Training Tips for the One-Man Wolfpack

Training alone isn't an ideal situation for any lifter no matter what the goals are. There are certain aspects of training with a group of people that you just can't duplicate on your own. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have available though—yourself. If getting a crew together to train is out of the question, there are things you can do to make training on your own suck a little bit less. I’ll even give you a few insights on how you can find a crew to train with at the end of the article.

First things first—if you train solo, know your limits. If the fourth rep of your set was a grind and you're unsure if you’ll get the fifth, just leave it at that. If the car’s out of gas, you get out and walk. It’s better to feel like you had more left in you than to drop the bar on your face because you tried to tough it out.

The next thing you need to do is learn how to fail safely. Think of it as a fire drill. You need to practice what you’ll do if you get stuck on a lift before it happens for real. Know your escape route. If possible, do as much as you can in a power cage that has safety spotters. Set the pins up for the bench just low enough so that you can touch but high enough so that if you dump the bar on your face the pins will catch it. For the squat, set the pins up so that they're a few inches under the bar when you're at depth. Then you need to decide whether you will abandon the bar by dumping it forward or backward. This will most likely be determined by your weak points. If you read the paragraph above, failing shouldn’t be an issue. But I know firsthand that sometimes our egos can get the best of us. If you're going to fail, do it safely.

When I'm training by myself at the gym, I always pre-screen people based on what they're doing to see if I can trust them to spot me on a heavier set. I certainly won’t put my life in the hands of “Johnny Guns” wearing a backward hat and a beater doing biceps curls six inches away from the mirror and trying to count veins in his arm.

Another thing you need to do if you're a gym loner is learn how to film and analyze yourself. Football players know that the day after their games are usually spent watching film and getting chewed out by their coaches over missed assignments. You need to do the same thing to yourself. Pick apart your form in slow motion. Watch the same clip over and over until you notice patterns in your technique. If you notice that your knees shoot in coming out of the hole, make a note of this and concentrate on ducking your toes out more when you set yourself up.

Along the same lines of analyzing your form is giving yourself coaching cues. This is tough for someone who isn't used to doing so, but it's an important part of getting the most out of your training. Before each set, you should visualize what you need to do. If you're trying to work on your technique, focus on one cue for each set. Don’t try to focus on everything at once because you won’t get anything done and you’ll probably end up dropping a bar on your face.

The most important and most difficult thing that you need to master if you train by yourself is motivation. This was one of the biggest differences that I noticed with a lack of training partners. There wasn't anyone there to get in my face if I was having an off day. There was no one to fire me up before a big attempt. It all had to come from inside. After a while, you will learn how to take everything negative in your life, store it in a dark place inside you, and release it before a big lift. If all of that isn’t enough, try watching these two videos before you train. If you aren't fired up after watching them, you’re probably dead.

If you're looking to find training partners and are unsure of how to go about it, the next section of the article is geared toward helping you figure it out. There are tons of ways to find people to train with. You just have to know where to look.

My first suggestion to you is to compete in a local powerlifting meet, preferably in your home state. Everyone in your area interested in and competing in powerlifting will probably be there. Go compete, have fun, and, most importantly, make connections. Talk to everyone there if you can about lifting, where they train, and if you can go train with them. I’m willing to bet the farm that not one person there will turn you down. You may have to do some grunt work at first (i.e. loading bars, cleaning up if it’s a private place), but it's 100 percent worth it for the knowledge you’ll gain and the environment you’ll be in.

The next thing you could do is try posting on powerlifting forums and try to find someone to train with that way. It’s kind of like internet dating but less embarrassing if your friends find out.

The last thing I’ll suggest is just put a comment at the bottom of the article with your general location. There are probably a lot of people reading this who are in a similar situation. It’s kind of a shot in the dark, but it’s better than doing nothing at all.

The most important thing to remember when you find a crew to smash the weights with is contribute something to the group. If you show up and soak up all of their knowledge and get their chalk all over their gym without bringing anything to the table, how long do you think they’ll want you around? My guess is not very long. Even something as small as a bottle of protein, a fresh set of elitefts™ bands, or a case of beer will go a long way in building a mutually beneficial relationship for everyone. Just don’t bring any pizza or bagels. Planet Fitness already cornered the market on bringing junk food to the gym.