By: Mike Hajoway

We all unfortunately enter a period of our training where we hit the wall, get stuck in a rut, and simply can not get our weights to go up. In the seemingly endless search to find the problem preventing us from obtaining our goals, many of us overlook an integral part: a good workout partner. A good workout partner can separate a man from a champion and an ordinary lift from a personal best. A workout partner is a person that helps you with that one extra rep, keeps you motivated to move in the right direction, and simply is a good thing to have.

I am sure that everyone has trained solo one time or another and knows the difference in training alone and with a partner. Yet not every partner is created equal. To maximize gains one must fine a partner that has similar goals, attitudes, and a discipline that is congruent to his or her own. When one searches for a partner they should search for a person that has the characteristics of punctuality, friendship, similar goals, knowledge, and consistency.

Advantages Of A Good Partner

Punctuality
This is definitely key in finding a good workout partner.

If a person can not arrive at the gym at the right time or is constantly coming in late that person is not only messing up their workout but also your own. I know from many personal experiences while waiting for a partner I would loose my motivation and pump to go in there and get my workout done but instead I had to wait around for my late partner. Look for a person that is responsible for his or herself.

Friendship
At my gym I am friends with the majority of people lifting there.

Try to surround yourself with people that intend on becoming muscular monsters like yourself. Friendship in a partner helps keep everyone equal. Your partner cares not only for his or her success but also for yours. By forging a friendship in the gym, you will create an even stronger friendship outside of the gym because you will share some many common experiences and emotions, which will push and inspire each other to become a better athlete.

The people who have this type of friendship are the kinds of people that lift together, eat together, and spend all kinds of time together because they will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals and overcome any type of physical or mental obstacle.

Similar Goals
Good workout partners should really be forged out of the same mold.

They should think alike. You should have the same goals and lift in the same manner so that you can both support each other and critique each so that you may achieve a level of perfection not only physically but also technically. I am not saying that you should be carbon copies of each wearing the same outfits and go to the barber to get the same haircut. Just find a person that has a similar personality so that you can both succeed with a greater efficiency.

Eventually your goals will become so similar that a rivalry could develop where the greatest gains will come from. This rivalry between partners is not detrimental because generally it is a friendly rivalry. But when everyone walks into a gym, they want to be the most muscular or the strongest and this same attitude carries over into a relationship between training partners.

As you try to top each other for weight and reps, you will both be taking in the most grueling, productive workouts of your lives. And because of the rivalry, it will seem like fun rather than exercise. In the end, you will both come out big winners. Personally I find rivalry to be the greatest benefit to having a partner because it drives me to be better than I thought I could be.

Knowledge
Experience and knowledge play giant roles in gaining muscle.

The old saying, "two heads are better than one" is quite appropriate here. By combining the experience and knowledge of two people one can succeed far much faster than if he or she was doing it alone. By having a good partner, both you and your partner can also do more research to find the most beneficial workout routine, supplements, and diet.

With both of you researching through the internet and the number of muscle magazines, it is only a matter of time before you find a great discovery that will lead to huge gains. Why should one person be responsible for coming up with all the ideas and innovations to the training of both?

Consistency
Consistency is one of the biggest factors I look for when looking for a partner.

In my current situation, it is very hard to find a quality and dedicated partner because I am in the middle of college where most people would rather get drink themselves into a coma than workout. I have had many "partners" that will train with me for only a week and then quite because they can not keep up, do not have the discipline, or are just plain lazy and does not have the required heart to train with the guts to make great gains.

Try to find a person that will stay focused and dedicated to training, improving themselves, and will come everyday. If you or your partner begin to skip workouts it will eventually begin to show in the mirror so by having someone at the gym waiting for you it will force you or partner to never miss a workout because no one likes to let their friends down.

Conclusion

Having a great workout partner is definitely a giant key to success and muscle gain. Yet finding a great partner is just as important as being a great partner. All of the characteristics that you look for in a partner are identical for you so, as a team, you and your partner can train hard, eat smart, and achieve gains faster than you would alone.

On A Scale Of 1 - 10 (10 Being Very Important), How Important Is A Trainer Partner?

1 - Not Important 3 3 4 5 - Somewhat Important 6 7 8 9 10 - Very Important

Thanks,

haj@lek.net

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