# Trying to harmonize a gym schedule with 48/72 rotation



## mct601 (Jan 27, 2013)

Alright, at my job we do the old style 48 on, 48 off, 72 on (2-2-3, 5 24s, 48/72s, whatever you want to call it). Before I got on this rotation, my old job was 24/48. It was a little more conducive to a gym schedule, and it was easy to keep the metabolism up on a majority of days with my work days being rest days. (My goal is mainly just fitness at the moment, I'd like to burn some fat inches off the waist) Now, it looks like this

Week 1

Mon: Workout
Tue: Workout
Wed: Off
Thur: Off
Friday: Workout
Sat: Workout
Sun: Workout

Week 2 

Mon: Off
Tue: Off
Wed: Workout
Thur: Workout
Friday: Off
Sat: Off
Sun: Off

What I try to do, is my heavy weights on the week 1 days. My overall calories will be increased on the workout days. Week two, I only have two days of exercise. I try to focus on light weights and HIIT or some form of cardio, since the workout days are back to back and don't want to favor certain muscle groups more than others. My 'work' days will be especially cut on the calories, especially the carbs with a higher % of calories coming from proteins. This is the best idea that I have. The best thing would be to incorporate some form of workout while at the station, but some days thats just not viable. Not to mention I sweat a lot. I may try to add in some HIIT on our slower days to keep my metabolism up. I try to get up in the morning at the station and drink a protein shake before we get busy that way I have calories in the morning and take green tea extract throughout the day.


If anyone else has any ideas or suggestions please do help. On week 1 I try to divide up the muscle groups and hit them hard; on week 2 I try to do some cardio intensive workouts. I thought about doing full body between the two days on week 2, and still might.


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## camau71 (Feb 3, 2013)

Could you provide a little more information?  What are your current stats, height, weight and body composition at this point?

You appear to be strength centric in your programming, but mention fitness as your primary goal,  are you looking to be stronger or have better cardiorespiratory fitness, or somewhere in between.

I'm a conditioning specialist and I work primarily with first responders.  I have some ideas, but I need to know a bit more about you.  


PM me if you like.


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## mct601 (Mar 2, 2013)

Sorry I have not been on here in a while. I have been busy with my new job title and getting everything squared away. 

As of now, since I posted last, I have dropped going on 2" off my gut and down nearly 10lbs. (my weight used to fluctuate between 175-178, now 165-168). 

I am 5'9", 166lbs (last scale a day ago). My primary goal has turned to fitness. I want to lose my gut. I am not fat by no means, but I have what you'd describe as a beer belly due to my family genetics.


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## DrParasite (Mar 3, 2013)

if you are working 48 on, does your agency have a small gym in the station?  

when i was working at the firehouse, after 9pm when everyone went to sleep, I was able to do a 45 minute workout at the gym, than showered, and then hit the sack.  If not, pushups, situps, calistentics, and maybe even bring a set of dumbbells to work out with.

I'm going to assume you aren't running your *** off (since you are working 48 straight), so you should have some downtime.

and on your days off, schedule some time in the gym, maybe an hour a day.


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## mct601 (Mar 3, 2013)

I spend about an hour, at least on my off days. Here lately I have been doing weights, followed by core and cardio. I will always have weights in my workouts because I feel they are the best fat burners. We don't have a gym. We run our tails off during the day, and its suspect at night. Might start doing body weight exercises once all the "wisdom" goes to bed at night haha and jogging a little around the station.


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## DrParasite (Mar 3, 2013)

mct601 said:


> We run our tails off during the day, and its suspect at night.


See that scares me.  you do 48 hours on, and you are running your tails off during the day, and sometimes at night too?  so by hour 36, how good of a paramedic are you?  your body must be so fatigued, your brain must be itching for sleep, esp if you end up with a busy night.

and do some personal research, you will find numerous medical studies saying not enough sleep can negatively affect your health, both short term and long term.  going to the gym can help, but if you aren't able to sleep, it might not even matter.

That all being said, I have been told cardio is actually a better fat burner than weights.  while it is true that more muscle and bigger muscles = more fat burned, cardio still burns more calories during a workout.  after all, I see a lot of skinny girls are the gym spending an hour or more on the treadmill while wearing yoga pants, while very few are using a bench press to lifting 10 reps of 150 lbs.


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## mct601 (Mar 3, 2013)

No offense, but I have no desire to get into the semantics of our rotations. I'm just trying to play the cards that I am dealt the best way possible. We usually get adequate rest, though.


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