Everything about a desk job, with the exception of practicing how to sit and rest, works against your ability to become the best weightlifter you can be. Literally.
 
I switched jobs from full-time teaching to full-time graphic design, and noticed that it became harder than ever to maintain the same quality of movement with my new computer-laden job. Desk jobs constantly demand you to stay fixed in front of a computer screen or on the phone, or they make you feel antsy while patiently sitting and waiting for your boss’s unnecessarily long meeting to end.
 
Even if you don’t have the typical 8-5 desk-based job, you can still benefit from many of the points in this article. Much of your success as a mobile weightlifter depends just as much if not more on the 22 hours in a day you spend outside of the gym as it does on the 2 hours you spend training.
 
Consider for a moment that our body builds new cells, bone, and muscle tissue to adapt to the activity and circumstances it is most exposed to over time. It’s certainly possible that your body is more likely to adapt to those several hours that you’re spending on your butt in a chair, versus the few seconds you’re holding a bar in the bottom of an overhead squat.
 
Jobs that have you moving around too much can leave you a bit more drained of energy for your training, but constantly moving at work makes things a bit easier as far as keeping your body mobile for lifts. But what can the rest of us do to reverse the effects of being huddled in a cubicle space or on a commute for 8+ hours a day? What can we do to reverse the effects of being in positions that are unfavorable for maintaining the most agile body?
 
Here are a few things you can implement into your daily work routine to help you become a somewhat better desk-job weightlifter. These tips might seem a bit obvious, but doing them habitually and persistently can make a big difference.
 
Make an effort to get up and move each hour.
 
Moving for five minutes every hour of the workday adds up to about 40 minutes a day - which adds up to about 10,000 minutes...or rather, almost seven days per year worth of extra movement that you could be getting if you work 250 days a year.
 
However you decide to do this is up to you. You could:

• Set a timer to go off every 50 minutes.
• Decide to use the bathroom or water cooler furthest away from your desk.
• Go to a completely different part of your office to have lunch.
• Conveniently “leave something in your car” that you need to go down and get, and take an extra five minutes to get it because you parked at the furthest spot away from the entrance.
• Get up to go talk face-to-face with your co-workers instead of emailing.

Make it a goal to accumulate a certain number of steps, or to walk a total of 30 minutes each day. You’ll find a noticeable difference in your body’s ability to stay a bit more malleable when you get to the gym later that evening if you’re up and about more often during the workday.
 
Arrange your desk space for the most movement possible.

Instead of making your desk efficient, make it incredibly inefficient. Spread everything apart so you have to make an effort to move around to do things instead of sitting in one place.
 
Put your phone far away from your computer. Put your water bottle or coffee mug on the other corner of the desk. Store your file cabinet on the other side of the room.
 
Get a standing desk, along with an anti-fatigue mat.
 
Just having yourself in an upright posture will do wonders for saving your lumbar and keeping your thoracic spine open for receiving lifts overhead.
 
Make sure your computer monitors are at eye level, and that your forearms and wrists are perpendicular to the desk and not bent or flexed when you’re using a keyboard. Standing on a squishier surface of an anti-fatigue mat can help increase circulation throughout your legs and allow you to keep shifting your weight around throughout the day. Be mindful, however, of any postures you tend to settle into while standing. You might catch yourself constantly leaning on one leg often which can leave you feeling imbalanced later on.
 
Lastly, ladies, try to ditch the heels and wear minimal shoes for the office (okay, guys too). Don’t play the “I’m short" card. Don’t you think it’s better in the long run to own up to your shortness and have healthier posture versus letting your ego sacrifice your middle-age back alignment with vanity heels? If you're not convinced that you should stop wearing heels that are not part of your lifting shoes, pick up the book Whole Body Barefoot by Katy Bowman.
 
Do mobility or yoga stretches for a few minutes before work, and do them throughout the day.
 
