Advice on newbie training with shift work!

Training Q&A [Moderated]
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Hi all at BBM. Found out about you guys through Alan thralls YT and love your videos and podcast with its scientific approach. Bottom line I respect your knowledge.

I’m 32 . 5ft 10 with a waist of around 35 and Weigh 83kgs . I’m very narrow in build but have a fairly decent belly of flab still after losing 1.5 stone earlier this year.

This is complicated but I’ll try to be as brief as possible. I’m a novice lifter who has started lifting after 6 or 7 years off… I’m doing 5x5 SL and after 5 weeks making some moderate strength gains. I have had a couple of close calls on stalling with my squats but manage to push through. A proper stall is looking alot closer then I had hoped. This is due to my work and family commitments.

Probably much like yourselves I work a rotating shift pattern. Early mornings to nights shifts to late shifts every week. Combined Into this is my commitments to my young daughter which really restricts the time I can get to the gym. I have to actually sacrafice quality sleep in order to even get in one. On training days on Nightshifts I cut my morning sleep short to get to the gym for an hour and a half before picking my daughter up . And when on early shifts (6 am to 2pm) I’ll wake up at just before 4 am to get training in before I start a shift. So on training days I’ll get a maximum of 5 hours sleep and on off days maximum of 7.

I’m sure you will agree this less then ideal! But its all I have to work with and I’m serious about making it work. My question is about my sleep and calories. I’m currently eating at maintenance calories . If I had to guess I’m between 18 to 22% body fat. I was hoping the new start in training might force a recomp before I go back into a defecit or eat a surplus.

  1. Do you think I should eat more calories to help with the sleep deficit in order to progress linearly or focus on losing body fat ? Like all others I’m torn on what to do. I’m fully confident if I was working normal hours and sleeping 8 hours I wouldnt need to be eating more then maintenance now. Some days I can literally feel the fatigue and I drag my arse to the gym in the hope I will adjust (some do go surprisingly well and some are a disaster)

  2. Im looking at trying to the bridge after 5x5. I’ve never done RPE based training but would this be suitable for shift work considering you can rate your own fatigue before a workout? Also can version 2 and 3 of the bridge be done in 1.5 hours?

Sorry for wall of text. My training regime is not simplest. It’s also worth mentioning I’m a keen mountain biker and do a bit of running so do get some good conditioning in when time allows it.

Any of your input would be massively appreciated! Especially any tips for training around shift work you may have experience with! Many thanks in advance and greetings from the UK!!

2

KB,

Thanks for the post and the kind words- much appreciated!

As far as your questions:

  1. Would not recommend more calories to make up for sleep deficit, as this isn’t really how that works. If you need to lose body fat, I would recommend a deficit. Regardless, I would also keep training regardless.

  2. I would do our Beginner Template right now, as 5x5 SL has a number of shortcomings baked into the program (e.g. cardio rec’s lacking, over-reliance on 5’s and a handful of lifts, etc.) AND OFFERS NO AUTOREGULATION, which you would likely benefit from as a person with variable amounts of life stress. Both the Beginner Template and The Bridge can be done in <90 minutes, yes.

-Jordan

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Jordan, I much appreciate the time you have taken to respond!

I’ve downloaded the beginner template and it looks good . I will be giving it a go. Ill be spending sometime getting used to how to judge RPE and how I can make the most of it!

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Addition. I have listened to your podcast about your beginner template. A quick question regarding guaging RPE.

When as newbie like myself and your gauging your loads for a specific lift. Let’s say back squats at RPE 8 for 8 reps. So I take my rough estimate and say 65kg will be RPE 8 for those reps. During my set I realise this is easier then I thought ( today I feel stronger etc) what is the correct method of adjustment…do I add reps on the end of the set to the point it ‘feels’ like RPE 8 or do I finish the set at the desired reps and just make a note that it felt like RPE 7 for instance…?( And adjust for next week)

Thanks!

5

My apologies. The above question has been answered in Alan’s RPE videos. I don’t know how to delete that question so moderatora feel free to delete it!