If you've ever trained with a partner competitively, you may have experienced that the "Inside Chuckwagon" always wins.
What the heck does this mean?
Well, we take that phrase from the Calgary stampede Chuckwagon races (that's where the covered wagons are pulled by horses in a race around an oval track). It always seems like the inside chuckwagon wins the race.
And when it comes to competitive lifting events, it always seems like the guy who goes last, wins.
Take this example. A couple of months ago I was working out with my buddy, who probably doesn't want to be named here, particularly after I reveal the results of our competition - so I'll call him "LaRue".
Almost every exercise in our workout became a competition to see who could do the most reps with the same weight. And sometimes this competitive environment is good - if you don't train with a partner, you should at least always trying to get one personal best in your workout compared to last time - so if you did 25 pound dumbell presses for 8 reps last week, you should try and get 9 or 10 reps this week. Aim for one personal best each workout and you'll improve your body.
Back to our workout...LaRue and I squared off in the seated row, with it being the last exercise of the day. The challenge was one set to failure with a specific weight, that would allow quite a few reps.
And this is where the "inside chuckwagon" rule came into play. Despite LaRue being stronger, I managed to do 1 more rep than him...all because I knew what the expectations were. If I had gone first, I would have had no frame of reference as to how many reps I can do...its almost like going first puts limits on your performance. Going last allows you to see whats possible, and then you can set your mind to the task of getting 1 more rep than the competition. So the second guy to go is at an advantage.
Anyways, its always fun to train with a partner, and as long as you train within your limits, but close to them, it makes for a better experience than training alone. Always use good form, but don't let your mind put the limits on your performance.
Train safe,
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