@gigatt18 I wouldn't say I am lifting light. I'm 3 months in at 134 lbs and squat 125 lbs for 9 reps today after doing 120 lbs for two sets of 9 reps before that. Progressing more quickly than that caused some hip and knee pain so I'm really trying to focus on perfecting form before moving up in weight immediately. Goals are gaining strength and preserving muscle mass. Weight loss too I guess but I don't think of weight lifting as my primary method to do that, more like a tool for fat loss specifically.
@1stbrownhorse Those big compound lifts if you are strength training take that long for recovery. Now if you’re doing 8+ reps then you should only need 30-90 seconds. If you’re under that for reps then take your 3-5 mins. But let them work in if they want. Just be sure to mention you are timing your breaks.
@toliver You can also do higher intensity volume work with 8-10 reps and need 5 min. It's not the amount of reps that determines the length of the rest period.
You need rest time in between sets. If they don't need rest time then they are not lifting heavy enough.
My workouts involve five sets of five reps. Each set takes place on the five minute mark, with the remainder of the five mins used for rest. That takes 20mins, which of course doesn't include sets to get to my working weight.
You have as much right to take up space for lifts as everyone else, no matter how much or how little you are lifting.
@acer621 Thank you, 20-25 minutes is how long it usually takes me including my warmup for squats, bench, and deadlifts. It is just surprising to see others lift their bodyweight and then some and go right back at it a minute to 90 seconds later.
@1stbrownhorse If guess a lot of it is just personal choice. My compound lifts are by far the heaviest and I generally rest 90-120 secs in between apart from squats (i pace around in between sets to keep myself moving, and I can tell when to do my next set just based on how my legs feel). But lots of people rest longer or shorter periods. I goby recommendation from the programme I follow, so maybe that comes into it as well.
@1stbrownhorse If you’re going for 5 reps as hard as you can 2 minutes rest isn’t unreasonable. I personally try to limit myself to max 90 secs, but the only reasoning for that is personal preference and for my sport that’s the longest rest you’re likely to get before needing to put some heavy work in.
What might be getting you the dirty looks is if you’re on your phone in between sets, as that’s generally seen as “wasting time” even if you’re limiting it to your rest periods. So if you are, and the looks are bothering you, maybe limit using your phone to time rests and record reps/sets and then sip water and pace angrily (to scare off people giving you side eye for squatting in the squat rack, you heathen!)
@wandofgamelon I think your advice is good but at the same time, she shouldn’t have to alter her behaviour just because some guys are having a superiority complex. OP said she even sets a timer for her rests so that she’s not resting longer than her training plan recommends. If she’s resting for 2-4 mins and has a timer set, she should be able to go on her phone for that time if she wants to.
@dawn16 Oh I completely agree, she should be able to do what she likes in rest periods.
If it weren’t for Covid another solution I might’ve suggested was that if the gym was busy she could maybe let someone “work in” with her (basically if they’re both wanting to squat and have long rest periods, one squats while the other rests and they can just swap out plates).
@wandofgamelon This has always been a reason I hate going to the gym- I’m someone who’s on my phone while there. I watch Netflix (with earbuds) while I work out (on breaks or if I’m warming up on a treadmill/doing something where it makes sense) because I get bored. I despise strength training and weight machines. For the last year I’ve been running outside only because Covid, but now I’m vaccinated and dreading going back to the gym to do strength training because I don’t like working out in front of other people in general but I also just don’t like doing weight lifting cause I get bored. It’s unfortunate became I really NEED some muscle
@vusi If you the weight training then don’t do it. There are plenty of ways to train and build muscle without weights. If you enjoy running then try a sprint program, because with the high intensity of sprinting and the requirements to create maximal force repeatedly in short burst you can actually develop a decent amount of muscle that way. You could also try thing like plyometric training, which is good for building muscles but also helps you develop good movement patterns and eccentric control, and from the sounds of it you’ll probably enjoy those types of exercise more than simply weight lifting.
I personally love weight lifting so do that for muscle building and hate just going for runs so I cycle and play sport to help with general fitness. If you aren’t enjoying a certain type of training, then find a different way to train. There are always alternatives and if you can’t think of one maybe talk to a pt. just be wary of the pt’s that have a “my way or the high way” type of mindset, because more often than not they don’t actually know what they’re doing and are essentially following a very rigid formula that you can probably find online!
@wandofgamelon Thanks! Running is my “main” form of exercise, but I really need to build some muscle for the sake of preventing injuries at this point- I’m very underweight and need some cross training because I’m overworking the running muscles... I also need some upper body strength for my somewhat physical job (I am a limp noodle right now) and have an old shoulder injury that flares up when I stop working out my upper body because the muscles atrophy really quickly. I generally enjoy group classes and stuff more, but it’s been hard to do stuff like that with my crazy grad school schedule. I would enjoy going to the gym more if I had a friend I could socialize with a bit in-between sets but none of my friends are particularly active so I’m kinda stuck.
I’m hoping I can get myself organized/time managed enough to do some in-home mat work each day for upper body/strength training over the summer months
@vusi I think "if you hate X, don't do it" can be good advice but it depends a lot on how many activities there are that you don't hate, haha. I don't always enjoy running (and sometimes actively hate it) or strength training (I get bored too), but it's worth it to me for the feeling of getting my heart rate up/doing an efficient workout (running) and getting stronger. IMO if you're clear on your goals you can push through and find the fun/change the story from "I hate this" to "I don't always enjoy this in the moment but I'm glad I'm doing it."
@sunnsideup Yeah, and I like it... sometimes. My current apartment is very small, so I have to literally move furniture to toss a yoga mat down. I have yet to find a program that fits my skill level- the super easy stuff is boring, but anything that requires lots of arm strength/wrist flexibility pushes my limits, and I end up have to repeat the same flow/workout for like 2 weeks to make any progress because anything else from that same person/course is beyond my abilities. Basically I’m a stubborn child who gets bored with everything too easily (I’m extremely ADHD and only recently medicated)
@1stbrownhorse As far as I know that depends on whether you're working to gain strength or to reach hypertrophy, hypertrophy works with shorter rest times.
(I’m extremely ADHD and only recently medicated)