There are two questions that I get asked all the time. The first is, "How important is a great training partner for maximum training intensity and gains?" The second is, "Who do you consider to be the best training partner you have ever trained with?" The answers to these questions overlap 
significantly. Without a doubt, the heaviest and most intense workouts I can recall were with Jason Marcovici. We first met in 1995 and it was a match made in iron heaven. We were introduced by the person that I had been training with at the time. Don't tell Jason but I was really excited to meet him at the time because I was a fan of his since he turned pro a few years earlier. I had also seen him compete on the pro stage a few times and he was very impressive.
Jason and I were both into heavy, basic, power bodybuilding and we matched up perfectly. After a few workouts, it became apparent that we would make great training partners. Not only that, but our personalities matched up very well and we pushed each other to limits that were ungodly. Jason was the most tenacious, intense and powerful training partner the future Kovacian could find. He was always extremely punctual, intense, powerful and competitive. Every workout, we pushed each other to the max - using poundages that bordered on unbelievable. In fact, they were so unbelievable that Ronnie Coleman himself wouldn't believe it.
That M1-Tank of a man, Jason, witnessed some of my Kovacian feats of strength. What was awesome about Jason was that he was never too far behind me in poundage. You might ask yourself, "Well, Greg, why is that so awesome?" Jason was 5'7" and weighed in at an off-season weight of 275 pounds. Comparatively, I weighed over 400 pounds. At that time, Jason was one of the strongest pound-for-pound bodybuilders in the sport. Again, training with him was like training with an M-1 Tank. No matter what you threw at the guy, he just rolled right through it.
Short limbs and heavy dumbbells are always hilarious - and awkward. Jason had short limbs and loved heavy dumbbells. Let me explain with the tale of the dumbbell sandwich. One day, an enormous Kovacian and a M-1 Tank were working shoulders and doing dumbbell shoulder presses. I went up to the 200 pound dumbbells as usual and I cracked out a solid 6 reps. Then I heard the rumbling of Jason behind me; jacked up and ready to crush some heavy weight. He grabs the 170 pound dumbbells off the rack and sits down on the upright bench. I remember thinking to myself that my arms were pretty long and I found the 200 pound dumbbells pretty awkward. Keep in mind, the 200 pounders had 10 plates on each side of the handle and were really long dumbbells. Anyway, this Manimal powers up the 170 pound dumbbells and as he was lowering the dumbbells, his head was being sandwiched by the dumbbells! Like I said, short limbs plus heavy dumbbells are always hilarious. Being the stone-cold, determined guy that Jason was, he decided to angle the dumbbells on an arc that cleared his head. Not only was it infinitely more difficult, he still managed to do reps with them!
Jason was also an integral component to my victory when I prepared to earn my pro card. If there was one thing Jay was, and still is, is honest. He gracefully donated his honesty to me as I prepared for the show. His honesty in accurately assessing my physique throughout my diet was invaluable. I should mention that he took full advantage of still being in off-season mode when we would go to the gym. Since my strength was decreasing, he took that chance to match me in poundages. He would push me to keep my poundages up. He would look at me with a grin on his face and say, "Hey Greg, I'm using the same weights as you are. I thought you were supposed to be the strongest bodybuilder in the world?" It was friendly kidding around and competition like that that kept a fire under my ass to keep pushing. The feeling of camaraderie with Jason made me feel like I was training back at Gold's Gym during the 70s. It was unforgettable.
On that note, I strongly believe that a good training partner(s) is fantastic for training to your maximum potential. Personally, I haven't had a training partner for years and it really sucks at times. It can be difficult to train maximally without a good spot on a heavy lift or without someone there to push you. Good training partners are built on a symbiotic - give and take - relationship. You spot your partner, your partner spots you. You help motivate your partner, your partner helps motivate you. A lot of pro's, or aspiring pro's, have a trainer to push them and spot them. Honestly, it just isn't the same. A good training partner is there for you and not for your money. I mean, when was the last time you went out for steaks with your trainer after a brutal leg session where you both are exhausted? Never. Plus, I always felt strange having someone just waiting around for you to do your next set. Now before you guys go off the deep end, I am not saying that trainers are a bad thing. One other point before we wrap this puppy up, not many people can afford having a trainer everyday of the week. Training partner's are free and benefit you as much as you do them.
There are a few cons to having a training partner though. Some guys have lives or schedules that preclude them from having a training partner. Further, some guys can't match weights/intensity, don't ever show up on time to train, cancel workouts or they bring their personal problems into the weight room. That is a huge no no. These are basically traits of bad training partners. Find a good one and you won't have to deal with that non-sense. Sometimes you are better off to train alone than with a bad training partner. Lately, that is why I have been opting to go it alone.
In summation, I would like to publicly thank my friend Jason Marcovici for being an integral part of formulating my pro career. I will always be grateful for all the support he graciously gave to me inside and outside the gym. Those were great, hardcore times and I will always remember and cherish them. Maybe someday soon we can start blasting again like in the old days. Maybe this time we go a little lighter and smarter, eh Marcovici? Alright, that's it for this week, tune in next week for another stirring edition of The Kovacian. Same Kovacian time, same Kovacian channel.
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