You dont need a training partner to get the best results!

[metalheaddude]

I have never in my life used a spotter or a trainning partner. Intially this was because I didn't have any friends that were interested in bodybuilding. Most of them are computer nerds with absolutely no interest in building their skinny frail bodies. But I constantly see people at the gym heaving massive weights on the bench press with their workout partner hunched over the bar helping them lift at least if not more than 30% of the weight. Its really a pointless activity. This clown at my work claims he can bench 200kg and he isnt much bigger than me. Many of the guys at the gym lift twice what I do, yet I look at my chest and I think wow how can you bench more than me, when i clearly have a bigger chest and better body. I bench 30kg dumbbells (total 60kg) for around 8-10 reps and im dying afterwards. My theory is when you dont have a training partner, you have to be more psychologically prepared to push out that final last rep and I litterally go insane or phycho and increadibly red in the face just to push it out and despite lifting a much lighter weight than what you would with a spotter at least i know its all me! One famous bodybuilder to back up my theory is Frank Zane. Who famously believed in never using a training partner or a spotter. He believed in self motivation. I agree with his philosophy.

Frank Zane never used a spotter or trainning partner.

 

[joseph49853]

Frank Zane is one of the all-time 'natural' greats, really smart too. There's a reason why he was so incredibly respected. I've also never used a training partner in all my years bodybuilding. I have always believed we must rely on an innate understanding of ourselves to truly establish boundaries and goals. I personally have always strived more for genuine physical balance over getting freakishly huge. And by allowing ANY room for cheating would certainly be counterproductive towards this goal.

 

[Harie]

But using a training partner makes you look so much "cooler". I mean, everyone knows you kick *** when your training partner is pulling the bar off your chest for dear life and you're straining with all your might. Then you can say, "Hey, I benched 300lbs today", and look down your nose at all the "wimps" that are only repping with 225lbs without help. What pussies. 225lbs. Why my training partner and I can tag team bench 500lbs.

Seriously though, I don't like working out with a partner. When I'm by myself, I can go at my own pace and do the lifts I want to do without listening to some retard that wants to do 500 sets of curls...Or thinks the Smith machine is a gift from God, and performs all exercises on it.

 

[joseph49853]

:youbet:

 

[metalheaddude]

Wow happy you guys agree! Ive occasionaly had people run over and help me when they see me struggling and usually i think to myself ahh lets go for one more now! I have to admit it feels good just to squeeze that little extra one out with a spotter but i personally wouldnt make a habit of it. It can become counter productive (imo).

 

[Maxpwr]

Yeah I have never used a training partner. Back when I first started training I had a few guys coming over every arvo for workouts, but we basically worked out a circuit so that everyone could perform exercises simultaneously in order to cut down the time spent every afternoon. No one ever spotted anyone else, and we weren't changing the weights for each person. If you wanted to take an exercise to failure you had to do that at your own risk... or use a different technique to do it (i.e. pushups to failure straight after bench press).

Since then I have never been able to work out with a training partner, partly because I can't find anyone dedicated enough who does the same hours as me and lives locally, but mostly because I don't want to extend my workouts for another hour or half hour every time. It's bad enough some of my workouts last nearly two hours...