Can I get a spot?

Bodybuilding is a serious commitment. Finding your way to the gym after a long day of work or school can be difficult at times. But, we do it anyway. It is as if a primal gene led us there. So there you are, the music blaring in your ears, the touch of cold, rough metal against the palm of your hand, and that heady combination of muscle pump and cold sweat. It’s a fast-paced feeling and we’ve all been there. But, just because you’ve managed to break a sweat and some muscle pumps doesn’t mean you’re getting the most out of your workout.

If you go to the gym without a partner, you are already one step behind the competition. What competition? If you think you have no competition, you are either ignoring the fact or just lying. That disappointing feeling that you’re not big or strong enough, that guy/girl who lifts more than you in the squat rack, or those weights that will send your body into a humiliating shock if you dare to lift them. That is your competition.

The problem with not having a partner at the gym is that you have no safety net. Let me explain; Let’s say your bench press is stuck at 225 pounds. No matter what your exercise regimen is or how hard you train, you just can’t make that number go up. The problem is that you could be training harder. Going solo on the bench press leaves that fear of not being able to push that weight up hard in the back of your mind. Don’t be that person who suffers the pain and embarrassment of having that bar crush your torso. By having a training partner, you can avoid this pitfall and get those two extra reps in or increase that weight a couple extra pounds and feel confident knowing someone has your back.

Don’t have friends who lift? Go make some. The gym is the perfect place to make friends who share your passion for fitness. Look around you, observe the landscape. There are plenty of people who train alone who would benefit from a training partner just as much as you do. Don’t let a person’s size or athletic ability intimidate you. Both share the same goal, to improve themselves. So next time you’re at the gym, ask for a spot, maybe make a friend, and in the long run, reap those gains that have been lurking below the surface.