Three Reasons Gym PRs Are More Important Than Your Github PRs
Anecdotes from a jacked dev on how to be more effective at work while getting in shape
The title is a little ironic, considering I do not generally hit 3RMs (rep maxes) since for my goals they are superfluous and while I like to show off, I’m also working on getting into BJJ and maxxing out is not necessary for getting into grappling shape.
My favorite present-day Mr Olympia competitor just won his 5th title and so while I’ve been meaning to write this article for a HOT minute, now feels like the exact right time to do so.
Chris Bumstead is not a developer (at least he’s not yet, and for the sake of our industry and the hold he has on his, I hope that doesn’t change anytime soon!). But what he and many other’s who are bodybuilders have mastered is how to optimize every part of their diet, sleep, workout, supplementation, etc such that they are walking around with 3% body-fat, looking like what the ancients believed their Gods to look like.
“What does this have to do with me?” Well, you don’t need to want to look like they do, or spend as much time as they do (it is literally a full-time job) to get to the physique that they have. I tend to think it would be much in vain anyway, as it’s more difficult to become a professional body builder than it is to become a professional dev, but that’s a conversation for another time.
There IS a middle ground, though. THAT is what we’ll explore here.
Putting on Mass Makes the Unit Tests Pass
There are several studies like this one from the National Library of Medicine that connect the importance of exercise with productivity, decreased BMI, depression, cardiovascular diseases and more.
While reason enough to get in the gym, these aren’t the only reasons I think you should be getting a lift in before writing a contract that will end up on Laurance’s recently exploited list.
Reason 1: Setting Your Day Up For Success
This piece is directly related to getting a workout in before you start your day of being terminally online. Routines. They are powerful in creating longterm habits. They can also set your day off on the right path if you set up some easy things to accomplish first thing in the morning so you get that quick hit of dopamine that we’re all chasing.
A good morning workout is one of those things that works three-fold:
You get to tick-off an item of your daily routine, leaving you feeling more accomplished at the head of your day.
Working out releases dopamine, is good for your mental and physical health, spiritual health.
Look good / feel good / do good is real as fuck, and the better you look and feel about the way you look — the better your outlook will be and therefore you’ll do better quality work.
Look, you’ll never regret being more muscular — being in better shape. Source? Trust me bro.
Reason 2: Lifting Hard Is The Best Tool For Debugging (Sorry Foundry)
Have you ever been stuck on a [REDACTED] problem that you’ve just beaten your head against a wall, unable to solve? Yeah, me neither. While the only way around a challenge is through it, there are more effective, efficient ways to problem solve than staring at your text-editor-of-choice for hours on end only to realize your shit won’t compile because of an incorrect capitalization that wasn’t caught in your local workspace.
My most productive coding sessions have always occurred right after a lift or a long walk. My mind is cleared. I have been able to step away from the problem long enough to:
Start on a fresh slate
Calm down (I no longer feel the urge to throw my laptop into oncoming traffic)
Feel good about myself (I have gotten up from my desk I’ve been strapped to for God knows how long, gotten a great workout in and now I’m sore as fuck)
Excited to tackle the problem
Come up with new ideas on how to problem solve
The benefits here really emphasize the importance of just removing yourself from the obstacle temporarily, but it should be noted that you shouldn’t immediately throw yourself into another mentally intensive thing that could cause you to further throw yourself into a spiral. A nice long walk and a good workout are mentally stimulating but not in the same way that writing code or doing linear algebra or trying to learn exactly how zk proofs work, are. The key is to allow yourself time to exert yourself but in a way not so similar to the work you’re doing. THAT is how you’ll be able to eventually come back to your work, and tackle your challenges head on, with refreshed enthusiasm and perhaps new ways and angles to take on this challenge.
Reason 3: You WILL Improve Your Self Confidence
Self confidence will take you far, but most people lack even a healthy level of confidence in themselves. This is a true fact even as a dev. There are developers who are less talented than you are, likely earning more money and getting more opportunities, in part due to their bravado and confidence.
Earlier I mentioned look good, feel good, do good and that concept carries even into our mostly anonymous industry. Being able to carry yourself with an unyielding sense of self worth and confidence can move mountains for you and working out can do a lot of that heavy lifting for you (pun intended).
When you feel good about yourself — and in this way I mean vanity — when you are noticeably stronger, leaner, overall more fit — people let you know. This believe it or not carries over into your work as a developer. When you feel good about yourself, you put out better work. Simple as that.
One of the reasons this is — and if you are a former athlete than you already know this — because conditioning your mind to do difficult things that push you to your breaking point help you develop GRIT. When you push yourself to the point your brain is begging you to give up, yet you keep going — you create that scar tissue, a chip on your shoulder.
This is important because it allows you to latch onto something when your work gets difficult. This may sound a bit melodramatic — and it very well maybe since our work revolves around us sitting in comfy little chairs in our home offices — but it is important all the same. It gives you a reference point for your current challenges in which you can say “fuck this, I’ve been through worse!”.
This sentiment rings loud from arguably one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Dan Gable:
Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.
I’m not saying you should go out and start wrestling (while the above quote is absolutely true). The sentiment holds true for you, though — he is saying that wrestling is his reference point for the most mentally and physically challenging thing he’s ever done. Now, he’s got the confidence and chip on his shoulder to conquer all else.
While you won’t necessarily say “Well I just hit 405lbs on incline bench press (184 kilos if you don’t use freedom units) now I can easily understand the math behind zk proofs!” You will have a better foundation for learning such things, and a mindset cultivated for taking on that challenge (and believe me, what a challenge it is!).
See You In The Gym?
Well, here we are. Three of my top reasons why you as a developer should get jacked. If you read this, you probably already have what it takes to become a great dev. I can certainly guarantee that adding a consistent workout into your routine will only expedite your process, and allow you to enjoy the journey a whole lot more.
If you enjoyed this be sure to let me know here or on X. Working out is my life outside of the EVM so I’d love to talk more about these kinds of things.
I hope that you were able to find value out of this — and even more importantly, I hope if I catch you in the gym, I could borrow you for a quick spot!