Solo vs. group training?

Is it better to exercise/train with other people or by yourself?  In my mind, this is an invalid question because you should be doing both.

Many people find that having a running partner or a “workout buddy” helps them to stay motivated.  A partner can provide encouragement and conversation.  The danger, however, is that you and your partner go to the gym and spend 50 minutes chit-chatting and only 10 minutes exercising, or the pace of your run is slowed to accommodate your conversation.  I would suggest that if your partner is there to provide relief from the drudgery of your workout, you may want to reconsider how you’re working out.

 Better, surely, to integrate your partner (or group) into your training.  Some forms of dance and martial arts require this.  My new favorite, however, comes from Exuberant Animal and involves using your partners to provide resistance:

Pretty incredible stuff.  I consider myself to be in good shape and I was amazed at how challenging some of these activities were.  I strongly encourage you to integrate some of these concepts into your practice.  For those of you in New England, Exuberant Animal is holding a weekend seminar just outside of New York City on March 6-7.  Information can be found here.

So why train alone? 

In a word; Clarity.  When you are by yourself, you can fully tune into your body and your environment.  You can feel everything.  Exercise becomes meditative.

This is particularly true of any skill based form of training.  With martial arts and parkour (dance too, I imagine) the challenge is 90% mental.  When you are standing on a ledge looking at a jump, you may know that you are physically capable of making it, but it is still a tremendous challenge to take the leap.  Training partners, through their encouragement, cajoling, or just their very presence, provide a buffer between you and your self-doubt that is comforting and allows you to overcome many challenges.  However, when you are alone and there is nothing standing between you and your fear, making that jump feels twice as satisfying because it is wholly yours.

Last night, around 10 PM, I was filled with a sudden restless desire to go out and train.  I strapped on my shoes and spent the next two hours running and climbing my way through UNC’s campus.  There were still a few people out, but I largely had run of the place.  The darkness and the harsh florescent streetlights had turned the campus into an alien world and there was a strange energy in the air.  Everything felt new again.  I trained like a maniac until I was completely exhausted.  It was an experience I could not have had with other people.  But, at the same time, I cannot wait to take my training group to some of the new places I discovered so we can help each other improve and enjoy each other’s company.



Comments

[Josh]

Great post Colin! Don't get too wiped out! You know Seby has some new moves up his sleeve for this weekend!