Lifting during Q4 Call Rotations?

[Waiting4Ganong]

How have current residents managed to fit in lifting during their Q4 call rotations? Care to post your workouts?

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[Mumpu]

The easiest thing to do from the workout standpoint is my twice-weekly pick-up soccer (something about the motivation of team sports). Otherwise, once a week is feasible, twice a week or more often requires effort (this of course depends on how often you lift as well -- I can tolerate q4 before I start to overtrain, and going from q4 to q week is not a huge hit in terms of strength). My pumpatorium routine is HIT-style (High Intensity Training a la McRoberts, not the heparin kind) and consists of trap-bar deadlifts, overhead presses, and weighted chin-ups. Short and sweet -- all the things I'm not.

 

[usnavdoc]

Lots of ways to be creative without overtraining. You can do full body workouts twice a week or do a creative split where you hit the whole body once a week divided amongst 2-3 workouts. Whatever fits your goals and lifestyle.

Just have to recognize that overtraining not only comes from exercising too much but also from exercising with inadequate nutrition and rest. Worst case scenario do cardio and find time while working to do natural exercises.

 

[danielmd06]

It depends on what rotation you are doing q 4 call on. If it's Neurosurgery or an Intensive Care Unit, and your average day hits 12-13 hours, and that call rarely resolves with you sleeping for a single minute...then working out can be tough.

If it's something more like an IM Hospitalist rotation, then you can manage it no problem.

I'm rounding up my intern year and I managed to keep a pretty decent amount of workouts scheduled into my routine. It takes discipline and sacrifice...but it can definitely be done. I can manage 3 workouts per week with free weights (at two hours apiece) and at least three 40 minute cardio sessions to boot if I make the effort on a 40-60 hour week. When the clock starts regularly hitting 80 though...it's a different story.

Remember that you are going to have whole elective months, too...

 

[mgdsh]

You really just gotta do your best to work out on your non-call days and use call days as your time off (from working out). Follow your same routine schedule just make them flexible around call days, and be sure to constantly eat small meals / keep up your protein intake, especially on those longer days.

I wouldnt necessarily do any heavy leg lifts or exhausting cardio marathons on the day before call (esp if you have to walk around a lot during your calls).

 

[PediBoneDoc]

consistency is the key regardless of the rotation you are on. working out at noon is probably never going to happen. so you are going to be either in the evening or a morning workout group. for most, the evening is unpredictable. for me, the only way of being consistent is to work out in the AM.

so, i workout at 430 am. this is difficult and require a bit of fortitude to get use to. several of my residents also are on this schedule. if you are a gym person, then it requires a gym that is open that early.

the other thing to do is get a home workout program, either weights or cardio equipment. i found the less travel time, the better. whatever you do, it is going to take a bit of planning. for me, the only time that was guaranteed was in the morning. my evening is always being interrupted by emergent cases and elementary school functions.

good luck

 

[SLUser11]

How have current residents managed to fit in lifting during their Q4 call rotations? Care to post your workouts?

You could always help to move some fat-pass patients out of bed. Talk about a full-body workout......

In all seriousness, one of my main hospitals has a gym (benefit of a community hospital), so hypothetically I could work out on call, but no self-respecting meathead would be caught dead working out there. My approach is to go to the nice gym after work, regardless of how tired I am.

Honestly, someone mentioned that they needed 2 hours per workout to do weights, but that's taking long breaks or doing a crapload of sets. In medicine, you're probably not training for a powerlifting competition, but just trying to tread water and keep from getting fat. You can realistically get your lifting done in less than 3 hours/week. If you feel pressed for time, use a "get in, get out" approach and your day will not be too affected overall. You just have to accept less-sets and a less-complete workout. Muscle memory will keep you strong as long as your getting in there every week.

The real problem is finding time for cardio, as there's no way to rush through it. I like the soccer idea (if you're into it). I also play pickup B-ball, which helps.

Still, overall it's a losing battle.......

