Training around a physical demanding job

[Smont]

Just started a new job, 10.5 hours a day digging ditches, shoveling rocks and moving equipment outside in the heat. To add to that it's 1.5 hours each way to work and home and you gotta leave early for parking. Basically I'm up at 330am and get home at 715pm. I have 8 hours and 15 min to train eat dinner and sleep. What u guys think about a quick 20 min workout every other day. Example, last night I benched 4 sets of 3-6reps and skull crushers 4sets 6-8 reps then dinner and bed. Is it even worth it? Tonight I'm doing shoulder press and squats 4x6-8 each. Any ideas

 

[Smont]

I can get in 3 small meals plus a big dinner and 1.5-2 gallons of water through the day

 

[Dz23]

I believe a job like that can be your 'training' how many guys who work jobs like that have huge forearms and backs.

I think just doing as you are is perfect as you need that sleep time it's just as important for growth, sounds like u are working very hard as it is. just make sure you are constantly eating and feel those shovelling reps mate.

I used to be a labourer on building sites and I got good results after a year.

 

[Godstrength]

Just started a new job, 10.5 hours a day digging ditches, shoveling rocks and moving equipment outside in the heat. To add to that it's 1.5 hours each way to work and home and you gotta leave early for parking. Basically I'm up at 330am and get home at 715pm. I have 8 hours and 15 min to train eat dinner and sleep. What u guys think about a quick 20 min workout every other day. Example, last night I benched 4 sets of 3-6reps and skull crushers 4sets 6-8 reps then dinner and bed. Is it even worth it? Tonight I'm doing shoulder press and squats 4x6-8 each. Any ideas

I have done this for years. Basically your burning plenty of calories and even working your body with physical labor. 20 minutes 3x a week w heavier weight is what I suggest. This to build the body.

Be careful not to overdo it and if your body feels tired rest rather than train. You will learn your body and what it needs. And be sure to eat plenty of food to keep nourished. I believe there's actually benefits bc your burning more calories and working the muscle all day long as opposed to a desk job. I've done both and a good amount of food and a good nights sleep my body wakes up harder and leaner when I'm doing physical labor.

 

[Dz23]

I have done this for years. Basically your burning plenty of calories and even working your body with physical labor. 20 minutes 3x a week w heavier weight is what I suggest. This to build the body.

Be careful not to overdo it and if your body feels tired rest rather than train. You will learn your body and what it needs. And be sure to eat plenty of food to keep nourished. I believe there's actually benefits bc your burning more calories and working the muscle all day long as opposed to a desk job. I've done both and a good amount of food and a good nights sleep my body wakes up harder and leaner when I'm doing physical labor.

Absolutely. Also I assume u have days off so on at least one of those have a good old leg day

 

[Smont]

Absolutely. Also I assume u have days off so on at least one of those have a good old leg day

13 days on 1 day off and repeat for 6 months

 

[Dz23]

Are you in a concentration camp smont?

 

[Smont]

Digging trenches for underground lines. Union job. Sometimes it's 6 on 1 off others it's 13 on 1 off, it all depends how important the given task is.

 

[Dz23]

Well I hope they pay you good and that you enjoy that bro

 

[Smont]

$28.70, $45 on weekends

 

[Smont]

Gotta fight it out so I can take december -February off

 

[Smont]

Breaks over back to my hole

 

[Pinggolfee96]

Just eat eat eat to support that expenditure!! And sleep of course

 

[Smont]

Just eat eat eat to support that expenditure!! And sleep of course

Not a smart idea to cram down a big meal on a 15 min break and then go shovel rocks for hours in the heat. Like I said I get 3 small meals and a big dinner roughly 3000-3200 Cal for the day. Hence the reason I'm doing minimalist workouts. I am however going to stop on my way home on the 3 days I lift and eat a 1000 Cal cheat meal. The ride will give me a hour to a hour n a half to digest. I'm a big eater but not with this kind of job. My normal Cal's are about 3000 so this labor will definitely put me in a deficit.

 

[Godstrength]

Not a smart idea to cram down a big meal on a 15 min break and then go shovel rocks for hours in the heat. Like I said I get 3 small meals and a big dinner roughly 3000-3200 Cal for the day. Hence the reason I'm doing minimalist workouts. I am however going to stop on my way home on the 3 days I lift and eat a 1000 Cal cheat meal. The ride will give me a hour to a hour n a half to digest. I'm a big eater but not with this kind of job. My normal Cal's are about 3000 so this labor will definitely put me in a deficit.

