I am in medical residency, and would like to get going working out again, had to quit once I started residency.
I used to workout for an hour a day in the morning, but i just don´t have the time for that now.
I have to be at the hospital at 5.30am, so i usually wake up at 5.00am since i live right next to the hospital. Usually work till 8.00pm, sometimes it gets to 9.00-9.30pm at the very worst. I have Sundays off every other weekend. Other than that I am pretty squeezed for time.
Anybody have any recommendations for maybe a 20-30 min strength workout that can be done in the morning or at night? Or perhaps a good one day a week program that good still yield some good results? Looking to just pack on some mass, but i have don´t have much time to eat, train or sleep so if not for the muscle I need to preserve my health.
I´ve got another 5 years in residency so need something I can be consistent with.
The “I’m Not Doing Jack Shit” 5/3/1 template may be a good fit, if you’re familiar with 5/3/1 programming. You can superset some good bang-for-your-buck accessories like chins and dips after the top set if you have a little more time.
Big props for trying to find a way to get it done under those circumstances, though. Sounds tough.
My $0.02 (I’ve never been through residency) would fall in line with what @ChickenLittle posted. All your days are going to be long and tiring, so picking something you can do every day is where it’s at (vs trying to do something longer once or twice a week).
What equipment do you have access to that is near or at your place or the hospital?
Dan Johns one lift a day may fit what you are looking for
Alternatively you could use this time to do bodyweight sessions and just get really fit and conditioned. In the long term this will serve you well and you can just get back into more strength work in the gym after your residency and use your amazing conditioning to really work hard and milk those new gym gainz.
Check out @ChongLordUno training log or his you tube channel for heaps of 20 mins circuits that will turn you into a machine.
This forum is filled with such kind and helping people.
I think I will go with the bodyweight sessions that @simo74 was so kind to suggest. Since my specialty of choice is physically demanding, doing bodyweight for now might spare my recovery and joints a bit, at least until I start working better hours.
Perhaps critical care neurosurgery. Attending hours here are good so im not sure if i want an extra year or two in training. Research is not as important here. Knowing the right people is what lands you good residencies and fellowships.
Thinking of doing fellowship after IM residency yourself?
Well, a few pointers in no particular order that may help:
Think of it as an investment. Keeping yourself physically fit will allow you to do surgeries and stand in the OR for longer, not just on a day to day basis, but also as you get older. As long as you don’t hurt yourself during lifting, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel less aches and pains if you’re physically fit compared to if you’re not.
I realized it became my mental break from medicine. I was always physically active in one way or another even during medical school. I was playing volleyball consistently once a week throughout medical school except for exam weeks. I don’t play as much now because of logistical reasons, but the gym is always there for me. Taking this mental break also helped me fight MDD. Speaking of logistics, I got lucky because the gym I go to is somewhat between where I live and where I work. If you don’t have a nearby gym, consider investing in a home gym. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to have the tools you need to enable you to reach your goal. It may cost you upfront, but you’re saving up on time, which as you know, is a scarce commodity for us.
Speaking of goals, same with your reason for going into medicine, find your reason why you lift. My reasons for starting to lift are a little different from what my reasons are now, but the point is, having your reasons to lift trumps motivation to go to the gym. Even when I was night shift from 7pm to 7am 6 days a week, or 12 hours x 6 days a week, I forced going to the gym after my shift even if it just meant doing 1 or 2 main lifts - and that was because of my reason for lifting, not my motivation. And finding your reason for lifting, and goals for lifting will affect/help determine how you’ll train. You mentioned one of your goals is mass. I honestly don’t know anything about gaining mass, as getting big was never my goal in lifting. Other people will have more valuable input here. The only thing I can say is that you’ll have to find a way to get your macros and calories in despite the busy schedule. It is what it is.
Pick a program. This stops you from just spinning your wheels in the gym. And pick a program that allows you to be flexible. I picked 5/3/1 beginner’s because I only was willing to train twice a week. Not sure if you’re familiar with 5/3/1 but it uses a lower training max. This lower training max allows me to account for days that I’m just more physically tired or sleep deprived. It also doesn’t matter much in this program if I have to move my training days by 1-3 days, as long as I’m consistent with training, I saw progress. Some weeks are busier than others, and some days are just more tiring than others, and that’s just the nature of the beast, that’s why flexibility in the program is important. 5/3/1 Triumvirate also seems like a good option. In line with flexibility, we mention training sessions per week, like 3 training days over 1 week. You can count differently, like if you have 4 training sessions but only lift MWF, it will be:
1 - M
2 - W
3 - F
4 - M
1 - W … and so on.
Aside from mass, you also mentioned strength. I think it will be good for now to decide which one you will chase first - strength or mass. Sure, getting stronger and getting bigger goes hand in hand for the most part, but which one you focus on will come faster. As I said, I never lifted to look big. I lifted to get strong. I’ve done everything I said above, and the strength progress is definitely there. Focus on chasing one goal first to get a feel for how you want to train and how much time you’re willing to sacrifice. Once you get the routine down, try to see how you can fit other goals in, or just change the goal all together. Point is, keep it simple for now. Get the consistency and discipline in first. That will help you reach where you want to get.
I know your original question was looking for a specific program or a 20-30 min strength workout, and I didn’t really answer that directly, but I still hope this helps.
Thank you! Tough? Hmm, not really compared to where I’m originally from, medically speaking. 12 hour shifts definitely beat 36 hour shifts. But it’s tough for a different reason. Being an international medical graduate has its own challenges. But we do what we need to do to get by.
Yeah i can imagine. I took the USMLE Step 1 during medical school a few years ago, scored 243 but decided not to go further getting licensing in the US because of the specialty I was pursuing, which seemed impossible for a non-US grad. My long-term goal is to move to Australia or the Middle East after specializing.
What is your goal in internal med, going for a hospitalist job or sub-specializing?
hey 243 is a good score man. But yeah, you probably need more for surgical specialties, not just a higher score, but also research, connections, and so on…unfortunately it is what it is
Not so sure yet. Definitely want to enjoy life though lol
Right, matching into a surgical residency in the US seemed like running up a vertical wall that was on fire
What state are you in? I’ve heard there is mid-level scope creep from some Physician assistants and Nurses in some states and it´s gotten worse over the years, but that might just be my ignorance on the topic.
