Night Workers [Archive] - the F O R V M

lifting4life

01-20-07, 4:08 am

I also work nights and am a advid weight lifter. Working nights is no different then being a day person. You have to be dedicated and want to live this lifestyle. That is what this is brother a different kind of lifestyle. I work Monday through Friday nights From 9:30pm to 5:30pm. I get home from work at 6 am and unwind til 7am. Take your shake before bed and wake up promptly at 3:30pm. While helping the kids with homework, I drink my shake, take my amino's, creatine, NO, within 45 minutes I am at my gym. (I built me a gym on my property with smith machine,angled back machine,seated calf machine,dumbells, and weights totaling 2,200 lbs,cable system ect.) I work out monday through friday with weekends to rest. I never miss workouts period. I have started doing squats twice a week to get my test up. I started lifting in march of 06 @ 180 lbs. I now weigh 199lbs. All my shirts have gone from a large to an XL. Im only 5 ft 8 so I have thickened up a bit. At the start of the week I plan what I am going to do for the week. I write it down
days,excersises,reps weights ect and "do it". Lift big with proper form and feel your muscles when lifting. Eat eat eat and you will grow.

hjayss

01-20-07, 5:23 am

I put in my gym in the basement all the basics because of my schedule I eat like 8 times a day. I need a squat rack, and leg press and I am good.

Arbalest

01-20-07, 1:13 pm

I work night And day shifts. My night shifts are 6pm-9am. Day shifts are 3pm-11pm. Crazy schedule, but it works with school.

Soo, i have to awake all day for school, and then a couple days a week stay up after school and work from 3pm-11pm.

of course i never work a 3-11 the same day that i worked a 6pm-9am. But they alternate so my body has a hard time adapting.

Days that i'm up longer than usual i eat 9-10 meals and usually 1000cals more than my maintenance (cutting). Lifting gets kinda tough sometimes, but i just suck it up and throw everything i have at it. Between sets i take short 2 min nap. lol jk

addiction543

04-27-07, 1:11 pm

i currently work part time at a retail store after school lets out. right now i ussually work about 20-25 hours a week on top of school. however, i have been asked if i would like to work at night (9-5 on average) i wouldn't be doing hard labor or anything just putting out new product and the like, and it means a pay increase of 2.00 an hour. My only concern is how will this affect my lifting and diet, so my question for all of you is what does your schedule look like (what time do you workout, sleep until, eat ect.)

ncsu06

04-27-07, 1:45 pm

i hear ya on the work and school and such....i go to school full time, work 2 jobs (one during the week and one on the weekend) and i wrestle....here is my schedule(alteast for this past semester

8:30 am - wake up
9:35 am - 3 pm - class
4 pm-lift/practice
7 pm - homework/nap
10 pm - 4 am work (i work at UPS loading trucks all night...this is some serious work)

This is just a general estimate for during the week....there are a few days were i would have some time to catch a nap between class and practice/lifts...

its a rough life...i don't recommend to anyone...i mean i go on no more than 5 hours of sleep a day..and as little at 3 hours....

training is still good though...i still get good gains (not as good as a full 8 hours of sleep a night would get me)....but to tell you the truth..you have to eat like an animal...i eat upwards of 8 times daily to keep myself fueled all day long...its life though got to love it....anything is possible when your an ANIMAL!! good luck bro

addiction543

04-27-07, 5:13 pm

damn man, that is a crazy schedule. respect for keeping it all together

ncsu06

04-28-07, 9:17 am

yea some people think it is insane...i think it is normal...i have to survive and pay bills...i just do what i have to do....but stick in there man...it will be rough for the first part..then after that..you'll be just fine...Animals always prevail!!! good luck bro

BigBlueBear

04-28-07, 11:13 am

I've been on nights for about 2 years now and it ain't too dern bad. Unfortunately I've got twin boys, so I gotta be around the house a good bit to help out with that too... so my schedule is pretty strict. Personally, I'd love to workout before I head to work, but instead I do it after work. I'm usually a decent bit tired at that point... but with a dose of Pump I'm good to go. Anyways, here's how my schedule looks.

Noon - 1pm : Wake up, take my Pak / Cuts.

1:30pm - 2pm : First meal

2pm - 5pm : Run errands, take care of boys

5pm : Snag a footlong at Subway most times, eat only 6" (save rest)

5:30 - 9pm : More twin time, clean up for work around 8:30

10pm : At work, third meal, second dose of Cuts

2am - 2:30 am : Fourth meal

5:30am - 6am : Fifth meal, take my Pump

6:30am - 8am : Workout

8:30 am : Sleep

I know... I ain't getting much sleep. With my boys, I don't have that luxury. But also on nights, there's a dern good chance you're gonna find you don't get more than 6-7 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, most of the world doesn't even know nightshift exists, much less care.

So those nice little phone calls at 11am when you're dead asleep are always fun. I don't really ever recall half of them. Hell... my boss once called me and I told him I loved him I guess. *shrug* Least that's what he tells me.