 

[plastikosmd]

besides walkin up hill both ways to work in the snow...my call schedule was
q2-3 for my first 3 years and then improved to q3-4 for last 3. there was no problem working out a schedule to fit in a workout. you just need to budget your time for the things that you want to do. as my chief once said to me..the problem with q2 call is that you miss half the good cases..

 

[driedcaribou]

It's encouraging to see you guys can maintain your workout schedules.

I am curious how you guys manage to keep your nutrition up.

I found working 12-14 hour days as a student pretty brutal because I had a hard time getting enough to eat. Do you guys pre-make a lot of your food?
Do you recommend supplementation?

I find I can still do weighted chin-ups but my bench press, squat and shoulder press has suffered a lot. Ugh- I wish I didn't want to do surgery as a career.

 

[Mumpu]

Nutrition pretty much goes out the door. An extensive breakfast helps. Aside from that your best bet is probably carrying nutrition bars in your white coat. Sleep is another factor important to growth and recovery and that ain't happening much either.

 

[danielmd06]

Nutrition pretty much goes out the door. An extensive breakfast helps. Aside from that your best bet is probably carrying nutrition bars in your white coat. Sleep is another factor important to growth and recovery and that ain't happening much either.

My diet went right out the door too.

And to answer a previous poster's comments about the length of workout being two hours...I would reply that it all depends on what your fitness goals are and how you budget your time. I can still get all my hospital work done, spend time with my wife, read articles, and sleep while more or less regularly completing the workout I want to do.

I just cut back on my SDN time.

 

[Disciple]

How have current residents managed to fit in lifting during their Q4 call rotations? Care to post your workouts?

That's tough. It's hard to muster up the motivation to lift and to lift at high intensity when you're sleep deprived.

I would do no more than 3 days a week during your Q4 months. However, your workouts on those days should be brutal. High volume, high intensity, 30min of cardio after lifting. I would do a back/bi/traps/forearms, chest/shoulders, legs split. Pick 3 days of the week that you'll be well rested. The increased volume/intensity will allow you work out each bodypart only once per week. Try to get in your regular 3 meals/day, but supplement with protein drinks (thermos or premixed) and granola bars or something for extra carbs.

 

[usnavdoc]

It's encouraging to see you guys can maintain your workout schedules.

I am curious how you guys manage to keep your nutrition up.

I found working 12-14 hour days as a student pretty brutal because I had a hard time getting enough to eat. Do you guys pre-make a lot of your food?
Do you recommend supplementation?

I find I can still do weighted chin-ups but my bench press, squat and shoulder press has suffered a lot. Ugh- I wish I didn't want to do surgery as a career.

I bought a grill and cook for several days at a time and usually always bring my meals from home. So Ill buy the family sized portions of meat and grill that with some veges every 4-5 days or so. Its kinda enjoyable once you get started. There are several grill cookbooks out there to play with as well. Anyway Thats what I do.

 

[danielmd06]

I bought a grill and cook for several days at a time and usually always bring my meals from home. So Ill buy the family sized portions of meat and grill that with some veges every 4-5 days or so. Its kinda enjoyable once you get started. There are several grill cookbooks out there to play with as well. Anyway Thats what I do.

That's a fantastic idea!

 

[carrigallen]

For me, just getting to the grocery store on a weekly basis is going to be difficult. That is the limiting factor...healthy fresh food. The pharm lunches tend to be fatty here, with lots of tempting desserts.

 

[madtowngirl]

I'm not a resident yet, but I sometimes use CrossFit workouts if I need something quick and intense (www.crossfit.com). All of their workouts can be done in under an hour, some in far less time than that. I'll probably continue CF during residency, plus kettlebell stuff.

 

[Tigger14]

I got a personal trainer. It helped in two ways. First, she teaches me stuff I did not know, even though I have been an endurance athlete for a while (ran marathons in med school). Second, it is huge motivation, especially now that we are friends, too. I have someone to b**ch to, who will think up my workouts, and push me through them. Plus, when I am tired, it keeps me going when I would be passed out on my couch.

In fellowship, I will probably get an arc trainer, but I also found out that the University's gym is open nearly 24 hours. Woo hoo.

