The Total Gym Workout for Two
Double the pleasure and double the fun, with a workout made for two! Finding the motivation for a workout alone can be tough, but having someone holding you accountable can drive your fitness level to a higher standard. Overcome a workout plateau by creating unique movements that involve a friend or your significant other during your next workout session!
Partner Workouts! It’s the perfect solution to sprucing up your routine by involving someone who will keep you accountable, as well as motivated to get into shape. Whether you hit the gym for a class, take a run outside, or perform strength drills, you will hold each other accountable to do the workouts together.
When working out with a partner or a significant other, you not only spend time together, but you will work out harder than if you were doing a routine on your own! Performing partner drills and exercises can either enhance your stabilization to help your form, or act as extra resistance to make traditional exercises more challenging. If you are not as fast as the other, performing intervals of cardio bursts may be a great option. Working out with a partner is also a great way to boost your intensity level, as it can create a competition to achieving set goals.
Benefits to Working Out with a Friend or Teammate
– Keep Your Routines Exciting and Fun: Exercises can be game like! Create competition between each other based on time, reps, and quickness.
– Motivation to Keep Going Strong: Partner workouts are sometimes more effective, as you tend to push yourself harder to keep up with your partner’s pace.
– Workout Time Passes by Quickly: No time to slack off when you have to pace yourself with your partner!
– Effective Use of Intensity in Minimal Time: Workouts incorporate cardio, strength, and flexibility.
Benefits to Working Out with Your Significant Other
– Time Well Spent Together: Strengthens your muscles, your heart, and your relationship.
– Increases Intimate Connection: After working out together, you’ll feel a deeper bond with your partner, and feel better about the way you look and feel!
– The Support System to Achieve Set Goals: With a common shared interest, you and your significant other can motivate each other and reach a like goal together!
– Compete Together and Celebrate Together: Enter a race or competition to train for something with your significant other. Then set a vacation date to celebrate all of your hard work together!
Here is a partner workout I’ve created for you to do at home, in the gym, or at a park, utilizing different pieces of equipment such as the Total Gym, Body Bar, Stability Ball, and your own body weight. There are five different circuits listed to demonstrate ways to challenge and involve both you and your partner. These are multi-functional movements that challenge both strength and cardio to firm muscles and to deliver fast results.
Exercise Prescription
Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes appropriately before beginning the partner exercises, to assure your muscles are warm and ready to be challenged. Attempt to do the strength or cardio drill one after the other with your partner to keep the momentum going. Once all exercises are completed and each partner has done both parts of the movement, repeat the circuit 2-3 times through. These exercises can be timed for 30- 60 seconds each or performed for a desired amount of reps. Follow the plan consistently for a set period of time (4 days a week for 4 weeks for a start), plan nutritious meals, and keep your partner accountable so you both stay on track and motivated for the next workout.
• Check out the video link to see these exercises demonstrated.
Total Gym: (video)
1: a.) Back Rows b.) Lower Back Extensions
2: a.) Bicep/ Tricep extensions b.) Plank extension/ Push-up
3: a.) Torso Rotations b.) V-sit roll up
Body Bar: (video)
1: Toss & Rotate- toss the body bar perpendicular to your partner
2: Squat & Toss- squat and toss the bar to your partner (palms up, palms down)
3: a.) Upright row, b.) Push-up
4: a.) Bicep row b.) Hanging bicep curl & crunch
Stability Ball: (video)
1: Lateral Lunge/ Reverse Lunge See- Saw
2: a.) Plank roll up b.) Plank Knee Tucks
3: Double hamstring curl
Body Weight: (video)
1: a.) Plank Hold b.) Leg Hops
2: Single leg lunge with isometric bicep
3: Quadruped Back Extensions
4. Straight Leg Lifts
Cardio Blast:
1. Relay race from point A to B (run, skip, hop)
2. Make an obstacle course and time how long it takes to complete the routine
3. Timed Push-ups, squats, jump lunges, plank from hands to forearms (time each exercise for 1 min, count the number of reps performed and compete with your partner)
