Question for blue collar guys working 12 hour shifts

[WesternThighs]

How do you structure your workout routine with physically demanding 12 hour shifts? Do you lift the days you work or reserve workouts for your off days? I work a rolling night shift schedule where its 3 on 2 off followed by 2 on 3 off. With a 6 day PPL split, this would mean sacrificing sleep in order to lift during work days, would it be worth it in your opinion?

 

[01dragonslayer]

I work 3 12s/wk.....so I have a luxury of having several days off which is when I train the majority of the time.

There are times when my personal schedule innterferes with training so on days I work I would go in early....5AM.... prior to going to work..... those days can be rough.

 

[buck]

When do you have energy?

 

[WesternThighs]

I work 3 12s/wk.....so I have a luxury of having several days off which is when I train the majority of the time.

There are times when my personal schedule innterferes with training so on days I work I would go in early....5AM.... prior to going to work..... those days can be rough.

Yeah I run into the same problem sometimes as well. If I workout before my shift, fatigue sets in hard mid way though the shift, and if I try to workout after, it can be hard to fall asleep.

 

[WesternThighs]

When do you have energy?

Man it really varies from day to day, but off days are better in terms of energy. However during my long work weeks I only get two days off in between.

 

[01dragonslayer]

Agreed. For that reason I never workout in the evening besides the fact it's a freaking zoo.

If I don't workout before noon I don't workout..... different crowd in the afternoon. Guys who look at you funny because your using their dumbbells.

 

[buck]

Man it really varies from day to day, but off days are better in terms of energy. However during my long work weeks I only get two days off in between.

You can start training and see which days work for you as opposed to deciding which ones to train on.

 

[Josefein421]

Idk if you qualify nursing as blue collar but I have 3 12's in the ICU with an 1.15hr drive each way and teach undergrad a day. But that's an 8.

I do most of my training on days off from the hospital. Teaching isn't nearly as tiring but keeps me busy. Sometimes it's tough because I'm training literally every day off from work with literally no totally "off" days. I train 4 days a week now. I can't do heavy leg or back training after work. Not physically tired but mentally overstimulated and struggle to fire up the intensity. Chest, delts or direct arm work I can make happen I was doing a 5 day a week Mountain Dog program.

Some days I was sleeping 4hrs a night between work, training and waking up for cardio. Not the best long term but I made it work for the dieting phase I was in. Gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

 

[01dragonslayer]

Some days I was sleeping 4hrs a night between work, training and waking up for cardio. Not the best long term but I made it work for the dieting phase I was in. Gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

Dude that sucks. Getting adequate sleep is crucial for growth.

I had issues with that when I was working 24hr shifts....it was horrible.

 

[WesternThighs]

Yeah for my short working weeks I have 5 off days to work with no problem. On the other hand my long weeks are

Mon, Tues, and Fri-Sun that's where I am currently struggling the most with

 

[WesternThighs]

Dude that sucks. Getting adequate sleep is crucial for growth.

I had issues with that when I was working 24hr shifts....it was horrible.

Yeah and it really sucks especially if you're dieting with little sleep and having to stay physically and mentally alert during shifts

 

[01dragonslayer]

Yeah and it really sucks especially if you're dieting with little sleep and having to stay physically and mentally alert during shifts

When I worked 24s it seemed like the day after I spent recovering.....never felt like it was a day off.

 

[Josefein421]

24hr shifts were great at the fire department lol. I slept more there than at home. Did my best napping. Even if we had calls there was down time to nap.

Yeah that little rest isn't ideal and not what I'd want during an offseason or growth period but it was either that or miss training or cardio and those weren't options. I just napped when I could.

 

[marssel]

Agreed. For that reason I never workout in the evening besides the fact it's a freaking zoo.

If I don't workout before noon I don't workout..... different crowd in the afternoon. Guys who look at you funny because your using their dumbbells.

I have to lift 530-730/800 pm and I need an hour to come down, eat, and go to sleep. You adapt as best you can. I guess a weed pen might help I keep forgetting to try.

 

[cage99]

I work anywhere from 12-16hr days of physical manual labor. In my 20’s/30’s I always had the energy and worked out in the late evening. I have my own gym so I never deal with the usual crowds.

Now that I’m older there are days, especially in the summer months when I’m fried… I will skip that day and try and do a condensed workout the following day. Just gotta do the best ya can..

Cage

 

[275bills]

Train legs and back on your days off

Chest and shoulders can be done In 45 mins

Arms in half hour

No one can answer this question but you.

Before you start a new thread. Mike otren is not natty fyi

 

[st114]

I have the luxury of having a gym at my job for our 24 hour shifts, but most of the big dudes I knew growing up in hardcore gyms were blue collar dudes working construction and similar jobs. There was a dude, “Concrete Mike” who obviously layed concrete for 12 hours a day and then crushed it in the gym. He was the biggest and strongest dude I knew who never competed. Trained like a maniac. Another huge 270lb BBer I knew was a roofer.

Don’t use it as an excuse, figure out whether you’re better off training in the AM or PM and attack your workouts

On a side note, I felt my absolute worst while training when I worked a desk job, sitting at a computer 12 hours a day. Tight hips, back problems, and a different type of fatigue, not to mention corporate bullshit stress. I feel much better as a blue collar worker

 

[Reno911]

At this rate you will have made 730 threads a year from now.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

Best way I've found is to do a shorter workout on the days I work, longer ones on the days I don't.

 

[rhinozt47]

it’s not the fatigue that bothers me, it’s the gym crowd. Have to lift after work during prime time. By then im filthy, exhausted, and stressed to all hell. Not a people person to begin with, but man for the first part of my workout I am on fucking edge. But, once I get going they fade out into the background and I always leave feeling great. The amount of problems just lifting fucking weights has solved for me is endless.