how to Optimize rest time

Hello everyone!

I would just like to ask you some suggestions about managing rest time. If I've wellunderstood, rest time is very important to allow improvement, as it helps to "replenish" muscle fuel before next set, so it can work at its maximum...I normally take something like 60 sec of rest time during FSP and 2 minutes between FBE. How could I optimize the rest period? For example, If i had to train different muscle groups, could I embed them like a circuit (and have the same rest efficacy) or should rest time be for the whole body?

example. Let's say my FBE routine is

horizontal push 3 X 5 + 2 min rest

SLS 3 X 5 + 2 min rest.

Normally I do my push ups, with 2 minutes rest each set, then I pass to SLS and do the same. Could I do push up - 1 min rest - SLS - 1 min rest - push up - 1 min rest etc...? I don't understand if training this way would be still obtimal for strength gains (Sorry if it's a basic question! :wink: )

Thanks in advance for the suggestions!!

Charlie

I'm not sure, Charlie, but it's a good question. I've been needing to ask about this, too, since I spend a lot of time resting that I'd rather spend working.

Are you pushed for time?

When I have been, either for myself or for my gymnasts, we've done it in circuits with a short rest at the end.

So they would do something like:

Pull variation, Push variation, Core variation, Lower body variation. Rest. Basically a circuit.

Or FSP lever, corresponding FBE, FSP push, corresponding FBE, FSP lever, corresponding FBE. Rest.

Sometimes we split the FSP's into just the beginning of the workout, doing the FSP's after all of our events toward the end of our workout. This is what I eventually evolved into preferring for S&C instead of the Giant sets. I'm not saying it's ideal but it worked well for our group probably because they were at the stage of training where they didn't have a lot of patience so I got better work if it was split up. They could go focus better and it allowed those kids who would only workout for 90m or 2h to get something in vs my guys who stayed the entire 3h.

It was also a struggle getting the boys to rest. After a circuit, they learned to appreciate the rest, especially those who had started working intermediate level progressions. This also had a lot to do with the maturity and focus of the gymnast.

For the GB WODs that were dynamic and 4 rounds, most of them could keep going full through without a defined rest. There would be a bit of rest from walking from one part of the gym to another and back ( the rings area to the parallel bars was probably 20-30 yards ).

Doing it in circuit fashion for myself, I have found it is good enough when my time has been limited. For best potential, I prefer up to 90s for the FSP and 2-3 minutes for the FBE. However, sometimes 2-3m is not enough for some barbell lower body lifts like squats and deads.

A lot of time you could probably link up at least 3 variants such as pullup, pushup, core and get pretty good work output. I think it would go to crap if you threw in a weighted lower body variant even weighted SLS but would be fine if it was just BW lower body.

I always preferred to keep L/straddleL and lower body work seperate from the BW FBE. I/We either did after the bulk of S&C or at the beginning for the core and L work. Lower body work tended to be after general FSP/FBE work.

I do my work in two circuits: the first one for upper body, with 3-4 FBEs; the second one for lower body and core, with 2 FBEs. FSP work is before all of it, in circuit fashion, and active flexibility work comes after