 

[faithnotsight]

Is it not possible to work out an hour a day? Especially if you go to a place with Q4 call with late start? I figure I could do an hour in the morning pre call, an hour post call, and then on my non call days, squeeze an hour in the evenings. I plan to do this at least 5-6 days per week. I currently run an hour per day and lift 45 minutes per day, so this is a concession for me. However, I thought if I cut out other things (eg. TV, SDN, internet) this would be possible. I have a former classmate who started working out an hour a day in her 4th year med school and still does. (She did it in her IM internship and radiology residency -- currently in her 4th year of residency). Also, I think your diet can be watched. I go grocery shopping twice a month except I buy fresh fruit once a week. (Picking up fruit takes 5-10 minutes max and my shopping twice an hour twice a month.) I think you can eat well, you just have to plan your meals. I plan to cook once a week (my day off) and freeze the food and bring it with me. Also, every cafeteria has a salad bar and pharm company lunches! I am not diabetic, but one of my friends is and she has found a way to make time to go shopping and find healthy food!

 

[Mumpu]

Just make sure you learn proper lifting technique (that is, apparently do not learn from the CrossFit people) -- from the main page: April 5 deadlifting with knees pointing in, April 4 behind-the-neck presses lowering the bar all the way to the shoulders, etc.

As for the duration of the workout, my HIT routine takes under 30 minutes start to finish. Or you can do "a boy and his bar" or a variation thereof, get your HR to 195, and be done in 5.

 

[carrigallen]

As for the duration of the workout, my HIT routine

Stop writing that...I keep wanting to order argatroban.

 

[Methyldopa]

Working out can be a pain when you're Q4. I try to force myself to go even post call (I'll usually take a nap, tear myself from my bed and hit up the gym). Definitely can be done.

As for nutrition, it's hard because all the free lunches you get are **** and are junk foods (pizza and the like). The hospital cafeteria is no better. I try my best to take advantage of the free meals (but I'm selective!).

Meal replacement bars and drinks are the way to go between meals. I'm always snacking on something during rounds!

Also I found that very few of my fellow interns workout that much, or even bother eating healthy.

 

[Methyldopa]

Or you can do "a boy and his bar" or a variation thereof, get your HR to 195, and be done in 5.

195?? How do you do that? I usually just aim for the 140's and just once managed to hit low 160's.

 

[kungfufishing]

Essentially, the answer is you can do it but you have to want to and plan around it. I am now on an EM schedule which presents different problems, but as a medicine intern on a Q4 schedule I managed to maintain consistency. Find something you can fit in post call, and start doing it early in the year so it becomes a habit.

 

[Disciple]

It's especially difficult to make progress pushing heavy weights with compound exercises when you're tired (Deadlifts, squats, etc).

May be a good idea to supplement with some Red Bull before lifting during the Q4 months.

 

[driedcaribou]

I'm not a resident yet, but I sometimes use CrossFit workouts if I need something quick and intense (www.crossfit.com). All of their workouts can be done in under an hour, some in far less time than that. I'll probably continue CF during residency, plus kettlebell stuff.

I find cardio is fine to maintain but trying to keep lifting at the same intensity i.e. bench pressing 1.8 times your body weight for reps and doing heavy squats just suffer if you cannot sleep.


I think you're just asking for injury if you try to keep your fitness at the 'same' level it was when you were younger.

I can no longer spar as a result of just med school. It's too risky and not worth getting hurt if you can't keep your training up.

 

[Mumpu]

"A boy and his bar" is a very special routine I learned from the Hardgainer forums. The 195 HR (100% of my max predicted) was not intentional and I ended up backing down on intensity because it is an extremely unpleasant feeling and I now have much empathy for patients with SVT. ABAHB is basically a series of Olympic-style lifts linked into a single movement. The name comes from the fact that if you can do four wheels (225#) you will become a man. If I recall the routine correctly, you do (in a single repetition) a power clean, push press, overhead squat, front squat, set the bar down, repeat. It is extremely intense -- I was getting HR of 195 after a single set of 5 reps with something like 170# on the bar. Now I largely do it as a warmup exercise with a clean bar.