Rough Schedule, needs advice.

[unitsinc]

Hey guys, been reading here a little bit and I really like what I've been reading. It definitely appeals to my nerdier side.

Now, part of my problem stems from my innate desire to research things endlessly, usually to the point of over research which causes me to end up doing nothing due to not being able to decide where I should start and what kind of routine and I've never worked out so I don't know if I'll have proper form for anything.

The second part is I work a very odd schedule.

I work 14 days, and I'm off for 14 days. I have one full day of traveling(plane) on my way to and from work. So I kinda work 14 days, travel 2, and am off for 12.

On the 14 days I work, I work ~12 hours plus about 30-45 minute drive too and from work. At work I have no cooking supplies other than a microwave(plus I can't cook worth a lick that is also something I need to work on.) By the end of my day I'm exhausted with relatively little time.

So while I'm at work I have little free time with which to cook proper meals and work out and get enough sleep. I also have no access to a gym or equipment, though I could likely get some small stuff for my apartment.

On my days off I have all the free time in the world, access to a gym, and pretty much anything else, so my problem there is really food and motivation(which is coming.) Work is definitely my sticking point.

I'm 26 years old, 6'2 ~190-195 pounds. Slightly overweight(a little belly, but not too big.) I am prior military so I feel once I get into a routine I can stick with it.

If you guys read all this, I appreciate it and look forward to any words you might offer.

[tsuchinoko92]

Welcome aboard unitsinc!

When in work days, why not squeeze in some 15 minutes for one of these routines? take your pick:http://www.liveawesome.com/public/department42.cfm

When you are in your free days.....you can either weight train or do bodyweight exercises.

About not cooking, start by trying to make your breakfast first, and you can go on from there.

[unitsinc]

I'll look into those routines.

And yeah, I was thinking breakfast would also probably be the easiest way to start since tossing some eggs in a bowl and microwaving them and veggies or something are pretty easy.

I also forgot to mention that I work at >7000' elevation, but live at 0'. So I might have to tone back the workouts a little depending on the situation.

[smedly]

I'd recommend looking through the articles that Steve has such as how to stay in shape while traveling and other bodyweight workouts that don't require equipment. Just look around the main page and you should find plenty of helpful information.

[Loren Wade]

I'd recommend looking through the articles that Steve has such as how to stay in shape while traveling and other bodyweight workouts that don't require equipment. Just look around the main page and you should find plenty of helpful information.

Yes, exactly what smedly says.

This is what I suggest:

1) Decide on a diet plan and get it dialed in. This means a plan that you can do relatively well on and maintain during your 12 hour per day weeks. I highly suggest the Paleo diet and it’s up to you if you want to do it. The point is find a plan that works for you and keep on track. This means a food diary. I use MyFitnessPal for the iPhone. You can even use a plain pencil and notebook. Your call, but keep track!

2) Get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. This will be huge, especially during the two weeks of working.

3) Here’s where it gets tricky. You’re going to want two different workout plans. One plan will be a more or less a plan to maintain your fitness while traveling. Your other plan will be for when your home.

4) How to Stay in Shape While Traveling and the 20 Minute Hotel Workout. You can take your advice from those two posts to maintain your weight loss and fitness during your traveling.

5) Lastly, you'll want to make sure you have a plan for when you are not traveling. This workout is up to you. If you have a gym, you can use the gym. If you like bodyweight workouts, you can do those at home. Point is, you can do your full workouts during the time you are home. I'll bet $50 you'll even lose weight (or gain weight, depending on your goals) even when you are traveling (Steve did, check out those links in #4).

Summary: Eat right, have a plan, document what you eat and what workouts you do, and you will be able to accomplish whatever fitness goals you have.

EDIT: Oh, and Welcome to the REBELLION!

[Knightwatch]

Our very own Spezzy got me turned onto steamfresh vegetable bags. Nuke one of those, and dump some meat into it. It may not be fancy or pretty or impressive, but it gets the job done (trust me, I know how work schedules can be. I regularly work 16 hour shifts and it's not uncommon for me to hit 70+ hours a week). Look into precooked chicken or chicken sausage and the like. Just chop it up and dump it in.

As for training, yeah, Steve's put out some awesome articles on training on the go. You can make a lot of progress moving only your body. Then you can always add in implements that you can transport with you to work, so you can train right when you're out. Trying to get the motivation to hit after an hours commute can be rough. Maybe a kettlebell, a sandbag, and a TRX type setup?

[Loren Wade]

Our very own Spezzy got me turned onto steamfresh vegetable bags. Nuke one of those, and dump some meat into it. It may not be fancy or pretty or impressive, but it gets the job done (trust me, I know how work schedules can be. I regularly work 16 hour shifts and it's not uncommon for me to hit 70+ hours a week). Look into precooked chicken or chicken sausage and the like. Just chop it up and dump it in.

As for training, yeah, Steve's put out some awesome articles on training on the go. You can make a lot of progress moving only your body. Then you can always add in implements that you can transport with you to work, so you can train right when you're out. Trying to get the motivation to hit after an hours commute can be rough. Maybe a kettlebell, a sandbag, and a TRX type setup?

100% agree. And I love those steamfresh bags. Great idea, man.

[moth]

So you travel one day by plane to someplace remote from your home, stay in an apartment that is not your primary residence and then commute to work from there? That is definitely tricky. How are you set, financially? I've had a couple of friends go through patches of serious illness, and from this I have discovered that there are businesses in some places that will deliver meals. It was something of awesome, too, because when your friend lives a couple of states over and you can't cook for them, you can buy them gift certificates for hot meals.

After that, I'm a big fan of the rotisserie chicken plus raw vegetables.

[67alecto]

If you have a microwave, chances are you can get a Foreman grill plugged in around there. You can quickly cook chicken, beef, etc on the counter top.