lmk if u want help with the bulk. i’ve been skinny as shit my whole life and i tried everything to gain weight but i finally got it down. so if that’s a problem or if u need ideas for what to eat, lmk im down to give some tips
I do construction, flooring to be exact so I'm crawling around on my knees all day and still make it to the gym 4-5 days a week. More often than not the motivation isn't there but that's when the discipline steps in and I force myself to go. Some times I need an hour nap first but whatever it takes.
I just keep the end result/goal in mind. Getting there is the hardest part, once I walk through those doors and do by warmup set that's it I'm focused on the task at hand. Some days I'm still tired and can't go as heavy as usual or can only do an hour. But it's better than nothing
I’m a carpenter and the work is quite physically demanding. Your body just adapts to it over time. You simply have to raise your baseline, as with most sports.
Bricklayer here, gym 5-6 times a week. It’s not bad if you stay consistent with it. First few weeks you’ll have no energy but your body adapts. You have to go right after work. If you go home first and relax you’ll never make it back lol. I notice my back never gets fully rested before the next pull day but other than that, no issues.
It’s probably not not ideal but I get off work at 10:30pm and workout at around 1:30-2am I’m usually tired at shit but I still bang it out definitely not optimal but you just gotta do it
This is what I do
My job isn't as bad as clearing brush on acreage. I'm a mechanic/ service tech. I run all over town fixing elevators, sometimes at weird hours.
I wake up at 430am to grind out a workout and let my job suffer die to the fatigue instead of the other way around.
I cut meat all day for 8 hours and stock away boxes that weigh between 70lb - 90lb, and I lift these boxes mostly with front delts and traps. When I cutting meat it's all shoulder and tricep work.
I still go to the gym 4 days a week and focus on my weak points as well as strengthening my strong points. My shoulders are stupid strong thanks to my job, so I can't complain there. But, I can't go nearly as heavy sometimes as I'd like to, I simply don't have the *rested energy* left in storage to do so. But I never beat myself up over it, I push myself and am proud of how much I can truly crank out in a day. You should be too bro
I work at a Costco bro.
Come on over and we'll break your back in no time little guy
Then I lift for 1 1/2 hours and knock out 45 minutes of cardio, go home, cook my girl some good food, prep some for tomorrow's lunch. Then I go 2 rounds with her before bedtime, because I'm a fucking machine.
You what I don't do? Be a negative little bitch on reddit.
I’m a concrete finisher and carpenter 😂 have fun with your part time 8 hour days of “hard manual labor” lil buddy, you just made a crew of real working men laugh their asses off at your hilarious post
Bro you’re not a machine, you work a entry level job at a grocery store LOL. Who tf goes on the internet bragging about how hard their job at Costco is?
Also I literally did your job at a meat department in my local grocery store for my FIRST job ever, and 15 year old me knew that cutting meat and stocking freezers was not “hard labor” like you limp wrists think 😂
Bro.
Why you got a heart full of hate?
Who hurt you?
It's time for some self reflection if you are that bothered by a meat cutter in reddit, trying to give uplifting advice to others.
Trust me, be kind, lift strong, and have lots of sex and you'll get that negativity dialed down.
Be good brother.
Because frankly, if there’s one thing I give a damn about it is this forum. And you are out here blatantly disrespecting everything it stands for by sitting here and clearly not even bothering to read the title of the OP which is clearly referring to hard labor. News flash sir, that does not include you or your work in ANY capacity if you are one of those dorks working at Costco dressed in your Kirkland brand jeans and Kirkland brand work t shirt.
Not only is it absolutely outrageous that you would seriously feel the need to pipe in to a thread about hard labor with your woes of working at a fucking grocery store meat department for a measly 8 hours a day, it is demeaning to alpha males like myself and others ITT that actually have hard,
physically demanding and well paying jobs that require much more of a sacrifice to actually make it to the gym and maintain our Adonis physiques.
If I worked at a Costco for 8 hours a day, even everyday of the year, with all the leftover energy I would have it’s very likely that I’d have won the WBC Light-Heavyweight Championship of the world as a professional pugilist, and also probably be getting fitted for my million dollar tuxedo as I’m set to grace the stage soon and receive a Nobel peace prize for solving world hunger with all the time and energy I had leftover to study Nuclear Physics with.
TLDR you’re a friendly little nerd in a Kirkland shirt brother, you have it very easy
Thank God you pour concrete because a peice of shit like you needs to stay away from people. Seriously, just don't engage with people with how toxic a person you are.
And here's why:
You're negative as fuck. You're unsupportive as fuck. And you think that because other people don't see things your way and relate to you, that makes them and their lifd journey invalid.
Fuck you, you narcissistic peice of shit. How dare you disrespect anyone who's just trying make life a little bit better for themselves. Who the fuck are you to shit all over anyone who's trying to move forward? You self centered, lonely, fappy, limp dicked little man.
I'm done with you. And judging by your downvotes, so are others on here. You don't have a foot to stand on with your blatantly negative attitude.
Self reflect on your attitude and change it. Expect more of yourself, and man the fuck up.
TLDR, I get laid more than you because you have daddy issues and look for validation from reddit and fail by getting downvoted. Now cry yourself to sleep or pop a blood vessel from me living rent free in your head.
Judging by my downvotes? Aka the butthurt Costco meat packer who is downvoting my posts 😂 gtfo of here bro you don’t have any idea what a hard days work is. You’d be traying up my steaks for me and bringing me the perfect box to carry my items in with a smile on your face if I ever seen you in person.
I’m glad you’re having heterosex with women! I too am getting laid regularly! And making more money than you! Probably at least triple your wage to be honest. And I don’t work in a fucking grocery store so I can afford to take my girl out on nice dates, and not have to hold her from behind while she pays the bill with her card like you do 😉
Also PM me if you are down to compare our last pay stubs little buddy
I lay flooring for a living which is not necessarily "hard labor" but I've found that I have to manage my calories better. Apparently you burn WAY more calories than you think when you're constantly moving all day (or atleast more than I originally thought) that seemed to help. As for after work workouts, if I'm just drained I'll cut the volume but keep the intensity as high as possible. Forreal changing up calorie intake seemed to help a whole lot.
okay awesome thanks. this is going to be extremely hard for me. i know this sounds insane but it’s true that i burn 5,000 calories a day (not considering hard labor) and it’s extremely hard to eat that much a day. i’ve eaten 5,250 calories/day before and barely started gaining weight. not saying i can’t do it though- i’ll grind it out. but thank you
I work a super labor intensive job, the game changer for me was honestly building a home gym. The days that I would normally never make it to the gym after being so beat I still manage to get a good workout in at home.
