2 People doing STS at the same time

[KLETCO]

So, I'm 2 weeks in to STS (I do disc 6 tonight) and my boyfriend has been watching me and has decided that he wants to do STS also. Now, I'm totally thrilled, but I have some questions. I'm going to finish out meso 1 and then restart meso 1 after my week off, which I don't think should cause me any real issues (and might be totally beneficial!).

My question is for folks who work out with their SO at the same time. How do you manage? Do you have 2 sets of dumbbells and 2 sets of barbells? Do you switch off? What's your stragegy?

 

[jrock]

My sister-in-law and I are doing this together and we each have our own weight sets. It would be a long workout if you had to switch plus, you would be resting too long in between exercises.

 

[orphylea]

DH and I are doing it at the same time without any problems. For upper body work, we use different weights and haven't both needed the same dumbbells at the same time. He's a guy so he is lifting heavier. We do have two barbells, though. For legs, he can barely manage to use any weights at all (ha!). It's really fun to have a partner for the duration- enjoy!

 

[marnold]

My DH and I started STS together and have had so much fun. We are into Mesocycle 2 now. As for equipment, for our anniversary he gave me a dumbbell set which is adjustable (you slide a button to the weight selection you want). It was the best gift EVER! Now we are able to workout together without fighting for the bigger weighted dumbbell. Good luck to you!

 

[mdbecky]

DH and I did P90X together. We had 2 separate barbells. He used heavier dumbell weights so that never was an issue.

 

[jsutera]

That's funny, my hubby and I are doing STS together but not at the same time. I think it would get too complicated, at least for us. He works out at night while I cook dinner on his STS days and I work out in the morning so it works out very well.

BTW, Cathe - if you see this, I thought you'd love to hear that my hubby is LOVING meso 2 even more than me. You should see him flexing in the mirror at night, he's very pleased with himself

 

[kathryn]

I would assume that you would use different weights, so you could use the same weight set.

The only problem might be if you have only one barbell, but in that case, one of you could use dumbbells (or switch off) or you could buy another bar (without necessarily having to use buy more plates).

In Meso 3, using one barbell wouldn't be a problem, IMO, as one of you could spot as the other works, which would still give you a rest period.

 

[patchworkpenguin]

Hubby and I are doing STS at the same time. We had to buy him a barbell set of his own because my little 100lb wasn't going to be enough for him!!! He's new to exercise but has a physically demanding job so he is much stronger than someone who doesn't exercise. Meso 1 wasn't kind to him because he was learning the exercises, hadn't done the 1RM so it was a guessing game, and the short rests didn't help! I made him do the 1RM during the rest week. {he used my barbell set at my SQUAT weight for bench presses!}

Now that he has done the 1RM he has a better idea of his weights/capabilities and is going much heavier than I could, so we don't fight over weights anymore!

We do fight over space! Poor Hubby has migrated into the dining room {8 foot opening between the living and dining rooms} while I get the majority of the living room. Meso 1 I used the stab ball as a chair/weight bench and he used my step but I thought I would be safer not using a barbell on the stab ball {!} and am using the floor. For certain exercises we spot for each other.

 

[regina]

My husband and I have enjoyed doing STS together. We completed Meso 2 -week three yesterday. We have dumbbells from 3 lbs to 100 lbs. We also have several bars and many different weights of olympic weight plates. We have really enjoyed working together. For us, meso one was more demanding than meso two, although both meso cycles thus far have challenged us. We also have two incline/decline workout benches.

 

[MsTara]

My fiance is doing STS with me. We're doing the 3.5 rotation and we just finished Meso 1.

We do have two of everything as we don't use the same weights. He can lift much, much heavier than I can. We do have duplicates of 8, 10, 12, and 15 dumbbells, however. We also have two barbells, two mats, two pull-up bars, two sets of bands, 2 sets of tubing, 2 stability balls, etc. If we had to switch off or take turns, the workout is going to take much longer and we also don't want that long of a rest period.

We didn't get all this equipment just to do STS though. We've had it since we moved in together. We love to work out both at home and in the gym so it was a wise investment--something we'd be using with or without the STS program itself.

If the equipment is just going to be used for STS or your SO isn't going to workout with you afterwards or keep going with a workout regimen, I can't see why switching off would be a problem, especially if you don't have the money to go out and buy new equipment.

So, I'm 2 weeks in to STS (I do disc 6 tonight) and my boyfriend has been watching me and has decided that he wants to do STS also. Now, I'm totally thrilled, but I have some questions. I'm going to finish out meso 1 and then restart meso 1 after my week off, which I don't think should cause me any real issues (and might be totally beneficial!).

My question is for folks who work out with their SO at the same time. How do you manage? Do you have 2 sets of dumbbells and 2 sets of barbells? Do you switch off? What's your stragegy?

 

[KLETCO]

Hmm, I think he needs to do his 1RM first so we can judge exactly how much we're going to be overlapping. I have the little set that Cathe has, but I can see that he might not have enough weight for that set (since it has an 80 pound max). Maybe we can get another barbell set. I think with dumbbells it might not be an issue - he SHOULD be lifting more than me.

 

[Pearlstrand]

My question is for folks who work out with their SO at the same time. How do you manage? Do you have 2 sets of dumbbells and 2 sets of barbells? Do you switch off? What's your stragegy?

DH and I are doing STS together. We have two sets of dumbbells up to 15 lbs. After that, we continue up to 50 lbs. with one set. It isn't an issue because he and I rarely need the same weight at the same time at those heavier weights.

I have two barbells. He does pull-ups on the giant weight machine that he insisted we buy. (At least it's getting some use!) I do modified pull-ups on a BodyBar that is placed on a Valor squat stand.

We do have two steps and lots of risers, but we also have an adjustable weight bench so he uses that while I use the step. We also have two stability balls and several bands (some duplicates, some not).

If your boyfriend is going to do the workout with you, it really would be easiest to have duplicates of the things you'll both need at the same time; otherwise, you won't be able to get the most out of the workout and taking turns would make the workout take twice as long!

How likely is your boyfriend to stick with STS? I wouldn't run out and spend a ton of money on extra equipment if he isn't going to stay with the program. We already had most of the equipment so we didn't have to buy much.

Frankly, I never thought DH would do more than a couple of STS workouts before giving up, but we finish Mesocycle 1 tomorrow!

 

[KLETCO]

"
How likely is your boyfriend to stick with STS? I wouldn't run out and spend a ton of money on extra equipment if he isn't going to stay with the program. We already had most of the equipment so we didn't have to buy much."


Honestly, not that sure. But, the good news is that I Have a lot of duplicate equipment already just from how long I've been doing videos - I've upgraded several times. I have both a Cathe high step AND a Firm Fanny Lifter, I have a Reebok Full Sized Step AND The Step full sized step. I have 2 balance balls, although the old one I don't trust quite as much as the new one (might have to modify there?). It's really just the weights that are the major issue, I think. I've been using a giant weight machine for my chinups/pullups, but he says he wants to get a pullup bar anyway, and I think it's pretty minor (he also said he is comfortable doing pullups on the I-beam in the basement... whatever... LOL).