Lifting Partner or Fly Solo

[o-lineman60]

Hey guys,

The past few weeks I have been lifting on and off with a partner and I have found that its great to have a partner to spot me with some of my lifts and give encouragement, but sometimes he just pisses me the F**k off cuz he is a slapdick. At times we push eachother and other times, he dicks off. Its convienent to have a partner there to motivate, but other times I like being by myself and lifting.

I figured I would see what you guys thought and you're feelings on if you liked flying solo or lifting with a partner.

[MaNiCC]

I much prefer training with a partner, however i couldnt train with somebvody annoying. If you can find a decent partner to train with then do it bro. but if he annoys you i would fly solo until you find a decent partner to train with

[o-lineman60]

At times he is alright, but there are times when I wanna beat his ass. Even when I had a good lifting partner there were times where its easier to just fly solo. Sometimes I get a better lift doing one or the other. Its kinda hit or miss.

[MaNiCC]

What makes you want to beat his ass? if he fools around etc just tell him that you take training seriously and if he is going to goof around your going to find another partner to train with. I understand what you mean about sometimes training alone, i suppose its down to how you feel that day. But imo if you have a partner who motivates you there is nothing Better

-MaNiCC-

[ghettoboyd]

i usually workout alone but on chest day i need a spot when i get into my heavyer lifts....other than that i actually prefer to go solo so i can keep my workout intense...plus every workout partner i ever had never had the same dedication that i had and would eventually stop showing up so its just easyer to ask for a spot when you need it then rely on someone the whole workout...

[BigBuck6]

I do both to mix it up. In many ways I fool around and joke throughout the entire lift except for on working sets. A good workout and partner should be lighthearted and make things fun. Taking lifting too seriously is just as bad as not taking it seriously enough in my opinion. Plus, your muscles have to work a lot harder on that set where your partner makes fun of the guy in the smedium tee shirt who weighs a buck twenty and you are laughing your ass off with 225 above your head!

[Older lifter]

It all depends on who you get, i have had so many training partners and everyone ends with me pushing them and calling them when they don't show up........ so i fly solo now, but no dout, if you can find a good partner it helps a lot, someone you trust and knows how to spot, motivate etc and you give the same

[cherrydrpepper]

O-lineman my advice to you is to strike up a little conversation with people in the gym. I have no shortage of people I could ask to workout with because I'm very outgoing in the gym. I try to keep conversations brief and look for signs the guy needs to get back to his set.

As for your partner, the most logical thing to do is just be straight with him. I tell my partner everything even about injuries preventing me from going big on an exercise. I have had annoying partners I couldn't work out with in the past. They were not in the gym to build a better body. There are that class of people that goes to the gym "because they think they should". This type of person always has nondescript vague goals and no idea how they will get there. If he is like this you need to fix him or minimize lifts together to only sometimes. In addition, some people seem like they were just born to be ftards. If he is a yahoo who tells funny jokes while you are in an intense lifts constantly, doesn't know what a spot is, asks you questions during a lift expecting you to respond (yes I have actually lifted with people of this caliber of stupid), your best bet is to be straight with him then avoid him if it doesn't work out.

[Igifuno]

It all depends on who you get, i have had so many training partners and everyone ends with me pushing them and calling them when they don't show up........ so i fly solo now, but no dout, if you can find a good partner it helps a lot, someone you trust and knows how to spot, motivate etc and you give the same

Agreed.. I've had money training partners and I've also worked out with people that I'd rather do without. I typically fly solo these days but every once and a while get together with or see some one in the gym I end up going for a session with..

[sean_holland]

I talk to no one, I'm zoned in. No partner, no spotter, no nothing. I would walk past my long lost twin brother in the gym and not acknowledge him. I'm there for work and I do my job. I can't stand yapping too people while I'm focusing on what I NEED to do. Socializing has a time and a place and its not during my workout.

I don't wanna hear about what you 'use to bench', about your 'sore vagina', I don't care what 'that girl looks like doing squats'. STFU I'm lifting here!

So to answer, NO. I have no one around me, no one to talk to and no one to motivate. I'm self-motivated, and if I need a spot, I will ask the closest guy who looks like he might be able to fight his way out of a wet paper bag "hey mind giving me a spot for a second"......Set........."thanks for the spot." Done.

[Regular guy]

weights solo, crossfit a group perferribly more advanced than I.

Lifting with a partner takes too damn long and typically it seems like most guys that have asked me to partner them are lookin for someone to force then to the gym. Babysitting is not my bag.