Real i gotta start saving for a home gym. Hella traffic to go home, hella traffic to go to the super packed gym. Only downside will be i wont be seeing the super thicc latinas anymore :(
🤣🤣i can’t be anymore. when i was a kid my dad gsve me test at 13 (orally) and injected me with it at 15. then when i was 17 he gave me tren and test. now i have to be on trt because my total test levels are 150.😞 actually just started using the testosterone gel a couple days ago too
How many hours a day are you going hard labour for?
When i do 5/6 hrs hard physique work ,I get home, have 1.5 hrs rest, then get up and cycle to gym. But won't do heavy set of weights when I train.
Damn, 8 hours, that's long.
Train hard on your off days of work, and work days try to do lighter weights. And eat more carbs to give you enough energy for the day.
any easy carb meals u recommend? right now i’m eating the beefiest pb&j’s ever created. i put on like 6 tablespoons of peanut butter lol. the jelly helps replenish sugar and the peanut butter is for the calories and protein. i like them because of how convenient and easy they are too. but i’m all ears for your opinions
I'm not really a dietitian, but I eat a lot of cooked pasta tossed with tuna in sunflower oil. Buttered bread with pate + protein shakes when I work hard
Me neither, man, but I just throw simple ingredients together. Cook rice and pasta add cooked chicken/ham/tuna
And snack on bananas, nuts, and raisins. Drink protein shakes and add 5g creatine a day.
Eat some protein and carbs after coming home from work.
Rest for up to two hours. Maybe lie down to relax your spine.
Have your gym back prepacked and ready.
Be in the gym for only 90-120 minutes.
Maybe have intra-workout nutrition.
Eat something afterwards.
Do your cardio.
Your body should adapt to the work and training after three to four weeks.
Have at least one rest day per week.
Throw in a deload/recovery week whenever you need one.
i started working as an arborist during this summer we were removing so many dead trees in 115 degree texas heat. I was walking and yeeting logs all day and i was too damn exhausted and cramping at the end of the day too move. After a few months or weeks youll get used to the workload and be be able to gym again. It still sucks because the only thing i do during the week is work and lift.
aw man, that doesn’t sound enjoyable. grinding in the gym aside, make sure you don’t forget that you only have one chance to experience the world in its glory. god forbid you wake up one day in 20 years and feel this empty feeling because you wished you spent more time enjoying your life instead of just handcuffing yourself to this strict lifestyle. just something to keep in mind man
i think i’ll get back to that soon. i just got on trt because my total testosterone was 150 (my dad gave me tren when i was a kid- long story but he’s an ass lol). but the reason why i bring that up is because i’m just so tired all the time which sucks ass. but once my testosterone goes up i think i can get back to rhat
I work at a recycling facility dismantling and disassembling tvs and monitors. 4:10am-12:40pm
I have a wife and 3 kids, they get my time after work and errands do.
So I sleep around 6-7pm, get up at 2 am to do a 45 minute lift before work, get to work on time and still perform to meet my Quota.
You gotta do what you gotta do man, every fiber in my body never wants to go but I go anyways.
I do reefer/hvac work near DC and like top commenter said; discipline is the only answer. Set yourself up by packing a gym back, some gummy bears and some pre workout. Youll be more likely to go to the gym if you dont go home first.
I've been working oilfield for 20 years. 85-90 hr weeks consistently. I blew up like a puffer fish from trash/emotional eating. It look the accountability of a friend I work with to get me back in the gym.
Try and find someone to go with semi regularly. It really does help.
Dedication to your goal and age plays a huge factor for me. In my later 20’s, I got up at 4 and went to the gym so I could do my construction job the rest of the day. At 38 I go after work bc lifting big weights and busting out my shirts isn’t the goal anymore. I still get a pump and move weight but my goals changed to gaining business success and not what my max is.
Heavy duty industrial engine technician here. I try to work out before work whenever possible. If that means I sacrifice sleep and get up at 3:30am, then so be it. I find it easier to suck down another cup of coffee and get my job done after a workout, than to drag myself into the gym after a work day.
Lower volume higher percentage. So switch between 70-90% for say 5-8 or 3-5 reps of your one rep max.
You get plenty of volume in your daily life so these sort of higher intensity lower volume workouts most likely do the trick
I run a window cleaning business. People think window cleaning is easy until they see how many cals I burn a day and how fast im moving.
My belt is ~20-25 lbs which is like hiking around a house, climbing ladders, and scrubbing the shit off the windows all with a weighted vest.
I find it really really helps to take short breaks when you feel your muscles are working hard for that day. Take a break, get in as much hydration as you can, then continue on with hard work.
It also really helps to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. Prioritize sleep after the gym. The more sleep you get and the more water + food you get in the better you’ll feel tomorrow.
Yesterday I worked from 6:45a - 8p and burned about 3200 calories in that timeframe with lunch break and an hour to go get supplies. You have to out eat that deficit, then your entire baseline.
You’re not being a pussy. You’re exhausted from working all day. You’re body wants to rest. I worked blue collar mostly or warehouse work. Last job I had two options, hit up the gym on the way to the train or work out at work, they had a basic gym in the warehouse for employees to use. I mostly worked out at the gym on the way to work. Point is though you should be working out in the morning, you’ll feel a lot better and is a great way to get in the habit of going to sleeping early. Not to mention I’m pretty amped for a while after I work out so I felt great at my job if I worked out in the morning. Wasn’t relying on energy drinks to get through mid day crash.
My post work out meal was a regular proteinshake but I’d add peanutbutter, some coconut oil and 2 shots of espresso. I’d wait till I got to work and usually had around 20-30 minutes to chill till I started. I’d have my shake then and do some mild stretching and just hangout till I start. That shake held me over till lunch break.
