Why you should be strength training
Tags: dev, fitness, lifting, health
Published: 2018-09-28 14:45:36

---
title: Why you should be strength training
published: true
description: I recently competed in my first powerlifting meet where I took 4th place with a 220kg squat, 125kg bench and 240kg deadlift. After the talks with colleagues at the office, I decided to write and give my opinion on why it is very important for developers to do some form of strength training
tags: 
- dev
- fitness
- lifting
- health
---

![](https://bodymorphology.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/cropped-barbells.jpg)

The stereotypical programmer wakes up in the afternoon, has a couple of Red Bulls or Monsters for breakfast, and codes until the wee hours of the morning with the occasional break to open the door for the pizza delivery guy. 
Those days are long passed and I have noticed more and more devs are aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and proper weightlifting routine.

> Strength training is a physical activity designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a specific muscle or muscle group against external resistance, including free-weights, weight machines, or your own body weight.


First of all, life is EASIER when you’re strong. You don't have to make a second trip to get the other half of the groceries, can easily carry 2-3 kids when they are sleepy after a long day at the park or push your car with easy when it is stuck in the snow.

In addition to making life easier, proper strength training has a lot of great benefits. A few are listed down below:

1. **Enhance your quality of life**.  When you get stronger, sitting, walking and standing with good posture will become a lot easier, will feel more natural and you will start to do it without constantly reminding yourself. Other common tasks like carrying objects will get a lot easier as well.

2. **Manage your weight**. Strength training increases muscle mass increased muscle increases the number of calories your body naturally burns at rest. In addition to this your body will burn calories during the weight lifting session and will require additional calories to repair your muscles after it, allowing you to eat a little more food without the guilt.

3. **You can level up** Cardio is boring. With strength training, when taken seriously, you will try to lift more weight, perfect your technique and try to break your own records every workout. Everybody likes to be like their favourite RPG game character and get stronger with training.

4. **Boosts energy levels and imroves mood**. Strength training will elevate your level of  endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which lift energy levels and improve mood. If that isn't enough to convince you, there’s evidence strength training may help you sleep better..

5. **Manage chronic conditions**. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes.

If that is not enough to convince you, I do not know what will.

## How do you get started with strength training?

If you’re looking to add strength or resistance training to your routine you have a lot of options - you definitely don’t need a gym membership or expensive weight machines. For starters, squatting on a chair at home, push-ups, planks, or other movements that require you to use your own body weight as resistance be very effective.

**If you have any health issues, ask your doctor what type of strength training is best to meet your needs and abilities. You can also work with a fitness expert to design a strength-training program that will be safe and effective for you.**

Who doesn't want to look better, feel better, and live a longer, healthier life?

When you step foot in the gym, it is important to pick the proper exercises and frequency for our abilities. The workouts, designed for an advanced athlete, could be impossible for a beginner to do.

All compound movements(movements that include more than one joint) are a good pick for a person with little to no weightlifting experience. Those exercises include squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, pull ups, push ups, dips and many more variations.

A good program to start with is [Starting Strength Linear Progression](https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs). **First make sure to learn proper technique on the movements before starting any program**

**Disclaimer**: I am not a doctor or a medical professional.  Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. 

## Feel free to leave a comment about any questions you may have or share with us your recent gym PRs.