If your looking to gain mass eat big when you get home. I know you may not "feel like it" but your body can handle the cals. Once you get used to it you'll wake up in the morning feeling fuller and stronger. I also recommend a good sleep supplement a couple times a week.

That's a lot of work man. The union pays really good though. What state are you in

 

[Smont]

Connecticut. I doubt I'll put on size just trying to recomp. I was gonna go on cycle for the first time in a long time, years. But once again life is pushing that back. I don't mind loosing a few pounds for summer either

 

[Ricky10]

Those are insane working conditions and hours etc..

You are obviously already in way above average shape to be able to withstand such demands. As others have said, you really should not require much gym time at all, and you are most likely about to get into the best shape of your life..

 

[Caldwood]

Just started a new job, 10.5 hours a day digging ditches, shoveling rocks and moving equipment outside in the heat. To add to that it's 1.5 hours each way to work and home and you gotta leave early for parking. Basically I'm up at 330am and get home at 715pm. I have 8 hours and 15 min to train eat dinner and sleep. What u guys think about a quick 20 min workout every other day. Example, last night I benched 4 sets of 3-6reps and skull crushers 4sets 6-8 reps then dinner and bed. Is it even worth it? Tonight I'm doing shoulder press and squats 4x6-8 each. Any ideas

I feel you brother, I have been working 12 hour days x5/6 days a week for the last couple years. Typically every meal I eat is packed with me and I always have a gym bag in the bag seat of my truck with my pwo and clothes so I can take advantage of saving a trip home to change and prep. Typically only workout 2 days a week when im farther than 1 hour from home and when I'm close I take full advantage with 4 days a week. It's worked for me in the past squeezing in a 7-8 set workout whenever I can, and it keeps your mind right. I'm a heavy equipment mechanic where even a wrench weights 20lbs so I feel you on the physicality of your job. Keep lifting to keep your mind right.

 

[Smont]

If your looking to gain mass eat big when you get home. I know you may not "feel like it" but your body can handle the cals. Once you get used to it you'll wake up in the morning feeling fuller and stronger. I also recommend a good sleep supplement a couple times a week.

That's a lot of work man. The union pays really good though. What state are you in

So I usually guess my calories and I assumed I've been eating around 3000 a day the past month and it's actually 2710. So that's a good idea of what I've been recopming or at least maintenance weighing 200lbs up to 4 days ago. I weigh myself once or twice a week first thing am and it's always 198-202.
This morning I was 193 after breakfast. So in the past 4 days I've lost 8-10 lbs and maybe more cus I had a burger fries and 3 beers for dinner. I hate calorie counting because it changes day to day drastically in construction but I'm gonna assume I need another 1000 calories a day or so at this point. Maybe a little less to maintain muscle and loose fat. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say because of all the extra calories burning and water I'm loosing​ I can be pretty loose with my food choices, what you guys think. Currently my diet is meal 1 high protein cereal, fairlife milk and peanut butter, snack is pbj on whole wheat (double peanut butter) lunch is ground turkey or beef, black beans, salsa, and tons of veggies and dinner is the same but bigger, some times I rotate meals but that's a average day. If you subtract vegies my carbs are only between 80-150 depending if I drank something other then water. But at least 3 times a week I do what I did last night which was probably 400gm carbs at that meal. If I add that all up and ÷7days it's like 225 per day average. Mind you I don't know what I'm really doing here I'm just trying to figure out the numbers. This is why I hate macros.

 

[fitfreak_CP]

I would stick to 20-30mins lover volume heavier compound lifts since your using your smaller muscle digging etc. this will allow you to build a big strong base with minimal exercises, better recovery, and in a shorter amount of time. I would also incorporate a shake or 2 at work with fruit, peanut butter, or oats in them or do Rich Piana real food to get calories in.

 

[Smont]

I would stick to 20-30mins lover volume heavier compound lifts since your using your smaller muscle digging etc. this will allow you to build a big strong base with minimal exercises, better recovery, and in a shorter amount of time. I would also incorporate a shake or 2 at work with fruit, peanut butter, or oats in them or do Rich Piana real food to get calories in.

I been lifting for 15 years on and off I built my base a long time ago although my legs took a hit when I broke my ankles a 2 years ago but other then that, I've been doing very low volume reps between 3-9 sense I started this job.

