All the best
superheroes have a partner, a team mate. No one rides alone successful. The
greatest success’ and accomplishments are those that are usually shared. It has always been said, two (muscle) heads
are better than one.
Protection, safety,
rescuer. All is fun until you get stuck under a weight. Its never fun to be
“that guy/gal” who tries to PR on their own, or feels cocky under a heavy
weight and all of a sudden that weight is a bit more than expected. No partner,
no one to help move that weight up or off you, so you become “that guy/gal”
screaming for help while pinned under a barbell. You don’t want to be remembered
in the gym for being rescued. It happens more frequently that it should. This
won’t happen with a training partner (given the partner is experienced enough
to spot properly).
When spotting, know what your partner likes and dislikes in
a spot. Knowing your lifter’s preferences could be key to their lift being
successful. A bad spot can ruin a potential PR or just an entire set alone.
Talk to your partner figure out what cues help them and what spotting technique
works for them. More importantly, always be prepared. If a lift goes wrong,
that person is relying on your to bail them out. Be ready for anything. Eyes
open and focused on them. Period.
Accountability. Hands down
the most valuable component of having a training partner is accountability. How
many people have hit there snooze button on a planned early morning training
session? It is too easy to make excuses;
staying in a warm, cozy bed for longer, stayed up too late last night, too
hungry to get ready in time to train, next thing you know you have to get on
with the rest of your day. Evening
training sessions can be just as difficult to make; too tired from the day,
dinner was too heavy, etc. Next thing
you know… damn a workout is missed.
It can get way too easy to miss a workout. Maybe you’re in a
bad mood, low on energy, would rather watch Sons of Anarchy, whatever the
excuse, chances are if you know someone is waiting for you at a given time, you’re
going to show. Work out will be complete. One step closer to those goals.
Results: When training with a partner you are more
inclined to pick up the training intensity. Again, if you have the right training
partner, who does not slack off or leave you hanging. We all want results, to
reach our goals, to lift and train with purpose. It’s much easier to let
yourself down than to let another person down. If someone is expecting you to
be there to train, you’ll show up, work hard, accomplish the day’s training
program, and therefore lead you to key results.
Time-saver: Having a
training partner can really eliminate time not only spent in the gym, but
during working sets, rest periods etc. A lot of people may not realize how much
time can be wasted setting up equipment, racks, getting gear ready etc. Having
someone to help move this proves along quickly can make all the difference in a
workout when you’re in a good groove and flow.
Notice Technique Flaws: We don’t always know how
we look when we are lifting. A lot of the time we focus on moving that weight
and if we finish the lift, we will feel accomplished. Well, form, technique,
cuing; all crucial to gains, success, progress, and injury prevention. It’s
important to have a set of eyes watch the things you can’t see. Maybe your knees
are buckling in during a squat, or back breaks a little in a certain part of a
deadlift, or your elbows are flaring too much during a bench press. It feels
great to you, but that lift could have moved much smoother by fixing the things
you don’t notice. Partners give you the eyes you need when you “can’t see”.
Encouragment. Training
alone: “I missed my lift, I’m pissed and
feel like a weak piece of garbage”. This can ruin your day. That weight
should have flown up. “I’m not strong
enough, I lost my strength, and I thought I was better than that.”
So easily we put ourselves down, become these self-loathing
individuals, the Debby-downers, the negative-Nellys. When you’re just not
feeling like superman and more like the garbage man, you need to hear some
words of encouragement. Training partner: “You
got this Bro. take a moment, re-group, and hit it again. Today might not be the best day. There’s still
tomorrow, and the next time. This is one day. You’ve lifted it before. You work
hard, you’re a freaking bad-ass. It’s a bad lift, it happens. You got it next
time.”
Instead of walking out of the gym completely defeated by a
bad lifting day (we all have them, it’s normal) A training partner can at least
make you feel a little bit better, and that little bit can go a long way. Keep
on encouraging and motivated your team mate. It’s important. DO NOT LET THEM
FALL TRAP TO INTERNAL EXECUTION. Wah. Bad day. Head up bad ass. Not only for
missed lifts, but for praise when you hit a PR. It is nice to get recognized
for that, maybe a high 5, a slap on the ass, a chest bump. HA. Whatever it is, it’s
always nice not to share the experience of success and gain alone.
Afraid to increase the weight? Think you’ll miss it?
Partners are there to push you, keeping your mind in the game, mentality is
huge when lifting and gaining. You need to keep the positivity there and having
a partner there to reinforce the positive thoughts can be night or day difference
in the gym.
Right kind of training partner. The right training
partner is someone that shares your vision. This person is driven and dedicated
to the same level as you. He or she is not flaky, nor is he or she training for
a completely different sport or goal. Someone training for a marathon would not
make the best training partner for a powerlifting or vice versa, even if they
were best friends or husband and wife. The goals must be the same or similar.
Gender should not matter. Sometimes training with the opposite sex can actually
be better. Who doesn’t like to impress the opposite sex and work hard, and show
off a little?
A great
partner is someone you feel can push you, motivate you, and excite you to lift.
A training partner who comes to the gym, not prepared, bad mood, constantly
complaining, or never following through with the planned workout, etc., would
not make an ideal workout/ training partner. If your current training partner
is not helping you reach your goals, then now is the time to reevaluate what
you want in a partner. It’s not selfish to “fire” your training partner if it’s
not working out well. You will never accomplish or be successful with your
goals if you let someone take you away from achieving them. What is selfish
about following your dreams and reaching your goals? Nothing. So say bye-bye to
the bad partner and get a new one. IT IS WORTH IT. If you want a good reliable
partner you need to pay the same respect to that person. Show up, be ready, be
motivating, be open minded, and be a teammate. HAVE FUN!!!
Check out
these training buddies. Now this would be an ideal training session ;)
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