Concrete Workers Caloric Intake

[LakeErieMonster]

Sup guys. For years I have came to this site for advice, but have yet to make an account. I made this account solely to ask for advice on my caloric intake and to get help estimating how much I burn in a day. I’m 6’1 180lbs, about 12%bf. I’m in better than average shape. I am pushing 235 on the bench for my current max and rep curling 45s. (Just to give you some insight on my body type).

I am a concrete finisher. I do 3-4 jobs a day that involve unloading / loading the trailer at each job. We pour and rake the concrete, then we use hand tools to finish it. After that we hand wash the tools and pack up the job. A lot of crouching and standing back up takes place, as well as a lot of constant movement. I also train 3-4 days a week. I spend a little bit longer in the gym than I should, because I enjoy it as an escape. I can do a lot more body weight exercises than the average gym goer like weighted/unweighted dips and pull ups. I also run a couple times a week for an average of 5 miles or so a week.

I do 16-8 intermittent fasting which i am pretty disciplined about. I usually eat between 2-10pm and start work around 630-730am. Which means the first half of my work day I am doing while fasted. I also hit my macros and eat very clean. Right now I’m eating 2500 calories a day and have noticed rapid fat loss over the last two months. I also have gotten stronger in all my lifts. I am looking more cut and my abs are showing through, especially when flexed. I feel like I am at a standstill. I’m getting stronger but I just want to make sure my calories are right.

If you had to give your best guess, what would you say my maintenance would be? I don’t want to add any fat at all, even if that means taking a bit longer for lean gains. Thanks in advance everyone, let me know if there is anything else you need to know. Look forward to the responses.

[Tommy W.]

No way to tell. Start somewhere and review in a month and adjust accordingly.

[LakeErieMonster]

Yeah that’s the plan, just looking for a better starting point. I feel like I should definitely be able to go 2800 cals a day without gaining unwanted weight. With work and training I should be in the clear with that, just wondering what others think.

[Vandeman17]

Yeah that’s the plan, just looking for a better starting point. I feel like I should definitely be able to go 2800 cals a day without gaining unwanted weight. With work and training I should be in the clear with that, just wondering what others think.

I think 2800 would be a good starting point. I bet its a bit low but give it a shot and see how it goes. I work a desk job but lift 6 days per week and my tdee is about 2800.

[Mrpb]

Fyi, intermittent fasting has no effect on fat loss and it's suboptimal for muscle gain.

[LakeErieMonster]

@vandeman Thanks for the reply bro! See man, I was scared to go that high because I didn’t wanna pack on any extra weight so close to summer. I appreciate the advice!!

[LakeErieMonster]

Yeah while it may not directly target fat loss it definitely helps me manage my cals. Not eating until two makes it a lot easier for me to not over eat. Also, like I said, I know that muscle growth would happen quicker eating a lot all throughout the day, but I’m not looking for a fast bulk or I wouldn’t be worried about my cals as much and would be eating a lot more.

[Vandeman17]

Yeah while it may not directly target fat loss it definitely helps me manage my cals. Not eating until two makes it a lot easier for me to not over eat. Also, like I said, I know that muscle growth would happen quicker eating a lot all throughout the day, but I’m not looking for a fast bulk or I wouldn’t be worried about my cals as much and would be eating a lot more.

At least you understand its not some magical thing and just a schedule. With that in mind, small, protein specific snacks spaced out with the bulk of your calories in your eating window might work out well.