[PC650]

finding the right partner is like dating...i have been through so many partners, either they talk to much and dont lift or they flake on gym days or just dont take it seriously... just gotta shop around for the right one bro

[Machdiesel]

I prefer to Fly solo. I wanna do exactly what I wanna do and do it at the pace I Want. As far as having a spotter, is it so hard to ask someone for a spot and give them a 10 second explanation how to do it( Dont touch the bar untill the absolute last rep,and dont rip the bar off my chest just give me enough help to get it up). I train to failure (DC style) so the spot is important, and I find it very easy to get a good spot if you are not retarded and able to talk to someone for 10 seconds.

[Td00]

I'm going solo, my young brother used to be my partner but now we go to different gymnasiums.

[o-lineman60]

I have since gone solo. I actually find that my workouts are more intense because I dont spend half the time babysitting and pushing my old lifting partner. I used to hate having to ask for a spot, but now I dont even care. I'm doing work.

[Times Roman]

I've always flown solo. I've overcome most of the issues of not having a spotter by buying equipment for bench and squats. I'd love to have a training partner, but I've found only one in my entire life that had the same focus/motivation as I do. And no, never really been to a gym. All my equipment is in my backyard and in my house. I don't have to go anywhere to work out. I have it all here.

[Regular guy]

I like to get a chick to spot me. I always lift more and they seldomly feel the need to be a superhero and try rip the weight off me. They really get the idea that I only need 20lbs at most to assist the weight up.

Plus i'd rather have a sweat camel toe in my grill than a sweaty sack, Anyday.

[Dan111]

My workout partner is one of my best friends and I've known her for around 10 years. Obviously she does not lift the same poundages as myself, but she's still a great workout partner. It's nice to have someone else there motivate you like people have been saying. But it's also nice somedays to just go in there by yourself and zone out to your music and tear the gym apart. On days that she isn't able to go and if I need a spotter I'll either just ask someone or I'll just go do a machine instead of free weights (I have a severe phobia/paranoia of dropping the bar when benching, lol)

[bigboomer]

finding the right partner is like dating...i have been through so many partners, either they talk to much and dont lift or they flake on gym days or just dont take it seriously... just gotta shop around for the right one bro

^X2 lol...So true... it's hard to find someone that lifts at my intensity and are as serious as I am..So I find it easier just to pop my iPod on and fly solo now adays

[shortybrolick]

I prefer a partner.. Nothing like your partner in your ear amping you to get that next squat .. I enjoy being part of a dedicated team..

But then again a less dedicated / procrastinating partner is the worst f-ing thing, Drives me nuts and i can't stand it! Destroys morale!!!

[lovbyts]

I worked with a partner for years and even though it's great for spotting I now prefer working alone. I get a much better workout in less time and I don't max out often anymore so no need for a spotter except once in a great while.

[Times Roman]

I worked with a partner for years and even though it's great for spotting I now prefer working alone. I get a much better workout in less time and I don't max out often anymore so no need for a spotter except once in a great while.

I seem to be following you around on this BB for some reason? anyways, I try to max out each set. But I see some wisdom in not maxing out very often. Why? Because when one get's older, the tendons and ligaments have a harder time keeping up with the weight, and that's when injuries happen. It's been over a month and I still have this friggin stinger in my left forearm from going too heavy on the one arm curls. I curl lightly now until the stinger goes away. Bumms me out too man, since my damn shirt sleeves don't fit real tight anymore.

So I'll consider your idea about not maxing out all the time. Muscles still grow if you skip that last rep. for me, it may be a compromise due to being an older "gent". But my squats seem to keep getting better and better, and for some real strange reason, the pain in my knees seems to be getting better. I've been tearing up the squats and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon.

[lovbyts]

I seem to be following you around on this BB for some reason? anyways, I try to max out each set. But I see some wisdom in not maxing out very often. Why? Because when one get's older, the tendons and ligaments have a harder time keeping up with the weight, and that's when injuries happen. It's been over a month and I still have this friggin stinger in my left forearm from going too heavy on the one arm curls. I curl lightly now until the stinger goes away. Bumms me out too man, since my damn shirt sleeves don't fit real tight anymore.

So I'll consider your idea about not maxing out all the time. Muscles still grow if you skip that last rep. for me, it may be a compromise due to being an older "gent". But my squats seem to keep getting better and better, and for some real strange reason, the pain in my knees seems to be getting better. I've been tearing up the squats and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon.

Yes that is one of my main reasons, to reduce the risk of injury. I still make the last rep count as much as possible, almost to failure but no reason to try to MAX out in weight (doing only 1 or 2 reps) except every once in a great while or you just increase the chance of getting hurt.

I am also what you would consider an older gent, not exactly a spring chicken anymore and after spending almost 3 years to get to where I am with only one minor shoulder injury that has been aggravating me for over a year now due to lifting heavy I could not imagine a REAL injury where I had to stop lifting for a few months and loose everything I have worked for. I will settle for slower gains and be safe. That does not mean it CANT happen, just not as likely. Look at Big
I catch myself following certain people all the time also, just depends on how often you post and what time of day. Cheers.