The people we surround ourselves with and the environment we place ourselves in can have a dramatic impact on our health, happiness, motivation, progress and performance in the gym. With the busyness of our everyday lives, we may often reach our training sessions feeling tired, rundown and lacking a little motivation to get the work done. Finding a suitable training partner to have in your corner each and every day, is a great way to inject some additional drive and enthusiasm in your workout.

Below are a number of reasons why training partners are so powerful to your performance and progress:

  • Accountability - Knowing that we have to turn up and be accountable to someone else assures that no matter how rough our day in the office may have been, that we'll still show up and put in the hard yards!
  • Support Crew - A training partner is not only there to listen when times at training get tough, but they are also there to lend an ear to help you through the everyday challenges of life.
  • Creates a fun and enjoyable environment - Having someone else to share small wins and victories along the journey is a lot better that celebrating alone!
  • Fosters a Sense of Community - The need for belonging is a part of our human nature. Training either in a team or with a partner helps to bring about a sense of belonging and make us feel good inside and out!
  • Healthy Competition - A training partner provides you with an opportunity to push a little harder each and every day by giving you scores and times to chase.
  • A Second Set of Eyes - Having your training partner watch your form and correct your movements whilst you work together is a great way to ensure you’re progressing not only strength wise, but also technique wise.
  • Motivation - They can serve to inspire you through their accomplishment of their own goals and performance, or be the cheerleader you need to get you through a tough session.
  • Two Minds are Better Than One - Strategizing on how to tackle a problem, program or workout is a lot easier when you put two minds together. We all perceive and interpret information differently. Together you have the ability to turn a good plan into a great plan!
  • Intensity - A training partner can help to push you new limits and push you through plateaus that you may not get through working alone.
  • They helps you to get out of your own head and out of your way - When we have someone else to focus on, we tend to focus less on our negative self-limiting beliefs and more on the other person and our ability to succeed.

All successful partnerships must be equal, with open lines of communication present at all times. When selecting that special someone to be your training buddy, keep in mind that, it is important that you both have the same priorities and similar training goals to ensure you are working with each other, not against each other!