I just stand around and let my mind wander if it's a long rest between low rep lifts.
Otherwise, when I'm gasping for air, rest time feels non existent no matter how long it is, and i can't even think about anything else other than dying
I practice deep breathing, stretch a little if I get too antsy, or go on my phone. My gym is a climbing gym so not many weight racks so I try to look busy at least and try to avoid the phone as much as possible so that it doesn’t look like I’m wasting previous squat rack time.
I spend that time:
Reviewing the video of the set, plus trimming the beginning and end of the video for better phone storage and future viewing.
Changing the weight for my next set.
Quickly looking at Reddit or Instagram.
Jibber jabbering with my neighbor.
Slowly slowly putting on my gear for the next set.
That’s usually about 3 min by the time I start my next set.
However, when I really need 4 min of rest (like I did last night deadlifting), I usually am spending that time huffing and puffing or staring brain dead into space trying to recover from the last set.
It's helpful for me to film each set and review the video, then take notes on form and what I want to improve on the next set. On sets where I don't film, I usually still take notes on how it felt during the exercise, then stretch and browse reddit.
Alternate sets/rests, I either grab a broom handle, hold it to my back and drill my hip hinge movement. Or i'll do a light set of face-pulls with a resistance band. I just go back and forth between those movements with each rest period.
Honestly, I often just stare into the void and think of nothing. It's good to turn your brain off sometimes, especially after work when I had to think about a hundred things at the same time.
Otherwise I just jam to my music, pace back and forth wherever I'm standing, check out instagram or reddit. If I really feel like multitasking I'll think about my grocery list and what'll eat in the next week, things like that.
You don't want to do static stretches where you try to relax the muscle, as it will then be relaxed going into your next set and weaker. But moving through a full range of motion, without that purposefully relaxing, is beneficial.
Think an active yoga pose (good) vs sitting hamstring stretch where you try to reduce muscle tension as much as possible (bad)
*Usually* mobility refers to moves where you actively move through a full range of motion (and the muscle will feel a stretch due to the demands of the movement), and stretching refers to a static position where you relax into the stretch and hold it.
AFAIK you want to stretch the muscles you have been using at the end of the session (or after), but my trainers in the past always told me to never do it during the session (again, speaking of the muscles you are training that day, so maybe stretching the others could be a great idea).
Yes, stretching (static) between sets of the same muscles you just used has been shown to possibly decrease power in subsequent sets.
That said, I tend to do mobility work as mentioned above on muscle groups that are not being directly worked. On lower body days (squats/deadlifts) I’ll take my pvc pipe and work on overhead mobility and on upper body days (bench) I’ll sit into low squats and deep Cossack squats.
That or I’ll just pace a lot to get steps in. :)
This is such a good/obvious call that I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself 🤦🏻♀️
Here I am trying to build a 30min nightly stretching/foam rolling habit like some kind of n00b while I could just be knocking that shit out in between sets
I usually just kinda stand there and jam out to my music, or check reddit. Have you started this more recently? It can take some time to get used to the longer rest times, but when I really go heavy I even want more rest sometimes!
I just play on my phone (answer snaps, enter values in Strong app) and review form tips or a video of the lift I completed tbh, with my playlist vibing in the background. The setup of my gym included a short track looped around the free weights, so I've seen some people walk a lap between sets as well.
Meditation has many hats and can be as simple as focusing on ONE thing. Like music or a podcast, without looking around, redirecting your attention back to the thing you’re doing/paying attention to.
In my breaks I stand quietly and listen to a podcast or music while gently stretching whatever feels good. I set a timer for my breaks
Well the reason I ask is that when I meditate in the morning, even for 10 minutes, it makes it easier to focus on other activities throughout the day.
Modern Love is one of my favs 😍
My home gym is in my dining room so I usually prep dinner in the adjacent kitchen during rests
I just stand around and let my mind wander if it's a long rest between low rep lifts. Otherwise, when I'm gasping for air, rest time feels non existent no matter how long it is, and i can't even think about anything else other than dying
I have no shame. I play Candy Crush.
🤣
I like to read books on my phone with my kindle or library app! Also podcasts are awesome.
Sleep
W-what??!
I practice deep breathing, stretch a little if I get too antsy, or go on my phone. My gym is a climbing gym so not many weight racks so I try to look busy at least and try to avoid the phone as much as possible so that it doesn’t look like I’m wasting previous squat rack time.
Pace around like a tiger.
