It’s one thing skipping a training session here or there in favour of a lie-in when it’s so warm and cosy under the duvet. But when you’re lying there, picturing your gym buddy struggling on their own without a spotter - or worse still, thinking of that look of disappointment when you next see them – that’s a different matter. What’s more, you certainly don’t want to be left behind while your pal gets fitter / stronger / leaner than you, do you? So, start training with a gym buddy and you’re way more likely to stick to your plans and reach those fitness goals.
And the advantages don’t stop there - as well as helping with motivation, there are several other reasons why working out with a partner will help improve your fitness:
1. You have your very own personal trainer
Well, kind of. The most beneficial part of having a personal trainer is the incentive to train harder – you’re paying them to encourage you to push out that all-important last rep, hold that plank for another 30 seconds, or push the speed up by one extra mph on the treadmill. And when you train with a partner, you’ll be the ones encouraging each other to push yourselves to the limits, where if you were on your own, you may have given up sooner. And a bit of friendly competition always helps to keep the intensity up!
2. Workouts can be more fun.
A key message you’ll notice on this site regarding fitness, is to keep switching up your workouts. Your body becomes accustomed to the same exercises, and that adaptation leads to plateaus where your progress slows or even stops. That can be a real motivation killer. By working out with a friend, you can teach each other new exercises, try moves you can only do in pairs, or even switch things up completely by playing some one-on-one basketball or squash for your cardio instead of your usual run. That way, while having more fun, you’ll also smash through that training plateau by forcing your body to readapt to new exercises.
3. You’ll have a spotter.
Those last few reps of any exercise are the most important. On your own you might have stopped at 7 reps because you’re not sure if you can manage number 8. Having a spotter will give you the confidence to push out those last couple of reps, knowing you won’t drop the bar on your chest and end up in some viral gym fail compilation. Those last few reps, where you should be pushing yourself to exhaustion, are key to really testing the muscles, forcing them to grow to adapt to the intensity of the training you’re doing.