Physical activity is extremely important in both prevention and treatment of sports injuries. A review concluded that strength training reduced sports injuries to less than 1/3, and it also showed that overuse injuries could almost be cut in half.
So, if you want to improve your performance on the field (or court), and also give yourself the best shot of staying healthy during the season, you need to put the work in at the gym. By structuring your workouts toward a specific athletic goal, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.
That said, if you’re someone who’s new to working out, you may benefit from training with a teammate who can serve as a mentor in the weight room. However, if you’re an athlete who has been training for a long time, there may be some drawbacks to working out with other people.
So, if you’re not sure whether you’re better off working out solo (or hiring a personal trainer) versus working out with a partner, here are some pros and cons of going to the gym with someone else.
PROS: Advantages Of Working Out With A Gym Buddy
· You’ll Be More Likely To Show Up For Your Workout Sessions
Researchers found that offering new gym members $30, $60, or a gift worth about $30 for going to the gym nine times in six weeks only led to a slight increase in attendance. So, if money doesn’t motivate people to work out more, what does?
Well, the research determined that some more effective approaches included meeting a friend or a personal trainer at the gym, or getting reminders to go to the gym. However, if that still doesn’t do the trick for you, check out these motivation tips.
· A Workout Partner Can Make Going To The Gym Less Intimidating
A survey that asked men and women the biggest reasons why they skip workouts found that ‘how confident a person feels in the gym was one of the biggest markers of whether they’ll show up or not.’
The survey revealed that having a basic knowledge of gym equipment, as well as a basic knowledge of lifting, were two of the top two factors that boosted people’s confidence in the gym.
Therefore, by working out with a friend who knows his or her way around the weight room, as well as how to use all of the equipment properly, you’ll be much more confident at the gym, and also more likely to show up.
· You’ll Push Yourself More When Working Out With A Friend
Sometimes you won’t be able to make it to the gym. For example, in the winter, the gym may be closed occasionally due to snowstorms.
If that happens, and you still want to get a training session in, then you can work out at home or in your dorm room. However, to make sure that you don’t just go through the motions during your home workout, invite a workout buddy over (or ask your roommate to exercise with you).
By doing an at-home partner workout, you and your training partner will push each other to workout harder than you might have if you were working out on your own.
· Your Friend Can Teach You New Moves
Chances are that your workout buddy will have some skills and knowledge that you don’t have. So, by working out with a friend, you might learn some new exercises and how to target different muscles during your workout sessions together. And since variety is the key to sticking with an exercise plan, mixing things up may be just what you need to keep going.
· You’ll Always Have A Spotter That You Trust
Sometimes gymgoers won’t do certain exercises, or won’t max out, simply because they don’t want to ask a stranger to spot them.
If you train with a partner, you don’t have to ever worry about that problem again since you’ll have a built-in spotter with you all the time. Plus, it’s just safer to have someone there to support you whenever you’re lifting weights.
· It Creates Friendly Competition
Athletes are a different breed. They just love to compete. That’s why a healthy competition between friends at the gym may actually be a good thing since it will inspire both you and your workout partner to do your absolute best.
That said, if you are competing against your workout partner, it’s still important to cheer each other on and never walk away at the end of a workout session with hard feelings. The main objective should always be wanting the best outcome for yourself and your friend – not just ‘winning.’
· It Makes Working Out More Fun
Whether you’re working out at the gym or doing an outdoor workout with your exercise partner, fitness is always more fun with a friend. Plus, if you have someone to laugh with while you train, you’ll have more positive emotions related to working out.
CONS: Disadvantages of Working Out With A Friend
· You Lose Out On ‘Me Time’
If you spend most of your time with your teammates – you live with them, eat with them, practice with them, etc. – you may need some ‘me time’ every now and again. And since student-athletes schedules are jam-packed, the only chance for you to get that ‘me time’ may be when you’re working out.
If you’re always training with a partner, you lose out on that alone time. Plus, working out alone may give you the opportunity to listen to music that you like, catch up on your favorite podcast, or even watch a game on TV while you do cardio.
· You May Not Be At The Same Fitness Levels
If your friend has been working out longer than you and gives you a hard time for not being able to lift the amount of weight that he or she does on a regular basis, it might discourage you or make you feel bad about yourself. That’s obviously not what you’re looking for in a workout buddy since it may lead to you not wanting to workout anymore.
If that happens, realize that it’s okay for you to stop working out with that workout buddy. They’re just not the right fit for you. That said, it doesn’t mean that you should stop exercising. Instead, try to find a teammate or a training partner who can be a mentor, or who is closer to your fitness level. If you’re unable to find the right person to workout with, but like working out with someone else, it might be in your best interest to hire a personal trainer to create an exercise plan for you.
· A Workout Partner Might Mess With Your Flow
On the flip side, if you’re a more experienced weightlifter than your workout partner, it might mess with your flow if you have to constantly show your workout buddy how to perform exercises. It can also be super annoying to keep switching weights after each rep if your workout partner can’t lift as much as you can.
· It May Lead To Bad Workout Habits
If your workout buddy isn’t sure what he or she is doing, and you’re not either, it may lead to bad workout habits. And the last thing that you want is to get injured because your workout partner showed you how to do an exercise the wrong way.
So, if you or your workout buddy isn’t confident in a certain workout or move, it may be worth your while to hire a personal trainer to teach you the correct way to do the exercise. Then, after your personal training session, you and your training partner can go back to working out together – the right way!
