How do you all feel about working out with a work-out buddy?

24

Replies

  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I'm planning to get a dog when I finally graduate. He will be my workout buddy.
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
    I workout at home and alone, I can get more done and give it my all w/o any distractions..........
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    My most reliable workout buddy is named iPod!!

    Must be related to my workout buddy, iPhone. Definately a loner, accountable only to myself. Running is my time to think or to let my brain wander where ever it wants to go. I say hi to a few of the regulars at the gym (there aren't many of us at 4:30 a.m.) but then just want to get my workout over and head home before heading off to work.... Run with music, weight circuit training with nothing, elliptical with music or TV. Can not even imagine the danger inherent in riding a bike with ear phones going.....
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    I hate running with anyone else. I've tried it and didn't like it. It was okay the one time I ran with my Mum because she pushed me to keep up the pace (she's more of a runner than me).

    I joined the gym with a friend because I was too scared to go alone and she said she knew her stuff. What I've come to find is that while it's nice having a friend for moral support when trying something new, I prefer to go alone.

    For one thing, I go in with a plan, knowing which days are upper body, lower body or core. My friend only really likes to do ab work. I also value cardio and like to put in my time on the treadmill before and after going downstairs to the weights. My friend is happy with 5-10mins only. I like free weights, she likes machines. I research and plan my workouts ahead of going, she has a handful of things she will do half-heartedly. Finally, I respect gym etiquette and prefer to keep chatting to a quiet minimum while she likes to shriek and call over to me across the gym.
    She's not really the greatest gym buddy really, but I appreciate that she joined with me when noone else would, and I make the most of the days when she is too hungover to come with me. Oh, and the moral support thing.
  • RadiantxReality
    RadiantxReality Posts: 27 Member
    I don't like to work out with other people, unless I know they aren't going to try to talk to me. I liked just listening to my music while I do my thing.
  • holly1283
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
    Depends on what I'm doing. In the pool it helps me keep my speed up to either keep up or beat someone else. While walking I like to talk but running would be way out of my game. But there are sometimes I just don't want to compete even a little bit.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    It depends on the buddy...I worked out with a girl that I wanted to throttle every time we were in the gym...so I became a loner and loved it. All of a sudden I got a work out buddy that busts my *kitten* every time we're there and I love it! she's new to the gym but bound and determined to lift heavy. I'm the complainer, she's the motivator, and when she's low on motivation we switch.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    At home, yes. At the gym, no. I find that most guys are too easily distracted by the "eye candy" at the gym and that holds back our workouts.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    For strength training, they always slow me up and drag me down.
    No thanks.
    I need a partner for sparing and tennis though, but other than that, I enjoy flying solo.
  • genuinelyfrans
    genuinelyfrans Posts: 584
    I love it! I am currently doing Insanity so I work out at home. I love when my best friend comes over and works out with me (we both are doing the program at the same time). It is beneficial because we motivate each other to give 100% when completing the exercises :)
  • violetta88
    violetta88 Posts: 117 Member
    I do like going to the gym with my friends - figure it's a social activity that's better for me than going out to dinner or gobbling popcorn at the cinema - but I find it hard to work out properly with them there. Like you guys said, we tend to talk and get distracted. If I'm working out properly I really need to concentrate on what I'm doing.

    (Plus gym with the friends seems to lead to coffee/smoothies/dinner with the friends, which kind of undos all our hard work!)
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
    I will say she doesn't do much to help out with the lifting, though, besides hang out and give moral support. Although she does do a pretty good job of staying out of the way, I have occasionally gotten my face washed doing crunches though.

    Well moral support is most important anyways. Whats wrong with a tongue bath to cool you off after a sweat lol.
  • sl1ngsh0t
    sl1ngsh0t Posts: 326 Member
    I have a "workout buddy." She's committed. We meet at the gym and then she does boxing class, I get on the treadmill. Sometimes we chat awhile, but ultimately do our separate gym business.
  • cadynappi
    cadynappi Posts: 63
    I love having a workout buddy. I feel I work 100 times harder when someone is pushing me!
  • SelkieDiver
    SelkieDiver Posts: 260 Member
    I really prefer running alone. When I run with friends they're either faster or slower than me. I guess if I could find a running buddy who averaged my own pace that would be okay on occasion, but really I tend to go into my own head especially during long runs. Having someone chatting with me would disturb that. Running with a pace group on occasion can be entertaining tho, especially if you're all training for the same race.

