Working out with friends - yes / no?

mom22dogs

I work out at the gym alone. Then I can get in and out and get it done without too many distractions. I tried walking with a friend every other day early mornings. I did it and it motivated me to do it, but I hated it. I am not a morning person at all, and I am just not awake at 8 am, enough to get a good walk in. I'm still half-asleep. So I prefer to walk alone in the evenings.

jdhcm2006

I generally workout alone, but there are circumstances where I do workout with others. I enjoy both for different reasons. It's nice sometimes to be alone and in your own zone and to just get it done. Sometimes it's nice to have a buddy to feed off of. The only time I have an issue with working out with others is when it causes stagnation.

For example, I used to do semi-private pole lessons. It was me and another girl. It was great pocket wise b/c it saved me a few dollars, but terrible progression wise b/c I was further along than she was. I ended up stopping the lessons b/c both my instructor and I agreed that it was no longer benefiting me progress wise.

I'm friends with everyone in my pole class, so it's like going to the gym with friends, plus you kind of have to be friends with the people who are spotting you and who you are spotting.

I plan on doing duo PT lessons with my coworker once a week. But after that weekly session, I'm going to go when it fits into my schedule and not try to make it a bi-weekly thing. I trust that the trainer will be able to come up with a plan that will benefit us both. The good thing is we're both learning the same things separately right now, which is lifting heavy.

PandoraGreen721

I'm a gym loner.

kristenmeleniak

I work out by myself but that's mostly because I don't have any friends who are interested in losing weight or being more active. I've invited friends to the gym, but in the end I prefer working out alone because I can just get things done and do whatever I feel like doing at my own pace. My boyfriend just joined my gym a few days ago, so I guess I'll have to get used to having an occasional gym buddy. Lol

spiveaa

I enjoy having my partners there, I am always upping my weights and having that person there help motivate me to push myself harder, but if they are not there then I can still train by myself also.

Aaisha92

jemhh wrote: »

I am not a gym buddy kind of person. I don't mind other people around if I can do my own thing and they do theirs, but I feel slowed down or out of focus if I have to do much interacting. I mostly workout at home but when I do go to the gym, I say hi to the person who swipes me in and then pretty much do not talk the entire time I am there. I mean, if somebody says hi or asks the time or something like that I respond but I am not a chatty person. I would say that it is because gym time is me time but the truth is I am not really social like that in general.

This is basically me... gym time is therapy time

curlsintherack

I work out at home precisely because every time I went to the closest local gym there were large groups of people working out together. It was a ymca if I got in early it was a group of guys in their 30s and 40s that seemed content to stand around the one guy doing some work in the only rack. and later in the evening seemed to be the local high school football team having daily bench press competitions in the same rack even though they could have just used the nice bench for that. Since everyone was so busy standing around and watching someone else lift they never put the plates back. So I spent half a year at this gym circling machinery and doing sets on precor machines didn't really get any stronger or better gavve up and got fat. Now I got a rack for my house so I can train as hard as I want to in the comfort of my own home.

I run alone although I'd like to run with a friend. My wife would ride her bike along beside me however then who would our very young kids.

feisty_bucket

Working out with another person is a drag, IMO, and I've learned to avoid it. Too much comprising; exercise goals are too individualized to make sense as a group.

I know a few people that go to my gym and we nod when we see each other, or sometimes chat for a minute. Then go our own ways.

Gracious_Plum

I'm a loner. I keep thinking how it would be good to have a gym buddy, but then realize that it would slow me down and I wouldn't get the best out of my workout. I started swim/gym with my aunt but noticed that we kept having longer breaks at the side of the pool for a chat! She has since dropped out - It was good to start out with someone to get used to the place and find where everything was, but now I prefer going in the pool/gym myself.

