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The His and Hers Workout to Do With Your Significant Other

Give this couple's workout a try to build muscle while spending a little extra time with that special someone.

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  • 7 days

  • 39

  • Yes

Couple Working Out With Barbells
Anna Bizon / Getty
Couple Working Out With Barbells
Anna Bizon / Getty

For those of you in relationships, this workout program will serve as an intimacy-builder. Not presently attached? Getting fit quick can serve to remedy that. Got someone in your sights? Invite them to share this workout with you for a few weeks to see if any sparks fly.

This workout calls for you and your sweetheart to hit the iron together, allowing you to share in the work, not just the rewards.

By training together, which is not always common, couples get to spend a little extra time together. Since one person is usually more into working out than the other, this also allows the less enthusiastic person to share in something that’s very important to the other. Worst-case scenario is that both parties end up getting fitter and leaner. Best case is that they become permanent workout partners.

This program contains two dedicated workouts—a push day and a pull day—that couples can do together to build muscle and burn fat but it is bolstered by days that call for individual, detail-oriented work. The program includes gender-specific workouts that address areas of greater concern for each: guys will do a little extra work for arms, while gals will tackle a few more moves for their hips and glutes.

An optional “challenge day,” replete with both high-intensity and static moves, is presented to add a little friendly competition to the weekly schedule.

The Sweetheart Split

Day Workout
1 Partner Training: Pull
2 Partner Training: Push
3 Rest
4 Individual Training
5 Rest
6 Optional Challenge
7 Rest

 

Notes:

  • For the pull day, push day, and ladies-only workouts, do not rest between exercises in a superset. Rest 60 secs between sets and supersets.
  • For the pull day and push day workouts, both partners work during each superset—one performs one move while one performs the other, then they switch. Rest 30 secs between sets of prone cobras.
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Routine

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Pull Day

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 2 of 39

Lat Pulldown

Equipment
Adjustable Cable Machine, Lat Pulldown Bar
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
60 sec
Exercise 3 of 39

Kettlebell Swing

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
4
Reps
15
Rest
--
Don’t squat excessively. Keep your back straight and make it more of a “bend” at the hips, focusing on extension at the hip.
Exercise 5 of 39

Lying Hamstring Curl

Equipment
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
--
Keep your toes pointed out.
Exercise 6 of 39

Face Pull

Equipment
Adjustable Cable Machine, Rope Attachment
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
60 sec

Push Day

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 10 of 39

1¼ Barbell Squat

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
--
How to
Squat down then come up ¼ of the way and pause for two seconds. Drop down to the bottom once more and squat all the way to the top position. This constitutes one rep.
Exercise 12 of 39

Dumbbell Step-Up

Equipment
Bench, Box, Dumbbells
Sets
4
Reps
8*
Rest
--
*Each leg. Do all reps for one leg before switching sides.
Exercise 14 of 39

Barbell Split Squat

Equipment
Barbell, Squat Rack
Sets
4
Reps
8*
Rest
--
*Each leg. Elevate front foot on low platform (about 4 inches). Allow your front knee to extend past your toe on each rep. Do all reps for one leg before switching.

Ladies-Only Day

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 18 of 39

Swiss Ball Hip Extension

Equipment
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
--

Men's Only Day

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Equipment
Bench, EZ-Bar
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.
Equipment
Bench, EZ-Bar
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.
Exercise 26 of 39

Skull Crusher

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.
Equipment
Bench, Dumbbells
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.
Equipment
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.
Equipment
Bench, Dumbbells
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
as needed*
How to
*Rest as much as necessary to adjust the angle on the bench. Use the same weight for each angle.

Optional Challenge Day

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 33 of 39

Kettlebell Swing

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
3
Reps
20
Rest
--
Choose a kettlebell that makes for a challenging 20 reps. If you hit failure before 20, you should try a lighter kettlebell next time through.
Exercise 34 of 39

Wall Ball

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
3
Reps
10
Rest
--
Select a ball that allows for 10 explosive reps. For safety, choose a softer ball with less bounce.
Exercise 36 of 39

Farmer’s Walk

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
100 meters
Rest
--
Select as heavy a weight as possible that allows you to complete 100 meters. If you have to rest ahead of that distance, use a slightly lower weight. If in a more confined space, simply take as many laps as necessary to approximate 100 meters.
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