Do you exercise with workout buddy/partner?

[RememberWhenItRained]

Do you work out with a buddy/partner?

If so, why? Do find it motivating? More safe (spotting)? etc.

Do you work out in a group?

If not, also why? Find it distracting? More difficult than just flying it solo?

Do explain.

Just curious.

I exercise with at least another person. Buddy system is the way to go!

I fly solo. Going sans a workout partner is the way to go.

[InquisitiveMale]

Strength training I do with a partner for various reasons. One aspect is certainly the motivation that goes along with another set of eyes critiquing your technique, but my main reason is safety. There are countless exercises I cannot do without someone spotting me. You can't do your maximum weight on things like the bench press or leg press. You need a partner, preferably a partner who can lift the weight themselves if need be.

For my cardio routine I would love a partner but I've never found anyone who would do more then one session with me. Not many people enjoy doing 3hours of intense cardio. I'm a freak like that. I often tell myself... okay... go to the gym do a quick 30-45min session on the treadmill then get your ass out... Then I get going... I spend an hour on the treadmill, jump over onto the next machine and do another hour on the rower, then jump to the next machine and do another hour on the bike. If I didn't know it was unhealthy to do so much cardio I would happily spend several hours a day in the gym on cardio alone.

p.s. I hate strength training -.-

[RememberWhenItRained]

i probably should get a partner...for one, I'm always up for constructive criticism and motivation (though I do an alright job of motivating myself.) for second, I'm doing strength as well, training for mass, so I'm upping my weights... I could use a spotter..

lolz how skinny are you? I don't mind cardio, but even for a cross country vet, that's a lot of cardio lol.

i liked weights a lot when I started. in cross country we didn't do squat as far as weights.

(haha, get it? squat?!

screw it :P)

[InquisitiveMale]

I'm fairly skinny but my muscles are very dense. I'm around 6' 155lbs. I know a tun of people who have more mass then me, but not one has more definition. My body fat ratio is unhealthy quite honestly. I tend to maintain the same levels as a pro athlete... around 2-3% body fat.

[RememberWhenItRained]

very nice. I'm 5'4" 125lbs. around 10%BF. so you can see why I'm trying to gain mass. I want to cut Boyfriend to around 6%, but I'll have to give bulking some time before cutting. I'd be considered a hard gainer so it might take awhile.

[InquisitiveMale]

I'm a hard gainer as well. I went through a period when I was around 17 and I gave up cardio in an attempt to put on mass. It worked relatively well but I love cardio and it didn't last. My worst time was in my youth. I was 6' and I was weighing around 125lbs.

Nowadays in order for me to keep my muscles while still doing the cardio I love so much I tend to consume around 3500-4000 calories a day. My food bills are astronomical.

[RememberWhenItRained]

i have a hard time cramming down a lot of food, that's my main problem.

on bright side my food bill's relatively manageable

[InquisitiveMale]

The best way I've found in eating what's required is to buy allot of tupperware and pre-make/freeze everything. I cook 20lbs of chicken, 20lbs of lean ground beef, and 20lbs of fish all at once. Throw them, along with, veggies and carbs, into the tupperware containers and away you go. Dinner and lunches for the next couple weeks are taken care of.

[InquisitiveMale]

Breakfast is typically made of... oat meal or whole wheat bread, turkey sausage or turkey bacon, and egg whites. Snacks are fruits, nuts, yogurts, and my personal favorite... pizza! Can't always eat healthy...

From my personal experience in gaining mass... you can spend several hours a day in the gym and without the proper diet you'll see almost no results. On the opposite end... you can spend 10-15minutes in the gym and eat all the right things and gain mass what seems like overnight.

[InquisitiveMale]

Also, don't rely on whey proteins or vitamin supplements. They don't really work and you can get allot more bang for the buck by simply ensuring you take in enough calories. Protein being your most important. Another thing that helps tremendously with gaining mass... Eat more but eat less... what I mean by that is eat 5-7 times a day and not 2-3 but eat smaller quantities. Never eat until your full but never go hungry ether. Keep your body craving but not needing.

[shyguy89]

who ever you choose to workout with has to be a motivater regardless. my workout friend cared he made sure I didn't cheat myself and now I'm happy how I look..motivation is the key nomatter what you do its an endless drive of energy to be the best at what you want

[aly-marie]

My boyfriend and I would always go to the gym together (when we had time, which we don't anymore xp). I liked having someone to motivate me to go, because when you have plans to go together, it's harder to change your mind and be lazy (which I have a tendency to do if I'm going by myself). It was mostly the making-me-go part that was best for me. Once we were AT the gym, we would mostly go off and do our own thing, since I cared more about cardio and he cared more about muscle-building. But he would check on me every once in a while and keep me motivated if I was starting to get lazy lol. It's exactly what I need :)

[smokahontas]

The only time I exercise is in P.E because every other day we have two hours of it in high school! too much of a workout because I'm in a place where its all fit people, I always have a buddy system of two friends in my p.e class where we never leave each other.

[RememberWhenItRained]

thats a long session; I'd sooner do 1hr every day

[smokahontas]

we run,powerwalk,fitness center,two sports all in one day D: with only a 5 min break

[lelebear]

I never work out with anyone. I find it distracting and if I am alone I can do whatever I feel like doing. I don't have to worry if the other person wants to run or do weights or whatever. I also value my alone time since I don't get much of it.

[RememberWhenItRained]

i hear ya. Just you, your thoughts, your music, and the pavement or weights...

(And your sweat and heavy breathing but we'll forget that part :))

[ironhead64]

you have to do a mix of both. Your bodies aren't the same and you don't want the same results, so you need to go by yourself. However, you will soon lose interest if you only workout alone. Bring a male workout partner (same goes for girls), work out together for a while, then do some stuff solo, for your own specific needs. A male workout partner is best because we talk less and you won't be distracted by our fine assets.

[brunettebelle]

No but I wish I had one because working out alone is boring. I would kill to have a running buddy that knows how to run and can help train me beacause I suck at running.

[AltTech]

I workout alone, it would be too embarrassing having someone else there. Blasting metal on my Zune dock, pounding weights down, yelling, yeah way too much testosterone for the average person to handle in my garage, lol.

[RememberWhenItRained]

i could use someone like you as a partner. need to build that muscle bro :)

thanks for the answer

[AltTech]

I've put on a good 30lbs in the past 2 years or so. I've found adequate rest between muscle groups is the key. I also take a sh*t ton of supplements. But allowing 5 days of rest between working muscle groups out allows for maximum gains and maximum performance.

[WoIIie]

Sometimes one of my High School friends shows up on the court and we play 1 on 1 or practice shooting around.

[somethinspecial]

i love working out with my friend it's so much more fun having someone to talk to

[smokahontas]

I like your kiwi picture!

[somethinspecial]

haha thanks :)

[CarelessWhisper]

have a workout buddy, turns everything into a competition which makes us work harder.

[Anonymous]

i take an exercise class because I have no motivation when exercising by myself

[Anonymous]

I exercise with a buddy most of the time. If I exercise alone, it tends to be boring. I also reckon that exercising with a friend is safer and gives me more motivation.

[SweetFace28]

I run by myself. It's my "me time".

[RememberWhenItRained]

your "me time" wants a faster mile :P

[SweetFace28]

LOL. ;*)