posted Thu, 12/06/2018 - 14:09
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+ 2 How to push through when going alone?
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I dont have a workout partner and dont want one. Im friendly with the loyal gym goers but dont like too much conversation and try to keep to myself for the most part. Down side is I find it very hard to push for PR's and find myself flaking off towards the end of my sets when I know I can do more. How do you push with no support? I have asked for spots from time to time but find most people get too chatty and i just dont like that.
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Not every workout is going to be gold. I consider the ones I push through when I'm not in the mood or tired to be more important than the break through ones. These are the ones that can make you look better than that genetically superior friend we all have...just give it all you can daily. It's a marathon not a sprint.
If you are bodybuilding, don't worry about PR's. You don't get judged on them and it usually just leads to injury. Focus more on time under tension. Only way to be safe though when going for a PR is to ask for a spot. I'm sure most would be more than willing to help. I would only be looking to test PR on monthly basis at most so you won't need to bother them to much anyway.
If you feel like you still have some gas left in the tank but can't complete that last rep safely, then do something like a rest/pause set. Rack it for 10-15 secs and then squeeze out that last rep.
You can still work each set to failure when working out alone. I prefer going solo. I've gone to the same gym for years and although I have developed quite a few friendships and acquaintances I think most everyone knows when my ear buds are in and they can hear the ultalow frequencies bumping out of my headphones I might as well be wearing a sign that says do not disturb. I stay focused and get done what I set out to do. I use a lot of dumbbells and Hammer Strength equipment. I also utilize the standard cable equipment. You just have to train your mind and body to push past and overcome your limitations. Sure it doesn't always workout like that and everyone has days when they aren't running at 100% but to me determination and mental toughness are a huge aspect of training.
I think I am a bit like you, a bit individualist. At first I used a smith machine it's pretty secure, but as I did not want to use any machine to perform Olympic movements among others, I use two multi-chains to prevent the bar from going down too low in the bench press for example (see -> https://www.expe.fr/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08...). A power rack can also be useful for squat. For the other exercises I use other artifices such as the time under tension or the equivalence between the number of repetitions and the weight to which it corresponds (there is a table for that).