Would like to begin F1 again. Need advice planning around labor intensive job.

*Before you read, I apologize in advance if it's a lot to read or not organized too well, I just didn't want leave anything out*

Hey everyone. So it's been quite some time since I've done F1 and H1 (but done H1 a lot less).This is due to a new job I got in November. Basically what I do is I pick orders for a warehouse that is a major distributor for a grocery chain. So the purpose of this post is that I need help/advice on how to begin again with the new stressors (mental and physical), and time constraints new to me. I will begin explaining the physical aspect of my job so that I can have an appropriate approach to working out, then I will explain my nutrition etc. so you guys have an idea of what your working with.

- Daily routine at work

So at 6:30am my day begins pretty fast paced. I begin riding a pallet jack and grabbing my empty pallets to begin my first order. Pick orders can be anywhere from 1 case to the most I've pulled which it around 400+. So all day this is what I do. I'm grabbing boxes/cases of varying weight from paper towels up to cases of meat (.5lbs - 90lbs lightest to heaviest, meat orders are rare for me though). Physically, I'm moving at a pretty good jog grabbing and stacking my cases. So there is a lot of lifting and running. The muscles I use at work are pretty much all used, example: pulling cases toward me, carrying, pressing overhead, picking cases from ground level, and running in a circle almost squatting as I wrap the pallets, which I discovered I really feel it in the glutes and hamstrings.

-Hours worked/schedule

Since we service a grocery chain, we have a set amount of cases to be pulled every day depending on all the stores needs, especially heavy if weather is bad due to more people shopping and holidays of course. So what that means is that I can work anywhere from 6:30am - 2:00pm (rare. On average around 4:00pm end shift time), then there can be days where I go in at 6:30am and work until 8:pm (latest I've worked). So I'm having a bit of trouble finding time to do things after work or getting into bed early enough (which I'm trying to fix, mostly just stubborn and stay up late). But I still feel it's possible to workout somehow. Also off work on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

- Physical fatigue, calories, nutrition/diet

Most days I come home barely able to move, which I leave sore, but it's more from exhaustion and physical fatigue than it is muscle soreness. So I have not worked out simply because I've just been so tired and wore out. But I don't want to give up my passion. I have tried eating healthier and noticed I've been spending way too much eating at buffets due to burning so many calories at work. But I have began cooking meals more. Although, I notice when I attempt to eat healthier at work it just does not keep me full long enough after lunch to run my orders. A meal I often pack is, one or two 4oz chicken breast, bowl of broccoli, bowl of white rice or two potatoes, along with an orange/ apple or banana. I have thought about packing peanut butter sandwiches to snack on for the calories too. Also at home I've recently started to eat greek yogurt with an apple and banana cut up in it, since it's healthier. I'd also like to cook beans since they have a lot of protein and are good for you but I'm not really sure how to cook the ones that come in a bag, and canned beans have too much sodium don't they? It doesn't sound like much to me, and I find myself buying junk out of vending machines just to keep me fueled. I believe this is because the junk food obviously has more calories. My nutritional goals though are to cut out sugar (junk food, sweets) completely an lower my sodium intake along with processed foods. However I'm not very knowledgeable with nutrition and need help. Also I do drink a lot of water, and it's the only thing I drink, no sodas or anything.

- Supplements I take

Every day I take 4 magnesium glycinate tablets (400mg) everyday two at night, two in the morning, although sometimes I feel like I'm supposed to take more.

I also take 2 fish oil tablets (2,000mg everyday) one at night, one in morning and I also use a superfood powder called Maximum Vibrance by Vibrant Health. I used the powder because i felt my nutrition has many holes in it.

Also most days I don't really eat a healthy breakfast, I end up buying a protein bar or something from a convenient store. This is mainly because I don't know what I could eat that's healthy that could keep me from starving until 8:30 or 10:30 if I skip my first break. I know a lot of people eat oatmeal, and I ate it everyday but it didn't keep me full and made me tired (very bad combo for my job).

