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 SEPTEMBER 11, 2002 Partner Workout There's nothing you can do in the gym that you can't duplicate with a partner workout, says John Greeley, president of Fitness Institute for Training, a New York-based national fitness trade association that educates and certifies fitness instructors. Partner workouts work each muscle group without weights by using your partner's resistance, towels, or gravity. They work well for certain types of exercisers, says Sam LaScala, a personal trainer on Long Island, NY. "For people with knee injuries, a partner can control the range of motion of an exercise more safely than a machine," he says. Your goals may be slightly different -- you want to build endurance and your partner wants to become more powerful -- but you can each make slight adjustments. During strength training, to build endurance your rest periods should be short (30 to 60 seconds) in between exercises; for more power, you need longer (more than 60 seconds) rest periods. To find a willing workout partner, look toward your family, co-workers, or circle of friends. Ask a personal trainer to hook you up with another client, or go to a local fitness equipment store or your health club. Many health clubs offer team training classes, in which a personal trainer works out with a small group. Two-on-one workouts are a less costly trend in personal training as well Three Partner Workout Exercises Do 10-15 repetitions of each of these exercises designed by Greeley. Then switch and let your partner do the exercise. Start with the easy version and progress to the harder one as you become stronger. 1. Leg press (works the quadriceps, hamstring, and buttocks) -- Exerciser lies on his back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms at sides. Spotter faces him, standing up. Exerciser puts the bottoms of his feet on the spotter's chest or shoulders. As the spotter leans his weight in, the exerciser pushes against the weight. Easy: Tthe spotter stands close to the exerciser with feet wide apart. Harder: The spotter moves farther away and keeps feet together. 2. Chest press (works the chest, shoulders, and triceps) -- Exerciser lies on his back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms extended straight up toward the ceiling. Spotter stands over and straddles exerciser and places his hands against exerciser's hands. As spotter leans over at the waist, exerciser bends the elbows and presses up. Easy: Spotter stands as close to chest as possible with feet wide apart. Harder: Spotter moves a few feet back and brings both feet together. 3. Towel Pull Down (works upper back and biceps) -- Exerciser lies on back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with arms extended straight back over the head. Spotter sits on the ground about three feet behind the exerciser with legs extended out in a V-shape. Exerciser grasps the two ends of a towel in his hands, and spotter holds the middle of the towel with arms extended and elbows locked. Exerciser pulls his elbows toward the sides of the body (make sure to keep hands and elbows near the floor). Spotter holds towel with straight arms and bends at the waist as the towel moves along the floor. Easy: Less resistance by spotter. Harder: More resistance by spotter. |
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