Strength Training for Developers: My Gym Routine and Why It Matters

Sitting at a desk all day takes a toll. After years of data engineering—coding, debugging, deploying—I noticed the pattern: back pain, low energy, afternoon slumps, and a general sense of physical decline. I was 30, but I felt 50.

That’s when I started lifting. Not for aesthetics, not for Instagram—because I needed to fix what desk work was breaking. Three years later, the gym is non-negotiable. Here’s why, and how.

Why I Started (The Real Reason)

The official reason: “Health is important.”

The real reason that got me moving:

• I was 32 and my back hurt every day
• Climbing stairs left me winded
• I had zero energy after work
• I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the person staring back

The tipping point was a work day where I coded for 6 hours straight, stood up, and had to sit back down because my lower back seized. I was broken by my own job.

Why Lifting Specifically?

I considered running, swimming, cycling. But strength training offered something cardio doesn’t:

Benefit	Cardio	Strength Training
Muscle building	Minimal	Significant
Bone density	Moderate	High
Metabolism boost	During exercise	Hours after (EPOC)
Posture improvement	Limited	Significant
Injury prevention	Some	High
Mental health	Good	Excellent

Plus, I liked the measurable progress. Add weight, lift more, get stronger. Simple feedback loop.

My Weekly Split (What I Actually Do)

The Schedule

Monday: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
Tuesday: Pull (Back, Biceps, Rear Delts)
Wednesday: Rest / Light cardio / Walking
Thursday: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves)
Friday: Full Body / Weak Point Training
Saturday: Active Recovery (hiking, sports, yoga)
Sunday: Rest

Monday: Push Day

Workout:
1. Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets × 5-8 reps
2. Overhead Press (Standing): 4 sets × 6-10 reps
3. Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets × 8-12 reps
4. Lateral Raises: 4 sets × 12-15 reps
5. Tricep Pushdowns: 3 sets × 10-15 reps
6. Overhead Tricep Extension: 3 sets × 10-12 reps

Finisher:
- Push-ups: 3 sets to failure

Tuesday: Pull Day

Workout:
1. Deadlifts: 3 sets × 3-5 reps (heavy)
2. Pull-ups (weighted if possible): 4 sets × 6-10 reps
3. Barbell Rows: 4 sets × 6-10 reps
4. Face Pulls: 4 sets × 15-20 reps
5. Bicep Curls (Barbell): 3 sets × 8-12 reps
6. Hammer Curls: 3 sets × 10-15 reps

Finisher:
- Farmer's walks: 3 × 30 seconds

Thursday: Leg Day

Workout:
1. Barbell Squats: 4 sets × 5-8 reps
2. Romanian Deadlifts: 4 sets × 8-10 reps
3. Leg Press: 3 sets × 10-15 reps
4. Leg Curls: 3 sets × 10-15 reps
5. Calf Raises: 4 sets × 15-20 reps
6. Plank: 3 sets × 60 seconds

Finisher:
- Bodyweight squats: 2 sets × 50 reps (because why not suffer)

Friday: Full Body / Weak Points

Workout:
1. Deadlift (lighter than Tuesday): 3 sets × 5 reps
2. Bench Press (lighter than Monday): 3 sets × 8 reps
3. Whatever I'm neglecting that week:
   - Usually rear delts, core, or grip work
4. Accessory work for aesthetics (because vanity)

This day is flexible—sometimes it's heavy, sometimes light,
sometimes I just go home early.

Key Exercises and Why They Matter

The Big Four

1. Deadlift

• Works: Everything (posterior chain especially)
• Why: Builds a back that doesn’t hurt after 8 hours of coding
• Form tip: Bar path should be vertical, chest up, don’t round

2. Squat

• Works: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
• Why: Leg strength, hormone response, functional fitness
• Form tip: Knees out, depth matters (parallel or below), brace core

3. Bench Press

• Works: Chest, shoulders, triceps
• Why: Upper body strength, pushing power
• Form tip: Shoulder blades back and down, slight arch, controlled descent

4. Overhead Press

• Works: Shoulders, triceps, core stability
• Why: Shoulder health, functional strength
• Form tip: Don’t lean back, press bar slightly back at top

The “Prevent Desk Posture” Exercises

Face Pulls:
- Fixes: Rounded shoulders
- Sets/Reps: 4 × 15-20
- Tip: Pull towards face, external rotation at end

Band Pull-Aparts:
- Fixes: Weak rear delts
- Sets/Reps: 3 × 20
- Tip: Squeeze shoulder blades together

Dead Hangs:
- Fixes: Compressed spine from sitting
- Sets/Duration: 3 × 30-60 seconds
- Tip: Relax completely, let spine decompress

Thoracic Extensions (on foam roller):
- Fixes: Hunched upper back
- Sets/Duration: 2-3 minutes daily
- Tip: Focus on upper back, not lower back

Progress Tracking

What I Track

For each lift:
- Weight used
- Sets and reps
- How it felt (RPE 1-10)
- Notes (form issues, pain, etc.)

