heavy-lifting
The demanding part
Heavy-lifting refers to work requiring great physical strength—moving furniture, hauling equipment.
Figuratively, it describes the difficult, demanding part of any task: The interns handle emails while senior staff do the heavy lifting.
The phrase implies that some contributions matter more than others, distinguishing real effort from peripheral involvement.
Requiring intense exertion
- gruelingExtremely tiring and demanding
- demandingRequiring great effort
- challengingHard to accomplish
- taxingRequiring great effort
exhausting · arduous · backbreaking · laborious · toil · grind · slog · exertion
Oppressive weight or duty
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- onusResponsibility one bears
- dutyRequired moral task
- loadCarried weight or burden
accountability · groundwork · legwork · spadework · grunt work · dirty work · donkey work · behind-the-scenes
Ground-to-hip barbell raise
- squatCrouching on bent legs
- benchpressHorizontal strength lift
- barbellWeighted exercise apparatus
- powerliftingMaximal barbell competition sport
weights · dumbbells · kettlebell · clean and jerk · snatch · strongman · rack · plates
Contractile body tissue
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- brawnMuscular power, bodily might
- forceStrength or compulsion
- mightGreat physical strength
endurance · stamina · vigor · robustness · fortitude · physicality · athleticism · capacity
strenuous
Requiring intense exertion
- gruelingExtremely tiring and demanding
- demandingRequiring great effort
- challengingHard to accomplish
taxing · exhausting · arduous · backbreaking · laborious · toil · grind · slog · exertion · workload
burden
Oppressive weight or duty
- obligationRequired task or commitment
- onusResponsibility one bears
- dutyRequired moral task
load · accountability · groundwork · legwork · spadework · grunt work · dirty work · donkey work · behind-the-scenes · foundational
deadlift
Ground-to-hip barbell raise
- squatCrouching on bent legs
- benchpressHorizontal strength lift
- barbellWeighted exercise apparatus
powerlifting · weights · dumbbells · kettlebell · clean and jerk · snatch · strongman · rack · plates · spotter
muscle
Contractile body tissue
might · endurance · stamina · vigor · robustness · fortitude · physicality · athleticism · capacity · toughness
heavy-liftinglight work
Undemanding task
busywork · light duty · grunt work · low-hanging fruit · no-brainers
heavy-liftingminor details
window dressing · finishing touches · incidentals · filler · fluff
heavy, lifting, heavier, heaviest, heavily, heaviness, lift, lifts, lifted