Blog

posted on May 13, 2020

There are plenty of people who you could find to work out with, but true training partners are worth their weight in gold. It’s important to understand that choosing to train with someone else is not required in order to make progress, but it is absolutely necessary to have a great training partner in your corner if you want to be your best. Below is a list of 5 of the most beneficial qualities of a great partner in crime.

1)Help with your form, and see things you can’t:

Contrary to popular belief, a training partner’s main job is not to yell and scream motivational sayings while you’re in the middle of your set. In fact, a training partner’s most important job is to make sure that you are always on point and dialed in. Even the most experienced lifters benefit from having someone to keep an eye on their form and technique. During a set, it can be easy to lose focus of what your body is doing throughout each repetition. This is where your training partner can give you helpful cues (verbal or physical) in order to keep you as safe and efficient with your movements as possible.

2)Push you harder than you would push yourself:

A good training partner will always find a way to bring out the best in you. There will be many, many days that you just don’t feel like pushing yourself as hard as you could or should, but your partner will make sure that you give everything that you can in that moment. There are indeed times that it is beneficial to train on your own, but there is no doubt that you will achieve more with the help of a great training partner than you could on your own.

3)Keep you in check:

I am very fortunate to have a handful of great training partners. One of the things that I’m most thankful for is their willingness to tell me when I’m wrong, and when I need to be better. One of the worst things that someone can do is to see things that you could do better, but chose not to bring it to your attention. This is where trust and respect really come into play. When your goal is to be the best that you can, you cannot be scared to tell someone things that they may not want to hear. If you know that it will benefit them and their overall goal, then it should be said. This will lead to a tighter bond and stronger relationship in the long run.

4)Motivate you through their performance:

One of the best things that I’ve done for myself was to find people who were better than I. This is no different than with our professional life. If we want to be better at our job, we study under someone who has more experience, and who has accomplished the things that we want to accomplish. When you are training with people who are better than yourself, you should constantly be doing everything in your power to keep up, get to where they are at, and even surpass them. This will not only keep you motivated, but it will help you learn much more than you would on your own.

5)Build a relationship:

One of the greatest things that I have gained from training with others are the relationships that I have built along the way. To this day, some of my best friends started out as simple training partners. When you spend hours throughout the week, shoulder to shoulder with someone who is pushing you to be your best with the same goals as yourself, there is a bond that is built that is unmatched. In a way, you are trusting them with your life, and they are doing the same with you. It is your responsibility to trust and look out for each other, while having fun and building a great friendship along the way.