Partner workout

TGIF! We are excited to try our first couple session at The Training Zone! We were asked to share our fitness level prior to the visit so that the  training plan can be tailored to meet our needs. Our fitness level has somewhat declined recently. Nowadays, we work out on average 1-2 times a week versus 3-4 times per week. Hercules’ usual workout focuses on bodybuilding using weight machines. As for me, I prefer fitness classes that involve weight training, muscle conditioning, and a high intensity workout.

 Our Goal is to be healthy. I have an additional objective. Consistent workout helps  alleviate my recurring shoulder and upper back pain.

Friday Night – It’s Training Day!

Francis, our personal trainer and co-founder of The Training Zone greets us at the door.  We quickly put down our bags, and we are ready to go!

It’s time for a warm up! Reach 500 meters as quickly as you can! 

Forward and side walking lunges

For this partner exercise, person A stands against the wall holding the resistance band. This set up allows person A to work the arms while person B performs forward walking lunges. This is much harder to do compared to a freestanding lunge. We need to exert more strength, and station our hip to maintain balance while working against the resistance. To kick it up a notch, side lunges are good to include in the repetition.

Crawl like a Spiderman or Spidergirl

This exercise activates your core, butt, and thigh muscles all at the same time! The key is to keep my back flat and form consistent as I crawl from one end of the room to another. I don’t know how Spiderman does it.

Medicine Ball Squats

“Twist your waist while you’re squatting!” Coach Francis continually reminds us to leverage our core and squat when lifting and catching the medicine ball. What a great exercise to work multiple muscle groups,  below the chest and above the knees simultaneously.

Partner Leg Toss

Partner Push Up & Sit Up

TRX

Francis is showing us some of the TRX training techniques.  The TRX chest press engages my chest, arms and upper back muscles all at once. In the top left corner (see above), I’m attempting to do a pike!  Coach Francis (see below) is showing us how to properly do one.

Congrats to Hercules for successfully performing the TRX pike! It definitely helps to have a coach alongside us to give pointers during our training session.

Cool Down & Reflection 

Time’s up! Has it been 60 minutes already?!? Coach Francis wraps up the training with a few cool down exercises. What a refreshing workout! The dynamic workout kept us at the edge of our seat the entire time.  We loved the variety.  We felt the one-hour was well spent knowing that we have maximized our time to get the most optimal workout. The training is customized based on our needs, endurance and strength.  When compared to using weight machines, we can only work on a particular body area at a time.  The partner exercises activate multiple muscle groups making the workout more comprehensive. We loved having coach Francis by our side to point out our posture whenever it needed a fix.

What else do we love about partner exercises?

They are great team building exercises.  Partner training requires us to trust the other person and rely on each other. At the end of the session, there is a sense of achievement shared by two people. We also shared a few funny moments.  One minute we could be bickering back and forth, and then trying extremely hard not to burst out laughing when Hercules accidentally kicked my chin during the partner leg toss. Then, there were times when Hercules was cheering me on so I wouldn’t give up!

Thank you Joyce and Francis for this fun experience! Continue reading to learn more about their story and how they created a gym using a no fee no membership business model.