I'm so awkward at the gym... rest periods.

LemonMint6

So I've recently started Stronglifts 5x5 (yay!) So I'm still at the bar and tiny weights, and for squats it's not hard for me... So during my "rest" period I feel like such a tool. I'm just standing doing nothing, in the squat rack... I look at my timer, it's been... 30 seconds.

I feel like someone there must be thinking, "Hey, girl, I love your 'stand there and do nothing' workout, with 15 seconds of movement, no really niiice."

Anyways, if I don't really need the whole 90 seconds, can I reduce it?

Jo2926

No one is thinking anything. Honest. They are too busy getting on with their own exercise, so don't worry.

I don;t know about cutting the rest period down - but if you feel you don;t need it are you lifting heavy enough to really push yourself? (Honest question as I have never done the workout you are following)

Ilovevwgolf

Work at your own pace..don't worry about what other people might/might not think and always remember the one person you need to impress is yourself...Take as much time you need to rest..it's your body and everybody's rest time is different. Good Luck.

RunDoozer

No one is thinking anything. Honest. They are too busy getting on with their own exercise, so don't worry.

I don;t know about cutting the rest period down - but if you feel you don;t need it are you lifting heavy enough to really push yourself? (Honest question as I have never done the workout you are following)

She probably isn't yet. Stronglifts has you starting of really slow to perfect form. But it quickly increases and she will be lifting a lot heavier soon so increasing on her own isn't really adviseable.

I know how you feel OP. I feel the same way. It's best for you to take the full 90 seconds if for nothing else just to get used to standing there during your rest period. Pretty soon as the weights get heavier you will be standing there for 3-5 minutes at a time. A lot of the sets I'm doing right now require me to take 5 mins or I won't finish the set. I feel kind of rediculous standing around for 5 mins doing only 5 reps then standing around for another 5 makes me feel like a tool sometimes. But I know I wouldn't complete some of my sets if I didn't. Honestly I am on my phone most of the time in between sets either texting or on mfp just put my head down and ignore everyone else. I feel awkward looking around trying to find something to look at for 5 mins. That said I love stronglifts and this is just a minor annoyance well worth the results.

crobl

Just a thought - spend that time stretching. That's what I do during my rest periods!! And, if you're worried about looking awkward, it definitely gives you something to do. Personally I don't care how I look - I just like stretching!

wolfgate

When I started Stronglifts, I did exactly what you said. I could do the sets, with form, on a much shorter interval. So I cut down on the rest period. Wasn't long before I wanted the whole 90 seconds. If you're not compromising your ability to learn and correctly do the exercises, I see no problem with shorter rest.

Gallowmere1984

When I started Stronglifts, I did exactly what you said. I could do the sets, with form, on a much shorter interval. So I cut down on the rest period. Wasn't long before I wanted the whole 90 seconds. If you're not compromising your ability to learn and correctly do the exercises, I see no problem with shorter rest.

Pretty much this. The only time I ever wait more than about 1 min. between sets is if I am going for a PR single on something. I don't think I ever wait more than 30-45 sec. between squat sets, for example, when I am under normal (70-85%) workload.

ETA: this is a personal preference thing. To me, if I can put in the exact same amount of work in less time than I did yesterday, then I have increased my efficiency, and likely done a bit to help my conditioning as well.

BackTatJIM

Wait there are other people at the gym when I go? I don't look around and see what other people are doing. Assuming most people go to the gym to workout , then they are not looking at you. When I am looking to pull a heavy dead lift or do heavy squats I take as much time as I need between sets. Sometimes well over a minute.

farsteve

There is a lifting process called "Supersetting". Supersetting consists of doing one set of lifts and then doing an entirely different set of lifts involving different muscle groups. The most obvious supersetting group would probably be bench press supersetted with seated rows. Do your bench, do the row and then rest the prescribed amount between sets. Repeat until you have completed all sets.

Now it does not have to be bench and row, it could be deadlift and curls or squat and overhead press. It saves a lot of time if you do your entire routine in this manner but if you can only superset once or twice during a routine, you still come out ahead.

