Having good partners can make the difference between getting big results or getting big injuries, among many other things, like herpes, but I digress. Some people love training alone, others love the camaraderie of training in groups. I think if the group is too big, there will invariably be too many differences among the trainees, which could be detrimental if proper scaling and progressions aren't being made. But finding a group of the perfect size can really help you grow as a person and an athlete. We will discuss the many reasons why in future posts. But for now, there are certain things that you can do with a good partner that you simply couldn't do without. Manual resistance exercises is something that a lot of programs lack. A game of like tug-of -war, for example, can produce a room overflowing with adrenaline, fun, and productivity. Or even adding just a few extra pounds with the strategic touch of a bar in an assistance exercise, such as curls, can make a big difference to an exercise. This is something you would never do with a power exercise, obviously, but at the end of a workout or during some supplemental work, it can really get you going. Below is an example of a cool manual resistance core exercise you can do with a partner that mimics the use of a pulley system. Resistance bands do not work nearly as well because of the increased tension throughout the movement. With a good partner, you learn when to apply more or less tension to your partner to get them working harder and getting stronger. We used kegs, they can be various weights, or you could use a physioball, but the heavy kegs add in some loading which increases the intensity of the exercise. The keg or the ball acts like a cam, just like a machine or a pulley system. It will not be as effective if you just grab a rope, sheet, towel, or whatever, and do twists. It will work, but not as well, if you can not see why, you will have to go back to geometry class to figure it out, its all about angles, baby.
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