3 Reasons to Find Training Partners

#1 Accountability

If you are not a very self-motivated person, this perhaps could be the most important for you. Put simply, it’s super easy to punk out when it’s just you with no training partners. On the other hand, when you do have a training partner(s), you don’t want to stand them up by missing a workout, or let them down.

I can tell you first-hand that training partners will call you out on your bullshit. If you are missing workouts, lacking effort, etc. then a good training partner will let you know. It is imperative that you understand that you are not going to feel 100% every single day, and that’s when having quality training partners come in. When one feels like shit, the other will bring that person up.

#2 Advice

Having a training partner that can give you cues and advice to help with your lifts is valuable. Therefore, it’s essential that they have expertise and actually know what they are talking about. One of the easiest examples to bring out here is that you obviously can’t watch yourself when you lift.

When I was doing Good Mornings the other day, one of my training partners, Todd, was watching me progress up in weight. I’m not gonna lie, the weight felt like a house that day. I took 330 lbs., and not surprisingly, it felt super heavy. I asked Todd for his input, and he told me that I totally smoked it and to go up to 380 lbs. I decided to take this last single, and I’m glad he gave me that final push for the day. Perfect example of when it feels worse than it really looks.

#3 Competition

Competition and accountability go hand in hand. No one wants to lose, I fucking hate it. My 4am crew at Old School is a bit unique with us rolling 10+ deep every day, so it’s easy to be beat. I am not the strongest in my group, and I know that. With that in my head, it pushes me to do the extra calves, sleds, lunges, etc. in the afternoon to make my foundation stronger to beat my training partners and hit new PRs.

It doesn’t stop with my training partners that are stronger than me. When I see someone in the gym that isn’t missing workouts, giving 100% every day and grinding, it pushes me to go farther. When you have these elements added to your training, you will see a dramatic difference with your progress.