When training with a partner you are competing against them in a friendly battle to see who can lift more weight, do more reps, and be the most intense. To replicate this type of competition when training alone, you have to compete against yourself each and every workout. The previous workout you did is now your target to beat, never settling for just equaling previous records you go out to break them week after week.

The methods in which I achieve this victory effectively over my former self is by keeping an accurate training journal showing exactly how much weight I used and for how many reps. This is common practice, but to make the 'competition' exciting for myself I set myself bi-monthly and monthly goals. I have these written down for each exercise and have them attached alongside the previous weeks training in my diary. So that before attempting to reach new levels in strength on the next exercise, I refer back to the last session reinforcing what I have to do.

I also then refer to my short-term goals set for strength gains. This really 'fires me up'. In my mind I immediately start visualizing smashing past my present strength levels and being in new training highs. Everytime I achieve my short-term goals I check them off and date when I did it. This gives great satisfaction later on when constant progress is being shown. The time investment in making these goal sheets every month are well worth it and once you try it you'll do so from there on in.