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Benefits of A Training Partner – (feat. Coach JoAnna)

  December 12, 2017

Have you ever had those days where you just don’t want to go to the gym? I will be the first to raise my hand. That was me yesterday. Everything in me just wanted to stay in bed for ten more minutes, but then I remembered something… I was not going to be training alone. I’ve realized that having a training partner has helped me tremendously on my fitness journey.

Having a training partner is one of the best things you can do to benefit your training, in my opinion. Now you might say, “I go to CrossFit classes, so I don’t ever work out by myself.” A training partner is different than working out in a group. A training partner is your “gym BFF”. They’re the one beside you pushing you whether you’re training in a class setting or open gym time.

There are many reasons having a training partner is important, but here are just a few of them:

  1. You are more motivated. I get up and workout most days at 5:30am. It’s so much easier to get up and get going when you know that you are not going to be alone in your suffering.
  2. You are pushed. My training partner is better at almost everything than me. It pushes me to get better at the things I struggle with. Maybe you’re the better athlete in this training partner relationship. If so, you are pushed because you know you’re partner is getting better and you don’t want to be outdone.
  3. You are held accountable. With a training partner, you have someone that is watching out for you. They see the days you struggle and can offer encouragement. A training partner is someone you can share your goals with. Once you voice your goals to someone, it’s a lot harder to not work toward them.
  4. You learn. Like I mentioned earlier, this training partner relationship encourages learning from both sides. Your partner may notice you’re moving in a way that’s inefficient and be able to give you some tips to fix it that he or she has already learned along their fitness journey.

Now that we’ve covered why it’s good to have a training partner, let’s discuss some things NOT to do with your training partner…

  1. Never get too competitive. Genuinely care about each other. Celebrate each other’s successes. Yes, we want to be competitive and push ourselves to be better athletes, but never at the expense of a friendship.
  2. Don’t think you’re too good/not good enough for your training partner. Getting fit is a process. Some of us may be more fit than others, but it does not disqualify any one from being your training partner.

So who do you choose? How exactly does this work? Obviously you need to be friends and get along. You don’t just walk up to someone you’ve never spoken to and say “you’re my new training partner”. Find a friend that has similar goals as you. It is also important that that person can train at the same time you can. Finally, find someone that will encourage you not only to become fitter, but also a better person!

 

-JoAnna Harper

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