 

[Godstrength]

So I usually guess my calories and I assumed I've been eating around 3000 a day the past month and it's actually 2710. So that's a good idea of what I've been recopming or at least maintenance weighing 200lbs up to 4 days ago. I weigh myself once or twice a week first thing am and it's always 198-202.
This morning I was 193 after breakfast. So in the past 4 days I've lost 8-10 lbs and maybe more cus I had a burger fries and 3 beers for dinner. I hate calorie counting because it changes day to day drastically in construction but I'm gonna assume I need another 1000 calories a day or so at this point. Maybe a little less to maintain muscle and loose fat. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say because of all the extra calories burning and water I'm loosing​ I can be pretty loose with my food choices, what you guys think. Currently my diet is meal 1 high protein cereal, fairlife milk and peanut butter, snack is pbj on whole wheat (double peanut butter) lunch is ground turkey or beef, black beans, salsa, and tons of veggies and dinner is the same but bigger, some times I rotate meals but that's a average day. If you subtract vegies my carbs are only between 80-150 depending if I drank something other then water. But at least 3 times a week I do what I did last night which was probably 400gm carbs at that meal. If I add that all up and ÷7days it's like 225 per day average. Mind you I don't know what I'm really doing here I'm just trying to figure out the numbers. This is why I hate macros.

You're burning way more calories than you think. That's why I said when you have an opportunity when you're off work load up on the food and carbs especially to replenish your body. I never count calories. If I'm losing weight I need to eat more, if I'm gaining weight I need to eat less. This is speaking maintenance. If I'm trying to gain or lose same principle. That's how I adjust my diet

 

[Smont]

You're burning way more calories than you think. That's why I said when you have an opportunity when you're off work load up on the food and carbs especially to replenish your body. I never count calories. If I'm losing weight I need to eat more, if I'm gaining weight I need to eat less. This is speaking maintenance. If I'm trying to gain or lose same principle. That's how I adjust my diet

I added in 2 sandwich during the work day and eating out 3 nights a week before bed, like a pizza or a bunch of sushi. Gonna do that for the next 2 weeks and see what happens

 

[Caldwood]

I added in 2 sandwich during the work day and eating out 3 nights a week before bed, like a pizza or a bunch of sushi. Gonna do that for the next 2 weeks and see what happens

My secret weapon is low sodium beef jerky.. and looooots of it. And definitely the eating out part sometimes there is just no possible other way to get your calories.

 

[ctill0102]

I do construction 10hrs a day 6 days a week I usually train 3 or 4 day a week really hard. But just from work for someone my size I actually have a really strong back and shoulders

 

[Matt.]

Connecticut. I doubt I'll put on size just trying to recomp. I was gonna go on cycle for the first time in a long time, years. But once again life is pushing that back. I don't mind loosing a few pounds for summer either

My uncle owns his own mason business and I used to help tend. Ive always wondered what kind of gains u could get while cycling and doing intense labor like this??? I'd love to see some one log it.

 

[Smont]

My uncle owns his own mason business and I used to help tend. Ive always wondered what kind of gains u could get while cycling and doing intense labor like this??? I'd love to see some one log it.

I might do that once I get adjusted

 

[Godstrength]

My uncle owns his own mason business and I used to help tend. Ive always wondered what kind of gains u could get while cycling and doing intense labor like this??? I'd love to see some one log it.

The best thing about it is you have energy for days... I would work all day like a beast then go hit the gym after without really getting that exhausted feeling. The body just recovers easier.

 

[ericos_bob]

Also was involved in frequent heavy labour for a decade. Made gains from the work load. My forearms gre and my back became much thicker. You can soon tell which muscles are in greatest demand in your line of work. Chest development suffered as did my legs so I prioritized these muscles in training. As for caloric intake I'd require about 5000 calories ED to maintain 190-200lb@5'11. Would take an oat shake in to work. Coworkers would call it a bottle of vomit. Blended 200g oats, 1000ml milk, 40g WPI. Made for a quick 1500 calories at lunch break.

 

[Smont]

Despite loosing 10 lbs my back is noticable bigger in the past 3 weeks or so. My pulling strength is up and my pressing strength is down. Legs about the same. My workouts are changing little by little to suit my needs. Weight dropped from 203-188 and leveled off. Dropped a good amount of bf. Now I'm slowly adding more carbs. Added 50gm of carbs to breakfast and post workout, and a smoothie pre workout. I'm between 2900-3200 every day now so my maintenance is in that range. I'm happy where I'm at and gonna add 100 Cal per week for the next 6 weeks and see what happens

Sent from my KYOCERA-C6742A using AnabolicMinds mobile app