Q&A: Is a workout for two twice as effective?

Would you like to improve your fitness but find training alone too monotonous? And perhaps the thought of training in a big group is equally unappealing? 

Training with a friend or your partner is twice as fun and a great way to increase your motivation. But to get even more fun out of your workout, we suggest you train with your partner, not just next to them.

You can read more about the advantages of a team workout here.

To make sure your individual fitness levels are met, it’s important the exercises are scaled for each person. That way no one gets bored or overwhelmed and two training partners of different stature can get fit and increase their performance level simultaneously. 

But before you drop your dumbbells to workout with your much more appealing training tool (your partner, that is ;)) let @lx_koch and @kim_ic explain how you can successfully execute a joint partner workout!

Myth 1 – Partner workouts are just for couples

We met each other in the gym 2.5 years ago, before we were a couple. That’s how we got to know each other. That’s why we say that partner workouts are a great way to spend quality time together productively, instead of just hanging out on the couch together.

Couples that sweat side by side and try new sports together tend to motivate and push each other to their limits and beyond. 

As a lone ranger, you might have inhibitions when it comes to getting out of your comfort zone. As a couple you might motivate each other to do things you’d be afraid to try alone.

Myth 2 – Exercise for two is competitive

Having the same goals as your partner connects and motivates you tremendously! There is no room for competitive thinking! That’s why it’s important to remain objective with your criticism and not to be personal with your feedback. 

For example, when we do our weight training together, we focus on individual performance. That’s how we always have fun together doing recreational sports.

We leave competitive thinking at home. We’re aware that I have an advantage over Kim in some sports because of my physiology.

Myth 3 – Dancing is just for couples

You can do basically any sport together that you would do usually. The main thing is that you truly want to be active together – otherwise the shot may backfire. That doesn’t mean you should only jog with your partner from now on. We think that in sport and in our relationship, going it alone is important so we can enjoy training together again. Variety is key!

In these times of social distancing workouts, for two are a very good way to stay fit. They offer a welcome alternative to your normal workout routine, and will keep you motivated and excited for your next workout. 

For example, in Corona times we discovered cycling. But we’re still excited to get back on the badminton and squash courts.  

Myth 4 – mass vs. strength endurance: partner workouts serve just one person

The goal is to train at eye level. When you’re both at different levels, it’s not always possible to have identical workouts – but  athletic and physical differences between men and women are irrelevant. Plus you can always tailor the exercises depending on your personal goals, and you can add in a few tricks 😉

For example, the level of difficulty can be adjusted by decreasing the weight and adding repetitions, or vice versa. 

Myth 5 – Partner workouts create a bad atmosphere within a relationship

On the contrary, those who sweat together stay together! We have a lot of fun when we train together. We get to focus on our bodies and work together to achieve our goals. 

After the workout, we both feel good, knowing we’ve worked hard, and we both radiate that inner satisfaction which puts us in a great mood! 🙂 

Q&A

With Q&A, we get to the bottom of controversial topics every two weeks! Now it’s your turn: If you have any questions for @lx_koch and @kim_ic, just ask them on our Instagram channel or here.

On Wednesday, July 22 Kim and Alex will answer your questions in their live talk on our channel from 1pm. And who knows, maybe they’ll do a few exercises for you too 😉