I have to switch mine around because I go from days to nights at 12 hour pops. 8 to 8 is a terrible time! Some of us tried to get our employer to change it to 6 or even 7 but not enough employees wanted a change and the 0800 shift change works well for the supervisors who come in Monday through Friday at that time to get all of the information from the horse's(us) mouth.

I have been working out when I get home from work because I'm usually already sweaty or have sweat throughout the shift and don't mind getting hard core with my workout. Yes, after 12 I'm spent a lot of times even with drinking a pre-workout at 0730 or 1930. The problem I have with working out before shifts is I feel like I'm always going to be late or running behind so it's hard to concentrate on my sets. And also working 12 doesn't give much time to sleep when you calculate the eat, transportation, workout, and shower aspect so I can pretty much hit the weights already running after work whereas I have to get up early, wake myself up with a pre-workout, give it time to kick in, etc...

Hope my post helps, but regardless, stick with it. I'm determined to not give up either.

From everything I have read, from a sleep standpoint, you should work out when you first get up. I'm like you when I get home after shift I'm beat. My 12 shift usually ends up being a 16 to 18 hour day with travel and family. On avg. I get about 6 or less hours of sleep. It's hard to get up some days to work out. I don't know what your goals are or workout program, but I started to do StrongLifts since I haven't worked out in about 2 years. It is a nice simple program. If I hit it hard, it would take me an hour to an hour and a half. It was 3 days a week so if I didn't do cardio on the off days then I slept in. Again, I would suggest working out in the morning or when you get up.

I work 7pm to 7am. I tried to do the...get up at 4pm and workout and shower and get ready but.... it's so much easier to hit snooze for another hour and sleep. So I've been trying to come home from work and workout for a bit then hit the sack. It has been much more productive. I find that I actually work out instead of just...snoozing. Also, I'm never really able to fall asleep right when I get home from work anyway.
That's me!

This is pretty old. However here's my two creds. I work 6pm to 6am. My routine is to wake up at 3pm. Hit the treadmill or concrete for a fast twenty minutes run, mellow 30-35 minute jog, or cool 45 minute walk. Every other day I do 15 minutes of upper bid strength lifting. Hit the shower and have a bowl of Special K and/or some PB 'n' celery, make my lunch/dinner while chit chatting with my wife and kids. Somewhere in there I dress. I hit the front door between 4:30 and 4:45. I try to roll into work around 5:30. Driving as need to do so (sometimes stopping at sheetz to get a diet Pepsi at the fountain machine). I then do paperwork and get equipment ready to go by 6pm and am on the road. Time clock shows clocking in at 5:30. Don't worry I'm missing out on that half hour lol while on duty I do squats and pushups off the equipment, usually a truck stair or tail gate. I climb in and out of the truck several times a night as well. I'm back in the shop around 5:30am to 6am and heading home. Once home I try not to do too much cuz I don't want to get things pumping and end up for hours laying in bed wishing I was asleep. So I do ten minutes of tae chi, nothing fancy. This has been extremely hard to stick to but I feel it must be done if I am to ever ride a roller coaster with my kids and wife. A couple years ago I wasn't aloud to ride many Universal studios rides do to the seat test before getting in line. My son was very saddened by this and I'm going to make it up to him.

However, soon I will be needed to stay up and get the kids to school. They get on around 8:20am. So I'll have a space of time with nothing to do. Any ideas to fill the time that wont get my blood pumping and keep me awake?