Partner WODs Love ‘em or Hate ‘em

AllanMisner
AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
edited November 17 in Social Groups
Our box seems to be mixing in more and more partner WODS lately (the owner is going through Chemo so his head trainer is programing for us). I have mixed feelings about them. When I pair up with someone who is much better at Crossfit than I am, I struggle to keep up but it makes it seem like a better workout (for me). When I pair up with someone who I’m better than, I get longer rests and don’t have to push myself as hard. It is difficult to find that right partner that will find that happy medium. So, maybe its just me, but I’d rather do a 1 and 1 (rest the time it took you to complete the movement(s) before doing another round) than a partner WOD. You?

Replies

  • Elegra2006
    Elegra2006 Posts: 144 Member
    I really enjoy them but our trainers do try to match us up with people of similar ability, or sometimes it's one boy with one girl to balance out strengths/weaknesses. Plus the feedback he gave us after our last partner WOD was that he was actually wanting to see what our communication/motivation/feedback skills were like when working with a partner. So a skill that will benefit the box as well as building fitness/strength - I thought that was pretty cool and why I love my box!!
  • SWFrick
    SWFrick Posts: 19 Member
    Not a huge fan of partner WOD's because I always feel like I'm the one slowing the partner down.
  • bethlivi
    bethlivi Posts: 157 Member
    Yeah...I know what you mean! I'm usually the weak link haha. Last week we had one and I wasn't the weak link and my partner got really down on himself. I think he felt his weaknesses were letting me down. It was the first time I'd been on the "other side" so to speak.

    We did a team WOD once that I did really like though where we were going for reps and rotating to four exercises: rowing, burpees, kb swings, and farmers carries. Four of us at once, three rotations (12 minutes). Now that was awesome. Because no one was watching or waiting or anything and every rep counted.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    Another partner WOD on the plan for tomorrow. 15 Minute AMRAP, 12 calorie row (which I’ll rock), 12 toes to bar (which will kick my butt), and 12 American Kettle Bell Swings at 53lbs (I can handle okay). So, maybe I won’t feel like I screwed the team on this one.
  • emma7437
    emma7437 Posts: 225 Member
    We sometimes do partner wods but it is usually a complete wod and partners split to strengths etc. Once you know people in your box these are really good as everyone works hard but if their is a big difference in fitness one person can do more work. I have never worked with anyone that has worried about this, as long as everyone is working their butt off, everyone is happy! I like them, I also see how awesome other people are, you also learn to communicate with people. I would not want to do them everyday, but as part of everything else, its a good element to mix in.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    We do partner or team WODs on Saturday mornings. The gym always does them Saturdays. They never do them otherwise. If you don't like them you avoid that session. If you don't mind, you go.
    I think they are kinda fun. But, maybe I just like the resting .....
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    My gym doesn't program partner WODs very often, when they do its generally only on Saturdays. I love them and wish we did them more. If the WOD involves any type of heavy lifts our coaches generally encourage us to pair up with someone of similar athletic ability (probably for the sake of minimizing equipment use when setting up different weights etc.). Some of my favorite partner workouts though have been when I’ve partnered with someone with completely different strengths and weaknesses than mine; it's awesome to see how quickly we can move when strategizing efficiently. Whether i'm the "stronger" or "weaker" partner I always tend to push even harder because I'm either anxious to match/beat my partner when they're strong or to help speed us up a bit if my partner isnt quite as athletic.
  • kozinskey
    kozinskey Posts: 176 Member
    We do partner WOD Wenesdays and team WOD Saturdays. I generally like them but prefer to be the weak link (which is good, since that's most of the time). For me, as long as I'm working my hardest, I don't see a reason to apologize or comment on any difference between me and my partner. We're all working hard and we're not competing against each other, so why feel bad about it?
  • Aviation21
    Aviation21 Posts: 154 Member
    Overall, I like Partner WODs! At my Box they either assign us a partner or they say partner up. I usually wait until someone asks me to partner up since I still need to learn how to do things properly. Some of the Partner WODs are just because we have so many folks that it doesn’t matter who your partner is because you do the WOD while they count and encourage you to complete and other times they are true partner WODs… you go, they go. I think the coaches usually pick a good partner for me, someone that will push my limits. If there is an odd number I don’t really like being in the 3 person group.
    Last Saturday’s Partner WOD:
    I got put in the only 3 person group (2 guys and 1 woman) basically the woman and I was one person.
    50 – 40 – 30 – 20 – 10 Complete each set as a group (E.g., 50 Cleans total between the partners)
    Cleans * Box overs * Push Jerk * T2B
    It was a good workout overall, I did extra for the team because I could.. not sure it was the best mix… maybe it was my turn to push my partner(s).
  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    I think partner WODs are pretty fun.
  • MDLNH
    MDLNH Posts: 587 Member
    We do them every Friday and call them Team WODs. I look forward to them. For the most part, we are teamed-up in pairs ... but every once in a while, the coaches program the WOD by using teams of 3 or 4. *I don't worry about who I get teamed-up with because we work with each other's strengths and weaknesses (*and scale if needed) to finish.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    kozinskey wrote: »
    We do partner WOD Wenesdays and team WOD Saturdays. I generally like them but prefer to be the weak link (which is good, since that's most of the time). For me, as long as I'm working my hardest, I don't see a reason to apologize or comment on any difference between me and my partner. We're all working hard and we're not competing against each other, so why feel bad about it?

