I was recently looking through the 20th anniversary Musclehedz calendar and came across a great cartoon of one muscle head asking the other to be his training partner in much the way a marriage proposal would work. I love the cartoons while they are meant to poke fun they tend to have a ring of truth to them. On of my most valuable resources in and out of the gym is my training partner. I am fortunate enough to have had the same partner for nearly 20 years. I have trained without one, sometimes I even preferred it that way, but I totally believe that having someone to train with is invaluable. People tend to have training partners for a few reasons: as a spotter, as a friend whom they convinced to go with them, or someone with similar fitness goals. For many people having a spotter is the main reason of using a training partner. Safety is important and if you train, you already know you must train smart. The intangible bonus of having a consistent partner is not only can they spot you, but will know you well enough from a training standpoint to provide just enough assistance or resistance to maximize your efforts and gains on every set and exercise. Having This typemofmpartnernwillnensure that you get the most out ofmyourmworkouts and continually push past your limits. eNCOuragement A good training partner will be an excellent motivator. Your training partner will challenge you on each rep, push you past what you thought you couldn't do, and will keep you focused and progressing towards your goals. There is a level of accountability between workout partners. Now going,or not going, to the gym means someone else is depending on younto do yournpart and show up at an agree upon time. It always kills me more when I can't make a workout because I feel I am letting my workout partner down. I am responsible to him and his workoutbdepends upon me showing up. The comradarie and social companionship is a definite reason people enjoy having a training partner. This is fine as long as is there more working than chatting going on during a workout. My training partner and I know each other so well in the gym we rarely talk after arm ups and stretching. Many times we already know what weight and things to put on the bar and each other's nuances and quirks that talking isn't necessary. For us, the time we spend in the gym is completely focused on maximum intensity workouts. We will talke before or after the workout,but that is just what works for us. Keys to having a good workout partner: - find a persons with compatible work ethic, commitment, andn workout style. - pay attention and learn each other's preferences and nuances during a workout. - communicate. With your partner. What do you want from them? and also what do they need from you during a workout?
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