Harvest America CUES BLOG

As Summer begins to close its doors and a much cooler Fall and Winter are around the corner – professional cooks and chefs begin to breathe a sigh of relief. What some who are not involved in kitchen life may not realize is just how physical the work is and how draining warmer months can be on those who stand in front of ranges cranked up to “10” and ovens topping off at 500 degrees. Every shift, especially those in summer months, a line cook is likely to lose a pound or two of water weight. The heat is hard to describe unless you are there, but know that the ambient temperature between the range, grill, or char-broiler and the service line is likely in excess of 110 degrees and higher as a cook moves sauté pans, turns a steak over open flames, lifts a basket of pommes frites from the friolater, or slides a whole grilled fish from the surface of a 600-degree plancha. It’s HOT!

Ah, but heat is only one aspect of the physical nature of cooking. A typical shift for a line cook is 10 hours or more during which he or she will be on their feet almost the entire time. The cook will move constantly whether it is a rush (never run) from walk-in coolers to sinks, prep tables to stations, or pivot steps within a four to six-foot designated area during service. Rubber floor mats can help, but the wear and tear on knees is constant. Lowboy coolers (handles below the knees) require bending at the waist or with the knees – hundreds of times during a shift and stretching up or sideways as hanging pans are grabbed or finished plates are slid down the pass, happens every few seconds. The motions are as varied as a tennis player, point guard for the NBA, or PGA golfer and sometimes just as radical.

Cooks are required to lift heavy and not so heavy items from the moment they walk through the kitchen doors. A 10-gallon stock pot weighs over 90 pounds when filled with water alone. Even a single gallon sauce pot will weigh in at 10 pounds or more and if lifted numerous times throughout a shift begins to feel like the cook was curling 10-pound weights to build up those biceps. A full bone-in rib roast is 22 pounds and in its pan as a single roast will top the scales at nearly 25 pounds, a bag of onions or box of russet potatoes is 50 pounds, bags of flour are the same, and a case of (six) #10 cans can weigh as much as 40 pounds depending on the contents. So, throughout the day, a cook is required to lift, reach, bend, stand, twist and turn and pivot every second of those 10-hour shifts.

Now consider the heat and steam that create the atmosphere where this takes place. It would be hard to find work (aside from construction and manufacturing) that is much more physical than cooking.

Athletes faced with these types of physical demands on the body would work within the structure of an exercise and stretching regimen to ensure that their body is protected, and they are able to function a peak efficiency. Unfortunately, it is my experience that cooks rarely embrace any type of physical conditioning and in fact don’t subscribe to understanding the connection. At the end of a shift cooks are drained (not even considering the mental and emotional toll that will be addressed in subsequent articles). Cooks walk out the back door sore and exhausted only to return the next day and start the process all over again.

Until a cook understands what is happening to his or her body, and until that cook commits to physical conditioning as an everyday requirement, he or she will continue to suffer the aches and pains of sore backs, neck aches, headaches, swollen feet, dehydration, swollen hands, shoulder pain, and early signs of carpel tunnel from repetitive motions holding a knife, pan handle, pair of tongs, and plates moving to the pass. When some refer to cooking as a young person’s game, they are referencing the physical toll that the job takes when cooks fail to condition themselves.

Here are some simple things that can be done that take little time, but must be part of a routine to be effective:

• BUY A STRESS BALL: Work those hands in the morning and evening to help prevent carpel tunnel.
• WEAR WHITE SOCKS AT WORK: The dyes in colored socks are detrimental to feet when you sweat constantly.
• BUY SUPPORTIVE SHOES: Those sneakers that you love are not designed for the abuse of 10 hours on your feet in a kitchen. Buy hard shoes with lots of support and soles with sufficient spring to lighten the strain of standing that long.
• STRETCH THOSE QUAD MUSCLES: Lean against a wall while standing, bend one knee at a time and grab it with the hand on the same side of your body and hold for a few seconds. Do the same on the other knee and repeat a few times before your shift. This is the same exercise that runners use before a jog.
• TURN YOUR NECK: Stand tall with your feet spread slight apart. Fold your hands in front of you and then turn your head in circles to the left and then to the right. Do these 10 or more times before a shift. You will hear popping and crackling in your neck – this is natural.
• SHOULDER SHRUGS: In the same standing position – Lift your shoulders and turn them in a circular motion forward and then backward for at least 10 full turns before a shift. Again, you will hear and feel your shoulders popping – don’t be concerned.
• MOVE THOSE HIPS: In the same standing position – place your hands on your hips and make circular turning motions forward and backward (think hula hoop motions). Again 10 repetitions are good.
• STRETCHING THOSE LEGS AND ARMS: In that same standing position raise up on your toes and then back to flat positioning of your feet. At the same time stretch your arms upward as far as you can. Do these 20 or more times.
• SQUATS: With your feet squarely on the ground and feet about six inches apart, hold your arms out horizontal to the ground and squat with your knees. This is a tough one but try to get 5-10 of these done before your shift.
• CURLS AND LIFTS WITH WEIGHT: Invest in some hand weights (you don’t need multiple weight amounts). I find that 6–8-pound weights are perfect). At home, every day, complete arm curls and over-head extensions. Start with five using each arm and as you get comfortable increase repetitions as much as you are able.

• WALK: Brisk walking is one of the best exercises. Make the time to walk every day even if it’s only for 15 minutes.
• DRINK PLENTY OF WATER: Dehydration is a real concern for cooks in a hot kitchen. Make sure you drink 8-10 glasses of water (not soda or coffee – or beer) every day and stay hydrated on the line.
• EAT A BALANCED DIET: Stay away from too much sugar or salt and avoid processed foods. YOU WORK IN A KITCHEN and certainly know how to prepare a great meal. Treat yourself like you treat your restaurant customers. A balanced and wholesome diet is critical whether you are an athlete or a cook.

This is very, very important! Your life will improve, your performance at work will improve, your attitude will improve, and your health will take a turn for the better.

The next article will focus on the mental and emotional challenges of kitchen work.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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