Is it even possible to pursue this hobby with a super physically demanding job?
Hey r/femalebodybuilding, 5'0, 110 lb 38F here.
So strength training/muscle building has been a hobby of mine for about a decade now. I have no desire to compete in shows, I just love having visible muscle and being capable and strong (not to mention all the other health benefits of resistance training). Lately I've fallen off the wagon for about 6ish months and I notice my strength has gone down noticably (because duh, of course it would).
I would love to get back into a routine and enjoy my hobby again, but I'm really struggling with energy and recovery. I work in a shipyard/in construction and I am absolutely shot by the end of the day. My toolbag weighs probably 30lbs and I'm carrying it around with me up and down stairs, ladders, etc. Then I'm using vibrating pneumatic air tools all day. My job often requires that I'm climbing around on things (with the tools) or scrunching myself up into super unergonomic positions. I'm also ascending/decending (no exaggeration) hundreds of stairs a day. I don't wear a pedometer because I'm sure the vibrations from the tools would freak it out, but I'm probably averaging at least 20,000+ steps a day.
I do my best to get as much quality sleep as possible even though I typically wake up by 4:30am. The main things I can think of to change are trying to work out in the morning before work and eating more during the day. I struggle with the first thing because I already wake up so early and I'm kinda attached to my morning routine. I struggle with the second thing because it's hard to house a substantial meal in 20-30 minutes and then go back to doing my work feeling too full/slow and a lunchbox would be one more thing to have to keep track of. I have a feeling more food is probably the answer (if there is one) so I'm going to try eating more in the morning to see where that gets me. What I actually wonder though, is whether it's even possible to work out enough to stimulate muscle growth and also recover from the workouts *and* the beatdown that is my job.
Can anyone here relate? What helped you?