Sitting for prolonged periods with your arms in front of you can wreak havoc on your hamstrings, hip flexors, front of shoulders, and upper back, making them feel tight and stiff. Wait, let's add forearms into that mix as well because you're on a computer so much!

Ever go on a five-hour car ride and then try to lift? It’s not fun. Start your morning right away with some mobility drills, and spend two minutes per hour working in some office friendly stretches at your desk so your legs stay fresh for lifting later. This will also minimize your warm up time once you do get to the gym and make your training time more efficient.
 
Have a mobility band and a lacrosse ball readily available in your desk area at work. Just having these items within reach and always in sight will prompt you to sneak in a few lax-ball shoulder raises or banded good mornings. And you’ll be surprised what objects around the office start to resemble PVC pipes.
 
If you are blessed with a short commute and/or have the option to lift before work, do it.
 
Something about having a long desk job makes it extremely fatiguing to keep up mental energy at the gym. Although your body may not be primed for its best lifts first thing in the morning (at least for the first few weeks), it will allow you to utilize the most mental energy right away for technical work. Just make sure you grab plenty of coffee and get to bed earlier—which you can if you don’t train at night, right?
 
If you aren’t able to make it to the gym before work, that’s okay. I lift in the evenings, too. Just make sure that you’re properly fueled with the right amount of carbs beforehand. Try not to schedule any important meetings or phone calls in the afternoons before lifting either. And don’t check your email right before you leave work to go to the gym—it’ll just get you mentally distracted. The time you spend training should be your happy time away from any distractions in the office.
 
Start a morning routine practice.
 
This one is more to help out those of you who feel like you have no time to do anything else in your day because it seems like your entire workweek is work, train, eat, sleep, repeat. Where in the world would you find time or motivation to work on any of your other neat, creative projects?
 
Many successful leaders and business people share a common trait that helps them be successful at what they do...and that’s a morning routine. Your routine can be any number of small tasks that are personal to you, but it is a pre-determined chunk of time that you plan each morning to get yourself pumped-up for the day and productive in getting things done right away. For example, every morning for 1 hour, you might decide to make it a routine of reading 10 pages in a book, writing in your gratitude journal, incorporating your 10 minutes of yoga stretches, meditate for 10 minutes, do some quick creative work, and make your meal plan for the day.
 
Your routine might be completely different, but having one is a way to make sure that you leave time for yourself to have your own personal space and place to gather yourself for the day before selling your soul to the office.

Always wear clothing and shoes that allow for full range of motion.
 
I ditched my stiff dress pants and tight-collared shirts for some looser digs that have more give. For many of you adorned with thunder quads and super shoulders, this comfortable workwear may be difficult to find, but it's out there! Even places like Macy’s, NY&Co, and Betabrand all sell stretchy dress pants for women which allow for better range of motion in the legs.
 
Whether you find a tailor who can tuck in some size-up shirts or spend a premium on up-and-coming athletic brands, just do it. Trust me: spending that extra $30-40 on well-fitted, flexible apparel is well worth the better quality of life and freedom you'll get feeling like you can stretch all you want at work rather than feel restricted in rigid attire. Think of your choice in clothing as the difference between buying yourself an Eleiko bar and a cheap barbell.

Stay extra mindful of your nutrition!
 
This is especially key with a sedentary job, because the tendency is to eat more calories than we expend, or to eat just out of sheer boredom at work. Both are obviously problematic for a weight-class-based sport.
Make sure you don’t eat at your desk. Eat your lunch at a designated spot that requires you to get up and move. Stay hydrated so you feel full and don’t snack on food. Don’t even think about bringing in more snacks than you need to have.
 
Be proud of being that weirdo weightlifter at the office.
 
Make it a point to have everyone know that you’re an active person and like to walk around and do stretches often. That way, when you actually get up and start doing quad stretches in the middle of meetings, it won’t seem that weird because people will expect it from you. Hey, you might even inspire other people in your office to absorb your healthy habits as well.