A good gym buddy is like a loyal dog; dependable and reliable, they will stay by your side when you need them the most. Unfortunately a good pedigree gym buddy can be hard to come across and you may find yourself training alongside someone who has more in common with a mutt.

The first thing you need to do is find somebody you trust. You are going to be relying on them to get you through in your most vulnerable moments, so it is important that the person you go into battle with is a help, not a hindrance. Remember they are going to see you pulling those weird faces and grunting as you struggle. This person tends to be someone who you have known for a long time, they share the same opinions as you and the same goals. This gym buddy will be up for enjoying a laugh as you go around to ease the mood, but only if the serious business is attended to. Camaraderie is essential. If the other person does not wish for the same end product as you, the partnership is pointless.

A good gym buddy will ensure that those last few reps that were seemingly impossible are pumped out. They will be able to adopt their style depending on the situation. This can be done through good old fashioned encouragement or praise, which makes you feel unbeatable.

Sometimes they will see that you are just being lazy and they tell it how it is, this may be hard to take but can perk you up as you fear losing their respect. In the most extreme cases guilt can be used as a last straw to get you to do that rep. When the other two strategies have been exhausted a gym buddy may make you feel bad a bout not doing the rep, then they themselves put in a massive effort on their go with the weights, this induces a feeling of subordination within yourself, you then feel the need to do something special to prove yourself and relieve the guilt (such as going up a weight or extending the amount of reps on your next set). Sometimes me and my buddy sing Rocky to each other, odd but it works. Not cool if other people are around though.

Above are some of the good traits a gym buddy should have, here is a selection of gym buddies that should be avoided. The talkers: These can single-handedly destroy a good session. They go with the right intentions but when it comes down to the hard work they just won't shut up. Between every set they feel the need to inconvenience you about something that's happening in their life, thus delaying your sets and allowing your arms to get back all their energy making the exercise partly pointless. They sometimes even talk whilst doing their sets, making themselves less productive. The also pick up randomers with their talking, meaning you find yourself making small-talk in a group leading to a good ten minutes of inactivity. Their main strength however is encouragement. Two is company, three's a crowd: Going to the gym in a group bigger than two is not a good idea.

Mack LeMouse

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