The Power of the Workout Partner

I head over to the SDSU ARC to play pickup five-on-five on a regular basis. I enjoy it because it's a great way to get some exercise and also capitalize on the mental challenge of working with a team, seeing the entire floor and reacting, etc. Also, I like to fancy myself a decent rebounder. So there.

I've noticed something really interesting the more I play. After a certain amount of time, a mutual respect develops between the guys I see there a lot. We protect one another, call fouls for one another, have more fun when we play together. In short we push one another and get pushed back. It got me thinking about how important it can be to have someone to motivate you when you're working out, lifting, playing sports, running, etc - and how much more you can achieve when it happens. 

There's no question that the group mentality takes hold at my boot camps, when I've participated in grueling Crossfit workouts, and as I've fought through marathons. It's easy to see and even easier to feel when you're a part of it.

The lesson to be learned here? Find someone who shares your passion for working out - whatever it is - and work WITH that person. Motivate them, have them motivate you, drive to never let them down and encourage them to do the same. You'll find you are much more inclined to get out there and do your workout, etc.

Who's your workout partner? How does he or she motivate you? How do you motivate them?

Tony Horton Wants Your Muscles to be Confused

I love some of the crazy, yelling commercials that tout MUSCLE CONFUSION!!! But it's only because I think over-the-top advertising is humorous. In all seriousness, Tony Horton and P90x have created a lot of awareness for this relatively new philosophy, which is, if nothing else, interesting.

I knew MUSCLE CONFUSION!!! was gaining steam, but it wasn't until an article hit the front page of Yahoo! Sunday that I knew it had really gone mainstream. Check it out if you're curious how it works, etc.  It's a pretty good/general overview that can inform you quickly.

My take? I'm on board with whatever someone likes/finds motivating/uses to achieve results. And I can definitely get behind something that is generally rooted in the philosophy of changing things up/keeping the muscles "guessing" to prevent plateauing while increasing performance.

I will say that it appears to be a bit "faddy" to me, but that doesn't mean it can't work for you. I know a good buddy who has lost quite a bit of weight and swears by it. I also know that Crossfit applies many similar principles and is incredibly popular/challenging. At the very least, check it out if you are looking for a way to shake things up and continue to push your resistance training to elevated levels.

What do you think? Do you have any experience with P90x? Or other things rooted in "MUSCLE CONFUSION!?!"