Added bonus - I'm the only person in the gym whenever I go

futureicon

I've found over the years that working out with friends starts off fun, and if they're dedicated it can even be a great thing in the short term, but inevitably someone's schedule changes and I find that I have real difficulty going solo again after having a partner for an extended period. For that reason alone I've decided to be a solo gym rat. This way I have nobody to blame but myself if I miss a workout.

Meganthedogmom

I CANNOT STAND working out with someone else. Definitely slows me down and distracts me. I just want to get in, do my thing, and get out. I'm not there to socialize.
I've had a few women from work hop on the gym train (for a very brief while) when they found out I go. One of them I actually rearranged my gym schedule for, and time and time again she would ditch me so I rearranged my schedule for nothing! Very irritating. Not to mention she would complain about doing anything "hard" at the gym and would do about 15 minutes of exercise then 20 minutes of the massage bed and tanning bed... Just go away, please!

TheBrock84

I always workout and walk alone. Don't need nobody to pester and doubt me.

JustAnotherOneOfThoseGirls

I normally go to the gym with one of my flatmates, we walk there together, share a locker, walk back together etc, but while actually at the gym we completely ignore each other and do our own thing. Our goals/routines etc are completely different, and it just wouldn't work out if we were joined at the hip. But I also go solo too, as I used to work at a gym and hated buddies as they were normally customers that slowed me down by asking questions/trying to copy etc (I really don't mind this while i'm working, but when i'm there casually in my own time it's a bit off putting), and I like to gt in the 'zone' and talking or hanging out with someone makes the workout feel so much harder and longer

911Doughboy

its a tricky topic. having friends at the gym helps out because it gives motivation to get off the couch and essentially "hang out with friends" while also working. but i do feel like it slows me down when i work out with someone, whether is alternating sets or shooting the breeze....recently, i've just been working out alone at the small gym at work after my shift

BruinsGal_91

I'm a complete loner and introvert; my gym time and my running time is my 'me time', so no gym buddies for me. Also if I went with someone and we car-pooled, I would hate to cut my workout short because I was dependent on someone for a ride. And of course there are the (occasional) times when I get to the gym and I'm just not feeling it, so I go home after 20 minutes. Can't really do that with a gym buddy. Hell, when I go to the gym with my husband, we take separate cars so that we're not dependent on each other. And we barely talk to each other while we're there.

Yeah, I'm definitely not a gym buddy type of gal.

quinngetsshredded

I think it's useful– both for motivation and for having a spotter if you do ever opt for exercises that need it.

The only con I can think of is if you were embarrassed to make weird noises around them; or if you got distracted talking.

But generally, yeah– as long as you're both there for the workout, having a gym buddy seems like a plus.

megan_elizabeth8

I started off going to the gym with a friend, which was great in getting comfortable in a new area. However I quickly found that I much preferred going solo. I don't like to chit chat while I'm working out - I want to focus and get it done. As others have also said, my gym time is me time, and my therapy time, so I like to spend it alone and without distractions

foxygirl14

Yeah.. I like working out by myself better. Doing it with friends is awesome if I want to mix up my routine or do something different (like go hiking) but for the every day stuff it's easier to stay on task when it's just me.

divcara

I love the community feel at my group fitness class studio. The social community is the best part and I always look forward to going knowing that I will see familiar faces. But I prefer to make my own schedule and hit the class times best for me. I usually know one or two people there, but I don't really like being locked into a time to meet someone. I seem to be the one who always goes and doesn't cancel. I've gotten burned too many times changing my schedule for someone else's preference and then they bail and I'm stuck in a time I wouldn't have chosen. I kind of like just going on my own.

I sometimes do enjoy taking class with a friend if it's someone super motivated and dedicated and who is also focused on their own workout. It really depends on the person. I'm not a big fan of hang out social time at the gym. For the most part, I like doing my own thing alone, but I do enjoy always seeing familiar faces. I also find if I'm there alone, I tend to start talking to people I don't know and make a new friend. If I just see the people I know, I'm just catching up with them and don't meet anyone new.

