It’s corny but true – Together Everyone Achieves More! A TEAM effort will level up your workouts, and the right personal trainer can develop a program that you can complete with your buddy to reap the benefits. Here are some ways that exercising with a buddy can benefit you – and how a personal trainer can help fine-tune buddy workouts for you:
- Accountability and adherence. Research has found that couples who workout separately had a 43% dropout rate, compared to those who workout together, who only dropped out at a rate of 6.3%. Even a casual workout meetup will help – the average session with a friend lasts 42 minutes; alone you’re more likely to exercise for 36 minutes. Working with a trainer and setting appointments for sessions has an even greater advantage of holding each other accountable on days when you both feel like meeting up at the coffee shop instead.
- Competition and companionship. For some people, competition is a great motivator and really fires them up; others may prefer having a companion who they can experience exercise highs and lows with together. It doesn’t matter which approach sounds exciting to you – the secret sauce is simply having another person there with you! Talk to your workout partner about your feelings towards both and seek to understand hers. If you discover you have different approaches, you can support each other by taking turns playing competitor and companion throughout your workout. A trainer skilled in working with groups will identify individual needs and tailor your sessions so you both leave feeling successful.
- Variety: the spice of fitness. For a plentitude of reasons – variety keeps you interested, challenges your body in new ways, and keeps exercise exciting. Working out with a buddy opens up a new world of movements and games you can do together. Search “partner workouts” or “buddy exercises” for innovative ideas – but beware what you see professional fitness models doing on Instagram! You and your buddy may have similar fitness competencies, but differ in body composition, strength, coordination, hydration levels, how you feel that day, and a million other variables. A competent trainer can help ensure that each of you are performing exercises safely and effectively for your own bodies and needs.
Finding the Best Trainer for You and Your Buddy
As always, choosing the best trainer to fit your needs is important – you can check out my blog 5 Tips to Select a Personal Trainer here. But word to the wise…not any trainer can deliver challenging, effective, and progressive exercises to two or more people at the same time. If you want to buddy train, ask how your trainer will accommodate differences in individual preferences, fitness levels, and health histories. Ask how she plans to keep you both working towards your individual goals in parallel so you reap the benefits of both personal training and the TEAM effort described above.
Trainers who are also group fitness instructors have expertise in creating workouts that can engage multiple people towards a common goal, and keep the energy level up. Some personal trainers work best one on one, but fall flat when it comes to keeping multiple people moving and having fun – so do your research and discover how a trainer can help you and your buddy stay accountable, work together and alongside each other, and discover new ways of exercising that are enjoyable and sustainable. On your mark, get set, go!
I’m offering an additional free session to new Small Group Personal Training clients this month! See Offers page for details.
Moira Johnson Customized Fitness 