Anyways, if you don't have much tying you down (ie school, children) I'd give it a good go. You can balance it, it's just damn tough.

Pokoritel

04-29-07, 1:03 am

I wake up 4-5 am showering and preparing my meals etc... I usually study in the mornings for like 2 hours and late at night for 2 hours after my trainings.

During the day I attend my classes, and then to work at the fam bus. Work ends at 8, and then I hit the gym right away. During all that I get in my meals. Thats it.

***WTM***

04-29-07, 3:03 am

I work a modified night schedual ( swing shift )

Wake up around 10 am ( if wife is home and can watch the girls ) if not then I wake up around 8:30.

10:00 am-eat breakfast
1:00 pm - first lunch
4:00 pm - second lunch ( and start work )
7:00 pm - pre-workout meal
8:30 pm - workout 45 mins
9:30 pm - post workout meal
12:00am - dinner
2:30 am - shake or whatever I can find and go home
3:15 - go to bed

Its rough. I work Friday - Monday 4:00 pm - 0230 am and if I am lucky get 6 good hours of sleep. On my days off tues, wed, thurs I try and keep normal bedtime hours ike the rest of the world Two of my work days off are usually two of my workout days off.

Its a unorthodox schedual but I have been doing it now going on 2 years so I guess it works for me. you just have to adjust your hours from wake up to bedtime like any normal person would do working day time hours.

digitalbeast

05-02-07, 10:51 am

JMC

05-02-07, 11:19 am

I worked a night shift for a couple years a few ago. What worked for me was work, get off at 730, home, supps, hit the gym, home, eat, sleep, wake up, rinse and repeat....it was fun while it lasted I guess.

Rags

05-02-07, 4:41 pm

Just as the title reads. I am 99% sure that I landed this job, my interview went extremely well. I will be the nightshift lead of an IT group at a local hospital. My hours will be from 12AM-8AM.

Does anyone currently work the graveyard shift? If so any tips on when you go to bed, eat, train ect... would be mucho apreciated.

I am mainly curious if I should be going to bed as soon as I get off work or going to train and then bed. I am also a little concerned about meals at night too. It wont be hard for me to get them but just the whole eating at night thing bothers me lol.

I used to work the GY shift. I used to work then come home an sleep. I usually got 6-8 hours sleep. Then i ate a small meal, showered then trained for an hour or so, took another shower came home to see the g/f for awhile.

I think the hardest part was getting my body to adjust. especially to the time change of eatting. At night i just wasnt hungry, But when i was tryng to sleep my body was craving the food.

Really what you do will depend on your situation and your body. Will it be easier for you to go right to the gym, or come home an sleep.

Hikeon3

05-02-07, 7:47 pm

I nap before and after. Then gym after my post-work nap. But I don't work graveyard every day. It's sporadic for me.

Travis

05-02-07, 7:50 pm

There's a member on here named Nightshift search him and his log I'm sure he'd be happy to help you.

Narcissist

05-02-07, 9:06 pm

I work nights and l also listen to my body all the time. usu. I'll hit the iron right when I get off. but on some days when Im really dragging it I'll go home sleep 6 or 7 hours wake up and then hit it. just depends. you learn that if you want progress and you work nights its imperative to listen to your body esp. with the lack of sleep always being an issue.my 2 cents.

madlib

05-03-07, 7:49 pm

i work something like that too putting product out and working the warehouse moving big ass shit. Sometimes i just feel out of it and get some sleep and hit the morning. I just use those as my "rest" days, so my week isnt planned.
Also the eating at night thing... your body will get used to it, at least mine did.

The Epidemic

07-08-07, 7:36 pm

I just started working nights part time , and im going to full time really soon.

my hours will be 11-7am
How do you guys train/eat?

***WTM***

07-08-07, 7:47 pm

I work swing shift ( 4 pm - 2:30 am) and just start my day a little later than everyone else.

Usually get up around 10 am and eat.

From there eat about every 2 1/2 - 3 hours up until about 1 am and that is usuallly my last meal unless I hit up a few tbsp's of PB when I get home.

I train about 8:30 pm every night on my lunch/breaks and it gives me 45 minutes to an hour of intense training.

My advice would be to take an opposite approach to your days compared to the 9-5 crowd. Eat and maybe train earlier, then work and go to bed as opposed to everyone else who might eat, work, train, and go to bed.

Bottom line is, is that you have to find what works best for YOU through some trial and error and make sure you are getting in your FOOD and SLEEP!

Bam Bam

07-08-07, 7:49 pm

I am currently working nights also. My hours are 10pm to 5am. As soon as I get off I slam down a protein shake and hit the sack. I usually let my body wake up on its own and that is around 1230. At this time I hit the gym. Still eat normally every 2 hours. One thing that I find that helps is a nap. Ill take an hour or two to sleep around 5 or 6 oclock. It takes some getting used to since you are eating meals at like 3 in the morning. I am still able to put on good weight and have excellent workouts with the weird schedule. I found that I can also get in up to 8 meals with this schedule. DOnt know how that works. Once you get used to it its a breeze.

