This post vastly under-estimates the amount of malnutrition in most societies pre-modern times. Even with heavy physical labor, I would be willing to bet that t

This post vastly under-estimates the amount of malnutrition in most societies pre-modern times. Even with heavy physical labor, I would be willing to bet that the average physical laborer in say 1800, who we know was significantly smaller, would be weaker as well. Farmers and people who do physical labor do build muscles, but they also have modern high nutrition diets and medicine.