I hear you. I definitely think it can be done though. I don't know, I think any sort of strength can be replicated if you really pursue it. I mean, my older brother was never a manual laborer, well, I guess he is now because his job involves pulling towels out of an industrial washer which is actually pretty physically demanding and often carrying heavy, unwieldy items in awkward ways and a number of physically strenuous tasks...but his strength didn't come from that, but rather from his lifelong training (and maybe whatever he inherited I guess) and I've honestly never had anyone get a hold of me that was functionally stronger than that guy, grip, or otherwise. Granted, he's an outlier, for sure, but I don't know, I truly subscribe to the "what one man can do, another can do" philosophy when it comes to working out. Even when that philosophy fails, at least it drives us to fight for something in the gym when we're optimistic enough to buy into it.
Part of it is probably because I can't quiet the lazy part of me with some of the stuff that might motivate someone else to go to the gym. I gotta believe that I'm capable of greatness in some way shape or form when I go there. I love laying in bed, reading comics or playing videos or doing absolutely nothing other than existing. If I wanna get up, I need some frigging Ronnie James Dio or Iron Maiden or Manowar cranked to 11 and some inspiring thoughts because I don't like moving around or aching just for its own sake. That's probably part of why I hate group workouts and crap like that. Or going for walks. Basically, if I didn't love working out, I'd be fat and happy, except for maybe when I started wheezing because I do have asthma. But I'd drown the wheezes in buttered toast.