Sure, working out with a partner can make you both feel more accountable and can even help you train harder at the gym. But when your workout partner is also your partner in life, things can get a lot more interesting and sweaty. This is just one of the advantages of indulging in a couple workout sessions.

For wavering intentions, “Research shows that when people have an exercise buddy, they’re less likely to drop out of their workout program,” Here is what you need to keep in mind while sweating those couple calories.

Be Supportive. Don’t Be the Coach.

Unless your girlfriend specifically asked you to kick her butt in the gym, leave your drill whistle at home. If you’re a fitness professional, avoid treating your workout date like a client. The likelihood is that she did not sign up for that. And if you’re not a pro, that is even more reason to turn it down a notch. Be encouraging. “Great job. That’s a good set. Your form looks great.”

NOT a Competition. Couple Workout Is About Team Work.

The last thing your partner wants is to feel like you’re showing them up. Be sure to make certain your partner feels supported and encouraged. But your partner is looking to go beast mode, try an interval workout. That way you can both work at the same time but don’t necessarily have to do the same thing.

Try Something Different

Maybe you love hitting the weights hard and maybe she loves Pilates and Zumba. All is not lost. Be willing to try something that’s outside of your normal routine. If she likes to run but going for a 10-miler on Sunday morning is completely out of the question, then try a yoga class and set your floor mats next to each other or try that new boot camp class at your local gym. You’ll still be getting a workout out in and you will have something to experience together.

Motivate Each Other When You Do Couple Workout. 

Build rest periods—typically 60 seconds between sets—into your program. But if like most men, you are impatient to power through each exercise and move on to the next
It is a bad idea, “Rest is the unsung hero of training. You can make a lot of gains and see a lot of good results if you have proper rest periods in place.”

If you skip your rest or cut it short, you can become so fatigued that you abandon proper form, setting yourself up for injury. If you make a habit of going too hard, you can succumb to over-training syndrome—otherwise known as a plateau, where gains dwindle and exhaustion is chronic. So while she does an exercise, you watch and then switch.

Communicate Expectations

Before you even step foot in a gym or studio it’s best to get a sense of what’s going to happen once you get there. If you expect to keep a conversation going throughout the workout but your partner planned on pushing in some wireless headphones and getting down to business, you’re in for a long session. Also, it’s important to know what your partner’s style is.

So, hit the gym with your partner and experience the joy of working out together 🙂