Working as a Night Owl: Health, The Barbell and Working Third Shift

This is a subject I've been wanting to write about for awhile. The glorious hours of third shift and how to balance it with a barbell.

I'm not talking to those who work a normal 9-5. Not even those who work late into the night. I'm talking to those who work against what their body is supposed to do, and that's go to sleep at night.

I work as a news producer here in the beautiful resort town of Omaha, Nebraska. My work hours are 11 p.m.- 7 a.m. (or 7-ish). Not only that, I hold a part time job with a fast growing nutrition store called Rexius Nutrition. While I'm thankful that I have a halfway decent work ethic, it's taken time to get some type of routine down. And even still, that shifts around depending upon training.

If you're like me, you fit in my training sometime around late morning and I'm sure it's a struggle.

However, as terrible as an overnight schedule sounds, it's not the end of the yellow brick road for improvements in size, strength and overall health. So let's dive into somethings that can help mitigate the damage.


1: Sleep

Pretty basic here. You can't function at an optimum level without rest. You can try and mask fatigue, but it will catch up with you sooner or later. It will start small but will eventually build up. To give it perspective, only sleeping for four hours and then getting behind the wheel, is the equivalent of driving drunk. So keep that in mind of how big sleep is in the grand scheme of things.

2: Nutrition

Your nutrition needs to be on point, more so on 3rd shift than any other. I'm not sure what it is about working nights, but the propensity for snacking is high! Very high (I love chips).  How to cure this? More discipline simply. I've tried numerous approaches and you just need more discipline in how you approach the diet. I will say that if you are a serial snacker, take thinks like jerky or mixed nuts to help stave off cravings.

3: Get into a daily routine

As much as I can hate the same thing over and over, a daily routine is a MUST. It sets you up for long term success in and out of the gym. And the "night" routine is what will really help you. Because it's inverted, and your night is in the day, you need to really nail it in. Read, run some bath water, limit the caffeine during the shift. Anything to help your inverted night routine.

4: Get a physical

This is something that can't really be overstated. If you are messed up and don't know...you're throwing salt on top of a wound. Physicals and blood work still matter. Your hormones could be way the hell out of wack and you not realize it. Bloodwork and physicals will give you a chance to work with doctors to get you on a good path so you can push in the gym. Don't discount them.


These are just some of my recommendations living a vampire life, but also living "under the bar." It's a difficult life, but it can be done.

What are some of your strategies to deal with work nights, but living that fit life? Leave a comment and share!