Balancing work and finding time to take care of your body is never easy, especially when your work constitutes a shift cycle that is constantly changing. Many industries utilize shift work to maximize efficiency such as construction and manufacturing, while others utilize shift work to ensure continuity of operation to vital services such as hospitals or nuclear power plants. Rotating shift work has put strain on several aspects of my life, one of those being my weightlifting routine. It can be difficult to settle into a routine at the gym when you’re plagued by a sporadic schedule. The benefits of consistent exercise can never be understated, from reduced overall cortisol levels, improving heart health and quality of sleep. While on a work schedule that is inherently stressful and difficult to maintain proper sleep quality, it is imperative to maintain all aspects of life that help to counteract those issues. Here are a few of the tactics I have found effective in improving my weightlifting consistency while on rotating shift work.

1.)   Increase the density of your training sessions.

Most people feel they need to dedicate at least an hour and a half to a typical gym session. When on shift work, this is likely time you would rather spend with family/friends or catching up on sleep. To alleviate this, I have been implementing a page from Josh Bryant’s Tactical Density Training manual in which he outlines the benefits of minimizing rest time between sets while maintaining the same tonnage (tonnage = sets*reps*weight). For a given workout, I aim for anywhere from 1-2 minutes of rest between each set. Each exercise should have an associated antagonistic muscle group pairing which is performed as a superset to further minimize rest times while reducing overall muscle fatigue. Some examples of antagonistic exercise pairs are pull ups supersetted with overhead press, or tricep extensions paired with bicep curls. This has several benefits, including elevated heart rate and increased cardiovascular intensity for the duration of the workout while building strength endurance. Additionally, this workout is extremely easy to overload, by simply decreasing rest time as one sees fit. Lastly, and most importantly, this idea of density training will decrease the total time spent in the gym. I have been implementing this form of training for the past year and I find myself typically spending anywhere from 30-45 minutes in the gym, completing all the same tonnage that used to take me an hour to hour and a half to complete.

2.)   Lift immediately after waking up

I have found this to be especially helpful when on a night shift schedule. Night shift is when I am most tired, so if I am unable to lift before I head in to work, the chances are low that I will make it to the gym after work. As much as it sucks to get up and go immediately, remind yourself how much better you will feel after it’s done. Similar to the concept pioneered by Admiral William McRaven regarding making your bed in the morning, lifting as soon as you get up gives you the momentum you need to continue being productive for the remainder of the day. Getting up to lift before shift on nights also allows me to get some sunlight which will not only give me more energy for my lift but also help me get through the night shift without being excessively groggy.

3.)   Mix it up

It can be easy for weightlifting to get monotonous. I typically will alter my workouts every 5 weeks (consistent with my rotating shift cycle) to keep it fresh. Switching up exercises is a great way to add new stimulus to your muscles to facilitate growth while helping to break up the monotony of the program. Alternatively, you can also throw in other types of physical activity, whether it be strength or endurance based. Personally, I have enjoyed mixing in BJJ 1-2 days per week. This helps to add a few days where you have something else to work and improve at while also improving overall physical fitness. BJJ is just one example of the numerous other activities you could consider implementing to break up the pattern of weightlifting.

4) Remember to Eat at Night

It can be tough to train your body if you are constantly in a caloric deficit. Try to pack food you can eat while on night shift. I find it helpful to essentially pack a second “dinner” for the night shift. 

These are just a few of the ways I have found success in achieving a more consistent exercise routine. What works for you may differ entirely from what works from me, but I implore you to continue pursuing consistency in all aspects of your life, especially one with such innumerable benefits as weightlifting.