TufffGuY

07-08-07, 8:05 pm

I usaully take a nap about 1 hour after my workout, right after I slam my real gains, I think it helps a lot too.

jonsbsn

07-09-07, 2:07 am

The hardest thing for me (as it seems for a lot of you night workers) is getting quality sleep! ARGH! Right now I'm at work actually :-)... the days I do nights (3 a week) I do this:

Wake up and eat around 5pm
Eat again at 7pm
Go to work at 9 so I pound down a shake before I leave.
My first chance to eat at work is midnight so I cram down some ready rice and chicken (lots of it)
I eat again at about 3:30 or 4am (more ready rice and maybe some tuna)
My last meal I can get in at 7:30am which is a protein shake and a huge bowl of oatmeal.
I go to bed at 8 and sleep again until about 5.

This works because I work out the day after my night shift threw the day before my first night, giving me 5 days of working out.

I've been blessed with a job I can eat every 3 or so hours.

Nightshift

07-09-07, 3:00 am

I've been doin nights for about a year and a half. The funny thing is I kind of screwed things up for myself gaining about 15lbs of fat. LOL I even consulted an IFBB Fitness/Figure pro about how to deal with the nutrition aspect. I didn't take into consideration my slow metabolism. Live and Learn. This is what I have come up with.

Meal 1 - Between 7-9 pm
Meal 2 - 12:30am
Meal 3 - Between 3-4am
Workout 6-7am
Meal 4 - Around 7:15am
Meal 5 - Around 10am

Some times I workout in the evenings around 8ish, so I re-jig the schedule to fit.

The Epidemic

07-09-07, 9:14 am

I think training either right before 9pm or rite after work 730am is going to best for me. I always have bad afternoon workouts

The Epidemic

07-26-07, 7:02 pm

Traiing around 8.30 to 9.30pm and eatting and showering then going to work at 11p it really working//.

We know about force feeding, what about force sleeping/rest. I cant get a full 8 hrs, maybe 5-7hr.. I just wake up

The Epidemic

07-26-07, 7:05 pm

What can i do for more engrey at work.. My shiftis 11-7.. around 5-6a im sdoo tired.. I have been taking 2 scoops of storm mixed in a gallon of water.. Can I 'OD" on storm?

xman

07-27-07, 1:35 pm

i work at a gym here in nor-cal. its 24hrs a day so i work the night time and i love it cuz no one cares if i eat every 2 hrs. cuz theres usually no one there and then wen i get off at 6 in the mourn i train a lady and then a dude till 12 so its pritty awesome money. and i love working nights cuz wen it clears out at 2 in the mourn. I WORK OUT!!!xXx

spyderman4g63

07-27-07, 4:00 pm

Slivovica

07-28-07, 12:57 pm

Ive been working night shift doing security for the last 2 years i find i eat way more when im on shift than days off we have a little hut with a kitchen and fridge so i normally load up schedule goes something like this

6pm- get to work
7pm- down a shake
9pm- meal 1
11.30pm- meal 2
1am-down another shake
3am- meal 3
5am- meal 4
6am- leave work get home bout 6.30 have another shake n hit the sack sleep till about 12.30-1.00pm then hit the gym by time i get back at about 3pm as its a fair drive from me its time to get my meals and stuff ready for work then at 6pm do it all again.

Ive got half a gym setup just a power cage atm and a bench need a few more things before i can really utilise it would be so advantageous having a home gym roll out of bed then train and go back for another nap before heading to work!

Medford

07-28-07, 1:11 pm

I'm glad to be off of the night shifts. It was difficult to sleep during the day. I used to work until 2 am and then train at 3 am, the 24 hour gym still had a few people in it training at that time

Slivovica

07-28-07, 4:35 pm

I hear ya medford as i write this its saturday night/sunday morning and im stuck at work on the docks times like this night shifts arent fun :P

widdlewade44

07-28-07, 5:39 pm

Gotta love taking in all those calories though during the working, waking hours. That an awesome bulking diet. I had a name tag I made (in the USMC) on night shift called the Night Prowler (from AC/DC); Cause we sleep in the day...

Good luck, peace.

Kevin
widdlewade44

widdlewade44

07-28-07, 5:43 pm

Shifts are weird.

3 days on
3 days off
3 days on
3 days off
3 nights on
3 nights off
3 nights on
3 nights off

I still haven't figured out how I am going to adjust my training and eating. I do know that I will be working 10 hour shifts with a 1 hour lunch. Not sure If I will be able to sneak some food in or not. I hope so, I haven't gone more than 3 hours with out food in a long time. I think it would be better if I was on straight night shifts. At least my body could some what adjust.

That's a crazy schedule but you could really have intense workouts on the off days (from work) and eat like a fiend constantly and hopefully catch up on some rest (from the gym) during the on days. Like I said, I think the cooler is going to become your new best friend. Good luck, peace.

Kevin
widdlewade44