Training Alone? Think Again!
Fall is here and with that comes the return to routine and the desire to set new goals for the coming season! As someone who has been involved in training partners and groups for the past decade, I can definitely tell you there is power in numbers when it comes to exercise. Let's dig in to some of the benefits you can obtain from training with a friend or a larger group.
First and foremost when it comes to your success, your ability to train with a friend or within a larger group can do wonders for finding extra support, accountability, and camaraderie. Listen, as much as we would all like to say that we are 100% accountable to ourselves, the fact is we can all benefit from being with those who share similar goals to our own and who can aid us in being accountable to those goals (personal trainers included!)
When your work with others, there is a bond created by that hard work as everyone is working for the same purpose. With either a training partner or a group, you can help in pushing each other to accomplish more each workout and ensure that you are there week after week!
In addition to accountability and support, you are definitely going to find your workout intensity will go up with others. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we all have a slightly competitive edge and tend to look around at what are peers are doing in a fitness setting! Don't worry, this is a great thing!
One factor people struggle with in individual workouts can be intensity and learning how to properly harness that desire when training with others can help take you to your next level. Obviously we want to be smart about doing this to avoid pushing too far past our capabilities, but I am a big fan of the quote , "If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room". I think this quote can be applied to our fitness levels to help us keep moving forward!
Finally, what you will find in training with others goes far beyond some of the benefits I have mentioned above. There is a palpable energy you are going to get when you share your training experience with others, you are going to make new friends and build bonds with like-minded people who want to succeed just like you. In these friendships you may find new opportunities in hobbies, travel, or employment, believe me I have seen it a 1000 times!
After reading this, I want you to grab a gym buddy or join a class and stick with it all the way through you never know where one choice can take you.