Workplace injuries/muscle issues I'm trying to correct at home

1. Golfer's elbow. I had this pretty bad about a month ago (at it's worst) but somehow it's not as bad. I have on like 3 different occasions performed a workout after work for my forearm extensors, along with myofascial realease on my forearm flexors with stretching them too. It does help and I continue to do this.

2. More recently, I have acquired what feels like runner's knee, and I think this is due to me running at work on the unforgiving concrete to get my orders done faster, so that I make more money. I think this could be caused not only by running but by my quads getting more work than my hamstrings, so I don't think I have much knee stability. Also my knees crack and grind more than they ever have now. Quads and hip flexors are really tight, hamstrings too. So I'm also battling anterior pelvic tilt. Always had it bad with apt.

note: I do notice that my biceps get far more work than my triceps due to carrying boxes and so a lot of flexion going on as opposed to extension. I know the tricep is a larger muscle so I think this could definitely create problems with imbalance if this biceps became bigger stronger couldn't they?

- workout time preference

As for working out I prefer is to be after work as opposed to morning since I'm already trying to get up at 4am to make breakfast, eat, get ready for work and leave by 5:30. Also because I live in an apartment and don't want wake up roommates or people downstairs I've considered buying a pre-workout although I've never used one. Also when I was doing F1 I noticed that it didn't feel like those workouts where you are killing yourself. It simply felt like training. Felt like it was easier to recover from.

Well, I'm not really sure what else to post here but I do very greatly appreciate any advice on my diet, eating, recovery, training, etc. I do apologize that there is a lot to read here, I just didn't want to leave anything out. Ask any questions at all that any of you may need to know to help. I'm very grateful to be able to be here and seek advice on this forum Thanks again.

I know you didn't ask for career advice, but because I worked for safeway 10 yrs ago doing the same job you are, my advice is to seriously consider a different career. Concrete will wreck you, going in and out of cold rooms will eventually make you sick because you are already drained all the time. No matter how good your diet, or how well you try to take care of yourself, some jobs will always catch up to you. In fact, because work already takes its toll, working out too much might even drain you more making your performance at work suffer also, and I know in these distribution warehouses that performance is monitored strictly. You can't afford to play catchup all the time.

Instead of buying store bought nutrition bars, try making your own. You'll save money and you have control  of the ingredients. This is what I try to do (or have my wife do) when I have a heavy week ahead. Check the web for recipes.

It's rough trying to workout after a hard physical day- I agree. During the week I limit the F1/H1 intensity and duration, and sometimes I'll even have to skip a workout if I'm really spent.  I have been foam rolling almost daily, and playing with a lacrosse ball and Theracane. That does wonders for stiffness from the day, and after a light/moderate workout at night- followed by solid sleep- I'm ready to go the next day. Maybe that will help you to? Calibrate the intensity during the week and save the hard hitting for the weekends.

Final bit of advice: Purchase The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies, it's full of little gems to help relieve some aches and avoid physical degeneration. Takes some time to learn to put to best use, but well worth it. Good luck!

MattProulx said:

I know you didn't ask for career advice, but because I worked for safeway 10 yrs ago doing the same job you are, my advice is to seriously consider a different career. Concrete will wreck you, going in and out of cold rooms will eventually make you sick because you are already drained all the time. No matter how good your diet, or how well you try to take care of yourself, some jobs will always catch up to you. In fact, because work already takes its toll, working out too much might even drain you more making your performance at work suffer also, and I know in these distribution warehouses that performance is monitored strictly. You can't afford to play catchup all the time.

I really like your post because I can relate so well and you hit my thoughts spot on. I thought about this a lot, and i do think about the effect it has on my body. The only issue here is that I cannot find another line of work starting out with as much pay. What I have found either pays too little or requires specific experience. which I only have freight handling/warehouse experience. I would love to find another career to fit my goals and give time so I can go to school to study physical therapy ironically. But my budget simply won't allow it Mainly because I recently had no other choice but to acquire a vehicle, so insurance and my truck payment caused me to need to get this job. I'm satisfied kinda because I now have financial stability, but depressed because I can't find time for school, and I can't workout. Which I feel are bigger priorities for me. I feel so lost.

curtisfer said:

Instead of buying store bought nutrition bars, try making your own. You'll save money and you have control  of the ingredients. This is what I try to do (or have my wife do) when I have a heavy week ahead. Check the web for recipes.

