Tips for Training Solo

[tall_drinka_h20]

Anyone got any words of wisdom for someone that trains alone? I work out 3-4 times per week, and have to work around a hectic schedule and can't go at the same times - so no chance of a training partner.
I am not shy to ask for a spot once in a while, but wonder if I would be making more progress if I had someone to work with.

[StuWard]

I train alone too. I find I get more done if I'm not trying to fit my shedule around someone elses. I also do more lifting and less talking. I do most of my lifting off the floor or in a squat rack. I hardly ever have need of a spotter.

[Simon C]

I trained alone for a couple of years, and it worked great. Just remember if you can't get a spotter(in my basement I never did), you don't want any accidents to happen. But since you're in a gym, just make sure you get a spotter when in doubt.

I've now been training with a powerlifting club with guys alot stronger than me for 3-4 months now, it is a thousand times better than training alone. But training alone compared to training with an average joe training partner is probably almost as good.

[Fulmen]

Originally Posted by Simon C

I've now been training with a powerlifting club with guys alot stronger than me for 3-4 months now, it is a thousand times better than training alone. But training alone compared to training with an average joe training partner is probably almost as good.

Agreed.

[Mahler]

I have trained alone in my basement for 6 years now. Nobody wants to get in the gym at 4:30 am I guess.

1) Train with a power cage so that you can set the safety bars for assistance if you cannot find a spotter.

2) Choose your program with care so that you don't have one that requires a lot of team exercises like medicine ball tosses, etc.

3) Maintain a strict training regimen, observing good form, proper rest intervals, etc. It's easy to fall into bad habits when you don't have a partner waiting to use the equipment or to urge you on or give you a little competition.

4) Don't sell yourself short when you train alone. Train as though the world is watching.

[Frank.S]

dont bench press, once the weights get heavy you put yourself in a horrid position when unracking the weights and its pretty much impossible to use good form because you cant keep your shoulder blades tight. Actually failing a rep isn't a big deal because you can set-up the rack.

Stand up for overhead BB work.

Learn how to ditch a squat, or how to fail- correctly - in a power rack.

other then that, its the same thing. My workout intensity is 5x higher when i train by myself actually.

[gobbla]

1. become friends with the cage

2. the partner is motivation as much as practical. find something that helps you push a little harder or try a little harder within the zone that you don't think that you're going to kill yourself. be it music, an inch on the belt, a lbs, an extra rep. enjoy yourself.

SHIFT KEY

[justinbass]

Plan your workouts out ahead of time and stick to them.

I prefer to workout alone. I am too social and end up talking too much when workouting out with a partner, and my rest times accidentally get excessively long.

[Terry Monk]

Make sure you do bb curls in the squat rack to avoid any pulled muscles.

[Simon C]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

dont bench press, once the weights get heavy you put yourself in a horrid position when unracking the weights and its pretty much impossible to use good form because you cant keep your shoulder blades tight. Actually failing a rep isn't a big deal because you can set-up the rack.

Stand up for overhead BB work.

Learn how to ditch a squat, or how to fail- correctly - in a power rack.

other then that, its the same thing. My workout intensity is 5x higher when i train by myself actually.

That's a good point. I pretty much didn't bench press at all last year, or any of the time training at my home, although I didn't even have safety racks!

[Matthew]

I don't have any trouble unracking the bar and keeping my shoulder blades pulled back tight. The pins I unrack from are about an inch or half an inch away from my ROM, so I'm hardly moving the bar back and forth.
If you can't unrack a bar while keeping your shoulders blades pulled back, how do you lock out a bench press while keeping them pulled back?

I have the safety pins set up in such a way that all I have to do is lose my arch and I can lower the bar down to the pins without worrying about crushing myself. The bar never touches the pins during a rep. See if you can set yours up the same way.

[Frank.S]

im a firm beleiver that its actually not possible to keep your shoulder blades back far enough for a good set-up with no lift off unless you can do a tricep extension with your bench weights. the mechanics of bringing the bar down to the right spot will bring most peoples shoulders out of place.

with a really aggressive set-up, i cant see unracking 135lbs by myself. Ill take a 3 man liftoff whenever possible.

[Simon C]

I hate unracking, I get a lift off for anything above 90kg every time, and sometimes for like 85kgs

[Matthew]

Guess my set-up isn't up to your standards.

I don't remember the last time I got a lift off, I always unrack the bar myself.

[AFI82]

Can someone elaborate on the proper way to lose a squat while in a rack? Perhaps there is more to it than I thought there was.

[Matthew]

If you're facing the rack, fall forward so that the bar lands on the safety pins, and you can fall to the floor without having a loaded bar land on the back of your neck.

Control the decent to the safety pins though, don't just drop the bar and fall forward.