The Importance of a “Swole Mate”

 In General, StoneAgeFuel

It is Valentine’s week…full of candy, cards, and looooove.  But I want to talk about a different kind of relationship today; the relationship of a Swole Mate.  

What, you may ask, is a Swole Mate?  A Swole Mate is your gym buddy for life.  It’s that person you can always count on to cheer you on, high-five you when you PR your lift, and give you a helping hand up when you eat it during a workout.  A Swole Mate can be male or female, of the same or opposite sex. You can be like-minded or a case of opposites attracting.  It is a truly platonic relationship, and not one that goes without importance.

Why is having a Swole Mate so important? There are many reasons to highlight!

  1. They hold you accountable.  If you know you have a “gym date” with your SM, you are less likely to bail out because you don’t want to disappoint them…or see that they beat your workout time while you weren’t there.
  2. It’s someone who knows the gym lingo and won’t kill you when you talk incessantly about WODs, PR’s, kilos vs pounds, and how hot Mat Fraser is.
  3. They will tell you that your form sucked during the snatch session or that you were sandbagging during the last round and you won’t punch them in the face because…you know it’s true.  
  4. You want to be better than them.  And I don’t mean it in a conceited or narcissistic way.  Healthy competition is great to help push you through mental barrier as long as you don’t take it too far and then your SM will want to punch YOU in the face.
  5. Mobility buddy! And you will always have someone to spot you.
  6. Post-workout refreshments are always better with a friend!
  7. You need SOMEONE to videotape you while doing your hang clean complex. 
  8. If you forget your preworkout or shake, your Swole Mate will always give you some of theirs.
  9. Meal prepping is easier and faster when there are two of you cooking (meal swap!).
  10.   It’s just nice to have someone to count on and know that they can count on you!

I would like to give a huge StoneAge shout out to my Swole Mate Coach Erika!  She has been there for me through the ups and downs of my training and recovery, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime!

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