How To Be A Great Training Partner
Working out with the wrong training partner can be worse than not having a workout buddy. The right training buddies are a match made in heaven and are blessed by the bodybuilding Gods, old and new.
If you have trained with lifting partners in the past, you’ll know that a bad spotter can not only make you hit a plateau but can also hamper your gains. In this article, we’ll teach you how to be a great workout partner so you can lead by example for your future training buddies.
Open-Mindedness
Patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn new techniques is the key to being a great workout partner. If you’re too rigid about following your training program, people with more experience might not be eager to train with you.
Exploring new training, nutrition, and recovery techniques can enrichen your fitness journey. Dismissing your training buddy’s suggestions too often is a sure-shot way of cutting short your partnership.
Honesty
More often than not, people let their egos get the better of them in the gym. Look around in your gym and you’ll surely see a spotter doing more work than the lifter. Even worse is the fact that the spotter doesn’t ask his training partner to drop the weight even when both of them are struggling with the weight.
The next time, before you say “it was all you” when it wasn’t, know that you’re doing your training buddy and yourself disfavor. Be honest about your form, performance, and any other aspects you could improve on.
Keep Your Ego In Check
People who train with a lifter who is on an advanced level often end up falling victim to their egos. Playing catch-up can prove expensive in the weight room. If you’re a beginner, focus on learning the right form instead of trying to lift heavier weights.
It’s your responsibility to keep your partner’s ego in check if you’re the advanced lifter. Remember, there is a thin line between ego lifting and pushing your boundaries. You shouldn’t get so conservative that you stop pushing your limits.
Accountability
The best training partners keep themselves and their buddies accountable. You should be proactive in making sure none of you misses workouts, meals and check if you are meeting your progress goals.
Accountability doesn’t end here, you are the person responsible for your and your partner’s motivation. When any of you lose the inspiration to train, you need to step in and make sure the train remains on track.
It Takes Time
While this article is about how to be a great training buddy, you’ll still have to find a person who you’ll be a partner to. Your and your partner’s training, diet, and recovery approach should fit live a glove.
We could give you tips for selecting the right training partner, but you’ll have to train with a bunch of people before you could find the right match for yourself. Be patient and willing to train with people across experience levels.
Do you train with a training partner? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.