Why You Should Not Bring Your Girl to the Gym

Let that sink in. If you bring your girl to the gym, then it's a wasted gym session my friend. I'm not talking about a girl who frequents the gym. I'm talking about a geek who doesn't like working out. For those of you whose girlfriends are crazy about gym, well good for you!

I have a very loving girlfriend. She is very supportive and takes really good care of me. We spend most of our free time hanging out with each other, and that's a good thing! We know each other well enough that we are able to build that trust and strong bond between us.

Given the nature of my job, I need to maintain a certain level of physical fitness for work. I have to drop by the gym every now and then for weight training as I don't have any equipment at home (it's probably time I went shopping). And when I informed her that I'm going to the gym, she suggested, "I can come with you! We could have a gym date", and I was like' "Why not?". We could spend time together at the gym while working out; great idea, isn't it?

She wants to go to the gym not because she wants to get in shape (perhaps she has the intention, although her actions may suggest otherwise), but rather, she just wants to be around you.

Apparently the issue isn't as small as I thought it would be. She has no idea what to do in the gym. I mean, anyone could try out all the machines and weights just for fun. But I'm not too sure if she shares the same sentiments as me; to have a proper workout.

We all know that it takes a certain kind of training regimen to achieve the desired results. We have to consider several factors such as the level of intensity, number of reps and sets, rest time, targeted muscle group, just to mention a few. But my girlfriend doesn't understand that. She started off with the seated row machine. After finishing a set of 10 reps, she decided that she wanted to do bicep curls because she felt that her biceps were too small. Again, after the first set, she jumped to the ab crunch machine. You could probably guess what happened throughout most of the remainder of the session. She jumped to lat pull down machine, the leg press machine, the dip machine, etc. And it really annoyed me.

She had always mentioned how she wished that I could train her, since I was a certified physical training instructor. And I do want to help her. Given the current situation, I tried to reason out with her, and suggested a training programme. We could target specific muscle groups, and work on them one at a time. Knowing she was insecure about her arms, I thought we should start with that. Just one type of exercise, bicep curls. For three sets of eight.

She went over to the dumbbell rack and picked up the lightest pair weighing 2kg, or 4.4lbs (she's very petite). For her first set, she managed to do 15 reps. So I told her to either double the weight, or slow down her motion so as to isolate her biceps and minimize the momentum. But she REFUSED TO LISTEN to my advice. She was whining about how heavy the 3kg dumbbells were, or how her arms ached whenever she tried to curl.

What we are trying to do is overload the targeted muscle group and form micro tears in the muscle fibers, after which, the recovery process helps our muscle to grow. We can't possibly achieve that just by comfortably carrying light weights for 15 reps. We have to increase the intensity by making the exercise more strenuous and demanding for our muscles.

I don't know how else to put it. She requested for me to train her, but when I instruct her to do something, she refuses.

At this point in time, we've already spent about 2 hours jumping back and forth between several machines, and trust me when I say this; I don't feel any "good" pains or sores on my body. I was roo busy going round trying to keep up with her and recommending her exercises and correcting her form and technique, that I didn't get to overload the targeted muscle groups and therefore, in my honest opinion, the session was a complete waste.

I hope that all of you who read this article will now be enlightened as to why you should NOT bring your girl to the gym. It's not that you don't want to spend time with her; it's just better if she doesn't come along. If she insists, then you better be prepared to take charge of the training programme before she takes over!

Yes, the session was almost completely unproductive at all. I was definitely irritated. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that I love my girlfriend less. It's a learning journey for both of us; maybe there are still things about each other that we have yet to discover.

For your information, my girlfriend used to be and athlete during her teenage days. She was a national sprinter. During one of her training sessions, the running track was wet; she slipped and fell, and suffered a fractured spine. Ever since that day her spine has been giving her back problems, and she has since cut down on physical exertion in order to prevent any further possible injuries. That's the reason why I chose to bear with her throughout the entire session, and continue guiding and teaching her as best as I can.

If you have any comments, or you want to relate your own personal experience, do post it in the comments section!