Partner-resist
These days, everyone wants strong muscles. Conventional theory holds that we've got to use weights for this purpose, but in fact, any form of resistance will stimulate increases in strength. We can use gravity, medicine balls and stretch cord. We can also use the resistance provided by other human bodies.
On one level, this method is really simple. One person acts as the "coach," the other as the "athlete." The coach provides resistance to the selected movement, usually by pushing in the opposite direction.
As a simple example, imagine an arm wrestling match. Instead of making it a polarized competition, imagine that we set up the encounter as an educational relationship. Designate one person as the athlete, the other as the coach. If you're the athlete, your objective is simply to execute the movement with power and skill. If you're the coach, your job is to provide just enough resistance so the athlete is forced to work at the desired level of intensity. That's all there is to it. You're not pumping iron, you're pumping tissue. The athlete is working against resistance, but the resistance is highly adjustable, possibly even intelligent. (If a free weight is a dumbbell, an intelligent human partner might be considered a "smartbell.")
advantages:
There are several advantages to partner resistance strength training:
First, it requires no apparatus or equipment. You can do it anywhere you have another human body.
Second, it's fun. The coach is right there with the athlete, providing motivation and heckling as necessary. (And, later, when you switch roles, you get a chance to payback the favor.)
Third, the coach also gets a workout. Providing resistance is just as much work as doing the actual movement, sometimes more so. (In the language of biomechanics, the "coach" is doing eccentric, lengthening contractions. This is a vital part of a complete movement repertoire.)
Fourth, this method allows an infinite variety of adjustments, many of which would be impossible otherwise, even with the most sophisticated apparatus. The "coach" can make subtle adjustments throughout the stroke of the movement, using more or less resistance as desired. All movements can be tailored precisely to the athlete's needs. This is ideal for refining difficult movments or for targeted rehabilitation.
squats and lunges
One easy way to learn this partner-resist technique is to do a few simple squats or lunges. The athlete assumes the stance and the coach stands behind, with hands on the athlete's shoulders. The down phase of the movement is conventional, but on the way up, the coach simply applies whatever amount of resistance seems appropriate. Obviously, you can only provide so much; this is no substitute for heavy squats with the bar. But even a few pounds of "weight" can provide a useful challenge for the athlete. And, you can play with it by weighting the shoulders unevenly, adding rotational forces or changing the timing.
bulldozers
Another simple example is a game called bulldozers. At first, this looks like a basic pushing match. Square off with your partner and put your hands on his or her shoulders, but instead of pushing competitively, set up an athlete-coach relationship. The coach provides just enough resistance to slow the athlete down as he pushes across the room. For his part, the athlete simply pushes as hard as possible. When you get to the other side of the room or play area, it's time to switch roles; the coach becomes the athlete and vice versa. This game has some great variations. Face-to-face is the basic version, but you can also turn around and go back-to-back or side-to-side. In any case, your legs will burn.
challenges:
There are a couple of challenges to partner-resistance training. First, it requires a "coach" who is has some degree of physical sensitivity and enough assertiveness to take charge of the process. If your coach simply locks down or pushes back indiscriminately, you won't learn much about the character of the movement. What you really want is someone who can provide finely-graded resistance to the movement. This requires attention and experience.
Partner resistance training works best when the coach and the athlete are fairly well matched in overall size and strength. Nevertheless, it is still possible to train with partners of different size and strength levels. If the coach is weaker than the athlete, this presents an apparent problem. But if you're clever, you can figure out ways to handicap the more powerful person, or to buttress the weaker. Destabilize the stronger person with wobble boards or by imposing limitations on his movement. Or, you might allow the weaker person to use both hands to provide resistance. Or, you might even gang up, using two coaches to provide resistance for one burly athlete. This doesn't always work however, and you may have to switch partners or choose another movement.
physical education
Be advised that this training method is not for everyone. It demands a certain level of maturity and a high level of attention. Children are likely to get distracted. Adults with a hyper-competitive attitude are likely to have trouble and may make poor coaches.
In any case, the potential for this method is enormous. As we learn more about human movement, we can train one another for higher levels of sophistication. This process becomes particularly interesting with multi-plane, core abdominal movements. (Try it with woodchops!) There is also great potential here for physical therapy and injury rehabilitation. A good coach may recognize that a certain movement or a certain part of a movement is weak and provide resistance accordingly. The beauty of this approach is that not only does the patient benefit, so does the therapist coach.
