Night shift job...lift before or after?

[Brad_]

I have been training last year on graveyards. I found I enjoy working out right after shift more, but if I don’t do it right away (or if I’m just too tired) I will go to sleep right away and get up early to lift.

Air conditioner to keep place cold, fan/white noise machine, curtains, and a sleep mask are must haves for me.

I also found 4 day split seemed to be better than three days a week while on graves. Doing 4 day Texas Method variant at moment.

[SouthernDuke]

So I am the worst case scenario. I work in nuclear power and swap from nights to days every week except my 1 training week out of every 5. I also have young kids. So I will get up about 0300 and head to the gym when I’m working days. I shower there and get to work by 0535. When I work nights I just leave my gym bag in my truck while I’m at work and hit the gym at around 630. I do need a pre work out to keep me from dragging ass through those work outs though. There is no easy way to train when your schedule doesn’t match the world. Hopefully by the end of 2024 I will have build a large metal building adjacent to my house and put my own gym in.

Also as a person that does not have a circadian rhythm, get your testosterone levels checked. They will be hammered by a messed up sleep schedule and that I believe is a big contributor to feeling terrible on nights.

[w35773]

I feel for you, @SouthernDuke , I did nuke shift work for a couple of decades and lifting would have been misery with those shifts. Good on you, brother.