 

It's rough trying to workout after a hard physical day- I agree. During the week I limit the F1/H1 intensity and duration, and sometimes I'll even have to skip a workout if I'm really spent.  I have been foam rolling almost daily, and playing with a lacrosse ball and Theracane. That does wonders for stiffness from the day, and after a light/moderate workout at night- followed by solid sleep- I'm ready to go the next day. Maybe that will help you to? Calibrate the intensity during the week and save the hard hitting for the weekends.

 

Final bit of advice: Purchase The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies, it's full of little gems to help relieve some aches and avoid physical degeneration. Takes some time to learn to put to best use, but well worth it. Good luck!

I may just have to try it out and see what happens. I've also been trying to foam roll daily when I don't feel like I'm gonna crash. I seem to have issues with the knots relaxing recently, months ago they would release pretty quickly and I could roll to the next trigger point/knot. I have heard of that book and will definitely check it out. I've also wanted to buy a Theracane and try it. Thank you for the advice though.

ZeroGravityFox said:

I really like your post because I can relate so well and you hit my thoughts spot on. I thought about this a lot, and i do think about the effect it has on my body. The only issue here is that I cannot find another line of work starting out with as much pay. What I have found either pays too little or requires specific experience. which I only have freight handling/warehouse experience. I would love to find another career to fit my goals and give time so I can go to school to study physical therapy ironically. But my budget simply won't allow it Mainly because I recently had no other choice but to acquire a vehicle, so insurance and my truck payment caused me to need to get this job. I'm satisfied kinda because I now have financial stability, but depressed because I can't find time for school, and I can't workout. Which I feel are bigger priorities for me. I feel so lost.

That's really a tough situation man. I'm sorry to hear it, but the life you describe above doesn't sound very sustainable, and unfortunately, it doesn't sound like the suffering you're putting yourself through now will open any doors for you in the future. If you're going to sacrifice yourself by working that hard, you have to ask yourself why you're doing it. If it's to make more money so that you can save and go to school, then grit your teeth and bear it, but give yourself a deadline after which you'll stop (i.e. after you've saved enough money to go to school and work part time or in the summers while taking a student loan). I don't know your life situation, i.e. how old you are, whether you have kids, or the kind of debts you have, but if you're serious about going to school and becoming a physical therapist, you have to come up with a plan now otherwise ten years will go by before you know it and then it may really be too late. You may have to move into a smaller place, in a shittier part of town, get some roommates, and sell your new truck for a used beat-up one, but that's unfortunately the sacrifice many people have had to make in order to achieve their goal of having a better life in the future.

I hope my advice isn't misplaced, I apologize in advance if it is as I definitely do not mean to offend you.

-MR said:

That's really a tough situation man. I'm sorry to hear it, but the life you describe above doesn't sound very sustainable, and unfortunately, it doesn't sound like the suffering you're putting yourself through now will open any doors for you in the future. If you're going to sacrifice yourself by working that hard, you have to ask yourself why you're doing it. If it's to make more money so that you can save and go to school, then grit your teeth and bear it, but give yourself a deadline after which you'll stop (i.e. after you've saved enough money to go to school and work part time or in the summers while taking a student loan). I don't know your life situation, i.e. how old you are, whether you have kids, or the kind of debts you have, but if you're serious about going to school and becoming a physical therapist, you have to come up with a plan now otherwise ten years will go by before you know it and then it may really be too late. You may have to move into a smaller place, in a shittier part of town, get some roommates, and sell your new truck for a used beat-up one, but that's unfortunately the sacrifice many people have had to make in order to achieve their goal of having a better life in the future.

 

I hope my advice isn't misplaced, I apologize in advance if it is as I definitely do not mean to offend you.

