How does your job affects your performance on the training room?

[Ignacio Magana]

Hello guys, I've managed to train with my dad since the beginning of the year. He is 40 yo, 200 lbs 5'7. He has 2 fulltime jobs, one all the days of the week, and the other only from monday to wednesday. He'a a cook but now back to the subject. He has been poorly performing the lifts lately specially the squat. But i'm not even sure if sometimes he just makes excuses because i know him. He hates squatting though and now has kind of adopted the mentallity of ditching them because he can't recover from them. I should have not tell him about that haha. Any suggestions?

[Tom Campitelli]

He's working 80 hours a week? No wonder he's struggling with recovery.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Ignacio,

how many times a week does your Dad train ? how much sleep does he get ?


IPB

[Ignacio Magana]

He was doing the TM. He doesn't have a problem with food but he sleeps too little like from 12 to 5. And that's because he stays up watching tv.. My dad is one of those persons that you can't convince easily even though you are right. Like he prefers to stay that way instead of getting two more hrs of sleep Wichita will do a lot more better to the performance in his jobs and training.

[skills101]

If your dad's as stubborn as mine, nothing you can really do about it. If he likes to read (though it sounds like he probably doesn't), get him starting strength. I've been trying for months to get my dad in the gym, so grats on at least getting him to squat. In any case, I'm not surprised he's having trouble, 5 hours of sleep would kill me.

[Ignacio Magana]

Yeah I know sleeping is pretty much an issue. He can fix it by just ditching his late night Tv shows but he won't. And I've been thinking about getting him into the reading but the problem is that english isnt his first language. Like he knows how to speak but struggles a lot with reading and writting..

[famendoza]

He's working 80 hours a week? No wonder he's struggling with recovery.

From what I hear in the service industry, 80 hours is standard.

[grizzlybuck]

I don't work 80hrs a week, but approach it at times (unfortunately, surpass it at times) as I work a swing shift and 6 and 7 day shifts and often work on my weekends as well, also I sprinkle in numerous doubles (16hr shifts) throughout a typical month. Where my job affects my training the most is in having to schedule sessions around work. I've only been doing SS for 6 weeks or so, so I'm far from experienced with it. When I was just going to the gym and pretty much doing like Rip says in SS doing whatever looked fun, it was easy, work a double today, just go tomorrow. Now that I'm on a structured program, I find myself adjusting my schedule (training) to get in my three workouts a week. This sometimes means that I workout 4 times in 7 days, if I've had to take a two day break in the middle of the week due to work.

I may adjust my workout schedule a bit more as I am "elderly" at 44 and while not doing heavy work yet (ex. 215 BS, 275 DL) I am starting to get into a rut where I'm pretty well hurting constantly and it is affecting my sleep.

Good luck to you and your dad

[fnet]

Work has effected my schedule more than anything. I've worked crazy overtime, night shifts and both. It disrupts sleep and eating patterns. My kids were little when I worked nights. Sometimes I'd get home and the kids would be up a few hours later. Back then, I didn't have a clue what I was doing in the gym. I would've had a very difficult time following a linear program. Fortunately, I now have a job where I work my shift and go home. Overtime is very rare. I also like to have a day on the weekend where I know I'll be rested and not taxed from a bad day at work. Saturday or Sunday work best for my volume training days. It also helps that I lift at home so I don't have to drag my tired ass to the gym. Sometimes getting there was half the battle. I guess the bottom line is you have to listen to your body. Roll with the highs and don't get too discouraged with the lows. If only I can follow my own advice...

[WatsupHannity]

Meh, don't beat up your dad because he doesn't want to dedicate himself to weightlifting. It's exceptional that he's lifting at all; he's a busy guy with a family who wants to relax after working 2 jobs, and he's not a young guy with infinite energy and ambition. Let him watch TV if it makes him happy.

Considering he's a 40-year old man with recovery issues and possible motivation issues, I'd propose getting him to squat well 1 time per week would be better than mucking around 3x per week.