Exhausted from Construction

I wouldn’t expect diet to be a cure all unless you ate particularly poorly.

Three weeks sounds about right for the suck to truly set in. You’ll adapt by week 8 or so.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t improve your eating.

So this was a much better week, even though I got burned as hell shoveling stone off a roof for 5 days straight (some days was 150+ degrees).

Food and less caffeine showed a huge improvement. I went to the heart doctor Thurs and weighed in at 198, I’ve gained about 13 lbs since starting there and noticed to be getting mass in my upper torso/arms.

I live in Altoona.

1 Like

Dude, sunscreen or a bandana on your neck are your friends! Ouch.

I’m glad to hear you’re doing better. How was your sleep last week?

Bro this looks like poor planning. Get some basic skin care stuff. Wear a bandana on your neck, get a long sleeve compression shirt under your work clothes (like the heat gear type) and moisturize

1 Like

Welcome to my world, I’m a mason. Bring a good lunch. Do not go all day without eating GOOD food and do not buy your lunch. You don’t have time to buy your food anyway. You are way over caffeinated, that will make you tired. Cut that down by 2/3s. Never over do sugar ether. Lots of water. After a few days you will feel better. You are now a working man you will get used to it.

Lets talk injuries. Your job likely does not work your abdominal muscles. You will grow very strong in many trades, but out of balance. Your back will fail you if that happens. Your entire core need’s to stay strong and your job will only do half of it. Don’t over train but don’t let the ares you are not working grow weak. Beware of doing things too repetitiously, try to change your motions when you can. The pay is good, make sure you are in the union or get in the union. Someday you will need those benefits.

Now that I’m reading the comments it seems others are giving you good advice. I grew up on a southern Calif beach. No one ever needed to tell me about the sun. And winter hurts more than summer. It is a good life but make sure you are in a well paying trade.

4 Likes

Damn! That’s a thermal beat down. You should be more careful though. I’ve been kicked off of a job for allowing myself to become injured when I was resting a bushing hammer against my fore arm and got a so-so rub/wound. Now that you have some battle scars and a good story, its time to practice some self care. Sunblock and stay hydrated.

Verne’s right too. It will probably suffice to just stay limber for now, but you will have to shore up your torso to protect your back. Use this time now to developed some good habits.

Just my own recommendation, and there may be others, but this stuff changed the way I moved and felt for the better-

https://www.t-nation.com/training/mobility-stability-continuum

Continue through Robertson and Cressy’s series on mobility/stability and stay healthy. You can’t get very strong with a blown out back hooked on oxys/heroin Nobody thinks it will happen to them, but its an absolute plague and one of the greatest hazards of blue collar work.

2 Likes

Definitely wore sunblock folks after my neck got bad, you can see the finger lines where I was trying to reach.

Sleep has improved as well.

Also, I am 5 months clean and am off opiates (including maintenance) and all drugs (I used pretty much everything for almost a decade). This job and being clean is getting me fit as I’ve ever been and I love it.

2 Likes

Good. Keep it that way. Stay out of pain. I’ve been clean from narcotics for 21 years and alcohol for 16 coming up in October.

Nothing brings back the old thoughts like “I know how to fix this” like real pain. I’ve made it through a dislocated spine, various broken bones and a couple of root canals without them though, so it can be done. I also can’t help but cringe when I see someone in recovery get hurt and start to spiral.

4 Likes

I really messed up my lower back today already. Picking up something that looked way lighter. I can’t afford to miss work, how do I work through this? :pensive:

Sheesh! First tell your supervisor exactly what and how. Second, advil or generic ibuprophen.

Hopefully you can get some lighter duty till you heal up a little.

Are you hanging with some solid people in recovery or buddies that will cosign your bullshit? If the latter, find the former and be honest about where you are. Like it or not, you’re in a risky place at this point, and I’ve seen literally hundreds of people die because they mishandled this exact situation.

If you go to an MD, be 100% honest about your situation.

1 Like

Doubt I can really do light duty, kinda short handed.

I have people who support my “recovery”, don’t really believe in the whole “in recovery” thing. I am a believer now and He is what helps get me through.

2 Likes

Well you should still talk to the sup. about it and let the chips fall where they may.

Any way you slice it, its going to be a gutting it out period. Once an injury occurs, there it is.

Its difficult to recommend rehab type exercises (which I’m not really qualified to do) without any understanding of the nature of the injury.

For most moderate strains I use ice in 20 minute intervals, and lay on the floor with legs raised to make a 90° bend at the hips with feet and calves rested on a chair to decompress the spine.

If its just muscle strain or slight tears a few days of that fixes it up enough to start doing mobility and stability work

2 Likes

Thanks for the tips brother.

I usually rest and recover but it seems being mobile and stretches definitely help a lot with the pain. Certain twists are kind of rough but I’ll get through it.

New motto I live through, “it’s only temporary”. I just play that throughout my head on the rough days and I know I will be just fine.

You guys have all been awesome I appreciate all the tips/info/etc.

Now how should I start workin’ my core muscles? :joy:

I’d look for something using planks, side planks, etc. and lumbar extension, hip hinging (stiff leg dead lift, Romanian, standard). Maybe some bridges (glutes & spine).

You’re probably the best judge of how to spend your own spare time, capabilities, access to equipment, and how far you’d like to take all of it.

1 Like

Also once your back heals up a bit look into kettlebells swings. My lower back stamina for cutting logs has increased 10x from the 10,000 swing program. And I’m only half done with it.

2 Likes

I’m assuming your back went into spasms. It’s rare at your age to have any real damage yet. Hopefully your sciatic nerve is not being pinched at all. Because that is a world of hurt. You were working your back hard, it has grown strong but it was overworked and in need of support from the rest of your core. It did not get it and now you hurt. The good news is that worst thing you can do is give it too much rest. No more than a day and even then stretch. Unless it hurts too much, start doing blanks, both sides and strait. It might hurt a wee bit at first but usually you actually feel better after doing them. As I said start doing them now, they help you heal. Warning your back will tell you if you should not do them yet. But mild pain at first is nothing to fear ut should ease during the frist 15 seconds of the blank. Never stop doing planks. Your trade over works your back but you are getting close to zero work out of your abdominal muscle groups. When a 2 minute plank becomes easy, then and only then look into more vigorous abdominal workouts. Planks in my experience are very easy on a sore back

Some pushups and pull ups are a good idea as well, Try to stay rounded while your body is getting used to hard work. But do not over train. You will be able to do full weight workouts after your body grows stronger. And see a chiropractor they can be a working mans best friend

1 Like

I’ll second the push up recommendation.

But with caveats.

A proper push up not only helps build and strengthen your muscles, but it helps build and strengthen health body mechanics.

An improper push up will just whittle away your shoulders and possibly low back too.

Of course don’t let your hips sags. This can put pressure on your spine. You’re back will be close to parallel the ground at the top of the rep. This isn’t just an exercise only training your upper body push muscles. There’s also a lot of torso control involving the same muscles as planks with the difference being that you’re actually moving which can actually add the stabilization demand.

Also, at the top of each push up be sure to protract your shoulder blades. Some trainers or coaches call this a push up plus. To me, this is just a proper push up and where the best benefits of the push up come from. You can kind of think of it like pushing the outside of your shoulder blade into the ground.

If you want a greater challenge, then touch your sternum to the floor each rep with control. Don’t belly flop and bounce off the floor for one more rep :slight_smile: Yes… I have seen this.

1 Like

Wrestling Coach made us do this with knuckle pushups. He called them real pushups, Haha.

A swift crack with the whistle lanyard used to get us right in line.

Any updates @tryp?