Links

- Codecrafters (partner): https://tej.as/codecrafters

- Isaac on Instagram: https://instagram.com/isaac11890

- Contact: https://tej.as

Summary

Sitting 8+ hours a day is destroying your biomechanics. Here is how to engineer your way back to health.

In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with professional footballer and CrossFit coach Isaac Akinsete to reverse the physical damage of the developer lifestyle. We dive deep into the anatomy of "tech neck," why stretching isn't enough, and how to trigger the EPOC "afterburn" effect to burn fat while sitting. Whether you have a full gym or zero equipment, Isaac outlines the exact protocols to maximize longevity, fix tight hip flexors, and optimize mental and spiritual health.

In this episode, we cover:

- The Desk Worker Protocol: A complete zero-equipment circuit routine for hypertrophy and cardio.

- Mobility vs. Stretching: Why static stretching won't fix your posture.

- RPE Explained: How to train for fat loss vs. strength without burnout.

- CrossFit vs. Gym: Which is better for the average coder?

- Mind & Spirit: The role of positive self-talk and faith in elite performance.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:22 Isaac Akinsete

00:09:10 Mythbusting: Does lifting weights stunt growth in kids?

00:11:52 Am I too old to start working out?

00:14:15 How to find the right workout intensity (RPE Scale)

00:20:55 What sitting for 8+ hours actually does to your body

00:26:08 Mobility vs. Stretching: Why stretching isn't enough

00:30:12 How to fix "Tech Neck" and Hunchback posture

00:42:50 Can you out-exercise a sedentary job?

00:47:11 Do under-desk treadmills and walking pads work?

00:53:36 Designing a workout routine for desk workers

00:55:36 The "Zero Equipment" Home & Hotel Workout

01:04:15 High Intensity Circuit Training & The EPOC Effect

01:11:17 Traditional Gym vs. CrossFit

01:16:05 Rapid Fire Questions

01:22:25 Faith & Fitness: Treating your body like a temple

01:29:53 The psychology of self-talk

01:34:50 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links

- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters

- Become a guest on the podcast: https://forms.gle/wMqBmVhuzL46Ha3P7

- ZurichJS Discount: https://conf.zurichjs.com?utm_source=contejas&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=zurichjs-conf-2026

- Faris on X: https://x.com/farisaziz12

- Faris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farisaziz12/

- ZurichJS: https://zurichjs.com

- SmallPDF: https://smallpdf.com

What does it take to become an Engineering Manager at 21? How do you rebuild your identity when a chronic illness takes away your physical strength? In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with Faris Aziz, a Staff Engineer at Smallpdf and the lead organizer of ZurichJS. At just 25 years old, Faris has lived a career’s worth of highs and lows. From failing his first coding bootcamp module to building a career ladder for a fintech startup, and from ranking as the 2nd fittest CrossFit athlete in Switzerland to being bedridden by an autoimmune condition, Faris shares the mindset required to navigate extreme volatility.

This conversation moves beyond technical skills into the "internal garden"—how emotional regulation, sleep, and nutrition directly impact your ability to lead others. Faris breaks down his philosophy on "Peace of Mind" as the primary metric for promotion, why invisible work builds character, and how to steward authority without intimidation. Whether you are an aspiring manager, a developer looking to level up, or someone navigating a personal setback, this episode offers a blueprint for resilience and professional excellence.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:33 Getting into Tech at 19

00:08:12 Failing (and Surviving) Bootcamp

00:11:00 Building a CrossFit App During Lockdown

00:13:38 Getting Hired Without Writing Code

00:18:49 Accidental Managers: Leading at 21

00:22:19 Choosing a Pre-seed Startup Over High Salary

00:28:53 Red Flags in Leadership

00:33:41 Tending the Garden: Balancing Work & ZurichJS

00:42:51 Health Crisis: From Top Athlete to Bedridden

00:48:51 Emotional Regulation & Bio-Hacking

00:59:36 Mindset: Gratitude vs. Bitterness

01:07:44 Invisible Work & Building Character

01:11:18 How to Get Promoted: Giving Peace of Mind

01:17:28 Confidence vs. Arrogance

01:21:42 Owning Mistakes Confidently

01:25:38 Stewarding Authority (The Kent C. Dodds Example)

01:28:06 Don't Just Be an Engineer: Solve Business Problems

01:35:02 Managing "Diva" 10x Engineers

01:40:12 Organizing the First ZurichJS

01:46:30 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Links

- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters

- Clerk: https://clerk.com

- Auth0: https://auth0.com

- Arctic (OAuth Library): https://arctic.js.org

- Lucia (Session Library): https://lucia-auth.com

Why do we still use passwords in 2026? In this episode of ConTejas Code, we tear down the complex world of digital identity. From the horror story of getting hacked at a hookah bar to the mathematical elegance of public-key cryptography, we cover how the internet knows who you actually are.

Let's break down the history of web authentication, explain why "logging in" is so much harder than it looks, and demystify the new standard taking over the web: Passkeys (WebAuthn). Whether you are a developer looking for an implementation playbook or just curious why your banking app requires a fingerprint, this deep dive explains the difference between Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials—and why you should stop rolling your own auth immediately.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to ConTejas Code

00:01:06 Sponsor: CodeCrafters

00:01:42 Why Authentication Matters (High Stakes vs. Low Stakes)

00:07:30 Storytime: Getting Hacked at a Shisha Bar

00:19:48 The Vocabulary: Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials

00:27:45 The Three Factors (Something You Know, Have, Are)

00:34:28 Real World Analogies: House Keys, Speak-easies, and Hotel Cards

00:41:10 A History of Web Auth: From Basic Auth to the "Social Login" Mess

00:49:15 Authentication vs. Authorization vs. Accounting

00:57:00 The Problem with Passwords & MFA Fatigue

01:00:40 How Passkeys Work: Public Key Cryptography Explained

01:07:00 Under the Hood: WebAuthn, FIDO2, and The "Ceremonies"

01:13:40 Synced vs. Device-Bound Passkeys

01:16:30 The Playbook: How to Design Auth for SaaS, Mobile, and B2B

01:21:00 The Golden Rule: Don't Roll Your Own Crypto

01:23:00 Libraries & Tools You Should Use (Clerk, Auth0, Arctic)

01:28:40 The Minimum Viable Security Checklist

01:32:30 The Future of Passwordless Identity

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.