Training Partners?

LazyFoodie

Do you guys lift alone or have a partner? I think it would be awesome to have a partner or at least a spotter when the weights get too heavy to really push myself. But I'm not sure how to go about finding one. I get to the gym around my work at 6 or 6:30 in the morning so there is no way to convince friends to go with me. I work in a small office and none of my co-workers can go with me.

I am starting to recognize a few guys that are always at the gym when I am. But they lift a lot more than I do and they seem to keep to themselves except for this one dude who introduced himself and makes it a point to talk to me when he sees me. But, I'm not sure if he is just being friendly or is chatting me up because he is interested in more than what I'm doing at the gym. Plus, even if just friendly, I don't think I can do anything for him because he lifts super heavy and there's no way I can spot him.

My ideal would be to work out with a girl or maybe a really old guy who lifts about the same weight as me so we can work in between each other's sets without messing with too many plates and can spot/encourage each other. Is this always going to be a pipe dream or is there something I can do to try to find this person? I started looking around the gym this week and have not seen anyone suitable yet. If I do one day, how should I approach the person without being a creeper?

arrrrjt

I like having a GOOD training partner - someone to help critique my form, and push me - sometimes. Other times, I'd rather just be alone and rock out a killer workout.

No help on finding someone though, sorry! I work out with people on my football team.

Llamapants86

I lift alone in an alcove that I call my weight room. I use safeties and learned how to fail (I actually practiced this so that I had that comfort to really push).

If you do meet someone that might fit the bill at your gym, just start chatting them up. Build a friendship, then see if you can't move on to lifting buddies. I wouldn't rely on that though. It might work well for a while but then one of you might change plans or change their schedule. I would also hate to be dependent on someone else to get my workout done.

canadianlbs

i do it alone. i actually found a group of local women who also lift, through that meetups app (don't know if that's universal or just here?). so i go to their workshops once a month, and i know several of them have mentioned a hope they'll find buddies to work out with.

guess i'm just solitary myself, so it isn't really for me. but it seems like that might be a path you could try. check i dunno, wherever such places advertise themselves - craigslist? facebook?

or . . . i belong to this knitting guild too, and quite often a request will come in that someone has a project or wants to get started or just wants a one-on-one knitting buddy for some reason. they get read out to the guild at large, and anyone interested can get in touch with the sender. perhaps you could try that approach with any local seniors' networks in your area. never heard of a community that didn't have those just maybe, y'know, try not to sound like you're overtly calling them 'feeble' because they're older, y'know?

LazyFoodie

Thanks! I will check and see if there are any relevant meetups in my area. I would love to lift with some of the older people I see at the gym but they are mainly on the cardio machines or the isolation weight machines. I figure maybe a 60ish year old guy just starting off will be about the same level lifting wise as me and the age difference will make it not weird sexually but I feel too weird to join a senior network or go hang out in a senior community center. Maybe I need to take up quilting.

b218w

Just started and was wondering the same thing about training partners....

canadianlbs

nancy274 wrote: »

I feel too weird to join a senior network or go hang out in a senior community center.

i don't think they'd have you. where i am, i've looked into in from a few angles because having ra does actually put me closer to the physical-concerns group of a young 'senior' in many ways, than it does to ordinary people of my real age. they don't care what's wrong with me; they won't hear about it until i'm 55

what i meant was more just an email or a note up on the message board at the local centre, explaining who you are and asking if anyone there would like to buddy with you separately from any activities of the 'senior community' group, for the lifting. i mean, older people do have lives outside of their community centres, right?

Surfingbodi

i live in a small town and am finding i have the same problem. while there are tons of fit women, very few lift weights and certainly almost none from the bigger stuff but i am going to continue to scout as I really feel like for the weight lifting portion of my conditioning, i would do better with another woman as a partner as i don't like to ask for spots and i can't really see my form the way another person can and it is embarrassing to ask someone to film me though i will do all of those anyway

TravelsWithHuckleberry

I think Meetups is a good idea -- less creepers than Craigslist, probably. You could also consider posting a notice in your gym.

If you just need a spotter for a few reps or your last set, I'd guess the guys at the gym would be happy to help. Wait until they're between sets and just ask. They can always say no.

And don't underestimate what you can do for someone else as a spotter. Unless the person is at total muscle failure and is pinned under the bar, they're going to help you get the bar back to the rack. You don't need to be able to solo lift what someone else is lifting in order to spot them.

Surfingbodi

Good point crabada! Thx