It’s no secret that exercising with a partner can be extremely beneficial in helping you adhere to an exercise program consistently. Just like many other things in life, success becomes easier when you do them with a partner or team.
Exercising is such a daunting task for many people that having a workout partner is the only way that they will either start, stick with, or finish a workout program.
In fact, this is the exact reason why personal training is so popular. Most people need extra accountability, and they need to know that somebody is waiting for them at the gym or otherwise, they’ll find it difficult to even show up. Of course that’s not all that personal trainers do but it is a huge component that can’t be overlooked.
Of course, everyone can’t afford personal training or group training and some people can’t even afford a regular gym membership but no matter what your finances are, that should never stop you from exercising. There are so many FREE fitness options out there you can follow, such as apps on your phone, websites, TV shows, books, and more.
So all that you need to do to create fitness success in your life is find a program that works for you, your budget, your interests and schedule, and then figure out what kind of accountability and workout partner you need to create success for yourself. Workout partners comes in different shapes and sizes and with technology constantly changing every single day, you are consistently presented with new and endless opportunities to recruit the perfect workout partner that will motivate you across to the finish line.
Even though technology has become such a big and important part of our culture (and in this case, the journey to being fit), there are still things that some people do not want replaced in their lives by the internet. There are obviously millions of people who use electronics to provide them with their exercise regimen but I would be willing to bet you there are even more people who do not use technology at all on their fitness journeys, including myself.
A vast majority of the population still like to see and interact with regular people and do things the “old fashioned way” such as taking a jog with a co-worker at their lunch break, working out with a personal trainer after work twice per week, or participating in a group workout at 6am three days per week.
In my opinion, those are the 3 best workout partner options that a person can have!
However, let’s just say that a personal trainer and/or a group training program is not in your budget, or maybe it just doesn’t even interest you at all. That would mean you’d need to find a workout partner within your own personal network of family or friends.
This is always a popular choice for most people because it feels very natural to want to spend time with the people that you care about and enjoy being around most. You love them and want the best for them and that is reciprocated.
Working out with family and/or friends is a great and inexpensive way to get fit and be able to have fun at the same time. However, you do need to be the most careful with this selection because a lot of times, this choice can be an emotional one and not necessarily one based on the best match for yourself.
Remember that when selecting family and friends as your workout partner, you want to factor in various things such as the following to find the best fit for YOU.
Workout Partner Criteria
- Reliability: Is this person often on time? Do they ever flake on me? Are they organized?
- Compatibility: Does this person and I share similar goals? Are our schedules similar? Will we both benefit from training with one another?
- Accountability: Will this person hold me accountable even on a day when I don’t feel like going to work out?
- Challenging: Will we both challenge one another?
- Motivation: Is the other person just as motivated as I am?
These are all the types of questions that you will need to ask yourself and your workout partner. Just because you are extremely close to someone in your personal life does not mean that they are a good fit for you to workout with. So do your due diligence and interview potential candidates from your personal life to see which of them fits best for you!
And once you find a person that works for you, you will be amazed at the associated benefits of having that perfect workout partner consistently in your life such as increased motivation, increased accountability, and just having a whole lot more fun than you thought you ever could.
Partner Exercises on Your Total Gym Fit:
Upright Rows and Lower Back Extensions:
Sit up straight with good posture facing the Total Gym FIT. Grab onto the handles and begin to pull them towards your body with the goal of getting your hands lined up with your chest, then move back to the starting position to complete the
rep. Remember to pull in towards your body fast but to release slowly to control the movements and maximize the muscle contraction. Repeat this sequence to complete the rep.
All of this is being done while your partner is laying down horizontally on the glide board. Every time you pull up for your row, your partner raises up for their lower back extension and you’ll both slowly return to the starting position.
(2 Sets of 15 Reps)
Curls and Plank:
Sit up straight with good posture facing the Total Gym FIT. Grab onto the handles with a closed fist and begin to curl your hands up with the goal of getting your hands lifted up all the way to your chest. Curl up fast, then come back down to the starting position slowly to complete the rep. All of this is being done while your partner is lined up with you and is holding the glide board in the plank position. Your
partner will stay in this position until you complete your full set of curls.
(2 Sets of 15 Reps)
Standing Squat & Reverse Lunge
Both individuals begin in an upright position with one foot on the glide board and the other foot on the ground. Slowly squat on the foot that is on the ground and as you do so, the foot on the board should be sliding up towards the top of the Total Gym FIT. As your body comes back up from the squat position, you slowly lower the slide board down into its start position.
(2 Sets of 15 Reps with Each Leg)