    I do my strength training with a group and we switch up who partners who, so that one works out fine.
  • TeTeAngel
    TeTeAngel Posts: 66 Member
    I prefer to workout alone because previous partners started off strong and gradually faded. When I get used to having a partner it's hard to go it alone. So due to my past when someone joins me I keep reminding myself that this is temporary.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    (deleted)
  • lilyxD
    lilyxD Posts: 33
    my work out buddy is my chocolate lab.


    hahahaha! I love to go running with my dog! she has so much energy, and she always seems to be faster then me.. so that makes me push myself! haha(:
  • tbellamy1
    tbellamy1 Posts: 353
    I'd rather work out alone. I feel like they slow me down. Especially if Im jogging. Just me and my Ipod
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I prefer biking with music over biking with a friend. I don't wanna talk. I'm all about speed, cadence, and ME time!

    I know of a girl who ate the grill of a truck she didn't notice because she had her headphones on.

    She survived, but no one expected her to.

    I agree, it can distract you from noises if crossing streets and other areas that could be dangerous. thats why you should always have one ear bud out.

    Even with one ear bud out, you're still deaf on one side of your body.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    my stomach does that flippy thing, my mouth fills up with spit and my ears are like moumoumoumoum and i get dizzy and then run home.
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
    I prefer biking with music over biking with a friend. I don't wanna talk. I'm all about speed, cadence, and ME time!

    I know of a girl who ate the grill of a truck she didn't notice because she had her headphones on.

    She survived, but no one expected her to.

    I agree, it can distract you from noises if crossing streets and other areas that could be dangerous. thats why you should always have one ear bud out.

    Even with one ear bud out, you're still deaf on one side of your body.

    I agree its not as safe, but I have amazing hearing, I cannot say that for everyone, but it would provide me with about 70% of the noises around me (with music distraction) which isnt perfect but better than none at all. I myself do not ride bike and do this though, was just a safer suggestion. There is also bring a speaker, attach a small metal basket and do it that way lol, but just depends on how safe you want to be I guess.
  • Alissakelly
    Alissakelly Posts: 119
    Alone.
    I like to get in my zone and compete with myself. When I'm with someone I don't feel like I can push myself all the way because I'm distracted, especially if they feel like chatting which is not what I'm in my workout gear to do hahaha! I like to zone people out, get in my head a bit, and blast music in my earphones!

    It's my me time
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    Not for me. I did in the past with 3-4 girls and it took FOREVVVVVER. No disrespect but I'm not at the gym to gossip, check myself out or pick up dudes. I get in and get my crap done and go home. If I work out with anyone it's my husband boxing but that's about it. My running is definitely my me time and helps me burn some stress off.

    Who needs relationship counselling when you can just beat the crap out of each other?


    Lol! Trust me it does help!
  • KiltFuPanda
    KiltFuPanda Posts: 574 Member
    At the gym I go to, there's a crew of guys who powerlift three times a week that I'll work in with - they're the right blend of goofy and serious. There's enough people to keep lifting one after the other, with the guys who are resting offloading or loading plates for the next guy. And when you're loading 45s repeatedly, the extra help is appreciated. The support is also great to help correct form and just give you that extra mental "oomph" to break that PR.

    And spotters are always good.
  • jilliebk
    jilliebk Posts: 252 Member
    Alone, majority of the time when you do have a buddy the person is not motivated like yourself, or are not on your level of exercise training. Plus less talking! Get it in and out
  • Cheeta_HH
    Cheeta_HH Posts: 489 Member
    For me, it really depends on what I'm doing. I'm a pretty independent person and tend to be a loner, so I started out on my own. Recently, I've acquired friends with similar goals, so working out has become more of a social thing for me than it ever has been.

    Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. I like meeting friends at group classes, like Pilates or Zumba. I enjoy those classes much more when my friends are there. I have decided that I prefer running by myself, though. Part of that is just logistics- it is easier for me to walk out my front door and run whenever I feel like it than to coordinate schedules and drive to a "convenient" location.
  • dinosnopro
    dinosnopro Posts: 2,177 Member
    My work out buddy is my wife. We spot each other and check form, and we gossip about all the cardio bunnies.( not srs)












    (kind of srs)
















    ( srs)
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    I'd love to have a gym buddy to help me/encourage me to do strength training. I can't really get into it myself.

    Swimming & cycling are pretty much solo activities, although I can see where it'd be nice to go out for a bike ride with friends as long as there was a set destination and we didn't necessarily have to cycle as a pack.
  • jenbridges
    jenbridges Posts: 213 Member
    I prefer to work out alone, I won't even work out when my husband is home- I don't want him watching me! Classes are ok, but I rarely take them since I don't belong to a gym anymore. And walking is good with a friend. :smile:

Categories