We’d all love to be PhD candidates working 25 hours each week at a cushy job. We’d all love to have jobs that enable us to eat and train and sleep as we please. Unfortunately, life doesn’t grant most of us that luxury. Let’s look at ways we can achieve bodybuilding success while enduring a tough work schedule.
When it comes to making time for meals, the job you have shouldn’t affect your diet negatively one bit. If you’re in high pressure sales, it means you’re in the car running from lead to lead all day – with plenty of time to snack on cold chicken wraps in your car as you drive. Remember to bring a toothbrush to clean yourself up before you enter for the potential sales pitch. If you’re at a job that doesn’t give 15-minute breaks every two hours (as is required by law in many places), you can still meet your protein requirements at 3 or even 2 hour intervals. Mix and drink a shake on the way to the restroom, if you absolutely have to. It takes less than 30 seconds to pour 2 cups of water into a shaker cup with two scoops of whey and drink it. It’s very likely your co-workers are making the time for coffee or cigarette breaks. There’s no reason you can’t do the same. If your boss gives you any grief, inform him the 42 grams of protein you’re getting are very good for your energy levels. Every boss wants a fast and efficient employee, right? Or better yet, share a shake with him, and see if he doesn’t join you each break time for another!
If you work a lot of hours, it’s going to be hard to get to the gym. Even so, it can be done, if you make the effort. Start off by automatically completing your chest and leg days on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. This will get the two most highly required and toughest gym days out of the way on a day where you know your schedule cannot interfere with it. You can always fit your back/biceps and shoulder/traps days somewhere in that Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday mix. Pick up four 45 pound plates and an Olympic bar, and you can actually complete some very good back, biceps, shoulders and traps workouts at home on those off nights. Cardio shouldn’t be an issue either. Surely you spend at least 30 or 45 minutes each evening on your computer or watching television. If so, configure an exercise bike or stepper so that you can complete your cardio time while enjoying other required activities. Your brain will function much more effectively with the added oxygen surplus, and the time exercising will fly by!
Sleep is the toughest factor when you have a job with demanding hours. You know you need to get 8 hours each night of uninterrupted sleep if you wish to grow at your maximum potential. This may mean you’re crashing at 10 pm some nights, in order to bet at work for an 8 AM meeting. This kind of sacrifice isn’t easy, and it’s almost certainly never fun, but the feeling you will have of being completely rested that morning – and the resulting quality workout the following afternoon – will be well worth the sitcom you missed the night before. When all else fails, you can use 100 to 200 mg caffeine to help keep you moving at the gym, but don’t allow this to become a habit.