Something I have never had is a regular training partner.
Lunatic fans of mine will say that this is because I am a terrible person who nobody wants to be around, which may or may not be the case.
Either way, it’s not relevant to why I train alone.
That is actually a product of a couple of specific factors:
1) When I started training in the autumn of 2009, I was Very Fat Indeed. Moreover, I was so embarrassed about my porcine disposition that I simply couldn’t stand the idea of exercising in front of others, so I joined a tiny spit ‘n sawdust gym (complete with windows that didn’t shut properly – great fun in winter) where I could train super early in the morning when nobody was about.
And,
2) Around a year later, I went to university to train as a paramedic and subsequently practiced in the ambulance service for roughly four years. This meant I was working bonkers shift patterns from the get-go (even as a student), which made training with anyone on a regular basis impossible.
The habit has stuck ever since and, honestly, I am glad of it.
Why?
Over the years, I’ve noticed those with training partners tend not to progress as fast and fall off the wagon at a higher rate than those without.
The former because they almost invariably end up following a plan that’s a compromise between their and their training partner’s abilities, preferences, and so on. On top of that is the tendency of training partners to “push” one another to go for more reps than they should probably go for, often “helping” by way of a spot where they take most of the load – both raising the risk of burnout and injury.
The latter happens because they end up chopping and changing their routine if their partner is late, busy, or whatever. And, in some cases, they become so dependent on their training partner that they simply won’t train unless they’re there (meaning if the partner gets bored of training and quits, they often do as well).
To be clear:
I am not saying you must become a cantankerous eremite like me and only train alone while furiously avoiding conversation and even eye contact with everyone else in the gym.
But I am saying that if you have a training partner you’d do well to be aware of the risks that I have described and, if you are not already doing so, give strong consideration to doing at least some of your training on your lonesome.
On a tangentially related note…
If you don’t have a robust and flexible plan to follow for the next 12 months or more, but you would like one, I recommend you examine the sales page for my:
“Private Planning Session and Personal Report”
I say it’s tangentially related to the topic of this email because it’s a private (i.e. one to one) service (as are all of the various coaching options I offer because I’d rather run a mandolin up my thigh than run a gRoUp CoAcHiNg PrOgRaMmE).
Behold the details:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/pppr/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman