OH! Magazine - Australian Version January 2017 | Page 10

( Fitness & Motivation )
MICHELLE
BRIDGES

THE BENEFITS OF

BUDDY TRAINING
Michelle Bridges explains why she loves training with a partner.
his might make me sound like one
of those too-good cheesy types
whose exercise routine is calculated to
the second, and nutrition regimented by
the nano-calorie, but for me sharing an
exercise session with a mate is one of
life’s great pleasures.

So here are a few rules for finding the
right candidate.
1. First, forget the age difference. Unless
there’s a significant difference that would
make the training session unbalanced, a
difference in age won’t really matter.

3. Make sure that you like doing the same
things, and then agree on your routine. In
other words, Monday mornings run in the
park. Tuesday is body weight resistance
training and Wednesday is circuits with
the personal trainer you have hired to
share the cost. Get the picture?

I’m actually not really sure why this is the
case; maybe it’s the shared experience of
exertion that brings you closer to your
training partner. Or perhaps it’s the
competitive banter (nothing, but nothing
gets a man more fired up than a cutting
‘come on mate – have a go!’ when you’re
panting side by side on a stair run
session).

2. Make sure the person you’re about to
get sweaty with (itself a little weird) is
trustworthy. It’s not hard to get dragged
down by a training partner who is always
cancelling or wanting to reschedule.

4. Set some goals. These might be
external goals like a fun run or a quick
trek up Kilimanjaro, or internal goals like
20 push ups on your toes or 20 burpees
in a minute.

T

Most of the training that I do these days
is with a partner. It hasn’t always been
like that. Back in the wild group fitness
days of the 1990s, almost all of my
exercise was shared with friends, either
as an instructor throwing myself around
the podium in front of 50 or 60 lycra-clad
gym rats, or grabbing a run with a group
of mates.

Michelle’s Tip
If you don’t have one already,
use social media to track
down a training buddy.

Of course then, for a time, I found myself
enviously eyeing off couples on a morning
jog or pushing each other to new heights
in the weights room. I thought the days
were gone when I could borrow some
enthusiasm from a training buddy on
those stodgy mornings, or fire them up
mid-circuit.
But a good training buddy is worth his/her
weight in gold and I’m lucky to have found
that person. That extra bit of goading is
often the difference between exceeding
your goals and not reaching them at all.

YOU CAN CONTACT MICHELLE VIA:
Web: michellebridges.com.au
Facebook: Mishy.Bridges
Twitter: @mishbridges
Instagram: @mishbridges