Normally I workout by myself. Not because of preference, but because it is more convenient for me. I’d rather get it done while I have some free time than to wait until the next class starts. It takes quite a bit of self motivation to push myself to train when I’m alone.
I was fortunate enough to have Suavek as a training partner the last few weeks. Having even just one other person to train next to, I’ve noticed that I’ve pushed myself harder than I would if I were alone.
Suavek hitting a PR
Last week I hit a personal record (PR) in the push press. It felt fantastic! It always does. I’ve been training for years now and all the weights for my max lifts are already established. When I first started, I would set a new PR almost every week. Those were fun times. However, we all know that linear progression eventually stalls out. If not, then I would have multiple world records by now! At my peak, I had 45 PRs in one year. Last year, I had a meager number of 4.
It is definitely a special occasion when I get one now. I haven’t even been focusing on strength at all. If I were doing a specialized squat program and PR my squat at the end of it, that wouldn’t have been surprising at all. But this time I was just doing standard Crossfit.
The difference this time I believe was the setting. Training in a group environment made all th
e difference. I think having someone else present when training creates something magical in the brain. On that day, the prescribed rep scheme was 5-4-3-2-1. We shared a bar and did the same weight until it was time for the single rep scheme at the end. Suavek was feeling good and went for a PR and got it easily. The bar didn’t slow down at all and he didn’t have to fight it.
We weren’t competing with each other. If I didn’t feel good, I would not have even attempted a new max. But seeing someone else make a lift so easily certainly does give you confidence to try as well. So I loaded the bar up with 195, which is 5 pounds heavier than what my max was all the way back since 2012, walked out of the rack and hit it.
It was a great day. Both of us feed off the energy of each other and set new maxes on our lifts. Are you stuck doing the same old workouts with no improvements? Unleash your potential through the power of group training. Click here to find out how to get started.
-Harvey
