Recovery between sets

paprad

So, I'm finishing my second week of the AllPro routine that Sara recommended. One of the doubts I had was about recovery. I read through a lot of pages in that thread (they locked that thread after there were 10,000 posts and I am so impressed with the man's patience in answering questions again and again! Reminded me of the good souls here on ETP!)

Anyway, he says the following in one post

First warmup set, rest 30 seconds, second warm up set, rest 1 minute, first work set, rest 1 minute 30 seconds, 2nd work set

My question :

1) what should be the rest after the second work set and starting the next exercise? the same 1 minute 30 seconds or less?

2) Also, he talked in one place of how this recovery structure impacted how the routine would work for specific benefits (as opposed to other routines with a different recovery between sets), something about ATP. I didn't understand that bit - how strictly are we to observe the recovery time? I know too little is bad because then the muscle doesn't get time to rest, and I suppose too much is bad because then you lose the warmup benefit. But is it a wide range and we should go by how the body feels? or is there a specific window we must adhere to? I use a kitchen timer and got a lot of quizzical looks in the gym that made me wonder if I was being a tad OCD, heh.

3) Rest = sitting down? walking about? if on a floor press set, can i just lie there or is that bad and I should get up?

ferocityturbine

Bump

GasnotGas

Hiya, I can only share my experience (3 months into my weightlifting routine so I'm still a noob) and the advice i have been given. It may be of some help.

Once you are warmed up take 60-90 seconds rest between sets, It was recommended I use a stop watch or buy one of those gym timer gadgets.

Personally I use this time to stretch and I also like to keep the area I'm training moving in-between sets, so for example If am performing barbell squats I will do 20 leg swings (10 each side) and stretch my shoulders and chest out.

I generally keep moving in my rest period between sets (unless I am totally wiped out )

Sarauk2sf

Tagging

DopeItUp

I don't know if Sara is going to slap me for replying but she can tell me to delete my nonesense if she wants. I think you're over thinking it a bit. Go again when you feel ready. On warm-up sets this can be 30-60 seconds since you're not really exerting yourself. On your max/PR type sets they can be 5 minutes or even longer.

SOME people shoot for very little rest and/or switch from one exercise to the other immediately. This is just keep the heart rate up for maximum cardio benefits. This is more of a circuit training type program, NOT a maximal strength type program. Some people would call this a metcon (metabolic conditioning). All depends on what you're trying to do. Obviously in this situation you'd be using much lighter weights.

So basically, it depends on what your goals are. If you're doing a strength training program, the rest periods should simply be long enough to be recovered, within reason. 30 minute rest periods would probably be silly because you'd be in the gym all day just to do a few exercises. I'm exaggerating but you see my point.

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

bumblebums

A suggestion: make a playlist for your smartphone/iPod and use songs of a certain length to time your rest breaks, if you feel weird using a stop watch or an egg timer. Or use a timer on your phone (there are apps you can get, or most likely you already have one on your phone). Then you can be just like everyone else, sitting on weight equipment fiddling with your phone

I don't stretch between lifts, since stretching temporarily weakens muscles. I learned about this ages ago while reading about yoga pose sequencing; a good teacher will arrange poses so that hamstring contractions precede hamstring stretches for example. I was glad when exercise science reporting finally caught up to this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html

Me, I just wait until my heart rate returns to normal and my muscles do not feel spent. I wouldn't time recovery breaks unless you have a tendency to procrastinate and dread the next set.

bumblebums

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

I sometimes spend my rest breaks re-racking weights that other people left in the middle of the floor. I'm like David Sedaris, who apparently walks around and picks up other people's garbage along the road in his spare time.

DopeItUp

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

I sometimes spend my rest breaks re-racking weights that other people left in the middle of the floor. I'm like David Sedaris, who apparently walks around and picks up other people's garbage along the road in his spare time.

I actually do that too. I lift late at night (9-11PMish) so the gym is usually a trainwreck. By the time I'm done with my workout it's pretty presentable

bumblebums

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

I sometimes spend my rest breaks re-racking weights that other people left in the middle of the floor. I'm like David Sedaris, who apparently walks around and picks up other people's garbage along the road in his spare time.

I actually do that too. I lift late at night (9-11PMish) so the gym is usually a trainwreck. By the time I'm done with my workout it's pretty presentable

Our gyms should pay US, not the other way around.

paprad

Thanks, GasnotGas, DopeltUp and bumblebums, for all the tips

Chief_Rocka

I don't know if Sara is going to slap me for replying but she can tell me to delete my nonesense if she wants. I think you're over thinking it a bit. Go again when you feel ready. On warm-up sets this can be 30-60 seconds since you're not really exerting yourself. On your max/PR type sets they can be 5 minutes or even longer.

SOME people shoot for very little rest and/or switch from one exercise to the other immediately. This is just keep the heart rate up for maximum cardio benefits. This is more of a circuit training type program, NOT a maximal strength type program. Some people would call this a metcon (metabolic conditioning). All depends on what you're trying to do. Obviously in this situation you'd be using much lighter weights.

So basically, it depends on what your goals are. If you're doing a strength training program, the rest periods should simply be long enough to be recovered, within reason. 30 minute rest periods would probably be silly because you'd be in the gym all day just to do a few exercises. I'm exaggerating but you see my point.

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

^that

Sarauk2sf

I don't know if Sara is going to slap me for replying but she can tell me to delete my nonesense if she wants. I think you're over thinking it a bit. Go again when you feel ready. On warm-up sets this can be 30-60 seconds since you're not really exerting yourself. On your max/PR type sets they can be 5 minutes or even longer.

SOME people shoot for very little rest and/or switch from one exercise to the other immediately. This is just keep the heart rate up for maximum cardio benefits. This is more of a circuit training type program, NOT a maximal strength type program. Some people would call this a metcon (metabolic conditioning). All depends on what you're trying to do. Obviously in this situation you'd be using much lighter weights.

So basically, it depends on what your goals are. If you're doing a strength training program, the rest periods should simply be long enough to be recovered, within reason. 30 minute rest periods would probably be silly because you'd be in the gym all day just to do a few exercises. I'm exaggerating but you see my point.

As far as what you do between your sets, do whatever you want. Go grab a drink, sit, lie down, stand, walk around, text on your phone, watch TV, interrupt other people doing their workouts, practice karaoke, whatever. Doing any kind of strenuous activity is probably a bad idea since you're supposed to be resting. Outside of that, who cares.

^that

I agree with this for strength range lifting/goals.

For hypertrophy goals, then rest periods of about 90 seconds has been shown to be preferential.

On a deficit, as any gains would be minimal for you (the OP), and really the focus is on LBM retention (and usually strength), I would not get too worried about rest periods and follow the above advice.

paprad

Thanks Sara.

SOME people shoot for very little rest and/or switch from one exercise to the other immediately. This is just keep the heart rate up for maximum cardio benefits. This is more of a circuit training type program, NOT a maximal strength type program. Some people would call this a metcon (metabolic conditioning). All depends on what you're trying to do. Obviously in this situation you'd be using much lighter weights.

I am trying to lose weight, and so you are absolutely right - on a deficit, trying to maintain LBM. Is this (above) sort of metcon approach suitable then for me? That is, can I use the recovery time to alternate squats with the floor press, and then alternate bent over rows with the overhead press? Or should I do the exercises in the order given without alternating them?

Sarauk2sf

Do not make a circuit out of them. Do them in the order laid out.

paprad

Ok, got it, thanks Sara

Sarauk2sf

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