Hi there -MR. You have good advice. I'm not offended, I take criticism pretty good. Okay since I'm pretty open, here is my situation. In July of 2013 a co-worker I worked with at my previous job was looking for a roommate for himself and his girlfriend, seeing it as an opportunity from getting out of my family's hectic house and finally building my own life by starting this journey everyone must take, I jumped on it. Around the beginning of August (as regards to my age, I just turned 24 on the 26th of February by the way). I had packed my stuff and moved out with my new roommates into an apartment. At the time we were still working at the same job, so I didn't need a vehicle. They have a car. About a month later, my co-worker finds another job that slightly pays more which means that I may or may not have transportation to work. So the later part of August I run into a friend whom I haven't seen for quite some time and he says I can get a second job helping him so that I can buy a vehicle. Eventually I get a truck from a used car lot which is my only option because I do not have much credit. So instead of having to work two jobs he recommends that I apply for the warehouse that i work now. So here I am in February still in my current situation as I was in November. My original plan was to pay the truck off using my new job which would take about 3 years ($10,000 - taken out for 36 months) and then go back to my original job and go to school. But that 3 years just seems too long for me to finally be starting my college education. I'm already 24 and every year feels like it gets here so fast. i have thought that maybe I could save up money and buy a used vehicle on craigslist or something but I worry that something may go wrong with it. But that plan seems kinda bright right now. Although I don't want to lose my truck since it is my first vehicle. So that's pretty much it. Any questions at all feel free to ask.

In my experience, if you're working a minimum wage job, you can either afford a car or rent, but not both.  Honestly if school is a big priority for you, I'd recommend moving back in with your parents.  It's something I'm going to be doing in the next few months, so I can actually save some of my income, instead of it all going out the same day I get paid.  You really need to figure out if what you're doing now is actually going to get you where you want to go.  Don't worry if it's going to take x amount of years, because these things can take time.  But make sure that it's going to happen, if it's what you really want to do.

As for your current predicament, the first thing I would say is STRETCH!  Make static stretching something you do to relax in the evening.  You don't need to worry overly much about pushing yourself here, but it's something that definitely needs to get done.  The more the better.

Don't worry about reducing your sodium intake.  Sure, for some people, high sodium diets can be bad.  But if you're sweating a lot (which it sounds like you are!) then it shouldn't be a problem for you.  Make sure you're getting enough calories, but preferably from the right sources.  Eat breakfast every day, even if you're not hungry.  Make sure you eat protein and LOADS of carbohydrates, because you're burning a lot of energy.  For someone in your situation I would recommend at least 3000 calories a day, because you really want to make sure you're recovering here.  For reference, a potato is around 50-100 calories, and a regular sized bowl of rice is maybe 3-400.

You may gain a little weight here, but for the time being your joints, tendons, muscles ect need to adapt to the workload you're putting them under, and if you're starving them you're just going to break.  Bone broth is also great for recovery, or so I've heard.  I know some people on this forum swear by it, so give it a shot.

But you really have to pack away that food it you want to avoid getting hungry and eating crap.  Little snack bags of almonds are good at around 300 calories a pop, and the high fat content means you'll stay satiated longer.  Meat is always a good idea for breakfast as well (or at least eggs.)  Take a look at the full english for example.  Sure, for most people, it's WAY too much food.  But they invented it for a reason: it will keep you going through a full day of hard labour.

You've only been at this job for 3 months right?  That's not really enough time to adapt to this sort of workload.  By the time november rolls around again, you'll probably be good to start properly working out.  I know that sounds crazy, but I'm being conservative here.  The last thing you want to do is rush into things and hurt yourself, thereby losing the job.  I used to work in a meat packing plant which was hell on my tendons, from fingers all the way to shoulders (I'm very aware where my brachialis is now!) and I was doing pullups every day as well, blew out my arms and had to quit after like, 2 weeks.

I'd say if you really want to incorporate it for now, just stick to H1, because it's skill development and won't wear you out so much.  Be careful with the wrist exercises though.

If you're really worried you're overworking some muscles compared to others, find out which ones are lacking and bring them up.  So if you're pulling muscles are getting way more work than your pushing muscles, only train pushing ect.  But that's only if you're certain you're developing muscular imbalances.  It's probably not something you need to worry about overly much, despite what you may think.

