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Workouts You Can Do with Your Partner

Workouts You Can Do with Your Partner

Training with your partner is a great way to exercise, you can motivate each other, help each other to train harder, and have a good laugh throughout. In this article we will name some exercises that you can do with a partner and then create a simple workout to follow.

Now, unlike most YouTube videos, the exercises in this workout are going to be achievable by regular people! No crazy karma sutra esque exercises that involve handstands and juggling!

There are five exercises here, and each one is improved with a partner. They can help to push you that little bit further than you would normally go.

Exercise #1 Nordic Curls

This exercise is on the list because 1) it is an amazing hamstring exercise, and 2) it is exceedingly difficult to do without a partner. So, if you have a partner it is a great excuse to add Nordic curls into the workout.

Get on your knees and get your partner to hold your ankles. They really need to hold on tight, if your partner is not strong enough, they may need to sit on your feet.

All you have to do is fall forward, your partner will ensure that your knees and feet stay on the ground, you want to fall as slowly as you can, using your hamstrings to decelerate.

Catch yourself with your hands, then push yourself back up again. Your hamstrings are going to do the work here too. The stronger your hamstrings are, the less you should use your hands. It is possible to do this exercise without your hands at all, using just your hamstrings to lower yourself and pull yourself back up.

Exercise #2 Leg Raises

This is a great abdominal exercise, that really benefits from having a partner.

Lie on your back and position your partner so that they are standing over your head. Grab hold of their ankles squeeze your abs and then raise both legs up in the air.

Your partner will catch your legs and then throw them down, either straight down, or to the left or right. Use your core muscles to decelerate the movement on the way down. This will really work your abdominals as well as your obliques.

When your feet land on the floor, pause, and then repeat the movement. Try not to bounce your feet off the floor and go straight up again. This will use momentum to make it easier.

Exercise #3 High Five Push Ups

This exercise works if your partner is as strong as you. Alternatively, you can get your partner to perform the easier version of a push up (with knees on the floor and feet in the air).

Get into the push up position and have your partner do the same thing directly in front of you. Starting at the same time as your partner lower your chest to the ground. Pause, and then push yourself back up, when you get there bring one arm forward and high five your partner (or fist bump). Reset, and repeat the process, this time using your alternate hand.

Exercise #4 Hand-Holding Squats

This is one of those exercises that is not technically improved by having a partner.

The Nordic curls need a partner, the leg raises are made more difficult as the partner has the power to do so, the push ups are more difficult because you have to work your abs to bring your arm out.

But this exercise does not make squats more difficult at all. What this does is motivate you to push yourself harder than you would normally.

Stand in a squat position with your partner standing in front of you, grab their hands so that you are both performing one of those Roman handshakes where they grasp the elbow.

Now you are going to need some coordination, because you are both going to squat at the same time, reaching at least parallel if not a little more.

Perform as many reps as you both can manage, pushing each other to do as many as you can. Just make sure that your form is still acceptable. Once your form begins to dip, stop, and rest.

Exercise #5 Partner Get Ups

This is probably the most enjoyable exercise to do with a partner on this list. One partner lies on their back, the other partner helps them to get up. This only works if both partners put some effort in. Once the person is pulled up, the other partner lies on the ground and you switch places. Perform ten reps, so five get ups each.

This exercise is great because both partners are working different muscles. The one lying on the floor is working their abs, legs, and glutes to get themselves up. While the partner “helping” is using their back and biceps to pull them up.

Partner Workout

  • Nordic Curls 3 x 10 reps (take turns with your partner)
  • Leg Raises 3 x 10 reps (take turns with your partner)
  • High Five Push Ups 1 x As Many Reps As Possible
  • Hand-Holding Squats 1 x As Many Reps As Possible
  • Partner Get Ups 3 x 10 reps (take turns with your partner)

 

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