Timing/weight (newbie)

[Chris Walls]

I could be wrong but doesn't more strength come with a higher potential for muscular endurance? A bigger gas tank so to speak?

You'd really only take up to 5 minute rests if you are really pushing maximal loads... until I'm reaching about 80%+ of my max, I'd be lucky to rest a minute (feels like 5 tho... heh) Really just play it by ear, if you are too tired to do another one safely at maximal loads, then rest more, if you're good to go then by all means go.

[George Mounce]

I tend to rest no more then 3 between lighter weight warm-up sets and heavy strength sets I will rest 3-5. Between PR attempts on full body CNS movements (deadlifts, squats, etc...) I will sometimes rest upwards of 10 minutes as I know I'm going to be fried mentally and physically when done. I usually will walk around the during this time to keep warm and relaxed.

[David Wood]

I'm with George.

On almost all sets less than true "max" (new PR) efforts, I'll be at 2 minutes rest or less (probably less than a minute if I'm still in the 70% range . . . just barely long enough to change the weight).

When I'm getting close to max effort I might take 3 - 5 minutes. Longer than that and I start to lose focus.

For the sets with 3-3-3- and 5-5-5-, I'm already treating those more as endurance efforts than CNS-driven max efforts, so I tend to go as soon as my heart rate recovers down to 120 or so (in other words, as soon as I feel like I can).

[Peter Dell'Orto]

For those types of workouts, I do them a couple different ways:

- straight-across weights (all 5, 7, or 10 sets at the same weight)
- increasing weights (each set is a tad heavier than the last weight, peaking 1-3 sets before the final set)

Depends on how I'm feeling or on the exercise. If it is one I'm not very comfortable with, I'll do the increasing weights. That lets me work on the technique and peak near the end of the workout for strength. If it is one I'm certain I have good form and a good idea of how much weight to use (Singles I use my 1RP, triples about 90-95%, fives about 85-90%) I'll go straight across after a few warmups.

For rest, I'm very rigid about it. I'll do 1 minute for sub-75% max reps, 3 minutes for 76-90% max reps, and 4 minutes for 100%+ max reps. 5 minutes for very big exercises (back squats, deadlifts, bench press) done for singles. I time all of this with my stopwatch (it's crossfit, I know you have a stopwatch). It's often strangely overlooked, considering crossfitters track their overall time so precisely.

I only recently started to rigidly time my workouts, though - and rigidly timing has really helped me ensure my workouts are really consistent. I know my previous 1RM max attempt and how they went, but I also know how much rest I got to the second so I can replicate it the next time. I'd recommend you try this - set a time, and go from there. It's especially useful if you're not sure how much rest is enough...you'll have a precise record, so if your 5x5 attempt at 100kg deadlifts looks like 5x100kg, 4x100kg, 3x100kg, 1x100, fail instead of 5x5x100kg, you'll know to say "Okay, clearly (1 minute/3 minutes/whatever) isn't enough rest." Gives you another tool for the toolbox. And if for some reason you run out of resistance (small weight sets, for example) you can cut down the rest time, and make that your benchmark of progress.

Hope that helps.

[Mike Peiman]

Regarding the previous post from Peter - just wanted to say thanks for prompting me to think more about rest time. It is an important metric that I've been sloppy about paying attention to.

Again, thanks!