If you are lifting heavy you are going to need a minute or so between sets to allow your muscles to recover so you can do the next heavy set. And what everyone else has said above, no one is going to notice how long you take between set (unless you're doing curls in the squat rack).

Jo2926

She probably isn't yet. Stronglifts has you starting of really slow to perfect form. But it quickly increases and she will be lifting a lot heavier soon so increasing on her own isn't really adviseable.

Thank you!

meshashesha2012

Just a thought - spend that time stretching. That's what I do during my rest periods!! And, if you're worried about looking awkward, it definitely gives you something to do. Personally I don't care how I look - I just like stretching!

actually when you're weight lifting, especially when you're lifting close to your max which is what you would eventually be doing with strong lifts, stretching between sets is counterproductive.
when you lift, you are doing work by contracting the muscle. that makes the muscle stronger. stretching it in between sets effectively tells your muscle that workout time is over which can help stop your progress on getting stronger (which is the main goal of any 5*5 or 3*5 program).

save the static stretching for after the workouts


OP i'm working pretty close to my maximum now so my rests are spent catching my breath and waiting for muscles to rest a bit before i go on to the next set.

MaraDiaz

Ha ha I love your avatar pic!

Okay, anyway, probably anyone at the gym is either not seeing you at all or is thinking, "Oh wow, is she noticing how much I am lifting/not lifting, how long I'm resting, my beer gut, my hairline? Omg don't let her look at me, please no one look at me why am I so insecure? I just want to work out aaaaagggh!"

And the arrogant ones are strutting thinking, "Yeah, I look so good and lift so much this chick has stopped to watch me out of the corner of her eye, go me!"

So trust me, you're safe!

jesz124

There not looking at you......I promise :laugh:

amy1612

When I started Stronglifts, I did exactly what you said. I could do the sets, with form, on a much shorter interval. So I cut down on the rest period. Wasn't long before I wanted the whole 90 seconds. If you're not compromising your ability to learn and correctly do the exercises, I see no problem with shorter rest.

Pretty much this. The only time I ever wait more than about 1 min. between sets is if I am going for a PR single on something. I don't think I ever wait more than 30-45 sec. between squat sets, for example, when I am under normal (70-85%) workload.

ETA: this is a personal preference thing. To me, if I can put in the exact same amount of work in less time than I did yesterday, then I have increased my efficiency, and likely done a bit to help my conditioning as well.

Me too, at first they were easy. Now I take 3-5 mins between sets of heavy lifts, especially deads,

Songbirdcw

Haha. I understand how you feel during rests. During rests, I usually: look at my HRM to see where it is after the set, not my exercise on MFP mobile, look at the gym timer to see how long I have left, and check myself out in the mirror in front of the Smith Machine trying to pump myself up for the next round. Lots of things you can do during rests. :-)

wellbert

I don't time. I just wait until I'm ready to go again.
Usually I do back stretches between sets.

MaraDiaz

Haha. I understand how you feel during rests. During rests, I usually: look at my HRM to see where it is after the set, not my exercise on MFP mobile, look at the gym timer to see how long I have left, and check myself out in the mirror in front of the Smith Machine trying to pump myself up for the next round. Lots of things you can do during rests. :-)

Like she could be really mean, pick someone at random and openly stare until they're so insecure they leave. :laugh:

(I'm kidding please don't do this!)

DavPul

Heavy lifting isn't cardio. You won't be constantly moving. Use your rest period for resting, not stretching. And 90 secs is really short. When I'm going heavy on squats or deads, 3 to 5 mins is around what I do. Bench is easily 3 mins. Plus I'm not a 5x5 guy so I take time changing the weight between sets. Nobody is burgers by it and no one is bothered by your rest time either.

sunsnstatheart

I'd take your rest periods. What matters is lifting the weight and doing it with good form, not how fast you go from set to set. Use that time to listen to music, change the weights on the bar, and enter your last set into your journal. Everyone else is doing the same thing so don't worry about it.

robertbixler3

I think that is one of the hardest parts about getting used to going to a gym. At first you think everyone is always staring at you and picking you apart, but everyone is so focused on their own stuff, most of the time they don't notice you are there. If they are bothered by how you work out, then that is their problem, you have to do what is good for you and they have to do what is good for them. If you feel that your rest periods are too long, try it different and if it works for you, then great! Exercises can be modified to fit different people, that's the beauty of it.

