The Invaluable Partner

     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?