Bootcamp for Couples: Partner Drills and Childcare Tips

When did you and your partner last spend an hour together that was not about bins, bedtimes or who is picking up from after-school club? For a lot of parents I coach, the honest answer is “I can’t remember.” That is one reason a bootcamp for couples works so well. You get fitter, you laugh at each other’s lunges, and for 45 minutes you are on the same team rather than passing each other in the hallway. Here is how couples can make the most of training together, the partner drills I use, and how to sort the childcare so you can actually get out of the door.

Why training together helps (and when it doesn’t)

The obvious upside is accountability. It is much harder to skip a class when your partner is already putting their trainers on. You also share the same “language” afterwards, so you can remind each other about posture at the sink or do a few squats together while the pasta boils.

There are a few things to watch out for, though:

• Different starting points. One of you may be fitter, stronger or more confident. That is fine in a scaled class, as long as nobody turns it into a competition.
• Coaching each other. Leave the form corrections to the coach. Nothing ruins a workout faster than “You’re doing it wrong, love.”
• Same goals, different needs. One might want to build strength, the other to manage back pain. A small class can handle both because each person gets their own options.

In my classes there is a maximum of 10 people, and every exercise has an easier and harder option, so a couple who are miles apart in fitness can work side by side and both get a proper session.

Partner drills from a bootcamp for couples

Here are some of the partner drills I like. You can do them in class or at home in the living room.

1. “You go, I go” squats and plank. One partner holds a plank while the other does 10 squats. Swap. 4 rounds. The fitter one does not get extra rest, they just do the harder squat option.
2. Pad work. One holds the pads, the other throws a jab-cross combo for 30 seconds. Swap. Holding pads properly is a workout in itself for the shoulders and core.
3. Medicine ball chest pass. Stand 2 to 3 metres apart and pass a light ball back and forth, 20 passes each. Step closer if you keep dropping it.
4. Plank high-fives. Face each other in a plank (on knees if needed) and alternate high-fives. 20 total, keeping hips still.
5. Sit-up pass. Sit facing each other, feet touching. Both do a sit-up and pass a ball at the top. 3 sets of 10.
6. Band-resisted march. One partner holds a long resistance band around the other’s waist while they march forward against it. 20 seconds each, 3 rounds.

If you want ideas for doing this at home on the nights you cannot get out, my post on couples workouts has a full routine.

Pad work is one of the best things for couples, because it is fun, it burns off stress and you have to communicate. Our SYP Box Fit beginner boxing class uses pads and has no sparring, so nobody gets hit in the face, however annoying they were that morning.

Juggling childcare so you can both attend

This is the real barrier for most parents. Here are the options I have seen work for couples in North London:

• Grandparents or family. If they are nearby, a weekly “gran slot” while you both train is a gift for everyone.
• A babysitter swap. Team up with another couple from school or nursery. You mind their kids one week, they mind yours the next.
• A teenage babysitter. Plenty of older teens are happy with a couple of hours of pocket money for watching a film with your kids.
• School or nursery hours. If either of you works flexibly, a daytime class while the kids are in school can work.
• Tag-team weeks. If you can’t find childcare, alternate. One of you comes on Tuesday, the other on Thursday, and you train together at home at the weekend. Not the same as side by side, but it keeps both of you going.

The timetable is sent when you book, so you can look at the slots together and work out which fits your family. For more ways to carve out time, read my guide on how to find time to exercise as a busy parent.

Keeping it fun and fair

A few simple rules I give couples who start together:

• Celebrate each other’s wins, not just your own. Notice when they lift a heavier kettlebell or finish the round without stopping.
• No comparing numbers. Different bodies, different histories, different jobs.
• Book a “date” after class. Even a coffee at a cafe on the way home makes the evening feel like time together, not just exercise.
• Be honest about bad days. If one of you is shattered, it is fine to come and take the easier options, or for one of you to skip and the other to go.

Training as a pair also fits nicely with what I wrote about the benefits of small group training. You get the coaching of a small session with the energy of a group, and you bring your own built-in teammate.

FAQs

Is it a good idea to work out with your partner?

For most couples, yes. It improves consistency and gives you shared time. It works best when you are in a coached class, so neither of you has to be the “trainer”.

What if my partner is much fitter than me?

That is very common. In a scaled class you both do the same exercise at different levels, so you train together without one holding the other back.

Do couples have to pair up for every exercise?

No. Some drills are in pairs, but most of the class is individual work. If you prefer to train next to each other rather than with each other, that is fine.

Can we bring our kids?

Classes are for adults, so please message me first if you are thinking about this. If childcare is the problem, the tag-team approach above is a good fallback.

Book your first class

Ready to give it a go as a pair? SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, with a maximum of 10 people, all fitness levels welcome and £15 a class each. The timetable is sent when you book. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you would like sessions that are just the two of you, have a look at partner personal training in Archway.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.