WSBB Blog: Be A Good Training Partner
Time to Read: 2 min
In the world of sports, having good teammates that are reliable, motivated, and disciplined is an absolute must if you want to be competitive and have a chance at being the best. Powerlifting is not commonly considered a team sport, but having members of the training group with those attributes is an absolute necessity if you plan on being successful in this sport.
With a good team of training partners around you, you will not only have people there to make sure you’re getting good spots on your squats and handouts on your benches, but you will also have expectations and daily competition you have to live up to. If you’re lucky enough to have some knowledgeable training partners, you will also be able to attain a free barbell education in the process. The right training group can be the difference between becoming the strongest lifter you can be or struggling to get good training in. However, if you want good training partners you first need to become a good training partner yourself. Below, we will go over a few of the habits and rules you must follow in order to foster a successful training group.
Show Up
The first, and probably the most important rule is to show up. Not show up when you want, not show up as long as it’s convenient, you need to show up when and where you say you will. If you want to lead a successful training group it is on you to set the tone for what is acceptable and what is not. If you are showing up late, not prioritizing your training, how can you expect your training partners to give a shit? A leader can only ask those that follow him to do as he does, so make sure you’re setting the tone as far as timeliness and dedication. Now, it is unreasonable to expect people to show up on time every training day of the year, people have jobs and responsibilities, nevertheless, adherence to the training schedule is vital to the success of a training group.
Help Out
This training group isn’t here to just load your plates while you rest, you need to be helping run the rack and load plates also. Don’t be the guy who does his set and then goes and takes a Gatorade break in the corner watching the video of the set you just did while your training partners do all of the work. If you won’t help them run the rack or load plates how can you expect them to give a shit when it comes to helping you? One of the most annoying habits experienced lifters can develop is thinking their training partners are lucky to be able to train with them. Guess what? Those three people can decide not to train with your sorry ass and start training without you. They’ll still have enough lifters to spot and run the rack while your training is all messed up because you have nobody to spot you and help out. As with anything in life, you should expect to get what you give.
Share Knowledge
If you are an experienced lifter it is extremely important that you impart knowledge to your training partners. Don’t withhold knowledge because you have some weird superiority complex and want to be the group know it all. It has been said that a rising tide raises all ships, by increasing your training partners’ powerlifting IQ you will only be helping yourself get improved feedback from the group. Chances are you obtained that knowledge from training partners you trained with, don’t be intellectually selfish.
Running a training group is something that should be taken seriously. When managed correctly, a good training group can take you to the highest points in the sport of powerlifting. Ever notice many of the lifters that hold world records generally have a large group of supporters at their meets? Chances are that group consists of their training partners, and that athlete wouldn’t be doing what they are doing without them. Follow the rules listed above, help people, and help yourself in the process.
Share This Post:
Get RSS Feed:
