HOW TO ASSESS A
WORKOUT MATE
■ Find these five
qualities, and
someone’s lesser
faults — like telling
dad jokes — won’t
seem like such
deal breakers.
1 ) Accountability
No more
snoozing when
someone’s relying on
you, otherwise guilt
kicks in. Roll out
of bed and take care
of business.
2 ) Availability
Same gym, same
hours, same
geographic location.
Long- distance
workout buddies work
about as well as
long-distance
relationships.
3 ) Positivity
The words emotional
support might sound
like something from
an old Oprah, but one
study from Aberdeen
in the UK found that
“emotional social
support” from a
workout partner
increased workout
frequency.
4 ) A (slightly)
higher skill level
Ideally, your partner
is just a bit better than
you are at the activity,
but not so much that
there’s a glaring
discrepancy. A study
from Kansas State
University found that
the “optimal exercise
partner is 40% better
than the other,
motivating the
less-skilled partner
to exercise
for a longer period
of time and at an
increased rate.”
5 ) Platonic
only
Rule of
thumb: You
should not
want to
have sex
with your
workout
mate.
● Game Changers Motivation
36 MEN’S FITNESS JUNE 2017
HOW TO KEEP A
WORKOUT MATE■ Nothing’s more
annoying than being
all revved up to slam
some plates, then be
kept waiting for a
buddy who moseys
in like he’s got all the
time in the world,
yaks while you’re
trying to concentrate
or just doesn’t show
up at all.1 ) Always show
up on time
Accountability is the
fuel that keeps your
workouts going.2 ) Skip excess
chitchat
A little idle talk is fine
in between sets, but
you don’t want to be
“that guy” rambling
on and on and on
while your partner
is doing squats.3 ) Ditto, midsession
selfies
Post glamour shots
on your own time.4 ) Agree on
strategy
You need to have
compatible routines.
If one of you is waiting
three minutes
between sets and the
other 30 seconds, this
will last as long as a
Newcastle Knights
winning streak.5 ) Use pep talks
sparingly
You can’t turn every
set into the climax of
a Rocky movie. I once
had a training partner
shout, “Come on!
Come on! You’ve got
this!” at the top of his
lungs on every set,
even a routine set of
dumbbell curls. Pep
talks are like salt: A
little bit adds
spice, too
much
ruins
the
meal.Don’t babble on
while your
partner is doing
squats. Stay
schtum till they’re
fi nished.MF TOP TIP
WHERE TO FIND A TRAINING PARTNERBVDDY.COMPROS:
Free; slick
interface;
addicting.
CONS:
Didn’t score
as many
matches as I had hoped;
still don’t know how to
pronounce “Bvddy”.
MY EXPERIENCE:
This is considered the
“Tinder for athletes”, but
it felt weird swiping left
or right to meet other
dudes. In my sporty-
pictured profile, I wrote,
“Mainly looking for tennis
partners, but I’m down
for whatever,” then
realised it might sound
like I’m, well, down for
whatever. (I quickly
edited.) When I landed
on someone, it was
awkward to message
him, but I finally matched
with a person who looked
promising. I asked, “Hey,
Shawn! Up for a run?”
A few minutes later...
“Hey, I’m in! When do you
usually go?”MEETUP.
COMPROS:
Free; it’s
nearly a
lock that
your city
will have a
group for
whatever floats
your boat, including
boat floating.
CONS:
Not as flashy as the
newer apps.
MY EXPERIENCE:
Many ways to find a
tennis partner: beginners
tennis mixers on Sunday
afternoon. Intermediate
tennis mixers on Friday
nights. Social tennis.
Competitive tennis. Kids’
tennis. Senior tennis. I
attended a “tennis social”
where a dozen people in
their 20s and 30s
smacked balls into the
net, missed their serves,
and accidentally
whacked balls over the
chain-linked fence —
perfect, just my speed.
Instantly, I had new
tennis partners —mission
accomplished.NOVEMBER-
PROJECT.
COMPROS:
Free; people
are cool; has
a singles
vibe.
CONS:
Activities mostly
focused on running and
calisthenics, so you
can’t really “do your
own thing”; only available
in select countries,
but can be set up in
Australian cities.
MY EXPERIENCE:
In New York, in the
freezing cold, in the
purple glow of predawn,
people began hugging.
It was my first time, so
they huddled around me
and gave me a hearty
welcome. They asked
my relationship status.
“Single.” They gave a
holler. After nine minutes
of sprints, pushups, and
monkey climbers, I was
shattered. I’d found a
training partner — 100
of them!There are more ways than ever before to find a training partner. Of course, you
can ask at your own gym. The people who run the desk may know of someone
who’s looking to pair up, or might be open to it; they may also have a bulletin
board you could post a notice on, or a Facebook page where you could post a
request. But, thankfully, there are some higher-tech ways to do your scouting,
and none of them involve Craigslist. (I gave Craigslist a shot, but the search for
“activity partners” and “running” served up the results “longest-running poker
game” and “how to tango your way out of depression.” Maybe next week.) Here
are three training-matchup sites I tried and what I learnt.BVDDY MEETUP NOVEMBER PROJECTToo busy taking
selfi es to work out.