29 Sep My Expectations of My Training Partners

By: Will Kuenzel

This goes above and beyond just general gym etiquette.  You can get away with these things if we aren’t training partners.  If, however, you decide to train with me, then understand that I will have much higher expectations from you than even the general populace.  And in my gym, I already have high expectations of the general training population, aside from just cleaning up, helping spot, load, etc. 

[wa-wps] 

1.         Be on time.  Nothing is worse than being 3 plates up and having to strip it down to an empty bar because you decided to sleep in after a night out.  Warm up in another rack or just choose to come in on another day so you don’t disturb everybody else.  It’s disrespectful to those that chose to show up on time and tells us that what’s important to us isn’t important to you. 

2.         Get off your phone.  Once there is a plate on the bar, play time is over.  Videoing something or random checks is okay but only after you’ve helped load the bar, set the rack and made sure your training partners have everything they need for their set.  If you’re on your phone and it isn’t your set, you’re going to find yourself very lonely on the next set.  The rest of us will suddenly decide to take a phone break and you’re left to fend for yourself.  I’m not asking you to cut it off and lock it away.  I’m simply asking that it be a low priority while you’re here.

3.         Shut up.  Once a lifter has approached the bar and has their hands on the bar, your conversation doesn’t matter.  If you’re full attention isn’t on that lifter at that moment, then you’re a liability to their safety.  I’m all for telling jokes and having a good time but never EVER at the expense of someone else’s safety or concentration.  I don’t give a flying rat’s ass what the weight on the bar is.  Just as many people get hurt at 135lbs as they do at max weight.  Get around the lifter and spot, give queues.  Be available.  If you’re carrying on another conversation with someone else, then the lifter doesn’t have your attention.  Don’t be the reason someone gets hurt. 

4.         Help.  Treat others like you’d like to be treated.  If you don’t want others to load the bar for you then don’t load their bar.  We’re quick to return “favors”.  If, however, you’d like some help please help others.  Adjust the monolift rack height, wrap knees, etc.  If there is something that you don’t know or don’t feel comfortable doing, then ask how and start doing it.  Nothing could be more detrimental to yourself or your teammates than in a time of need and you can’t give the support they need. 

5.         Keep a note book.  You are responsible for your rack heights, bands used, warm up weights, etc.  Don’t rely on others for this information.  Keep track of all pertinent information.  It’s nice to look back and see what you were doing 6 months ago on a particular exercise that we haven’t done in a while.  As weak points change and the exercises rotate, it’s not always easy to remember where you were.  This goes for making weekly notes of things to concentrate on and areas to give more attention to if necessary.  Don’t underestimate the power of a few notes and just how much stress it can take off others around you when you are prepared. 

It frequently comes up about what a good training partner is.  Great training partners go above and beyond even these things, but these are my lowest expectations of those that train with me.  My time in the gym is very important to me and I don’t want to waste it.  Having everything run efficiently really reduces not only my own stress but everybody else’s as well.  The more the merrier when we’re not having to pick up the slack from somebody that doesn’t or isn’t willing to help. 

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Low Country Strength

Will Kuenzel is the owner of Lowcountry Strength (www.LowcountryStrength.com) in Charleston, SC. Will started his athletic endeavors as a pole vault; finishing up his collegiate career with a best vault of 16’9” at a whopping 160lbs. He the track and field world to pursue bodybuilding, his first show in 2005, he won 1st place in Men’s Novice as a middle weight. One year later he took 2nd as a Men’s Junior heavy weight. Since 2007 he has been a competitive powerlifter and totaling elite as a 220lber. His best lifts in multiply equipment are a 710lbs squat, a 605lbs bench press, a 615lbs deadlift and a 1930 total. In 2008 Will started Lowcountry Strength out of his garage. Since then it has moved into a 16,000 sq/ft facility and shares space with a mixed martial arts studio. With all disciplines of powerlifting, strongman, MMA, jiu jitsu and other sports in the Charleston area getting trained under one roof, Will heads up the strength and conditioning for a wide variety of athletes and clients.

Latest posts by Low Country Strength (see all)

• LCS Off Season Week 7, Session 1-3 - February 20, 2019
• LCS Off Season Week 6, Session 1-3 - February 20, 2019
• LCS Off Season Week 5, Session 1-2 - February 20, 2019