In bodybuilding and fitness, it is easy to grab a hold of the “lone wolf” mentality and lifestyle and in a sense flaunt it. This is to not say that some people actually do better working out alone, but to stay close minded in regard to having a training buddy for superficial reasons can really hinder potential for hitting goals.
When it comes to training buddies, it is different than any other “buddy system” out there. Yes, the gym can spawn awesome relationships and even help current ones grow, but with the intensity of the gym and seriousness of hitting goals, some people can workout with someone and never really care to know the person outside of the gym.
There are many perks of working out with someone. Accountability is the first thing that you will experience. The days you just simply do not want to get out of bed or after a long day of work, working out can sound like torture. Having a buddy either bugging you to get to the gym is a plus, or just simply knowing he or she is there waiting for you gives you a huge sense of accountability that you never had when training alone.
Another key perk to training with a buddy is intensity of the workout. You can safely push yourself into the unknown when it comes to moving weights and even trying out different movements. Having a friend there to spot you and keep things safe is always a good thing, and also having a friend there to let you know that your squat looks great or jacked up also helps too. It never hurts to be safe and avoid embarrassment in the gym.
Another final takeaway from having a training partner is “comparing notes”. This basically means going back and forth in the process of training and nutrition and seeing what seems to be working in regard to exercises and foods when it comes to getting to your goals. Maybe a movement works better for you than it does your buddy, so when you guys train you can make sure no one is cutting the other one short. Just because you are working out together does not mean you have to do the exact same movements, which is a big misconception.