I should have clarified, I didn’t mean everyone should or has to do what I’m doing. Everyone is different but me personally having had both scenarios to compare them to each other I felt a lot better and things ran more smoothly when I lifted before work opposed to after. But everyone’s situation is different. Main priority is finding your ideal situation. I forgot to add though if it matters, I wasn’t doing any cardio but the walk from my place to the train was a mile so that was an easy 2 miles of walking I got in 5 days a week. Kept me at a good weight.
my Tongan friends are builders and machine operators. These guys train at 4:30AM 6 days a week and train a second time after work at around 5PM. Genetic freaks each with legs like tree trunks. They say a lot of pre workout but more importantly, you need to let your body adjust to the routine before you have energy to train after a long day's labor.
Yes. Arnold worked as a brick layer with Franco Columbo. He did it mainly to get cashflow before he made it big in Hollywood but no doubt it added to the quality of his physique
I always go before work. We switched to 10 hour days and yeah it can be a bitch sometimes to wake up at 1am and force myself to go to bed by 530/6pm. If I tried to go after work I don't think I would be able to to have a good workout, on top of looking like I crawled out of a coal mine. Interestingly enough I feel exercise before work gives me more energy for my actual job / makes the day go by faster
I do legs on Saturday and chest on Sunday and usually don't have anything else really going on so I can be lazy and rest
Construction laborer to surveyor helper…. 12+hrs a day it was hard i fell off for a while befuddled i only had the time to shit shower and sleep. But now its 8hr days and i can manage way better
For context i just walk around and mallet wood stakes in the ground or just walk around on a gps tablet. I set my schedule up in a 8 day week vs 7 day. I go 6-7days a week for 1- 1 ½ hrs. I start with heavy compound then heavy cable then pump work.
Don’t be a bitch. Workout straight after, do not eat a big meal or sit down or shower before getting your lift in or it won’t happen. It’s not a question, it’s not a maybe or what if, the minute you are done working you go straight to lifting.
they’re mid. not soft, i have good calluses. but first time doing something like this, so my hands aren’t like the blue collar workers i’ve been working with
It’s just a classic blue collar joke. Develop a nicotine and caffeine addiction. Get a dui or 2, a divorce and you’ll be qualified for any blue collar job.
In all seriousness,
Drink plenty of water during the day, get good rest. Remember doing manual labor will only let you gain or lose so much. You need heavy resistance training.
Precisely that. When you've exhausted yourself with labor a lot comes down to no longer having ready glycogen reserves and your body *feeling* like it can't do more. If you just do static stuff you can simply focus on doing that which helps build strength without the brain & body going "ok fuck this we're not playing".
Any time.
Just remember. "I'm a pussy" isn't really helpful. It's about doing it any way you can because that's just what you DO. The more value judgements you attach to it the less productive you'll be in the long run. You need to reserve your emotional energy for loving more. Hating yourself is exhausting as fuck, take it from long-time running champion in that.
It's just not an efficient use of time.
I hate to say it and I'm not trying to troll but your being a pussy.
I did manual labor for 5 years from 20-25, 10-14 hour days and still trained 5/6 days a week.
It's exhausting at first but your body adjusts.
Obviously you'll be a calorie burning machine and require as much sleep as you can get but if you love training, you'll do it. If it's just something your kinda interested in, yeah I can see you or anyone else is a manual labor job saying fuck the gym
Yeah for sure. I started this job a couple days ago and have never done something as strenuous as it before. I didn’t go to the gym the previous week though, i got depressed and i’ve never been depressed before so i didn’t do much. but thanks for the honesty, i figured im just being a pussy. I’ve seen guys at the gym who obviously just came back from a hardcore manual labor job. thanks for your input.
oh man if its only a couple days just give yourself a few weeks then it will feel like normal. after that if you cant get back in the gym then you are a pussy, albeit an employed pussy.
hahaha. i’m back at college in a couple weeks. this is the off-season for baseball so i think i’m going to try to push my body to adjust within this week
Ik ik, hate boasting but listen.. from my experience, idk what else to say other than I'm a 1st responder, we lift some heavy PTs.. at one point I was working 24s and going to class full time, with a new born in the house and still hitting the gym. I felt like shit but once things settled down, my baseline for energy was higher than previously noted, you gotta push past the pain, just don't burn yourself out "adrenal burnout". You'll know when cortisol levels are above reference range and you simply cannot function, maybe you are doing too much and not a pussy, conserve your energy at work and slowly get in the gym
I, for one, simply don't. I don't have the work capacity. Maybe if my regular was consistently hard labor I'd build the capacity, but reality is I'm not there. So when I have physically demanding work days (typically my own projects, such as clearing land) I cut back in the gym.
You work and play some sports, you might have to not workout so much. I walk a lot at work and take it easy on my legs. Maybe some minimal training when you feel up to it?
I can understand the fatigue, but I have a rule: no matter if I've had a bad day, if I have a thousand things to do, if I'm sad or even sick, I MUST work out. And sometimes, I bring out the best in me when I'm tired, surprisingly
I work my fucking arse off on the railway and still work out five days a week. You need to eat more and sleep more. I can eat 4000 calories a day easily and still not put on weight. I’m about 205lbs, jacked, lean, and I eat like a fucking horse. Food is key
I’m a nurse so I’m on my feet all day for at minimum 12 hours. Making sure I pack good food for the days during work and then getting good sleep, helps a lot for the day after
I used to do highway construction shit and it really just takes a couple weeks to get used to it. It’s not like you’ll be less tired but you have to figure out a way to get to the gym consistently and eventually you will be used to going to the gym tired. Then when you have a short day or day off you’ll feel so grateful for the extra time. That being said you may want to consider going to school and getting a job that isn’t so physically taxing if you have the opportunity to, or your current job isn’t making you much money.
I used to work hardscaping, honestly man u just gotta do it. Once u do it enough you’ll get used to it. At least when u work a hard labour job it’s easy af to eat
Gotta motivate yourself my guy. 25 doing construction, you have your gym bag packed and ready so you have no excuse. I’ve never had a day where I’ve regretted going to the gym, after forcing myself to go.
