Macon Magazine

98 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 FITNESS How having a workout partner can rev up your personal fitness BY SHAWN MCCLENDON ave you ever worked out with a friend? What a way to instantly take your workouts to the next level! You probably know what I mean if you already have a workout partner. There is a certain boost you get when exercising with someone else that just isn't present when working out alone. That boost might come from competitiveness, where you and your workout partner try to outdo each other, or it might come from that shared sense of struggle that produces a perseverance in both of you to keep holdin' on. Either way, that energy can be felt. I recall some time ago when I was doing one of my favorite exercises – hill sprints – at Northeast High School on the Raiders' hill. Doing hill sprints at Northeast was a regular practice for me, but on this particular day, a buddy and fellow personal trainer joined me. I recall him complimenting me on the endurance I displayed in keeping the sprints up for 30 or so minutes. While I agree that I was in good shape, what he didn't realize is that I was exhausted! I added a good bit more juice to those sprints with him there that I didn't necessarily have when I sprinted alone. Needless to say, training alongside another trainer boosted my motivation and challenged me to go beyond my usual limits. The right workout buddy can be for you what spinach was for Popeye. That person could provide the very motivation you need to push hard enough to start seeing results from your exercise and healthy eating efforts. When you feel like quitting, your workout partner could provide encouragement directly through affirming pep talk or even indirectly by staying consistent. After all, if you are on the verge of quitting and you see your partner still getting up, getting their workout in, and eating their vegetables, you're going to feel some level of accountability from that. That's a good thing! Another cool thing about having a workout partner is that the benefits are supported by science. One 2011 study from the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology showed that people who did planks with a partner whose physical performance was superior to theirs persisted an average of 53.86 seconds longer than the control group. In case you're not familiar with the plank – an abdominal exercise in which you hold yourself in the top position of a push-up while either keeping your arms straight or while resting on your forearms – 53.86 seconds is a very decent plank time! In another 2018 study from the Journal of Health Communication, out of 704 individuals who participated in a 15-week weight loss program, the 54% of participants who chose buddies during the program lost more weight than the other participants who did the program alone. They also lost the most inches around their waists. The wrong workout partner, though, can be more like kryptonite is for Superman. While the ideal workout partner will motivate you, challenge you to go harder, and remind you of what your health goals are, the non-ideal workout partner will do the opposite. If your workout partner is agreeing with you every time you hit snooze, always ending workouts early, or repeatedly showing up with your favorite cheesecake, they may make a great friend, but a poor workout partner. I'm reminded of how characters Tommy and Chucky from the classic Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats served as good partners for each other. Chucky often needed a push from Tommy, while Tommy had to learn from Chucky when to hold back from adventures sometimes. Batman aficionados out there are familiar with the partnership of Batman and Commissioner Gordon: Batman is a great vigilante crime fighter, but even he needs Commissioner Gordon's help in stopping criminals. Teaming up with the right workout partner will help both of you get more work done, and you can help each other when you have weak moments. Two is better than one when it comes to exercise. Do you have a workout partner who's been pushing you toward your health goals? I'd love to see you in action! Post a picture of you and your workout buddy getting a workout in using #responsible4myhealth and #maconmagazine hashtags. Shawn McClendon is an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Back to Basics Health and Wholeness LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and avoid lifestyle disease. He hosts the health and wellness blog YourHealthAtTheCrossroads.com, conducts online fitness programs, and has authored several health/fitness books. H

• Cover