Are you in good enough shape to be a beer vendor?

By Michael Clair

April 10, 2014

If you're one of the 95.7 percent of Americans who love the combination of beer and baseball (a completely made-up statistic), you've likely considered becoming a beer vendor.

But scaling steps to deliver frosty brews isn't like dentistry or trading stocks: not just anyone can show up and do the job. Captain America had to continue training despite the super soldier serum flowing through his veins, right? Well, hauling those suds around all summer requires some serious sweat and blood in the offseason. Or at least some sweat. If you're bleeding during workouts, you may want to see a doctor.

Anyone looking to become a local stadium superhero should follow the advice of 66-year-old PNC Park beer vendor Gary 'Lefty' Hall. According to the beer peddler:

"You have 50 pounds that you carry up and down the stairs for three hours a night. When you're a young guy, that's not so bad. But as I got older I realized that I have to be well-conditioned to be prepared for the rigors of a long season."

To prepare for Spring Training, Lefty swam nearly 200 laps a day along with a regimen of hiking, weightlifting, and stacking "60 pounds of weight in a milk crate" before swinging it around to mimic carrying his beer bin.

For at-home readers considering this exercise routine, I suggest that you work up slowly. Perhaps by stretching your legs on the ottoman while you're watching the game or bringing two beers back from the fridge to build up bicep strength.