What is better, working out alone or with a workout partner? there are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
Generally it’s better to workout with somebody else, having a spotter during your weight training workouts has a few different benefits.
However sometimes training with somebody else or with a group of friends can actually hold you back.
Advantages of a workout partner
- There are many advantages to training with somebody. Some people can find it very difficult to motivate themselves to get into that gym if they have to go by themselves, so if this sounds like you, find somebody else who has the same goals as you.
- Having a spotter during weight resistance workouts allows us to reach muscle failure more often, which is exactly what is needed to get the most out of our workouts and to achieve the greatest benefits.
- Spotters and training partners also provide a safety net. There are certain exercises such as the bench press that can become dangerous if you train to failure without a spotter. Obviously the biggest risk of performing the bench press by yourself is lowering the bar to perform another rep only to find yourself lacking the strength to push it back up, therefore becoming stuck under the bar, which has happened to me once or twice during my early training days. If this does happen, trust me it can become a little scary. Fortunately for me I was able to wrestle the bar over to one side and slide out.
Disadvantages of a workout partner
- If you are there with your friends you can end up spending more time talking and fooling about than actually training, especially if your friends are not as motivated to get the results that you are. You could end up spending vasts amounts of time at the gym without really achieving anything.
- Sometimes the ego can get in the way of training properly. This can happen even when training alone, however if you are training with a group of guys the ego can go into overdrive. When this drive to boost the ego happens, things like good technique and lifting safely can go out of the window as you are just trying to impress others.
Overall, training with another person with the same goals as you and that is serious about achieving results is a good thing. It will lead to improved motivation, gaining the greatest results with less chance of injuring yourself.
However be mind full of the possible disadvantages and try not to allow them to affect you, however sometimes this is easier said than done.
