How Long Are Your Lifting Sessions?

[gotquestion]

Wondering how long peoples lifting sessions are. I started a new routine a few weeks ago, but am getting through my full workouts in 15-20 minutes and am wondering if that is too short. Sometimes I will super set the moves together as well. Here is my routine:

Upper Body Day 1

• Bent Over DB Row 15 x 3 sets
• Standing Upright Row 15 x 3 sets
• Lateral Raise 10 x 3 sets
• Overhead Press 12 x 3 sets
• Skull Crushers 10 x 3 Sets
• Bicep Curl 12 x 3 sets

Lower Body Day 1

• Goblet Squat 8-10 x 4 sets
• Straight Leg Deadlift 8-10 x 4 sets
• Sumo Squat 8-10 x 4 sets
• Standing Calf Raise 8-10 x 4 sets
• Plank 1 min

** REST DAY **

Upper Body Day 2

• One Arm DB Row 8-10 x 4 sets
• DB Shoulder Press 8-10 x 4 sets
• DB Side Raises 8-10 x 3 sets
• DB Hammer Curl 8-10 x 4 sets
• Seated DB shrug 8-10 x 4 sets
• Tricep Pull Down 8-10 x 4 sets
• Pushups 10 x 3 sets 8-10 x 4 sets

Lower Body Day 2

• DB Deadlift 8-10 x 4 sets
• DB Reverse Lunge 8-10 x 4 sets
• Sumo Squat 8-10 x 3 sets
• DB Hip Thrust 8-10 x 4 sets
• Standing Calf Raise 12-15 x 3 sets
• Plank 1 Min

NOTE: I usually also follow up the lifting sessions with a 20-30 minute walk with my dog. I average ~11K steps a day.

 

[ellenp]

@gotquestion Do you rest in between sets? That’s super important for recovery. My sessions usually last around 45mins-1hr. That’s with resting for 1.5m after every set.

 

[chris0699]

@ellenp I was about to say the same thing. My jaw just dropped reading someone say they do 16 sets in 15-20 minutes... I do 24-28 sets on average and it takes me about an hour if I'm not waiting around for a bench or rack.

 

[childofgod1115]

@gotquestion Mine last 45-90 minutes. Resting in between is important but it’s also super important that you aren’t doing them super fast. Slow and steady wins the race. And if you are able to fly through all of your reps in a set, you aren’t lifting heavy enough.

 

[sweetkf]

@gotquestion Are you doing slow concentrated reps or flying through?
Mine are usually 3-4 blocks with the first block being a big compound move with an accessory move. Reps vary. 4 sets on that first block and 3 sets on blocks 2, 3 and 4.

Total tine is 45-50 minutes. i do some brief stretches between blocks.

 

[hfbroady]

@gotquestion You have to rest between 60 to 90 seconds between each set, unless you’re going for light weights/endurance style, then 30 seconds is fine. But still. If you want to get stronger, heavier weights and longer rest. 90 seconds for hypertrophy (which most of us try to do) and 3 to 5 minutes for powerlifting and hight strength training.
(Former PT here)

 

[gotquestion]

@hfbroady

You have to rest between 60 to 90 seconds between each set, unless you’re going for light weights/endurance style, then 30 seconds is fine. But still. If you want to get stronger, heavier weights and longer rest. 90 seconds for hypertrophy (which most of us try to do) and 3 to 5 minutes for powerlifting and hight strength training. (

this is helpful, thank you!

 

[newcombe2]

@gotquestion If you can get through that quickly you can probably up the weight and rest a little longer between sets, depending on what your goals are!

I’m currently doing what I deem an “express” version of the at home upper lower split I was running over the summer due to time constraints, and even today’s lower body day with just goblet squats, hamstring curls, and Bulgarian split squats took me ~25-30minutes.

That being said, definitely don’t feel like you have to spend an hour or more in the gym for results! Shorter workouts can also be effective and, for me, are much easier to be consistent with!

 

[trillium]

@newcombe2 How are you doing hamstring curls at home?

 

[newcombe2]

@trillium I do them either with a long exercise band I anchor to my sofa, and then lay prone with the band around my ankles, or sometimes do slider curls with disc sliders!

 

[trillium]

@newcombe2 Oh okay, so lying hamstring curls. Got it. Are they effective?? I am always afraid that the band is gonna snap.

You can also try Goodmornings with the band as well if you get bored of lying down.

 

[newcombe2]

@trillium I use the really thick ones, like what you might use for assisted pull-ups, so they feel pretty sturdy! ETA: and they definitely are effective, I can go really slow and focus on getting a good muscle contraction.

 

[jaz2001]

@gotquestion I also do a 4x upper lower split and if I’m rushing myself and only taking 90sec rest, I can sometimes finish in around 35min. I do 5-6 exercises per day.

I honestly can’t even comprehend how you get though 3-4 sets (I only always do 3 sets of 7-10) of all of these in 15-20min, it doesn’t even seem possible. I lift very heavy so I try to give myself 2min rest, as bored as I get waiting for that. I use my Garmin to time my rests. Especially something like your upper day 2 should take an hour.

 

[gotquestion]

@jaz2001

even comprehend how you get though 3-4 sets (I only always do 3 sets of 7-10) of all of these in 15-20min, it doesn’t even seem possible. I lift very heavy so I try to give myself 2min rest, as bored as I get waiting for that. I use my Garmin to time my rests. Especially something like your upper day 2

you take 2 min rest between every set, or when switching exercises?

 

[jaz2001]

@gotquestion I take 2min rest between every single set. 2-3min is the recommendation.

 

[danieljames]

@gotquestion My thoughts are that if you can get through all that volume in 15-20 min you are way too light on your weights. You’re not challenging yourself enough. My deadlifts alone (3 warm up sets and 3 work sets) takes me 35 minutes. You should be at least 2 minutes or more between sets for compounds and 1+ min between sets for isolations. Up your weight!

 

[nikkirobinson01]

@gotquestion Echoing what everyone else here has said: sounds like you need to up your weights, slow your movement, and increase rest time between sets to 1-2minutes. You should be lifting to failure/near failure for muscle & strength development (google what lifting to failure looks like).

I lift to failure, and my lifting sessions are about 1h each, 4x a week, and I’m resting 1-2 minutes between sets

 

[christianseeker1]

@gotquestion I’m wondering if these are at home sessions and if you have limited equipment? If you are using light dumbbells or barbells that don’t require much rest between sets it makes sense why your workouts would be so short! Ideally you would be using such challenging weights that at the very least you need 60 (for isolation) to 90 (for compound) seconds to rest before performing the exercise again!

 

[gotquestion]

@christianseeker1 I workout in my apartment gym, but am usually the only person there so I have all the dumbbells available! I usually use 10s/15s for arm day and 15s/20s for leg day

 

[dawn16]

@gotquestion Are you doing light and fast or slow and heavy?

My sessions are 1-1.5 hours, but I lift heavy, sometimes with a pause, and rest between sets.