7 Questions To Ask When Choosing A Fitness Buddy

Not that I recommend an interview process, but before you make a commitment to anyone, make sure you know a few important details about him or her.  You want to ensure that the relationship will be mutually beneficial.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of questions by any means.  Obviously there are some no brainer ones such as whether or not they workout at home, or at a gym.  Or if they only do cardio, or weights, or yoga.

Some other things I recommend getting to know about a person are:

1. What kinds of things are you interested in?
This is a general question and we’re not looking for fitness related answers.  We just want to know if we would actually be friends with them apart from fitness.  This one doesn’t have to be a deal breaker but you do want to know

2. What does you diet normally consist of?
If the person has a trashy diet then they’re not going to have a lot of success with their fitness efforts.  A lot of people want to shed the flab and get some muscle but unless they’re open to changing the way they eat they don’t stand a chance of changing the way their body looks.  Someone who doesn’t understand this will only drag you down and hold you back.

3. What sports do you enjoy participating in?
Playing sports as well as working out is a great combination.  Even if neither of you plan on incorporating a sport into your fitness regieme it can still be helpful if you want a break from working out to know that you can play a sport you both enjoy for a change.

4. Why do you want to workout?
The important thing here is to find out what this person’s motives are.  If all they want to do is hang out at the gym and gossip about work and relationships then I’d highly advise to stay clear of them!  Of course they won’t tell you that outright, but it doesn’t take a lot of time to work this out about a person.  Also, if someone wants to compete in a bodybuilding competition and all you want to do is get rid of your love handles, you may find there are some problems down the track as your methods to achieve your goals will be totally different.

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Top 7 Benefits of Having A Fitness Buddy

1.  It’s safer
Whether you’re bench pressing or running it is comforting to know you’re not alone should you go into cardiac arrest.  And speaking of bench pressing it is definitely ideal to have a spotter there (as it is with all weight lifting exercises).

2.  It will help you keep proper form – which means you’ll be wasting less time and achieving better results
As good as mirrors are, it is not really possible to watch a mirror throughout your workout to check that you are keeping good form!  The purpose of a spotter is not only to be there for safety reasons, but also to observe your form and check that your technique is staying the same.  It is so easy to get lazy when you are working out solo.

3.  It makes you accountable
What have you been eating this week?  If you know you’re going to be asked this question next time you go to a workout you are less likely to eat the foods you shouldn’t be.  When you aren’t accountable to anyone it is so much easier to have too many cheat meals.

4.  Forces you to make your workouts even if you can’t really be bothered
You’re not just letting yourself down if you scrap a planned workout, you’re letting down your fellow buddy (or buddies) as well.

5.  Keeps you working out longer as it is harder to quit
Working out becomes a social event, not just a chore.  If you have a friend (or group of friends) you regularly have a workout with you will be more inclined to keep it going than if you’re working out purely as a self-disciplined chore.  Calling quits will mean you see your friend(s) a lot less.

6.  It is encouraging to have a fitness buddy
Do you ever offer yourself encouraging words?  I imagine not!  Hopefully though, your friend will encourage you as you make progress as they will be less critical than yourself.  They’ll know what goals you are trying to achieve and will let you know when they start to see visible progress (which we ourselves are unable to recognise).

7.  It makes you more competitive meaning you’ll have a better chance at reach your goals
Depending on what you’re doing to workout, having some others there with you means you can immediately turn it into a competition.  Who wants to lose?  No one!  Setting goals as a group is one way to really motivate you to stay in for the long run and see your goals through.

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