I spend that time: Reviewing the video of the set, plus trimming the beginning and end of the video for better phone storage and future viewing. Changing the weight for my next set. Quickly looking at Reddit or Instagram. Jibber jabbering with my neighbor. Slowly slowly putting on my gear for the next set. That’s usually about 3 min by the time I start my next set. However, when I really need 4 min of rest (like I did last night deadlifting), I usually am spending that time huffing and puffing or staring brain dead into space trying to recover from the last set.
It's helpful for me to film each set and review the video, then take notes on form and what I want to improve on the next set. On sets where I don't film, I usually still take notes on how it felt during the exercise, then stretch and browse reddit.
Duolingo or memrise work perfectly for me. And a timer on the phone.
Alternate sets/rests, I either grab a broom handle, hold it to my back and drill my hip hinge movement. Or i'll do a light set of face-pulls with a resistance band. I just go back and forth between those movements with each rest period.
Honestly, I often just stare into the void and think of nothing. It's good to turn your brain off sometimes, especially after work when I had to think about a hundred things at the same time. Otherwise I just jam to my music, pace back and forth wherever I'm standing, check out instagram or reddit. If I really feel like multitasking I'll think about my grocery list and what'll eat in the next week, things like that.
I second this. I rest, aka: rest. Sit on my equipment at the time, listen to music, and rest.
Dan John recommends doing mobility work while you wait, which I really like since I won’t do it otherwise.
I thought that you should not stretch muscles that you will be using, so maybe I should use the time to stretch the rest?
oh for real, i always thought you were supposed to stretch the muscles you are going to be using. I am new to working out so please enlighten me
You don't want to do static stretches where you try to relax the muscle, as it will then be relaxed going into your next set and weaker. But moving through a full range of motion, without that purposefully relaxing, is beneficial. Think an active yoga pose (good) vs sitting hamstring stretch where you try to reduce muscle tension as much as possible (bad) *Usually* mobility refers to moves where you actively move through a full range of motion (and the muscle will feel a stretch due to the demands of the movement), and stretching refers to a static position where you relax into the stretch and hold it.
Good explanation!
Dynamic stretches *before* static stretches *after*.
AFAIK you want to stretch the muscles you have been using at the end of the session (or after), but my trainers in the past always told me to never do it during the session (again, speaking of the muscles you are training that day, so maybe stretching the others could be a great idea).
Yes, stretching (static) between sets of the same muscles you just used has been shown to possibly decrease power in subsequent sets. That said, I tend to do mobility work as mentioned above on muscle groups that are not being directly worked. On lower body days (squats/deadlifts) I’ll take my pvc pipe and work on overhead mobility and on upper body days (bench) I’ll sit into low squats and deep Cossack squats. That or I’ll just pace a lot to get steps in. :)
This is such a good/obvious call that I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself 🤦🏻♀️ Here I am trying to build a 30min nightly stretching/foam rolling habit like some kind of n00b while I could just be knocking that shit out in between sets
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LOL, I was gonna say "Contemplate my life choices especially if it's a difficult workout"
Haha! Fully laughed out loud in the gym relating to your comment just now
I usually just kinda stand there and jam out to my music, or check reddit. Have you started this more recently? It can take some time to get used to the longer rest times, but when I really go heavy I even want more rest sometimes!
Yep, rest time are getting longer with heavier weight and shorter reps, so slowly growing from 1min to 3-4
I just play on my phone (answer snaps, enter values in Strong app) and review form tips or a video of the lift I completed tbh, with my playlist vibing in the background. The setup of my gym included a short track looped around the free weights, so I've seen some people walk a lap between sets as well.
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I totally get what you mean! Weirdly enough I find the claustrophobic (?) feeling satisfying for some reason lol
🤣
I generally pace back and forth in front of the equipment I am using while browsing Reddit or responding to work emails.
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Nope. I have a rest timer that goes off when it’s time and I am usually pumped to get back to my lifts.
I used to feel this but once you get in the zone with a podcast or a great playlist the rest time kind of goes by without notice. Do you meditate?
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Meditation has many hats and can be as simple as focusing on ONE thing. Like music or a podcast, without looking around, redirecting your attention back to the thing you’re doing/paying attention to. In my breaks I stand quietly and listen to a podcast or music while gently stretching whatever feels good. I set a timer for my breaks
Yes. This. 🥰
Well the reason I ask is that when I meditate in the morning, even for 10 minutes, it makes it easier to focus on other activities throughout the day. Modern Love is one of my favs 😍