Having a good gym buddy is one of life’s great gifts. They are a friend who will see you at your lowest points, and egg you on to achieve things you never thought you could. Like soldiers on the front line, a special bond forms between gym buddies that you don’t get in the civilian world. You have shared adventures, faced challenges together, and no one else will ever understand that.

A good gym buddy should first and foremost be someone that you trust. You need to know that when you’re struggling underneath that barbell, that they’re poised and ready to catch it if it goes wrong and save you from certain decapitation. Hyperbole aside for a second, your life is very genuinely and literally in their hands (and theirs is in yours).

You also need your gym buddy to be someone that you know and get on well with. You’re going to be seeing them fairly regularly and you mustn’t worry that you’re going to get sick of the sight of them. A bit of witty banter or the exchange of jovial stories and gossip between the two of you will make the experience a fun one, which will raise your energy and ensure that you don’t dread hauling yourself to the gym every session. The last thing you need while you’re pumping iron is an awkward silence.

At the same time however it’s just as important to ensure that your buddy is going to take the experience seriously. You need them to realise that chatting between sets is only okay to an extent and that you don’t want to lose your pump. You don’t want them to turn you down at the last minute before a session and you certainly don’t want them wimping out and backing down which will just put a negative spin on the day. This works both ways too, and if you know that in dropping out of a session you’ll be letting down your partner then you should be far more motivated not to back out.

Preferably they will be as strong or stronger than you (or at the very least close in strength) so that they can be trusted as spotters and even generate some competition which is more beneficial to your performance in a workout than any supplement. At the same time though you need them to be supportive and offer you motivation during the tougher reps.

So if you’re currently a lone wolf at the gym you might want to consider looking into getting yourself a training partner who’ll give your workouts a renewed vigour. If you can’t find anyone suitable for the role who’s willing to put in the same commitment as you may want to consider inviting more than one partner to accompany you on different occasions (this can also add some great variety to the workouts).

That said though, don’t neglect your solo gym trips and make sure you set aside a session or two just for yourself each week. For intensity and speed a solo session can’t be beaten, and you’ll never find anyone who is completely suited to your training style.

Mack LeMouse

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