The pros and Cons of Having a Gym Partner
To Gym Partner or Not to Gym Partner?
To Gym Partner or Not to Gym Partner?
That is the question that you might be running through your head. Should I workout with a partner or lifting buddy to get the results I want?
Some experienced gym goers will say Yes absolutely get a gym partner and they view a workout buddy like a relationship
Others will tell you to avoid it at all cost like the floor is hot lava.
Having a gym partner isn’t for everyone and you need to know if it will help you or just make the gym routine more difficult to stick with.
Lets look at why with a simple list…Yes lists!
The Pros of Having a Gym Partner
A gym partner can help keep you accountable for your workout routine on a daily and weekly basis since you will count on each other to show up.
Takes the boring out of longer rest times between sets
You will always have a spotter. This is my biggest frustration when lifting alone; looking around for someone who looks like they can spot and then see if they want to take time out of their workout to help a stranger.
To avoid this Spotter issue I like pressing/ pushing as much as I can in a full squat rack.
A Gym Partner can provide Motivation during your workout. Maybe you had a bad day and they had a good day…they can help you turn that bad day into a good gym day.
Competitions. Sometimes working out with someone who is a little more advanced than you can help you give a little more effort during your lifts.
Program changes. Follow each others programs to keep things different and progressive over the course of the year.
Always have a coach. They may have some knowledge in exercise or not but having someone to help watch your technique is a nice perk to have.
The Cons of Having a Gym Partner
Man sometimes those buddy workouts take up way too much time. double the people=double sets double the reps…double the time. It may not always be the case but, when you have a tight schedule, time and efficiency is important.
Different goals. Sometimes your goals will be different from the ones of your gym partner. When that happens it is hard to train the exact same way and you will most likely end up showing up at the same time to workout but training on your own.
If you do not know a thing about fitness and exercise and your gym buddy does…what do you do when they can not join you? Being dependent on someone else can really limit your workout when that person is not there.
laziness can run rampant. If you pick a partner who ends up being lazy or lacking commitment then it can start to affect your efforts around your fitness goals.
Too much conversation. If you can not limit the talking then your rest times will be long make your workouts less effective or time efficient. If you routinely talk during the sets then you are not trying hard enough. I’m sorry but I do not think I have seen anyone struggle through 10 reps while spitting the latest office gossip and have an effective workout.
Too different. You may have the same goals but changing the weights an extreme amount for each person can take up way too much time and really start to get annoying. Not all exercises can be done by changing the position of a pin in a stack of weights and loading and unloading plates all the time is annoying. If you can not have some fluidity in your workout then it will start to suffer and really take up some time.
CONCLUSION
Maybe your best friend is not the best person to workout with, they might keep it “fun” but you have to ask yourself if you are there to have fun or there to get results. If you choose to have a gym partner make sure you choose wisely and do not worry about hurting said persons feelings. If you choose to workout alone then know that there will be some struggles but there are options you can use in making your workouts better.
If you are looking for a gym partner because you lack the knowledge or information to get in a good workout then you should shift your focus away from friends and gym rats to some of those personal trainers at your gym. Its their job to help you workout to the best of your abilities. If you ask nicely they will often have no problem if you ask them for a spot.
Originally published at fitletes.com.