Six Things to Do Between Sets at the Gym
Rest is an important part of strength training. Depending on the exercise and your goals, you can rest for 30 seconds, one minute, or three to five minutes . So what are you actually doing during this time? Let’s talk about your options, both in terms of training efficiency and gym etiquette.
Literally do nothing
As awkward as this may seem at first, in most cases it is the best option for most people. Actually rest . Do not stretch or train another muscle; just let your body recover.
Some gyms have stools, benches or folding chairs next to the platforms where people lift weights (and therefore need the longest rest). I’m mostly talking about powerlifting and weightlifting gyms, but I’ve been to larger gyms like Crunch that also have seating. And makeshift seating is common in many other places – who hasn’t sat on a plyo box or some other comfortable surface?
Do chores around the house
There are a lot of little things you do in the gym (or should do) that aren’t overt exercise. Rest between sets is an ideal time to perform small maintenance tasks. Things like:
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Change the weight to whatever you need for the next set.
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Write down what you just lifted in a notepad or lifting app .
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If you made a video , please watch it to give feedback on the next set.
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Trim this video so that you (or your coach, or your friends) don’t have to watch all 20 seconds of you fiddling with the camera and adjusting the belt before you actually start lifting.
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Drink water and, if necessary, have a snack .
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Clean up after yourself! Put away any plates or dumbbells you are not using.
Start warming up before your next exercise.
During the last few sets of the exercise, it’s time to think about what you’ll do next. This may mean you need to grab some equipment or change your shoes, but it’s also a great opportunity to start warming up , especially if it’s an exercise that could benefit from a little gentle mobility training.
Let’s say you have a few sets of squats left, but after that you’ll do overhead presses. You’ll probably want to warm up your shoulders with mobility exercises so you’re not too tense when you get into that nice, stable overhead position. Or maybe it’s the other way around, and you press, but then you’ll do squats. This is a great time to start working on your ankle mobility so you can comfortably perform deeper squats.
Take a walk (or dance)
When the weights are normal, I sit and relax. When they get hard, I need to move forward. (At weightlifting competitions, I not only mark out a warm-up platform, but also choose a walking path that I can walk on between sets.)
Or, if you’re a more cheerful and energetic person, you might just want to dance. You’ll most often see this in people who exercise at home or in a cozy little gym where friends can have an impromptu dance party. (I’ve been known to put on some good karaoke songs while alone in the garage gym and sing along to them, with or without dancing.)
The idea isn’t to get an extra cardio workout or increase your step count, but to simply stay busy, relaxed and have fun – or, if you’re nervous about a big climb, keep your head down. In a busy commercial gym, try not to wander too far and leave a water bottle or gym bag on your equipment to let people know it’s still occupied.
Read or scroll your phone
I promise you can look at your phone between performances. You’re probably doing it anyway. There’s your weight lifting app, your videos you made to test your squat form, and, yes, your regular texting and social media posts.
The risk you take is that you will become distracted and rest too long. From your perspective, resting 10 minutes between sets may interfere with the next set, leaving you mentally and physically unprepared. It can also extend your workout; Maintaining the minimum required rest time will allow you to get in and out of the gym much faster.
From the point of view of others, a person who sits on a machine and scrolls for 10 minutes is committing an unforgivable sin in sports etiquette. Do not rest longer than necessary when holding equipment. (However, if you are polite to other people who approach you, and accept requests to ” work ” (take turns) while scrolling, you are morally clear.)
For your own sake, set a timer for when you do something to distract you between sets. I love how I can program rest times in a workout with my Garmin watch , but the Hevy also has a timer and you can always use a regular old timer from your watch or phone.
Another tip: be mindful of what you do on your phone. Now is not the time to get into an argument online or check your work email to see what’s waiting for you at the office. This is a good time to play a little games on your phone, read an e-book, or create a great workout playlist.
Superset (sparing)
I’m leaving this one for last because I don’t want it to become your favorite. Just because you can do one exercise while resting for another doesn’t mean you should .
Why not? For example, if you really want to give your squats full of energy, don’t do pull-ups on a squat rack in between. You’ll tire yourself out more than you think and won’t perform your best on these squats.
But supersets can be great if you’re willing to sacrifice a little weight for a long time. They’re best for exercises where the exact weight doesn’t matter—you can combine biceps curls with triceps extensions or pull-ups with dips (assuming you’re someone who can easily perform multiple reps of each exercise).
To perform a superset, you simply do a set of the first exercise, then a set of the second, then a short rest (if any at all) and repeat. I have a list of the best superset pairings – usually you want to work opposing muscles, such as a push exercise and a pull exercise.