One aspect of resistance training that is always forgotten about is partner work. With partner work you don’t work against a fixed resistance, such as a medicine ball, barbell or dumbbell, you work against the resistance that your partner is placing on you. Since you don’t have to rely on gravity to create the load it can be an excellent way to train when it comes to certain exercises.
Talk to your Partner
It’s important to remember though, partner work is a skill that has to be learned and clear communication between the two people is critical. You should always talk to each other, so that you know each other’s strength and how much resistance is the correct amount for each exercise.
Be Aware
Some movements will require minimum resistance, while others will require much more. When applying this hands-on technique in training, you can create the resistance from any angle – a factor that can be very useful. You need to be aware of the range of movement available to your training partner on the muscle you are training, as well as how much resistance is required to work the muscle at its best. Too little resistance and your partner won’t get a workout – too much resistance and your partner could get injured.
Top Three Partner Exercises
Standing Partner Twist
- Stand upright in a balanced position with your feet hip width apart and your abdominals braced.
- Your partner then tries to move you out of this position by applying force and trying to twist you.
- You should try to resist repeatedly for a set time of up to 60 seconds before swapping over.
Resisted Ab Curl
- Position yourself in a basic curl position - lying on your back, both feet on the floor, knees bent and hands by your head.
- Your partner kneels down behind you and rests their hands on both of your elbows.
- Aim to get your shoulder blades off the ground as you crunch.
- Try to repeat for a set time of up to 60 seconds before swapping over.
Resisted Tennis Shot
- Stand upright with a split stance and hold a towel with one hand.
- Prepare your body as if you're about to play a tennis stroke.
- Your partner should be behind you, holding the other end of the towel, giving you enough resistance to keep the towel taut.
- Perform a tennis stroke for a set time of up to 60 seconds before swapping over.
- To balance each side of your body, perform the same move on the other side.
It's essential to remember that when it comes to partner work, all movements should be performed in a slow controlled manner. Correct resistance cannot be applied if the exercise is performed in a jerky action.
As you develop your partner training skill you will be able to feel for how much resistance to apply in each exercise, how hard your partner is working and whether to increase or decrease the resistance during the exercise.
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