There are times that telling someone I'll take that class with them does help get me there on a day I'm not feeling it as much. But it fun to have friends who go to the same studio and do the same workout I did that day at another time. We catch up or text about class or our coaches or something funny, but I don't really need them to be there with me.

sweetilemon

Walking is about the only exercise I find better with someone because I can chat and walk, end up going further with a buddy. Gym, classes, swimming I prefer on my own. People often suggest going together to be nice but I end up chatting and slowing down. Much prefer on my own.

Leadfoot_Lewis

I am lucky enough to have a gym at the house where I workout alone. I would love to have a training partner, but finding one as serious as I am about my workouts is a rarity. The few times I have worked out with someone it becomes more of a personal training session for them and I get nothing accomplished.

canadianlbs

i like the celebrations that happen when other people are working out in the same space. it's not as onerous as a friendship, but it's still nice to be there when someone gets some great big p.r. or is doing something impressive.

funny how nobody mentions the fear that they'd be the one to ditch out on a workout buddy. i know i would be. it's just not valuable enough to me to be worth the aggravation of adjusting my schedule to someone else's.

MonkeyMel21

I have never had a friend that works out as much as me. I'm totally cool on my own though, it is not a problem at all. I'm not super social in general.

juliewatkin

Leadfoot_Lewis wrote: »

I am lucky enough to have a gym at the house where I workout alone. I would love to have a training partner, but finding one as serious as I am about my workouts is a rarity. The few times I have worked out with someone it becomes more of a personal training session for them and I get nothing accomplished.

Nothing beats a long term training partner. You have someone to spot you and take a look at technique when things are breaking down. It's awesome when starting conversation is no more complicated than "what's your number today?". It would be much harder to do if you weren't running the same program with the same goals though.

GYATagain

Like so many others have said - it's for me - my time. Being in my head or with my playlist as I run/walk or whatever I choose to do that particular day. People have asked before if they could join me and I have said sure, this; is when I go. And they tend to poop out on you or don't show up (I'm a VERY scheduled person) and make me wait...grrrrrr. So, nope. Just me, myself, and I! Also, I do not go to a gym anymore - absolutely hated it, felt like a waste of my money since I have the equipment I need for an old woman in my house. Also, I knew too many people (small town) and they would insist on chatting even when I would be wearing earbuds. I have to be *nice* to people all the day long - I just want to run with my dogs.

realsammysalamander

I really enjoyed having someone show me around but now that I am more confident I just like going by myself and doing my thing

jessiferrrb

i used to be a solo gym person and really resented anyone cutting in on that time for idle chit chat. but that was when i went to a big chain gym and stuck to the cardio and the machines. now i do 3 days a week of free weights with a friend and i don't resent it at all. i know that it takes longer but i feel more secure having someone there to spot me if i go to failure or to watch my form if i think something doesn't feel right. the motivation and the accountability is good for me too.

that being said, i still prefer to cardio alone, mostly running around my neighborhood. and if for some reason we can't make our scheduling work i will still go into the gym and do the weights myself, i just won't push myself as hard if there isn't anyone there to make sure i don't drop a bar on my chest or head.

Alidecker

When I first started, I thought I would need a buddy to make me go, but I am go on my own, even when I don't feel like it. It's a good thing because the friends that I have gotten to join me at the gym never last. Luckily I enjoy the time and it is a stress reliever. I do have friends that go walking with me, when it's nice out on the weekends and friends that will do fun runs with me occasionally, they just aren't gym people. I also know almost everyone that is at the gym at my regular time...I can find a spot or ask a question if needed.

troytroy11

I workout with my daughter every morning HIIT and go to the gym on Saturdays.
If one of us has to travel or be somewhere at the time we normally workout, the other still does the routine alone. That way no one is slowing anyone else down.
The attitude is pretty much we are each going to work out or catch up with or without the other regardless of what happens.

Sara1791

I think I like together but apart. Arrive together, get started on our own things around the same time, assist if necessary, and leave at the same time.