    The bulk of the class records their results on the white board. So, when I have to take twice as long to do the toes to bar and three times as long to get the single unders (because I haven’t figured out double unders yet), they aren’t getting the rounds they want. Plus, they aren’t getting the best workout when it is a partner goes and the other partner rests (which most of ours are) and they’re spending most of the time resting. I’ll always look for someone who’s around my skill level or weaker so I won’t disappoint.
  • mccraee
    mccraee Posts: 199 Member
    Our Saturday workouts (when we have them) are often partner workouts. Since this is kind of an extra credit workout for me, I'm happy just to be working out with my friends.

    Otherwise, it depends. Sometimes the workout is to do something like 100 pushups, 100 pullups, 100 squats, 100 DU's, 100 burpess...splitting it up however between the two of you. I may or may not pull my weight, may get more or less of a workout.

    Sometimes it is partner one does something. Partner two does it. You get to rest. You get to do your thing. Every once in a while it's fine. I can't remember a time that I left the box and thought that I didn't get a good workout in.
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
    I love partner WODS and wish we did more of them. We usually only do them on special occasions. I usually try and partner up with someone of my own skill level or someone not as strong as me. It makes me work harder and I love motivating my partner to go beyond what they think they are capable of. We have a free gym on Sundays and a group of us devise out own WODS which are usually partner ones.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    We do partner WODs only on Saturdays (and Saturdays are always partner WODs), so you can avoid them if you don't like them and no one can claim to be surprised by them. As others have said, they try to pair with someone with close ability if you are lifting, so you can share the equipment, but otherwise it doesn't matter. I've been paired with someone much better and we just split the numbers unevenly (I'm particularly thinking of wall balls) or he did his half strict pullups and I did ring rows, stuff like that.

    Our partner WODs also tend to be really long (30 min AMRAP or horrible stuff like that), and I've always found them really fun--some people come paired up, but most don't. Being paired with someone better has always resulted in me learning a lot and getting great pointers, but I do feel badly that I can't do the same yet.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    We had another partner WOD today:
    5 EMOM x 4
    - 600 meter row
    - Burpees until end of period.
    Score is total number of Burpees.

    My partner was new to Crossfit, but at about the same fitness level as me. We managed 151 burpees, which I felt was reasonable (top score for the 5am was 257)
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    onikdgn6o2gi.png

    Thought this was appropriate...
  • Aviation21
    Aviation21 Posts: 154 Member
    Perfect Allan! LOL
This discussion has been closed.