I have a new training partner for the summer and I have a hard time explaining concepts to him. Today, a group of us ran hill sprints and while it was impossible it was definitely hard but he tells me afterwards that he doesn’t “feel like he actually worked out”. Of course that makes me think he’s sandbagging it but more importantly how do you get people to understand training is about making yourself a little better each time not destroying yourself every day?
Is this a mentoring relationship? I don’t understand why you would train with someone who you feel holds you back or who you have to explain basic concepts to; if your training partner isn’t reliable and/or doesn’t push you, you’re better off flying solo for the time being in my opinion
I recently had a similar issue. My partner was not satisfied until he felt something like a burn or a sweat. I tried explaining a hundred times that those sorts of things aren’t necessarily important, but they never got through. He went off to college and I feel like I’m better off for it. I think that the best thing to do with a shitty training partner is to get rid of them.
Since being in college I’ve had probably a dozen or so lifting partners. Only a few were worth having for more then a week, but he 2 that were awesome both played HS football and actually took it seriously. I’ll give most a ‘trial’ week, but if they aren’t giving the intensity I find necessary, I just give them a workout I’l make for them and say “hey this is more suited for you” and not let them lift with me. They usually never want to work legs, and without a partner to motivate them to go, they usually stop going after a week or two.
Simple solution: my way or the highway.
Thanks for the responses. The guy has been a friend since I was 10 so I’d like to help him but I’ve decided to just tell him when I’ll be at the gym. That way it’ll be his responsibility to get there and if he doesn’t want to so be it.
[quote]Death Dealer wrote:
Thanks for the responses. The guy has been a friend since I was 10 so I’d like to help him but I’ve decided to just tell him when I’ll be at the gym. That way it’ll be his responsibility to get there and if he doesn’t want to so be it.[/quote]
That’s the best option I think. Tell him when you will be there, and stick with whatever you need to do that day. It’s up to him to follow through if he really wants it. You can force people to have a fire under their ass.
lol.
I was training with a good friend of mine who asked to come along for awhile. He’d say stuff like that all the time. At first it was funny, but it did get tedious sometimes. He’d always grab WAY more weight than he could handle, then do half the reps, then complain at the end (or shit like that). I’ve known the guy since grade school, so I just shook my head and waited for him to quit. lol.
The funny part was when he would say something like, “I didn’t even feel like we worked that hard today” (normally on a low rep, high weight day) and bitch about needing to do more. Sure enough, 24 hours later, “MAN, I am sore as hell!”
Only experience can teach that what you are saying. Chances are he’ll never learn.