Weightlifting and weight training was invented long before forklifts. Even levers were not properly understood back then.
My favorite historic example of typical modern hypertrophy-specific training is the training of Milo of Croton [1]. By legend, his father gifted him with the calf and asked daily "what is your calf, how does it do? bring it here to look at him" which Milo did. As calf's weight grew, so did Milo's strength.
This is application of external resistance (calf) and progressive overload (growing calf) principles at work.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_of_Croton
Milo lived before Archimedes.
Milo might have had slaves, the forklifts of his time....
> what is your calf, how does it do?
... it's a calf, dad, just like yesterday
I looked up the weight of cows from that era. Only about 400 lbs. Seems doable.
Dad needs to respect that we need rest days.