Make sure you're getting your sleep as well.  At least 9 hours a night.  Go out for all-nighters on the weekend if you must, but sleep is crucial to recovery.  Make sure you get a big heaping of calories right before you go to bed as well!

tl;dr

Don't worry about working out for now.  Get your diet and sleep in check, as well as stretching, in order to boost recovery.

Bipocni said:

In my experience, if you're working a minimum wage job, you can either afford a car or rent, but not both.  Honestly if school is a big priority for you, I'd recommend moving back in with your parents.  It's something I'm going to be doing in the next few months, so I can actually save some of my income, instead of it all going out the same day I get paid.  You really need to figure out if what you're doing now is actually going to get you where you want to go.  Don't worry if it's going to take x amount of years, because these things can take time.  But make sure that it's going to happen, if it's what you really want to do.

 

As for your current predicament, the first thing I would say is STRETCH!  Make static stretching something you do to relax in the evening.  You don't need to worry overly much about pushing yourself here, but it's something that definitely needs to get done.  The more the better.

 

Don't worry about reducing your sodium intake.  Sure, for some people, high sodium diets can be bad.  But if you're sweating a lot (which it sounds like you are!) then it shouldn't be a problem for you.  Make sure you're getting enough calories, but preferably from the right sources.  Eat breakfast every day, even if you're not hungry.  Make sure you eat protein and LOADS of carbohydrates, because you're burning a lot of energy.  For someone in your situation I would recommend at least 3000 calories a day, because you really want to make sure you're recovering here.  For reference, a potato is around 50-100 calories, and a regular sized bowl of rice is maybe 3-400.

 

You may gain a little weight here, but for the time being your joints, tendons, muscles ect need to adapt to the workload you're putting them under, and if you're starving them you're just going to break.  Bone broth is also great for recovery, or so I've heard.  I know some people on this forum swear by it, so give it a shot.

 

But you really have to pack away that food it you want to avoid getting hungry and eating crap.  Little snack bags of almonds are good at around 300 calories a pop, and the high fat content means you'll stay satiated longer.  Meat is always a good idea for breakfast as well (or at least eggs.)  Take a look at the full english for example.  Sure, for most people, it's WAY too much food.  But they invented it for a reason: it will keep you going through a full day of hard labour.

 

You've only been at this job for 3 months right?  That's not really enough time to adapt to this sort of workload.  By the time november rolls around again, you'll probably be good to start properly working out.  I know that sounds crazy, but I'm being conservative here.  The last thing you want to do is rush into things and hurt yourself, thereby losing the job.  I used to work in a meat packing plant which was hell on my tendons, from fingers all the way to shoulders (I'm very aware where my brachialis is now!) and I was doing pullups every day as well, blew out my arms and had to quit after like, 2 weeks.

 

I'd say if you really want to incorporate it for now, just stick to H1, because it's skill development and won't wear you out so much.  Be careful with the wrist exercises though.

 

If you're really worried you're overworking some muscles compared to others, find out which ones are lacking and bring them up.  So if you're pulling muscles are getting way more work than your pushing muscles, only train pushing ect.  But that's only if you're certain you're developing muscular imbalances.  It's probably not something you need to worry about overly much, despite what you may think.

 

Make sure you're getting your sleep as well.  At least 9 hours a night.  Go out for all-nighters on the weekend if you must, but sleep is crucial to recovery.  Make sure you get a big heaping of calories right before you go to bed as well!

 

tl;dr

Don't worry about working out for now.  Get your diet and sleep in check, as well as stretching, in order to boost recovery.

Thank you for the advice. It sounds like a good plan. I'll definitely be fixing my sleep pattern and diet. But as I've said before, I'm a little nutritional illiterate. So I'm not really sure what to eat to get that many calories. So rice would be a better option since it has more calories? Also about moving back in with my parents. I'd probably just be spending more money because they are very bad at controlling a budget and always need money, so where I am now is the better option. As for working out, I may just strengthen the muscles that really need it such as my forearm extensors, glutes, and hamstrings, I should probably be doing some kind of rowing to protect my back, like inverted rows. But thank you again for the help! I'll look into this bone broth too. Not really sure what it is.

ZeroGravityFox said:

.....As for working out, I may just strengthen the muscles that really need it such as my forearm extensors, glutes, and hamstrings.....

