Fit Jerk Friday: The Importance Of A Workout Buddy

This week’s pep talk from Fit Jerk:

Last week I talked about how you should grab someone you REALLY trust, and use the “money technique” to embed a habit directly into your soul. In other words, something that cannot be easily broken.

But over time, even if you do manage to conjure up a habit of getting your ass in the gym (or just plain moving), there will come a time where you’ll get bored. This is when you need to find a partner that is:

1. As committed as you are to working out with consistency.

2. Has similar goals.

3. Agrees to push you if you do the same in return.

The ideal workout buddy would meet all of those 3 criteria, but even if you can’t find that perfect partner, just find SOMEONE who’ll go with you. But what about those that “think” they don’t need a buddy because they are self motivated? Well get one anyways, here’s why…

See I myself am a focused person. I’m also a part introvert, which means that while I love interacting with people, there comes a time where I need to disconnect and just chill on my own. The gym used to be this place for me and I flew in there solo every time. But then I started to go with my current workout buddy and something weird happened. We began to compete.

Not consciously, but we still began to compete. It started off with little babblings such as “oh comon you fucking pussy, you coulda done an extra rep there” or I’d see him completely DOMINATE a lift and I’d think to myself “Shit… I just cannot go home without besting that effort.”

Eventually, we are now at a point where we openly compete… every time. This has led us to consistently improve our results ever-single-fucking-workout! It’s truly mind boggling, but this is the power of having a great workout buddy. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I can still fly solo (that will never change) but the sheer act of having another human being with similar goals be there just puts a whole competitive aura into the atmosphere. I love it, and you should too.

For The Excuse Makers

Having said all of this, there will still be those that will mention random nonsense such as…

“Yeah I like going with a buddy, but there is no competition… it’s not like that.”

Oh give me a break! There is ALWAYS competition… and if not, there SHOULD be. If you aren’t finding a way to best yourself and push yourself then what on earth are you doing there in the first place? Lifting the same 10lbs dumbbells and doing silly curls week in and week out is going to get you no where. Progress breeds results… remember that.

A Bonus

Besides having your buddy “push” you further to better yourself, there is another very good reason to have a partner in crime when it comes to achieving your fitness goals.

Safety.

If you are pushing yourself to the edge of your limits, chances are that things could get risky at times. Specially for guys because our ego is firmly intertwined with the amount of weight hoisted on the iron bar. This shit can get dangerous. But without pushing yourself there is no progress, which means there is no results… right? So what to do?

Find a happy medium. Push yourself and have a safety net in case you buckle or slip. Your training buddy isn’t just a source of motivation, they are your guardian angel. When they are hovering over your ass, the confidence it gives you is second to none. A workout doesn’t get any better than that.

So find a buddy, it’s worth it… even if you don’t realize it now.

– FitJerk

Want more fitness tips? Visit Fit Jerk’s Fitness Blog.

Roasted Chicken

I hope the gourmet chefs among you will forgive me for posting what seems like a very basic recipe. But I do have a story behind it . . .

A few years ago I did a weight loss program where you had to eat meat twice a day, preferably chicken or fish. For awhile I was buying those rotisserie chickens at the grocery store. You know the ones . . . “Guaranteed fresh and available 24 hours a day.” I was following the program’s diet requirements to a tee . . . and GAINING weight. I couldn’t figure it out. I was whining to the dietician and she suddenly noticed in my food log that I was eating a lot of chicken. “Are you by any chance buying rotisserie chicken from the grocery store?” she asked. I said why yes. Come to find out, those are not the healthiest thing in the world. Check out the label sometime.

But you know what’s just as fast, if not faster when you take into account parking and finding your way through the grocery store and waiting in the checkout lane?

Whole chicken in a crock pot.

I frequent a cooking forum and at least once a week someone asks how to make chicken in a crockpot, or for a recipe. The secret is, you don’t really need a recipe. What you need is

• a whole chicken (preferably organic, so you know it’s not injected with any yucky stuff
• a crock pot
• olive oil
• herbs
• vegetables

You’re going to want the chicken mostly thawed, but don’t worry if it’s not all the way thawed. Put the chicken in the crock pot breast side down (this will make it more juicy). Spread a little olive oil on top. Sprinkle and/or stuff with herbs. Use your imagination. My favorite is laying a branch of fennel leaves (or maybe they’re called fronds?) on the bottom, stuffing it with a bunch of parsley, and sprinkling the top with fennel, rosemary, and cracked pepper. At this point you can also add potatoes or other vegetables. Just throw ’em right in there, don’t  be shy.

Set it on low and 8  hours later you’re all set! “Rotisserie” chicken without the injections.

Please post YOUR healthy recipes and fitness tips below. And if you’d like some encouragement, let us know how you’re doing in the comments section.  

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