Rest intervals for weight sessions

CUI,

Nice to hear from you again..sorry about the name change..haha.

As for your question, 45 minutes is the perfect amount of time needed for a good training session. You see, I use what is known as conjugated periodization, where three different methods are trained simultaneously...Maximal strength method, Dynamic strength method and the repetition method (hypertrophy work). Since each method has a different focus, the rest intervals will change with each method used.

For example, here is a basic example of one of my workouts:

Dynamic Upper Body Day-

1) Dynamic Effort Bench Press (The goal is to move the concentric part of the lift as FAST as possible)
*8-10 sets x 3 reps
*Rest interval: approximately 30-60 seconds (activating the fast twitch fibers is the key here, hence the short rep schemes and shorter rest intervals)
*Total exercise time: approx 12 minutes

2)Triceps exercise (repetition method)
*3-6 sets x 8-15 reps
*rest interval: approx 60-120 seconds (depending on the set/rep scheme I choose)
*Total exercise time: b/w approx. 8-15 mins

3)Vertical Row movement (repetition method)
*3-4 sets x 6-10 reps
*rest interval: approx 90-120 seconds (depending on set/rep scheme)
*Total exercise time: approx. 10 mins

4)Shoulder/Trap movement (repetition method)
*2-3 sets x 8-15 reps
*rest interval: approx 60-120 seconds (depending on set/rep scheme)
*Total exercise time: approx. 8 mins

Total time for training session: approx. 45 mins

Note: I also include a pre and post training session that includes abdominal/post. chain supersets as well shoulder, ankle and hip mobility with the use of dumbells and dynamic stretching. The pre and post workout together last about 15 mins total. It is done at a fast pace with little to no breaks, however the intensity of the pre/post session is medium-low (except abdominal work--it is done medium-heavy).

The above is just an example of one of my days...the Max Effort upper and lower days may take about 10 mins longer b/c the max effort lift (which would be lift #1 for the day) will need longer rest intervals than the dynamic effort exercise did in the above example.

The main point I'm trying to make is that as you go from 1 method of strength to the next, the rest intervals will change. So, you won't take 4 or 5 minutes rest for each set of every lift.

Also on a side note, the above guidelines that I gave Joe are very general. In the weightroom (or the real world, as I like to call it) we pretty much work in groups and as one athlete completes his lift, the other gets on the bench or in the rack and starts his set, then the next and so on and so on. As for groups, about 3-4 works pretty good.

For example, on the maximal effort movement, each set will take about 30-45 seconds, plus loading and unloading the bar (another 20 seconds). With a group of 3 or 4, each athlete will end up having about 4 or 5 minutes anyway b/w each of his sets. The other work, as there should only be one maximal effort lift, will go faster. All in all, about 45-60 minutes is a good time frame for a training session.

Hope this helps you out a little, Coach.

Let me know if I can help out.

Jimbo