ZeroGravityFox said:

....running in a circle almost squatting as I wrap the pallets, which I discovered I really feel it in the glutes and hamstrings......

Sound to me like you may already have that one covered.

The point I was trying to make regarding nutrition is that it's really hard to get enough calories if you're eating good quality food.  I mean 100g peanut butter is what, 500 calories or more.  You'd have to eat 5 times that much rice to get the same benefit.  Shit, a double cheeseburger at mcdonalds is 440 calories, but it's nowhere near the same size as that much rice.

The good thing is once you're getting enough good quality food, I guarantee you won't want to eat any more than that....  No-one can eat that much rice and chicken....

I'm probably not the best guy to turn to for nutritional advice, but I can slam down an entire roast chicken for breakfast....  I'm a little chunky but I don't have that daily energy expenditure that you have.  The point is to eat stuff that you can find in nature, in large quantities.  If you find yourself gaining weight you can cut down a bit, but err on the side of too much for now.

Bone broth can be found here: https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/13067-whos-boiling-bones/

Make sure you get a good blend of protein, carbs and fats as well.  Don't go low carb because you heard it was healthier, it's really not if you're exerting yourself to any great degree.  Reference: https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/8415-paleoprimal-and-the-role-of-carbs/

Listen to that Naterman guy.  Hopefully he might chime in on this thread too....

So.. guys. I think today I'm going to try F1 again after some thinking and just see what happens. I was watching YouTube last night and and Elliott Hulse creator of StrengthCamp, uploaded a video answering a question about a guy who works at UPS unloading trucks all day long, and Elliott's advice was pretty much saying that the guy was undergoing "pattern overload" since he's doing the same thing over and over. I do at least get more movement than that. So long story short Elliott recommended restorative yoga. So I figured if I could handle F1/H1 a couple days a week and do restorative yoga, plus good diet and enough sleep, I may be okay. We'll see though. I would love to be more part of the community here, I just haven't gotten to spend much time here.

P.S. If I put in enough seniority at my job, I could operate one of the machines and not have to work so hard. I'll keep you guys updated. Also is there a progress journal section here where people can share progress?

Edit: Actually I think I'm just going to foam roll a bit tonight and do some much needed soft tissue work.

Unfortunately I have treated far too many patients that are in your situation. Some get to their 40's and their body is ruined and they have no other qualification to fall back on. Many of these men and women kept going because the pay was good. However when you can't work because of injuries the pay is not so good. You may adapt and cope for a while, but it will catch up with you eventually. The people that get away with it a few and far between. Sorry to sound so negative, but that is the reality. Humans aren't meant to do that type of work for too long.

Don't overthink it too much. I work a factory job where I'm constantly carrying heavy pieces of glass or seaming the edges off them with machinery. 40 hours a week, on my feet all day long with only a 20 minute break in the middle of my shift. A regular day is 8 hours and overtime is another 4. I do plenty of overtime.

Biggest thing to do is to get your sleep in order. If you're not having any trouble sleeping or maintaining a decent schedule (make sure you're sleeping in complete darkness), then you've got the most important thing figured out.

Next would be food. I recommend making batch meals with a crockpot. Put three to six pounds of whatever meat is on sale with carrots, potatoes, onions, whatever you like really. Turn it on before you go to bed or before you go to work and boom, meals for the next couple days.

The majority of my calories comes from a crock pot or a cast iron skillet. I can cook a dozen eggs in about 15 minutes. Oftentimes that's all I have time for. Rice is another staple of mine.

For the bag beans (like mixed soup beans), soak them overnight in a bowl and rinse them out a couple times to get the nasty stuff out of them. Then they're good to go, throw them in the crockpot too. I don't much care for them, but if you like them, cook some rice and throw the meat and beans over them.

For bringing a good meal to work, get a pyrex bowl (they clean easy and they're microwave safe).

I can't help you if you don't have time to work out. I would just say that, whenever you have time (an hour or more), do all Foundation elements in one workout. You're already building up a huge work capacity with your job and once you get used to the labor (took me about three months, and that was in 115+ degree heat with sauna like humidity), the job you work will become like an active recovery session compared to foundation.