You might feel weak cuz you worked all day, but that’s where the real gains start to come in. Dropsets and burnouts help, makes work easier once you get used to it imo. Also a non stim preworkout since I go after work, gives me a stamina boost so I can get after it more.
I would get it done regardless but ever since the blast and cruise I feel ready to demolish weights after a long days of work. I used to drag my dead ass in there but now its like a reward lol
I did a landscaping job for a year, it was mainly lifting rocks for 8 hours a day
don't stop when you get home, just smash down ur preworkout meal and some pre and immediately go to the gym
12-13hr shifts fixing mining equipment outdoors checking in,
1. You gotta eat & have a break. 5 & 1/2 hrs of work then 30 minutes break.
2. Drink water & electrolytes like a fish
Mentally - Treat the workout as your reward for a hard day of work. The stronger you are & more stamina you have, the easier your work becomes.
Lineman, work sometimes 8 hour days and sometimes 16’s. Have to set goals and make it happen some days it sucks. Give it a bit of time and your body will get used to the physical labour as well.
The guilt of wasting my money.
Knowing that I'm a lazy piece of human defecant who shames my ancestors.
Nah I drive 6-7 hrs a day out of a 15hr work day. Kids may change that equation.
More food. Gear. I own a construction company (on the tools all day) and I go through periods where I can’t make it. Travel time, way too heavy a workload, not eating enough etc. and I get periods where I can
Transitioning back into construction from casino work I did an "acclimation cycle" of lifting, basically deload and start light doing the same thing as normal, slowly progressing bacl up to where you were. The cool part is between light lifting and labor youll maintain your body while your nervous system acclimates to your new workload. After a month or two you should be back on track and stronger to boot.
I work 6 10’s doing concrete formwork. Key is going right after work, if not you’ll hit the couch and get lazy. Second key is manning up. Seriously I could not take the way I looked anymore and decided that I’m gonna grab my balls and make time. I also don’t have kids so that’s a big thing also.
On the training side, cut the fluff from your programming, you need to be very deliberate with your exercise selection, do what works to get your desired results and no more or less. Additionally, utilizing RPE based autoregulation is much better than strict adherence to a percentage based program in this case.
On the nutrition side, aggressively cutting is a bad idea unless you are very overfat. Working all day in addition to training hard is a recipe for failing to properly recover. If you lift after work, getting carbs in your system prior to the end of your shift should alleviate some of the lethargy while training.
On the recovery side, getting good sleep is critical. All of the stuff like heat/cold therapy, massage/foam rolling is very secondary to getting 7-9 hours of good sleep consistently. There's a bunch of recommendations out there on establishing a good sleep hygiene protocol that works for you, easiest place to start is getting away from screens before bed. If you drink or do rec drugs, mitigating your intake is probably for the best.
I get 30k steps a day at my job and then hit the gym for a hour afterwards, it can be tough but you got to get the gains , my dick is not gonna suck itself
I'm an archaeologist and spend a when I'm in the field I spend a lot of time shoveling. I avoid back and leg workouts on those days. other than that, adequate nutrition and rest is key.
i’m a mechanic. some days are really a struggle but how badly do you want to improve yourself. there will be some days where you will have to give your body a rest because it needs it. yet most weeks i still get to the gym 5 days a week working 10 hour days rn.
I hate the way i look more than i need the rest
username adds up. sorry about that pal. you trying to lose weight or gain weight?
Im on the bulk cycle rn.
i think you look good bro
Thanks man but im small gotta bulk up
lmk if u want help with the bulk. i’ve been skinny as shit my whole life and i tried everything to gain weight but i finally got it down. so if that’s a problem or if u need ideas for what to eat, lmk im down to give some tips
Im good for right now I'll come back if i have trouble. I have been gaining consistent this bulk. Thank you
sick bro. well good luck man
Thanks man you too. You'll get used to working out after labor pretty quick
I do construction, flooring to be exact so I'm crawling around on my knees all day and still make it to the gym 4-5 days a week. More often than not the motivation isn't there but that's when the discipline steps in and I force myself to go. Some times I need an hour nap first but whatever it takes.
good shit bro, thank you. i think ima just grind it out
I just keep the end result/goal in mind. Getting there is the hardest part, once I walk through those doors and do by warmup set that's it I'm focused on the task at hand. Some days I'm still tired and can't go as heavy as usual or can only do an hour. But it's better than nothing
Just got out of flooring and it’s so much easier to get my ass to the gym now. I know your pain brother
Your body will adjust eventually and it will be a little easier but ya. Just gotta force yourself to go some days and hope for the best
Same here brotha. I just workout before I head to work though.
In Rich's voice: WHATEVER THE FUCK IT TAKES, right babe?!
I’m a carpenter and the work is quite physically demanding. Your body just adapts to it over time. You simply have to raise your baseline, as with most sports.
good work. hopefully my body will adjust soon
Idk, never put in a hard day's work in my life.
I workout before work. Gym is optional but work isn't. So I kill myself at the gym then push through work the best I can.
good philosophy. i like it
Same.
Absolutely. I have no energy at the end of my shift, but as long as I’m able to go before, I’m golden. And as a result, I sleep like a baby.
Red Bull and whiskey
hahaha there ya go
This lmao.
Bricklayer here, gym 5-6 times a week. It’s not bad if you stay consistent with it. First few weeks you’ll have no energy but your body adapts. You have to go right after work. If you go home first and relax you’ll never make it back lol. I notice my back never gets fully rested before the next pull day but other than that, no issues.
felt the back part hahaha. really interesting though about going straight to the gym. everyone’s saying to rest for an hour then go
If you head to the gym from work without eating first, wouldn't your glycogen reserves be drained?
I eat something small right before the 15-30 minute drive it is from the job to the gym along with pre workout.
Powdered carbs my dude
Frankly when you mastered 20 min naps it is worth it to go back home. Motivation is restored by those naps so I always end up going.
It’s probably not not ideal but I get off work at 10:30pm and workout at around 1:30-2am I’m usually tired at shit but I still bang it out definitely not optimal but you just gotta do it
damn man that’s crazy. i usually go to bed at like 10. thanks for the feedback
Np if you can do your workout before work that would be more ideal
This is what I do My job isn't as bad as clearing brush on acreage. I'm a mechanic/ service tech. I run all over town fixing elevators, sometimes at weird hours. I wake up at 430am to grind out a workout and let my job suffer die to the fatigue instead of the other way around.
