. 'would blow out black crap from my nose afterward, not a healthy place to be really. also broke a couple of fingers there, and was lucky not to lose the ends of my fingers in the process. that said i've never been as strong as i was that summer and certainly never will be again i can't believe how often i'd go boosing during the week back hten- mind boggling really. one time my grandparents (Oma & Opa) came to visit us, i got home from work and my Opa (who was a blue collar worker all his life) just grinned when he saw me, filthy and exhausted