Working out with someone (aka partner training) can be an awesome way to keep yourself motivated and push yourself to the next level.
Having trained both couples, as well as friends who wanted to work out together, here are my top 5 tips to make sure you’re setting your fitness partnership up for success
Can you be consistent?
Fitness doesn’t work unless you are consistent at it. So who is your partner? Your significant other, who you see every day. Or your friend who lives on the other side of town?
If you see your workout buddy once in a blue moon, it’s not going to work. Make sure they are someone you can consistently work out with. Pick one or two days a week, as well as a time that works for both of you.
Pro tip: Don’t overdo it or overwhelm your schedules by aiming to do every single workout together. Commit to doing some activities on your own, not just with your workout buddy.
Do your schedules align?
For partner training to work, you have to find times that are convenient for both of you (see point above).
If one partner has an erratic schedule, it may not be so easy to coordinate.
Have a plan for when you are forced to be by yourself. Schedule a class (your local rec center has lots of great options), go for a walk, or perhaps that can be your rest day.
Do you have similar fitness levels?
If one of you is out of shape but the other is sprite as a bee and light on their feet, you may run into issues. Either the workout will be too tough for the beginner, or too easy for the seasoned fitness nut.
At the end, the beginner may be left unable to move for about three days post workout, or the fit individual may be left feeling like they just did a warm-up.
Be honest with yourselves and where you are each starting from. Choose exercises that can be modified for the beginner, but still intense enough to get the advanced person the burn they are seeking.
Pro tip: If you are finding yourselves in this situation, consider hiring a personal trainer. We can create individualized workout plans that tailor both to the advanced and the novice, and show each of you how to modify exercises to suit your fitness levels (Yes, that is my shameless sales pitch for this blog post.)
Are you a good personality match?
Even if you know you’re able to match your schedules and you are both at the same fitness level, it can all fall apart if one of you feels like they need to dominate the other.
After I started going to school for personal training, I felt like I now needed to dump my new found enlightenment onto my poor husband, constantly correcting and nagging him that he wasn’t pushing himself enough.
The result?
He stopped working out with me altogether. I learned the hard way that maybe it’s not a good idea to personal train everyone!
So do your own thing, and if you correct each other, make sure the other person welcomes your feedback.
How long should your workouts be?
An important ground rule for partner training is establishing how long your workouts will be.
It’s ok to start with half an hour workouts and increase them to once they are established as part of your schedules. A shorter workout is better than nothing and it is more likely to be manageable for both you and your workout buddy.
Most importantly, you don’t want one person to be ready for a 2 hour workout while the other workout buddy is just starting out.
Let’s work (out) together!
My specialty is working with clients who want to become more active but don’t know where to start. Check out these links to learn more about how I got into fitness, my personal values, and my personal training approach.
If you are ready to begin your personal training journey, I look forward to hearing from you through my Intake Form. You can also email me directly with any questions: [email protected]
Let’s help you make some long lasting changes!