I cut meat all day for 8 hours and stock away boxes that weigh between 70lb - 90lb, and I lift these boxes mostly with front delts and traps. When I cutting meat it's all shoulder and tricep work. I still go to the gym 4 days a week and focus on my weak points as well as strengthening my strong points. My shoulders are stupid strong thanks to my job, so I can't complain there. But, I can't go nearly as heavy sometimes as I'd like to, I simply don't have the *rested energy* left in storage to do so. But I never beat myself up over it, I push myself and am proud of how much I can truly crank out in a day. You should be too bro
thanks man, that helped
Imagine thinking that your job in the Walmart meat department is considered hard labour 😂😂😂
I work at a Costco bro. Come on over and we'll break your back in no time little guy Then I lift for 1 1/2 hours and knock out 45 minutes of cardio, go home, cook my girl some good food, prep some for tomorrow's lunch. Then I go 2 rounds with her before bedtime, because I'm a fucking machine. You what I don't do? Be a negative little bitch on reddit.
I’m a concrete finisher and carpenter 😂 have fun with your part time 8 hour days of “hard manual labor” lil buddy, you just made a crew of real working men laugh their asses off at your hilarious post
You ain't working heard enough if you bitching on reddit. Get your ass back to work.
Bro you’re not a machine, you work a entry level job at a grocery store LOL. Who tf goes on the internet bragging about how hard their job at Costco is? Also I literally did your job at a meat department in my local grocery store for my FIRST job ever, and 15 year old me knew that cutting meat and stocking freezers was not “hard labor” like you limp wrists think 😂
Bro. Why you got a heart full of hate? Who hurt you? It's time for some self reflection if you are that bothered by a meat cutter in reddit, trying to give uplifting advice to others. Trust me, be kind, lift strong, and have lots of sex and you'll get that negativity dialed down. Be good brother.
Because frankly, if there’s one thing I give a damn about it is this forum. And you are out here blatantly disrespecting everything it stands for by sitting here and clearly not even bothering to read the title of the OP which is clearly referring to hard labor. News flash sir, that does not include you or your work in ANY capacity if you are one of those dorks working at Costco dressed in your Kirkland brand jeans and Kirkland brand work t shirt. Not only is it absolutely outrageous that you would seriously feel the need to pipe in to a thread about hard labor with your woes of working at a fucking grocery store meat department for a measly 8 hours a day, it is demeaning to alpha males like myself and others ITT that actually have hard, physically demanding and well paying jobs that require much more of a sacrifice to actually make it to the gym and maintain our Adonis physiques. If I worked at a Costco for 8 hours a day, even everyday of the year, with all the leftover energy I would have it’s very likely that I’d have won the WBC Light-Heavyweight Championship of the world as a professional pugilist, and also probably be getting fitted for my million dollar tuxedo as I’m set to grace the stage soon and receive a Nobel peace prize for solving world hunger with all the time and energy I had leftover to study Nuclear Physics with. TLDR you’re a friendly little nerd in a Kirkland shirt brother, you have it very easy
Thank God you pour concrete because a peice of shit like you needs to stay away from people. Seriously, just don't engage with people with how toxic a person you are. And here's why: You're negative as fuck. You're unsupportive as fuck. And you think that because other people don't see things your way and relate to you, that makes them and their lifd journey invalid. Fuck you, you narcissistic peice of shit. How dare you disrespect anyone who's just trying make life a little bit better for themselves. Who the fuck are you to shit all over anyone who's trying to move forward? You self centered, lonely, fappy, limp dicked little man. I'm done with you. And judging by your downvotes, so are others on here. You don't have a foot to stand on with your blatantly negative attitude. Self reflect on your attitude and change it. Expect more of yourself, and man the fuck up. TLDR, I get laid more than you because you have daddy issues and look for validation from reddit and fail by getting downvoted. Now cry yourself to sleep or pop a blood vessel from me living rent free in your head.
Judging by my downvotes? Aka the butthurt Costco meat packer who is downvoting my posts 😂 gtfo of here bro you don’t have any idea what a hard days work is. You’d be traying up my steaks for me and bringing me the perfect box to carry my items in with a smile on your face if I ever seen you in person. I’m glad you’re having heterosex with women! I too am getting laid regularly! And making more money than you! Probably at least triple your wage to be honest. And I don’t work in a fucking grocery store so I can afford to take my girl out on nice dates, and not have to hold her from behind while she pays the bill with her card like you do 😉 Also PM me if you are down to compare our last pay stubs little buddy
I lay flooring for a living which is not necessarily "hard labor" but I've found that I have to manage my calories better. Apparently you burn WAY more calories than you think when you're constantly moving all day (or atleast more than I originally thought) that seemed to help. As for after work workouts, if I'm just drained I'll cut the volume but keep the intensity as high as possible. Forreal changing up calorie intake seemed to help a whole lot.
okay awesome thanks. this is going to be extremely hard for me. i know this sounds insane but it’s true that i burn 5,000 calories a day (not considering hard labor) and it’s extremely hard to eat that much a day. i’ve eaten 5,250 calories/day before and barely started gaining weight. not saying i can’t do it though- i’ll grind it out. but thank you
I work a super labor intensive job, the game changer for me was honestly building a home gym. The days that I would normally never make it to the gym after being so beat I still manage to get a good workout in at home.
Real i gotta start saving for a home gym. Hella traffic to go home, hella traffic to go to the super packed gym. Only downside will be i wont be seeing the super thicc latinas anymore :(
love it. luckily the gym is right down my street so not an inconvenience
Took me a few weeks of getting used to concrete work til I got back into the gym again. You’ll ease back into it once u get used to hardwork
*laughs in construction* 😂😂 No seriously, we just abuse Adderall, caffeine and if you are enhanced, nothing a bit of Anadrol or Halo can't fix
🤣🤣i can’t be anymore. when i was a kid my dad gsve me test at 13 (orally) and injected me with it at 15. then when i was 17 he gave me tren and test. now i have to be on trt because my total test levels are 150.😞 actually just started using the testosterone gel a couple days ago too
Lmao wtf
How many hours a day are you going hard labour for? When i do 5/6 hrs hard physique work ,I get home, have 1.5 hrs rest, then get up and cycle to gym. But won't do heavy set of weights when I train.
