How I Train Around 12-Hour Shifts (And How You Can Too)

I work 12-hour shifts as an electrician. 6 AM to 6 PM. Seven days on, seven days off.

When I'm on a work stretch, I wake up at 4:30, I'm on my feet all day pulling wire and bending conduit, and by the time I get home I've got maybe 2 hours before I need to sleep and do it again.

Every fitness program I tried assumed I had evenings free. They assumed I could train Monday/Wednesday/Friday like a normal person. They assumed I had energy after work.

None of those assumptions were true.

So I built a system that actually accounts for how shift workers live. Here's the framework:

Work weeks: Maintain, don't build.

On my 7 days on, I'm not trying to hit PRs. I'm doing 10–20 minute sessions — ForgeShots — that keep my body moving, maintain my strength, and don't wreck my recovery. Bodyweight circuits. Quick mobility work. A short conditioning piece.

The goal isn't progress. The goal is not going backwards.

Off weeks: Build.

My 7 days off are where the real training happens. This is when I hit the barbell. Progressive overload. Longer sessions. The work that actually drives adaptation.

The key insight: most people try to train the same way every week. But if your schedule isn't the same every week, your training shouldn't be either.

ForgeFit is built on this principle. Every program accounts for high-demand periods and recovery periods. Whether you work rotating shifts, travel for work, or just have weeks that are crazier than others — the training adapts to you, not the other way around.

That's the difference between a program that looks good on paper and one that actually works in your life.