10 Things to consider when choosing Training Partners

By Phil Burgess, CEO Viking Supplements - 05/04/2010

1. Training times

It is often easier to hook up with a training partner if this person is usually in the gym at the same time as you are. If you train at different times each week, you may find it harder to get a training partner. Instead you may have to settle for a gym instructor/trainer to spot you on the hard sets. This means that you may get a different spotter each time, which can be off putting.

2. Part-time or Full-time?

Another approach is to have a training partner for specific workouts. For example, you and another person in the gym may be interested in improving your bench press, so working together just on your chest workout may be beneficial to both parties. This may be the smart or only option if you normally train at different times, as it may be easier to choose a set time for just one or two of your weekly workouts.

3. Different Gender Training Partners

I have always found that when I have been assisted by females that I work harder on my sets, as I want to look strong, and not fail pathetically in front of them. However if the difference in strength is great, then it may be more cumbersome than it is useful.

4. Similar strength and goals

If you are having to continually change weights on the bar between sets this can be annoying and can also be time consuming. Try and pick a training partner who has similar strength to you, then the changes to the bar between your sets will be minimal. Also it is far easier if you have the same goals as your training partner, and are doing the same routine, with the same exercises. Share your goals with your training partner; print them out for them, so that they can help motivate you to achieve them.

5. Two-Way Work Ethic.

For a relationship to work you have to love each other equally, for a training partnership to work you need to push each other equally. You should both be highly motivated to help your partner to achieve their goals in the gym. Everybody has their own way of being motivated by others, so allow your training partner to tap into this, whether it is being positive or insulting you, if it improves your performance then it’s the right approach. However it should be remembered that swearing or shouting is not tolerated in most gyms J.

6. Set objectives and review at each session.

If you want to get the most out of your gym session you need to let your training partner know what you want to achieve by the end of the session. Talk with each other for a couple of minutes prior to starting, and have clear goals for the workout. You might want to get a great chest pump, or you may want to lift a specific weight for a certain number of reps or sets. At the end of the session make notes on what you would change if you were to do that workout again to get more out of it.

7. Assistance, how much?

Clearly outline how you want to be assisted in a set if you start to struggle with the weight. When do you want the other person to assist, i.e. in bench press when the bar has stopped going upwards an inch off the chest, or when the bar has gone back down to the chest and is stuck. It can be annoying when your partner has assisted you with the hard reps, but you don’t know with how much force they assisted you. Another related issue is personal space, I was once spotted by a trainer whilst doing the squat, and he was effectively squatting underneath me at the same time, I could feel my back on his front, which was really off putting, and actually made the set harder to concentrate.

8. Concentration on you!!

Ensure that when your training partner is spotting you, that they are concentrating 100% on spotting YOU!! I was once doing heavy squats with my training partner spotting me. All was good until his mobile phone rang, and he walked off to answer it, as I was just getting into the last few difficult reps. If you have a mobile phone turn it off whilst you are in the gym!! Also try and avoid distractions from the opposite gender, your training partner wont thank you when he injures himself.

9. Exercise Form vs The Ego

It is extremely important to have your training partner watch your form and give you honest analysis. To provide an example, I had been training legs by myself in the Squat rack, for 12 weeks. I thought my form was good, trainers and gym instructors watched me many times, either purposely or casually as they walked past, but they never commented on my serious form problems. Out of curiosity I videoed a couple of sets, and realised that my technique was crap, I was amazed that nobody had said anything. Watch this!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wbNBxWFE6g Now to come back to the point, a good training partner should know what the correct technique should be, for each exercise you are performing, and they should ensure that your form does not deteriorate as the weight on the bar increases. The best training partner will make suggestions to correct any issues with form. If the training partner does not find it easy to explain to their partner what they are doing, then take video footage. "The camera never lies", as I can testify!!

10. Your Checklist

Use these points above as a checklist to assist you in choosing the right training partner, or to improve how your current Training Partner arrangement works. There may be no such thing as the perfect training partner, but applying some or all of these points should allow you to get the most out of your workouts.