Oftentimes I'll work out and eat a large amount of food before I go to work. A couple hours into my shift and all the soreness from my workout is gone. I go home fresh as a daisy and sleep a solid 8 hours.

I wouldn't be too worried about muscular imbalances from work. If you're hitting foundation hard enough and you're doing the integrated mobility properly, that should fix the majority of your issues. If it's one of those things where you only use your right hand to pick up boxes, it would be a good idea to mix it up.

If I wake up extremely sore, I'll take a hot bath and drink some coffee. I also drink about a half gallon to a gallon of water a day. Everyone is different, but you should be able to get used to the manual labor at your job without too much difficulty.

Thank you for that post Griswold. I'm doing manual labor work now for 10 hours a day on average. I'm gonna try crockpot meals to see how that works out for me. But I definitely agree with the making sure to sleep 8 hours part. I feel dead if I don't and my body will make it up for me later...

You do FL instead of the workout split?

I am no expert but here are a few random thoughts:

- You may be under eating given you job - based on your meals I would consider adding some healthy fats both to increase calories and to keep you full.  i.e. grass fed butter or ghee, avocado, nuts and seeds.....

- Get on youtube and search MWOD + whatever injury you are dealing with and take Kelly's advice

- Listen to your body while adding in F1 and yoga.  Take it easy in the beginning.  With your jobs demands maybe only F1 twice a week to start

- Take care of you sleep habits

I've done structured strength training around this sort of manual labor and there's not way around the fact that it's tough.  Tough though is just another way of saying that it can be done provided you set yourself up for success in few key areas.  

In my experience, first and foremost in a situation like this is quantity and quality of caloric intake, particularly having enough carbs.  I don't do manual labor as part of my job anymore, but even now eating enough quality CHOs is the difference in 2 F7 sessions per week wiping me out and 3 F7s+ 2 HS sessions feeling great.  Eat a lot of healthy carbs throughout the day and see if this combined with frequent movement doesn't hype you up as much as any energy drink.

In addition to absolute CHO intake, you want to pay attention to your veggies.  The more of the massive amount of carbs come from veggies the better.  There's already been a lot posted in the nutrition forum about the importance of the enzymes found in many raw and lightly cooked veggies for optimal energy production and overall functioning as an organism.  Having a surplus of the good stuff is that much more important when you're moving as much as you are.

Making sleep a priority is close to food intake in terms of priority.

If possible, throw some easy mobility work (from Foundation or just other basic limbers) into your day.  This makes natural movement a part of your daily lifestyle (which is what it really needs to be, aside from scheduled workouts), will help you solidify your Foundation progress, and in my experience will help to abate some of the physical exhaustion type soreness you experience towards the end of the day.

You may also consider attempting morning training sessions if your schedule permits (or can be forced to permit).  I'm not a morning trainer by nature, but there's nothing better than taking care of #1 first thing in the morning and then just coasting through the rest of your day with a smile on your face.  

Also, try to have a positive mindset when it comes to your job situation.  It may sound kind of daft, but looking at your situation from a possibility perspective and asking yourself "How can I..." will make all the difference in how you feel, your motivation, and the creative solutions you come up with.  

If you can accustom yourself to training F7, I find that knocking it all out in a day and then resting is preferable for rest and recovery.  Once you get your work capacity up from training this way for a while you hardly notice it anymore.  Use the free time for rest and active recovery and mobility work.

Really, if you're covering your nutrition and recovery bases, I'd say a job with a lot of physical activity is preferable to being desk-bound when it comes to long term performance in GST.  We're made to move, and I think our capacity to adapt to a lot of movement plus a rigorous strength plan (given that the recovery elements which are largely under your control are in place) is far greater than our ability to cope with a sedentary lifestyle 22 hours a day plus 2 hours or so of GST efforts.  

Good luck and keep at it!

Do you take naps? Naps are literally the only thing keeping me able to work and workout as well as study for school. After work the only thing I want to do is hit the hay immediately after I eat a big meal. A quick nap leaves you feeling like you have an entirely new day in the afternoon both physically and cognitively.