Keep up the great work!

mareeee1234

I know how you feel.. but its fine. At my gym, I see everyone else resting too, so I'm not alone. I just look into the distance.. at the tv on the wall.. at the clock... at my phone.. have a drink from my water bottle..stretch..

Haha, it does seem a little awkward, but thats just weights lifting! Everyone has to do it !!!

chrisdavey

I predict that within one month you will be utilising your 90 sec rest

Gallowmere1984

I predict that within one month you will be utilising your 90 sec rest

It varies from person to person, as I said. Hell, even when we are working at 90% of 1RM, the wife and I never really rest longer than it takes us to switch the weights to my lift from her's, and vice versa. We even have a 'hand signal' that we'll make at each other if we putz around instead of pulling the set...said hand signal looks strangely like a vagina.

I suppose it really just depends upon one's view on the gym. We are there to work, not hang around. If we have something to say to each other, it can easily be done while switching weights. As for the OP, the only time we really 'notice' the rests that anyone else is taking is when they are the kind of people who spend more time talking than lifting, and leave their bar loaded while they walk halfway to the other side of the gym to talk to someone, then get butthurt when they come back and someone has stripped their **** and started using it.

chrisdavey

Depends on the goals. There are plenty of times where I "feel" like I could make my next set with 90secs rest but if I go for the set I definitely don't feel like I'm fully recovered. For a max effort set, it can take up to 5-8mins to fully recover.

If your goal is to do the most work in minimal time then lower rest periods are obviously a great idea but if you goal is to get as strong as possible then take the rest breaks as required.

Werrrkitgurl

When you're a female your gonna get looked at period but only because there are less females in he weight area compared to the number of men. Who knows...People may be thinking, "Wow, I wish I could be like her." But as many have said....they're not looking at you. If they've noticed that you're just standing there, then what are they doing with themselves if they have enough time to notice you "standing around". Sometimes staring back does help. They'll quickly get uncomfortable and look away. )

dallas4u

When I go to the gym - the LAST thing I worry or think about is other people (unless something outrageous or extremely inappropriate occurs). I put on my headphones and just go into my own world. It seems to me like other gym customers are in their own worlds too.

So, don't worry about other people. Who cares what they think.

dixiewhiskey

So, that's OK... everyone is at different fitness levels.

Just focus on you and making sure your form is good.

mustgetmuscles1

This is what people at the gym are doing when Im not looking.



I know because thats what I do when they are not looking.

:laugh: Just messing around. Just catch your breath, find a good song, and go when you are ready. I dont have a stopwatch but I know on some of my heavy lifting days I take a few minutes to recover. The warm up sets and additional lifting I just go by how I feel.

xUnseenx

Anyways, if I don't really need the whole 90 seconds, can I reduce it?

depends on what your goals are. in my experience, longer waits in between sets are for ATP/CP restoration (typically for those looking to maximize power and strength within sets). now that im older, my focus is not bulking up, but leaning out. i give myself 30 second rest in order to keep my heart rate up and relying on oxidative energy (which uses fat as energy). hope this helps.

Yanicka1

I make it a game.

- I count the number of cardio bunnies on the treadmill, each equal 5 points but count double if the wear a lululemon outfit and have a ponytail.

- if there is a bro curling in the squat rack I add 10 points ....15 if he is grunting.

I add 50 points if I am not the only girl in the free weight area

Subtract 5 points when I lift more than a guy .....and if the guy has horrible form, I lol at him

When I get to 100 points I start a new serie while feeling superior.











Kidding. I just sit down and try to have enough energy to do the next serie

Contrarian

Tap dance during the rest periods.