App I use: Strong (simple, effective)

Progressive Overload (How to Actually Progress)

Week 1: Bench 60kg × 5, 5, 5
Week 2: Bench 62.5kg × 5, 5, 5
Week 3: Bench 65kg × 5, 5, 5
Week 4: Deload (60kg × 5, easier)
Week 5: Bench 67.5kg × 5, 5, 5

Small increases, consistently applied = big gains over time

My Actual Progress (3 Years)

Lift	Starting	Current	Improvement
Deadlift	60kg	180kg	+120kg
Squat	Bodyweight only	140kg	+~100kg
Bench	50kg	100kg	+50kg
Overhead Press	35kg	70kg	+35kg
Pull-ups	2	12 + 20kg weight	Significant

Not impressive by powerlifting standards, but I’m stronger than 95% of people walking into a commercial gym. More importantly, I’m stronger than the desk-bound version of me.

Tips for Developers Starting Out

1. Start Before You’re Ready

Don’t wait for:

• The perfect program
• Perfect form (you’ll learn it)
• Losing weight first
• Buying all the gear

Start with what you have. Today.

2. Form Over Ego

The guy lifting 100kg with terrible form:

• Will injure himself
• Is not someone to emulate

The person lifting 40kg with perfect form:

• Will progress steadily
• Will still be lifting in 10 years
• Is someone to learn from

Resources:

• YouTube: Jeff Nippard, Alan Thrall, Calgary Barbell
• Books: “Starting Strength” (Rippetoe), “Bigger Leaner Stronger” (Matthews)
• Consider: A few sessions with a trainer for form checks

3. Consistency Over Intensity

Missing a workout ≠ failure Missing two workouts = concern Missing three workouts = back to square one

My rules:

• Never skip twice in a row
• Something is better than nothing (even 20 minutes)
• 70% effort consistently beats 100% effort sporadically

4. Schedule Workouts Like Meetings

They’re on my calendar:

• Monday 7 AM: Push
• Tuesday 7 AM: Pull
• Thursday 7 AM: Legs
• Friday 7 AM: Full Body

They don’t get moved unless:

• I’m sick (actually sick, not “tired”)
• Emergency (actual emergency, not “busy”)
• Traveling (then I find a gym or do bodyweight)

5. The Mental Game

Some days I don’t want to go. Every. Single. Time.

What works:

• The 10-minute rule: Tell myself I’ll just do 10 minutes. I always finish.
• Habit stacking: Gym on the way home from work, not a special trip
• Accountability: Training partner or public commitment
• Identity shift: “I’m someone who lifts” makes it easier than “I’m trying to lift”

Nutrition (The Basics I Follow)

I’m not a nutritionist. Here’s what works for me:

Protein: ~2g per kg bodyweight
- Chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein powder

Carbs: Around workouts primarily
- Rice, oats, potatoes, fruit

Fats: Don't fear them
- Nuts, olive oil, avocado, eggs

Water: 3-4 liters daily
- More on training days

Supplements:
- Creatine monohydrate: 5g daily (proven, safe)
- Vitamin D: 2000-4000 IU (especially in Nordic winters)
- Whey protein: Convenience, not necessity
- Everything else: Mostly marketing

The Benefits Beyond the Gym

This is why I keep going:

Physical

• No more back pain
• Better posture (sitting 8 hours doesn’t destroy me)
• More energy throughout the day
• Better sleep

Mental

• Stress relief (nothing clears my head like heavy deadlifts)
• Confidence (setting and achieving goals consistently)
• Discipline (if I can do this, I can do other hard things)
• Mood (the mental health benefits are real)

Professional

• Better focus (exercise improves cognitive function)
• More endurance for long coding sessions
• Fewer sick days
• Better work-life boundaries (gym time is sacred)

Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

1. Doing Too Much Too Soon

First month: Every day, maximum effort Result: Burned out, injured, quit for 3 months

Now: Start light, build gradually, prioritize consistency

2. Neglecting Recovery

Thought: More is better Reality: Muscles grow during rest, not during workouts

Now: Rest days are sacred, sleep 7-8 hours, deload every 4-6 weeks

3. Comparing to Others

Thought: “That guy lifts 3x what I lift” Reality: He’s been lifting for 10 years

Now: Compare only to my past self. Progress is progress.

4. Skipping Warm-ups

Thought: “I’ll just jump in” Reality: Injury risk, poorer performance

Now: 10 minutes dynamic warm-up, activation exercises, empty bar sets

The Long Game

I’m not training for a competition. I’m training for:

• Being the 70-year-old who can get off the floor without help
• Not becoming the stereotypical weak old person
• Having energy to play with future kids/grandkids
• Quality of life, decades from now

The weights on the bar don’t matter in 10 years. The habit does.

If You Take One Thing From This

Start. Today. Not Monday. Not next month. Today.

Do a push-up. Do five. Go for a walk. Lift something heavy and put it down.

Then do it again tomorrow.

The perfect program executed inconsistently loses to the mediocre program executed religiously.

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Questions about my routine or starting out? Reach out through the contact page. And if you start lifting, let me know how it goes.