Cringe Things My Partner and I Do at the Gym (No Regrets)

We are THAT couple. I know it. My partner knows it. The entire 6 PM crowd at our gym knows it. And I've decided to just own it because honestly? It's fun and I refuse to apologize.

Here is a comprehensive list of the cringe things we do:

1. The Matching Outfits

Not intentional! ...Anymore. It started accidentally when we both wore black and red on the same day. Someone commented. We thought it was funny. Now we have a shared Google Sheet of weekly gym outfit coordination. It's called "FitFit" and it has color codes.

Yes, I know how this sounds.

2. The Mid-Set Encouragement

When my partner is grinding through a tough rep, I don't just say "you got it." I become a full hype person. Arms up. Clapping. The occasional "LET'S GOOOOO" that echoes through the weight room. A guy once asked me to stop because it was "distracting." Sir, my partner just hit a PR. This is a celebration.

3. The Shared Shaker Bottle

One bottle. Two people. Multiple flavors mixed together because neither of us can agree on a pre-workout. Our current combo is watermelon + blue raspberry which tastes like a melted snow cone. It's romantic. It's disgusting. It's ours.

4. The Form Check That's Just Flirting

"Hey babe, can you check my squat depth?"

This is never about squat depth.

5. The Post-Workout Car Selfie

Every. Single. Time. We have 847 photos that are essentially the same image: two sweaty people in a Honda Civic looking vaguely pleased with themselves. We post maybe 1 in 50. The rest live in a folder called "gym dumps" which is the most romantic album on my phone.

6. The Competitive Everything

Last week we raced on adjacent treadmills for 20 minutes. Nobody asked us to do this. There was no prize. I won by 0.2 miles and I've mentioned it eleven times. Healthy relationship dynamics.

7. The "Just One More Set" Lie

"Ready to go?" "One more set." (45 minutes later, they're doing accessory work they definitely didn't plan.)

We both do this. We both know we both do this. We've never once left the gym when we said we would.

Why I'm Not Sorry

Look, I spent years going to the gym solo. And it was great. I love solo gym time. It's meditative, it's focused, it's peaceful.

But training with someone you love? It's a different kind of joy. It's silly and loud and yeah, it's cringe sometimes. But it's ours.

If you're part of a gym couple, embrace the cringe. Life is short. Coordinate your outfits. Share the shaker bottle. Be annoyingly supportive in public.

For more on why couples who train together are actually onto something, read Partner Workouts: Fun Exercises for Two.

And if you're single at the gym rolling your eyes at us — I get it. I was you. Give it time. 😉

GuiltyGainz and their partner have been training together for two years. Their gym's front desk staff has given up trying to enforce the "no excessive yelling" policy.