Strength of a manual worker vs bodybuilders.

Sure, but who cares? The goal of a bodybuilder is not to be the strongest possible at everything, but to have their body appear a certain way.

Practical strength usually beats out gym-built strength, but having been comparatively weak and now strong, I’d still do better on any tasks that require strength than 99.9% of mooks off the street.

Just as those bodybuilders would. Being strong makes your entire life better, no matter what clowns like Ian Welsh claim.