Keith JonesJuly 29, 2016

A great workout partner can be the difference between meeting your fitness goal or shattering it. When I trained by myself, I met my goals. But when I worked out with partners, I obliterated them. Every personal best I’ve set in fitness can be traced back to the contribution of my workout partners. They motivate, encourage and support me in a big way. And, I believe, I have some of the best on the planet.

When I was younger, I thought a good partner was a person who trained as hard as I did or harder. They had to lift more and run faster. I felt they needed to give me something to shoot for. As I’ve matured, I’ve learned it’s not about how fast they can run, how much they can squat or even how they look. I am motivated by their attitude, effort and commitment to the workout and me.

A positive, motivating attitude can make all the difference during a filthy training session. My friends, Tim, Alex and Pat consistently bring their best attitude to the gym; even when we are on the third round of squats followed by the walking lunges death march, squat hops and Kettlebell squats. Their positive attitude never fades. They are awesome to train with.

I use to be fixated on numbers. How fast was your run? How many pull-ups did you get? While having a numeric goal is important for measuring progress, I appreciate a person’s effort much more. Nothing is more motivating than seeing someone step up to line without complaints or excuses. They simply say, “I going to give it my best.” Then you see them doing just that. They don’t talk about how tired they are or their injury. Instead, they give you and the moment their best effort. As their partner observing this, how can I not follow up with my best? I’ve witnessed my friend Linda do this every single week for 7 years. What an inspiration! She inspires me to train harder.

My best workout partners over the years have been committed individuals. They show up to every workout with a great attitude and give maximum effort. This alone would be enough for most people but not my partners. As I told you, they’re special. When they travel for vacation or business, they continue to work out and eat healthy on the road. This is next level. They do this because they are committed to themselves and want to stay sharp. Oftentimes, my friend Tim will send me a picture from different gyms he’s working out while he is traveling. We call it the world tour. I received five such snapshots this month alone. Two of which were while he was on vacation with his kids. When your best friend is putting in work like this, how can you even consider letting up? You can’t. And the proof is in the protein pudding. His first workout coming off travel is like he never left. He crushes it.

I appreciate great workout partners and try to return the gift by being one. Here are five keys to being a great workout partner.

1. Attitude.Bring your best attitude and energy to the workout. From the moment you get there, smile, encourage and be positive. No complaining. Just good, positive energy.

2. Effort.Always give your best to the workout. Do squats with integrity. If the set calls for 12 crate squats, do them all to the crate even if no one is watching. When you finish the workout, know that you gave maximum effort to it.

3. Commitment.Show up to the workouts, and show up early. Value the moment. It’s a gift to yourself and an agreement with your workout partners. Honor everyone by being punctual and ready to go. Commitment also means bringing your best to each session. This includes training on your own to get stronger, eating healthy so you’re more fit and getting your sleep so you have more energy. Your partners benefit when you’re at your best.

4. Partnership.Learn your partners’ goals and help them get there. Before each workout, I share my macro and micro goals. I tell them beforehand so I don’t back out when it’s time to go. And my partners hold me to them. Their unwavering stand supports me in reaching all my fitness goals.

5. Gratitude.Be grateful for the opportunities to practice self love by way of exercise. Express thanks for partners who train with you and contribute to your workout experience. Take none of this for granted. Honor yourself and your partners by bringing your best and giving your best.

My personal goal is to be an outstanding workout partner every time. I have effort, commitment, partnership and gratitude nail down. I am working to be more consistent with entering the gym with a smile and an inviting attitude. My attitude tends to improve as the workout progresses but that’s not good enough. My partners deserve a better attitude from the start. I am committed to bringing that. I encourage you to evaluate yourself as a partner. Practice the 5 keys to being a great workout partner. You and your training buddies will reap the extraordinary fitness rewards.

Stronger Workouts!

Keith