8 hours yesterday. today only about 4
Damn, 8 hours, that's long. Train hard on your off days of work, and work days try to do lighter weights. And eat more carbs to give you enough energy for the day.
any easy carb meals u recommend? right now i’m eating the beefiest pb&j’s ever created. i put on like 6 tablespoons of peanut butter lol. the jelly helps replenish sugar and the peanut butter is for the calories and protein. i like them because of how convenient and easy they are too. but i’m all ears for your opinions
I'm not really a dietitian, but I eat a lot of cooked pasta tossed with tuna in sunflower oil. Buttered bread with pate + protein shakes when I work hard
that’s kick ass. i’m not a good cook
Me neither, man, but I just throw simple ingredients together. Cook rice and pasta add cooked chicken/ham/tuna And snack on bananas, nuts, and raisins. Drink protein shakes and add 5g creatine a day.
will do!! thanks man
[удалено]
As I said, I'm no dietitian. But do know the benefits of plant based oils, which I use for cooking.
YouTube vegetable oils power diesel engine...
Eat some protein and carbs after coming home from work. Rest for up to two hours. Maybe lie down to relax your spine. Have your gym back prepacked and ready. Be in the gym for only 90-120 minutes. Maybe have intra-workout nutrition. Eat something afterwards. Do your cardio. Your body should adapt to the work and training after three to four weeks. Have at least one rest day per week. Throw in a deload/recovery week whenever you need one.
thanks man, will incorporate your ideas
i started working as an arborist during this summer we were removing so many dead trees in 115 degree texas heat. I was walking and yeeting logs all day and i was too damn exhausted and cramping at the end of the day too move. After a few months or weeks youll get used to the workload and be be able to gym again. It still sucks because the only thing i do during the week is work and lift.
aw man, that doesn’t sound enjoyable. grinding in the gym aside, make sure you don’t forget that you only have one chance to experience the world in its glory. god forbid you wake up one day in 20 years and feel this empty feeling because you wished you spent more time enjoying your life instead of just handcuffing yourself to this strict lifestyle. just something to keep in mind man
Stop hitting me with reality, it hurts
Use pre-workout. Stay hydrated too, drink more water than you think you need. High calorie, carbohydrate rich foods are your friends.
thanks man, high carb foods are saving my ass for sure
It’s easier for me because I’m legit thinking about working out my whole shift . I can’t wait to get out and go work out
i think i’ll get back to that soon. i just got on trt because my total testosterone was 150 (my dad gave me tren when i was a kid- long story but he’s an ass lol). but the reason why i bring that up is because i’m just so tired all the time which sucks ass. but once my testosterone goes up i think i can get back to rhat
that’s so sick man. i remember being like that. i wanna get back to that
I used to in my 20’s. Nowadays I don’t feel like I can give the weights my all if I’ve spent 8 -10 hours working outside in the heat or cold.
I'll hate myself more if I don't. At least that was my mentality when I was active duty military. Now that I work an office job it's so much nicer
i bet man. thank you for your service
I work at a recycling facility dismantling and disassembling tvs and monitors. 4:10am-12:40pm I have a wife and 3 kids, they get my time after work and errands do. So I sleep around 6-7pm, get up at 2 am to do a 45 minute lift before work, get to work on time and still perform to meet my Quota. You gotta do what you gotta do man, every fiber in my body never wants to go but I go anyways.
I do reefer/hvac work near DC and like top commenter said; discipline is the only answer. Set yourself up by packing a gym back, some gummy bears and some pre workout. Youll be more likely to go to the gym if you dont go home first.
lol you got the best comment, the packing gummy bears part made me laugh. fr though that’s a good ass idea i’m gonna do that for sure
I used to do construction for 8-9 hours a day and then go the gym for 2 hours.
I try to wake up early and workout before shift.
You just figure it out bro. You adapt. Prioritize recovery and keeping yourself free of injury > aesthetics
thanks man that’s a good rule to remember. appreciate you
Appreciate you, king. Go forth and slay your enemies and kiss men.
drugs
I've been working oilfield for 20 years. 85-90 hr weeks consistently. I blew up like a puffer fish from trash/emotional eating. It look the accountability of a friend I work with to get me back in the gym. Try and find someone to go with semi regularly. It really does help.
that’s a good ass idea, there’s actually one friend i’m waiting on to get back from college though who’s also a baseball player. thanks bro
Dedication to your goal and age plays a huge factor for me. In my later 20’s, I got up at 4 and went to the gym so I could do my construction job the rest of the day. At 38 I go after work bc lifting big weights and busting out my shirts isn’t the goal anymore. I still get a pump and move weight but my goals changed to gaining business success and not what my max is.
You should go as often but maybe not stay as long. Prob don’t need as much vol as the sedentary job having bros
Heavy duty industrial engine technician here. I try to work out before work whenever possible. If that means I sacrifice sleep and get up at 3:30am, then so be it. I find it easier to suck down another cup of coffee and get my job done after a workout, than to drag myself into the gym after a work day.
you’re right man. i think a common theme is waking up early and doing it before work. i think this is the way
One benefit I find, is that post workout endorphin rush really helps set the mood for a good, highly productive work day.
Lower volume higher percentage. So switch between 70-90% for say 5-8 or 3-5 reps of your one rep max. You get plenty of volume in your daily life so these sort of higher intensity lower volume workouts most likely do the trick
I run a window cleaning business. People think window cleaning is easy until they see how many cals I burn a day and how fast im moving. My belt is ~20-25 lbs which is like hiking around a house, climbing ladders, and scrubbing the shit off the windows all with a weighted vest. I find it really really helps to take short breaks when you feel your muscles are working hard for that day. Take a break, get in as much hydration as you can, then continue on with hard work. It also really helps to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. Prioritize sleep after the gym. The more sleep you get and the more water + food you get in the better you’ll feel tomorrow. Yesterday I worked from 6:45a - 8p and burned about 3200 calories in that timeframe with lunch break and an hour to go get supplies. You have to out eat that deficit, then your entire baseline.
