There’s an old adage that you can get much further in life working with others than you ever could alone. I’ve found this to be true in all aspects of life and especially when it comes to training. To really be your best, you need a training partner. That isn’t my point of view. It’s a fact. People work harder when they’re working together. It’s human nature.
Hey, maybe you’re in pretty good shape already, and maybe you got there by training solo. That’s fine. What I’m saying is, no matter where you are with your training, with a partner you could be better than you’ve ever been before.
Partner Up
Look for these key traits in a training partner. He should be someone who:
Trains when you do The biggest reason guys give me for training solo is they can’t match up schedules with someone else. Look around your gym at the time you typically go. Who’s there? I’ve found a lot of training partners this way.
Is better than you are You want to lift with someone who either looks better or is much stronger than you. You’ll find yourself pushing harder to lift what they lift, and you’ll pick up on the good habits that got them where they are.
Will hold you accountable If you text your training partner to say you can’t make it, will he say, “No sweat,” or will he be let down? You want the latter. Knowing you need to be there to support a partner creates another incentive for consistency.
Has the same goal you do The partnership won’t last long unless you’re working toward the same end. Whether you’re trying to get huge, strong, or ripped (or all of these), your partner needs to be of the same mind to produce results.
Understands the need to switch it up Over time, guys get comfortable with each other and don’t push as hard. I changed training partners every three months— this gave me a ton of great partners who kept me moving forward.
