The Perfect Workout Buddy

Dear Body Buds,

Have you ever wanted to find the perfect workout partner? Over the course of the past 2.5 years of my training, I have found many admirable qualities in the people with whom I have trained intermittently. I have learned a lot from them, and sought to become better myself.

Realizing we all have areas to improve, I would like to suggest we all try to become the person that people would drop at the dime of a hat to train with--the perfect workout partner. Let's set the bar HIGH for how workouts and training sessions are supposed to go!

Here is my breakdown of characteristics I have gathered from my previous training partners:

Have confidence in taking the Lead:

Plan ahead and know what you are in the gym to accomplish. When we hem and haw, tossing out ideas, ‘maybe we should's, and pause to look around the gym for too long, we put ourselves in danger of decreasing the effectiveness of our workout. Even if you aren’t sure that the workout is as strategic as it could be, spit out the plan, get to the machines, and get to work! Don’t question yourself. If you need help constructing a workout plan, schedule a consultation with me and we’ll get your plan locked into place.

Minimize your talk. This is not social time.

While it can be fun to chit chat about the day and the events and stressors of life, I have learned that there is a time and place for those conversations—and it is NOT at the gym. The more you talk, the less you focus. It is not an impersonal act to be focused and concentrated on the task at hand with minimal effort for conversation outside of verbiage to support the goals of the training session.

Correct your partner’s symmetry and angles.

Instead of wandering, drinking water endlessly, or incessantly looking in the mirror, seek to watch and correct your partner’s form. While being positive in your corrections, the need for a second pair of eyes is great and will not only help your partner reduce the risk of injury, but help them train their body symmetrically and more strategically.

Stand watch for the failure points.

Be on guard and watching for the point where your partner needs a spot, or a helping hand to move the weight in their final repetitions. You should communicate with your partner how long they would like to struggle before you jump in. Some people like to struggle (I get angry if someone jumps in too soon before I can seriously NOT move the weight), while others deplore the point where the weight is barely moving millimeters at a time. While I encourage the struggle (thereby increasing time under tension (TUT), seek to know what your partner prefers so you can be there for them when they need you most—especially to prevent injury or mishap. (I can recall a handful of times I would have had a bashed face had my partner not grabbed the dumbbells when my ability to hold them over my body had waned.)

Minimize the socializing opportunities for your partner.

Your partner may have friends, co-workers, or if they’re single—members of the opposite sex who wish to investigate—who take away from the focus that we seek to attain while training. Be kind enough to gently remind your partner aloud that it’s their turn for a set (yes, in front of their friends in the middle of the conversation). This will kindly interrupt the conversation and keep the flow of the workout going, when your friend probably felt too badly to say anything. Be a pal, and help them out when they could end up getting their ear chatted off for 30 minutes.

Show up on time, or send a text message if you’ll be late.

Be respectful enough to show up on time so your partner can rely on you. If you are running late, give an approximate arrival time and work hard to be on time next time. Punctuality is a great attribute that is appreciated by others, and goes unappreciated until it is absent from a person’s character. (I have been fortunate enough to have training partners who tell me to be there 15 minutes ahead of the time they will show up so we arrive on time—they sought to understand the demands on my schedule and were kind enough to help me be a good workout partner).

It sure is amazing what can happen to the body in sculpting and evolving to a more powerful machine as we train it correctly. Being the perfect workout partner for someone will help them up their game and give you that help in return. Finding a dynamic partnership like this is critical if you wish to truly push yourself.

I am grateful for all of the people with whom I have been fortunate to train over the past few years! You have inspired me and pushed me to be better every day. Thanks for the lessons!

Love your bud,

Kristy Jo

#exercise #exercisetips #workoutpartners #relationships #spouse