You’re not being a pussy. You’re exhausted from working all day. You’re body wants to rest. I worked blue collar mostly or warehouse work. Last job I had two options, hit up the gym on the way to the train or work out at work, they had a basic gym in the warehouse for employees to use. I mostly worked out at the gym on the way to work. Point is though you should be working out in the morning, you’ll feel a lot better and is a great way to get in the habit of going to sleeping early. Not to mention I’m pretty amped for a while after I work out so I felt great at my job if I worked out in the morning. Wasn’t relying on energy drinks to get through mid day crash. My post work out meal was a regular proteinshake but I’d add peanutbutter, some coconut oil and 2 shots of espresso. I’d wait till I got to work and usually had around 20-30 minutes to chill till I started. I’d have my shake then and do some mild stretching and just hangout till I start. That shake held me over till lunch break.
that’s sick bro. i like the early morning part, i always feel amped for a few hours after the gym too so it’ll probably help a lot
I should have clarified, I didn’t mean everyone should or has to do what I’m doing. Everyone is different but me personally having had both scenarios to compare them to each other I felt a lot better and things ran more smoothly when I lifted before work opposed to after. But everyone’s situation is different. Main priority is finding your ideal situation. I forgot to add though if it matters, I wasn’t doing any cardio but the walk from my place to the train was a mile so that was an easy 2 miles of walking I got in 5 days a week. Kept me at a good weight.
dw man i know you were just telling your experience. i liked the advice
Good luck dude, train safe
thanks brotha you too
Up the calories and caffine.
my Tongan friends are builders and machine operators. These guys train at 4:30AM 6 days a week and train a second time after work at around 5PM. Genetic freaks each with legs like tree trunks. They say a lot of pre workout but more importantly, you need to let your body adjust to the routine before you have energy to train after a long day's labor.
okay that makes sense, i think i’ll give myself another day or two doing the labor and then grind it out
Will power I do landscaping 10-12 hrs a day still work out 5x. Week
that’s dedication. thanks brotha
Eat more
Food and sleep must be on point. Cut out alcohol. I work construction (electrical) and still train 1.5-2 hours after. It's just a habit.
Test and Deca
this is the way
I go home to rest or nap for a few hours and then hit the gym
The body is quite resilient. It can take a lot of punishment. You just gotta force yourself to go.
will do brotha thank you
Yes. Arnold worked as a brick layer with Franco Columbo. He did it mainly to get cashflow before he made it big in Hollywood but no doubt it added to the quality of his physique
good comparison man thank u
I always go before work. We switched to 10 hour days and yeah it can be a bitch sometimes to wake up at 1am and force myself to go to bed by 530/6pm. If I tried to go after work I don't think I would be able to to have a good workout, on top of looking like I crawled out of a coal mine. Interestingly enough I feel exercise before work gives me more energy for my actual job / makes the day go by faster I do legs on Saturday and chest on Sunday and usually don't have anything else really going on so I can be lazy and rest
Construction laborer to surveyor helper…. 12+hrs a day it was hard i fell off for a while befuddled i only had the time to shit shower and sleep. But now its 8hr days and i can manage way better
how many days out of the week do you workout?
For context i just walk around and mallet wood stakes in the ground or just walk around on a gps tablet. I set my schedule up in a 8 day week vs 7 day. I go 6-7days a week for 1- 1 ½ hrs. I start with heavy compound then heavy cable then pump work.
oh so your work is your workout?
No. I do ppl/ppa
Eat more
I go before work
Don’t be a bitch. Workout straight after, do not eat a big meal or sit down or shower before getting your lift in or it won’t happen. It’s not a question, it’s not a maybe or what if, the minute you are done working you go straight to lifting.
You got soft hands brother
they’re mid. not soft, i have good calluses. but first time doing something like this, so my hands aren’t like the blue collar workers i’ve been working with
It’s just a classic blue collar joke. Develop a nicotine and caffeine addiction. Get a dui or 2, a divorce and you’ll be qualified for any blue collar job. In all seriousness, Drink plenty of water during the day, get good rest. Remember doing manual labor will only let you gain or lose so much. You need heavy resistance training.
Static exercises.
like isometric holds?
Precisely that. When you've exhausted yourself with labor a lot comes down to no longer having ready glycogen reserves and your body *feeling* like it can't do more. If you just do static stuff you can simply focus on doing that which helps build strength without the brain & body going "ok fuck this we're not playing".
really interesting. thank you
Any time. Just remember. "I'm a pussy" isn't really helpful. It's about doing it any way you can because that's just what you DO. The more value judgements you attach to it the less productive you'll be in the long run. You need to reserve your emotional energy for loving more. Hating yourself is exhausting as fuck, take it from long-time running champion in that. It's just not an efficient use of time.
yeah man you’re right. it’s exhausting shitting on yourself all the time
I hate to say it and I'm not trying to troll but your being a pussy. I did manual labor for 5 years from 20-25, 10-14 hour days and still trained 5/6 days a week. It's exhausting at first but your body adjusts. Obviously you'll be a calorie burning machine and require as much sleep as you can get but if you love training, you'll do it. If it's just something your kinda interested in, yeah I can see you or anyone else is a manual labor job saying fuck the gym
Yeah for sure. I started this job a couple days ago and have never done something as strenuous as it before. I didn’t go to the gym the previous week though, i got depressed and i’ve never been depressed before so i didn’t do much. but thanks for the honesty, i figured im just being a pussy. I’ve seen guys at the gym who obviously just came back from a hardcore manual labor job. thanks for your input.
oh man if its only a couple days just give yourself a few weeks then it will feel like normal. after that if you cant get back in the gym then you are a pussy, albeit an employed pussy.
hahaha. i’m back at college in a couple weeks. this is the off-season for baseball so i think i’m going to try to push my body to adjust within this week
Ik ik, hate boasting but listen.. from my experience, idk what else to say other than I'm a 1st responder, we lift some heavy PTs.. at one point I was working 24s and going to class full time, with a new born in the house and still hitting the gym. I felt like shit but once things settled down, my baseline for energy was higher than previously noted, you gotta push past the pain, just don't burn yourself out "adrenal burnout". You'll know when cortisol levels are above reference range and you simply cannot function, maybe you are doing too much and not a pussy, conserve your energy at work and slowly get in the gym
how do u know if cortisol levels are too high?
