Early AM workouts + 12hr-14hr days of Physical work. Advice Needed!

Hi guys

Firstly I will admit I haven't really done a decent search to find out info I can use for my situation, I've only had a quick search and general browse.

Basically, I've been working a pretty physical job for 3-4yrs now, when I first started I dropped from 102Kg Fat to 89kg less fat and a lot more strength and conditioning to the work I do. I only started training properly in the gym last year around July. Did a couple of PT sessions and bootcamps to help my confidence in being in a gym and learning exercises/how to actually lift correctly. Since then my strength has increased quite a bit and I've gained a cm here and there on muscles but I haven't actually lost much body fat. I've tried eating a little less, eating a little more, eating a lot more and numerous different supps to see what helped where. But since January after getting back from overseas I seem to have hit a wall, I can't seem to shed any body fat at all and only just this week have I broken some PB's in lifting heavier.

Personally one problem I think I have is Training at 3:30am then going to work at 5am and working for 12-14hrs straight. My work pretty much feels like a prolonged 12hr outdoor workout, lifting and dragging all day and working in 39+ degree heat with big humidity.

Can anyone give me any advice as to what I can do to start seeing progress physically again?!

PS My diet is pretty clean and I'm not taking any sups at the moment. Any extra info need just ask

The hours are not the problem.

Your training needs to be progressing as in getting stronger over a long period of time.

You have only been back training science January. Its a few months. You need to stick at this for years.

With diet. Count calories and macros to see where you are at then go from there.

Bazza20 said:

The hours are not the problem.

Your training needs to be progressing as in getting stronger over a long period of time.

You have only been back training science January. Its a few months. You need to stick at this for years.

With diet. Count calories and macros to see where you are at then go from there.

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From what I've worked out, calories are around about 2400-2500 on a daily basis, unsure of macros though. I've never really sat down and worked them out. If I'm trying to lose body fat and gain lean muscle should I be aiming for pretty similar to what I would burn in a day or less or am I thinking too much into it? After wearing a heart rate monitor for a day at work I burnt 2600 calories on a bigger than average day - not including my workout or outside work hours

The only reason I was worried about the hours I work is am I getting the adequate rest my body would need to repair. Eg- Training upper body in the morning and feeling pretty fatigued after a workout then going to work and having to lift all day while fatigued and basically struggling like a bitch but having to dig deep to get the job done.

Tim89 said:

From what I've worked out, calories are around about 2400-2500 on a daily basis, unsure of macros though. I've never really sat down and worked them out. If I'm trying to lose body fat and gain lean muscle should I be aiming for pretty similar to what I would burn in a day or less or am I thinking too much into it? After wearing a heart rate monitor for a day at work I burnt 2600 calories on a bigger than average day - not including my workout or outside work hours

The only reason I was worried about the hours I work is am I getting the adequate rest my body would need to repair. Eg- Training upper body in the morning and feeling pretty fatigued after a workout then going to work and having to lift all day while fatigued and basically struggling like a bitch but having to dig deep to get the job done.

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Don't stress about the hours or the work. You body adapts. Look at it as a positive, you can eat more without turning into a fat shit.

With diet. Aim for 2-3g of protein per kg BW.

Start calories at around 3000. And keep the same for 2-3 weeks. Weigh yourself after 2-3 weeks. If you haven't dropped any weight drop calories by 200. If you have dropped more the .5kg a week, increase it by 200. If you have lost between .25 -.5 kg week keep calories the same. Repeat this every couple weeks.

Don't try and rush this and don't be in a hurry to cut calories too low.

I was in the same boat Tim as well. Doing 12 hour days can be hard...especially in the heat.
Have you tried working out after a days work? Me personally I couldn't do a workout after waking up, much prefer to work out after the days work.
I used and app, my fitness pal for counting calories..... I think someone here mentioned about it. Also heaps of info in the diet section which I found useful as well.
Cheers

I've tried working out after work but failed unless it was after night shift. I did find my body was more warmed up after a day at work but I function a lot better working out in the am. Just found I could put in a lot more. And yeah I've for a a couple of apps to use for macro and calorie counting so I'll start using those

I'm the same. Can't stand working out after work. Do all my own workouts in the AM. Apart from footy training which has to be after work.

This was my situation.
Getting up at 430am to train
7am work start
6pm work finish
Home at 7pm
I couldn't get to sleep early because my husband's shifts would wake me so bedtime was 1030pm.

Sounds like typical minesite life

I'm about the same, train just after 3 usually but eventually need a sleep in, so have a rest day and switch to pm training. Usually pretty late though, gym is packed straight after work. The way I see it, I get the same amount of sleep, it's just a lot harder to get up at 3.

Night shift is no dramas, seem to be able to get by with a lot less sleep

Whats your shift pattern like?

I too woke up at about 3am or so to hit the gym in the camp when i was out at the mines, fking hell it was hard though.

I was on a 5 on 5 off roster, so i just trained on my off days.

Throw up the diet dude.

I've always been a morning person and never really needed a lot of sleep to function. Any more than 7 and I've overslept. 5 is the usual amount I get. My roster is usually two weeks of dayshift, switch to nights for two weeks then two weeks off at home.

Did 4/2 when I started years ago. 8/6 (days, not weeks) now, love it!

Tim89 said:

I've always been a morning person and never really needed a lot of sleep to function. Any more than 7 and I've overslept. 5 is the usual amount I get. My roster is usually two weeks of dayshift, switch to nights for two weeks then two weeks off at home.

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2 weeks of nightshift, is that solid?

:SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I used to. Straight from start to finish, your 'day off' is the 24hr shift change, that's it for a month

Bloody hell, if I tried going 5am from full on sleep to training hard within the space of an hour or so I think I might have a heart attack!
(non morning person checking in here. Even though I train at mornings, but at a more civilised time at 10am)

That's why I love my roster, home every second week with pretty much nothing to do but eat and train... You'd think I'd be making better gainz!

Test-E said:

Throw up the diet dude.

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Will chuck up my diet over the next couple of days, I get to darwin wednesday arv and don't fly out until 1am Thursday morn. Airport hangs give me spare time

white_lie said:

Did 4/2 when I started years ago. 8/6 (days, not weeks) now, love it!

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What were/are you doing in Mining?

Headley said:

2 weeks of nightshift, is that solid?

:SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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Haha certainly is. Usual roster for me is 2 weeks dayshift, 24hr shift change then 2 weeks nightshift. Its not uncommon to do 4 weeks of nights though.. Thats when your diet/food intake gets really fucked up.

Jungman said:

Bloody hell, if I tried going 5am from full on sleep to training hard within the space of an hour or so I think I might have a heart attack!
(non morning person checking in here. Even though I train at mornings, but at a more civilised time at 10am)

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The only rule I ever tried to set and keep for myself was to never set an alarm with a 2 at the front. But I broke it a few times when I had to start earlier. Those days sucked

Drill and blast now. Spent a few years doing exploration drilling, had to improvise with training back in those days but was like going camping for a month at a time.