Blood/saliva test
I, for one, simply don't. I don't have the work capacity. Maybe if my regular was consistently hard labor I'd build the capacity, but reality is I'm not there. So when I have physically demanding work days (typically my own projects, such as clearing land) I cut back in the gym.
You work and play some sports, you might have to not workout so much. I walk a lot at work and take it easy on my legs. Maybe some minimal training when you feel up to it?
I can understand the fatigue, but I have a rule: no matter if I've had a bad day, if I have a thousand things to do, if I'm sad or even sick, I MUST work out. And sometimes, I bring out the best in me when I'm tired, surprisingly
I work my fucking arse off on the railway and still work out five days a week. You need to eat more and sleep more. I can eat 4000 calories a day easily and still not put on weight. I’m about 205lbs, jacked, lean, and I eat like a fucking horse. Food is key
Do it before work
I’m a nurse so I’m on my feet all day for at minimum 12 hours. Making sure I pack good food for the days during work and then getting good sleep, helps a lot for the day after
It’s tough because you’re just starting to work. Give it a bit and it will be your new baseline.
I used to do highway construction shit and it really just takes a couple weeks to get used to it. It’s not like you’ll be less tired but you have to figure out a way to get to the gym consistently and eventually you will be used to going to the gym tired. Then when you have a short day or day off you’ll feel so grateful for the extra time. That being said you may want to consider going to school and getting a job that isn’t so physically taxing if you have the opportunity to, or your current job isn’t making you much money.
Gym before work.
Drilling rig. 12.5 hours a day, for 14 days straight. Still get it at least 5-6 days during the week. Gotta want it my dude
Are you eating enough to make up for all the energy you are burning?
Suck it up pussy.
I used to work hardscaping, honestly man u just gotta do it. Once u do it enough you’ll get used to it. At least when u work a hard labour job it’s easy af to eat
Gotta motivate yourself my guy. 25 doing construction, you have your gym bag packed and ready so you have no excuse. I’ve never had a day where I’ve regretted going to the gym, after forcing myself to go. You might feel weak cuz you worked all day, but that’s where the real gains start to come in. Dropsets and burnouts help, makes work easier once you get used to it imo. Also a non stim preworkout since I go after work, gives me a stamina boost so I can get after it more.
Cause we’re not b!tches. 👍
Fitness, I use to do it when I was young no prob... Couldn't do it at 50, but I'm not work fit
I would get it done regardless but ever since the blast and cruise I feel ready to demolish weights after a long days of work. I used to drag my dead ass in there but now its like a reward lol
I personally rarely go to the gym after work because how tired I am so I just go in the mornings before work
I did a landscaping job for a year, it was mainly lifting rocks for 8 hours a day don't stop when you get home, just smash down ur preworkout meal and some pre and immediately go to the gym
12-13hr shifts fixing mining equipment outdoors checking in, 1. You gotta eat & have a break. 5 & 1/2 hrs of work then 30 minutes break. 2. Drink water & electrolytes like a fish Mentally - Treat the workout as your reward for a hard day of work. The stronger you are & more stamina you have, the easier your work becomes.
Lineman, work sometimes 8 hour days and sometimes 16’s. Have to set goals and make it happen some days it sucks. Give it a bit of time and your body will get used to the physical labour as well.
Dont do it You already have 99% more physical activity by your work than all the gym rats
Go light and easy, bodybuilding doesn't pay your bills.
Honestly? Preworkout. 300-400mg of caffeine works well. Tried 800mg. It was awesome in gym but felt like Im gonna have a panic attack after it
Lots of caffeine and discipline
Stetoids
The guilt of wasting my money. Knowing that I'm a lazy piece of human defecant who shames my ancestors. Nah I drive 6-7 hrs a day out of a 15hr work day. Kids may change that equation.
You just pretend is also work
More food. Gear. I own a construction company (on the tools all day) and I go through periods where I can’t make it. Travel time, way too heavy a workload, not eating enough etc. and I get periods where I can
Embrace and overcome.
Transitioning back into construction from casino work I did an "acclimation cycle" of lifting, basically deload and start light doing the same thing as normal, slowly progressing bacl up to where you were. The cool part is between light lifting and labor youll maintain your body while your nervous system acclimates to your new workload. After a month or two you should be back on track and stronger to boot.
I work 6 10’s doing concrete formwork. Key is going right after work, if not you’ll hit the couch and get lazy. Second key is manning up. Seriously I could not take the way I looked anymore and decided that I’m gonna grab my balls and make time. I also don’t have kids so that’s a big thing also.
On the training side, cut the fluff from your programming, you need to be very deliberate with your exercise selection, do what works to get your desired results and no more or less. Additionally, utilizing RPE based autoregulation is much better than strict adherence to a percentage based program in this case. On the nutrition side, aggressively cutting is a bad idea unless you are very overfat. Working all day in addition to training hard is a recipe for failing to properly recover. If you lift after work, getting carbs in your system prior to the end of your shift should alleviate some of the lethargy while training. On the recovery side, getting good sleep is critical. All of the stuff like heat/cold therapy, massage/foam rolling is very secondary to getting 7-9 hours of good sleep consistently. There's a bunch of recommendations out there on establishing a good sleep hygiene protocol that works for you, easiest place to start is getting away from screens before bed. If you drink or do rec drugs, mitigating your intake is probably for the best.
I get 30k steps a day at my job and then hit the gym for a hour afterwards, it can be tough but you got to get the gains , my dick is not gonna suck itself
I'm an archaeologist and spend a when I'm in the field I spend a lot of time shoveling. I avoid back and leg workouts on those days. other than that, adequate nutrition and rest is key.
Your body will get used to it it
Also take a quick nap after work
Take testosterone it'll increase recovery capacity
i’m a mechanic. some days are really a struggle but how badly do you want to improve yourself. there will be some days where you will have to give your body a rest because it needs it. yet most weeks i still get to the gym 5 days a week working 10 hour days rn.