Read Justin’s post on workout duration, rest and the hormonal response.
Good strength programs will include two, maybe three primary lifts with one or two assistance exercises. The average number of lifts or exercises included in a session is three or four; there’s no reason that such a workout can’t be completed in an hour.
A good guideline is to try and complete each exercise, including warm-ups, in 15 minutes. More demanding lifts like the squat or deadlift can increase to 20 minutes.
One hour is a good guideline, but you can also work with 1:15 or 1:30. Your mindset going forward should be:
1:30+ — debilitating for recovery
1:15 to 1:30 — decent
1:00 to 1:15 — good
1:00 and under — great
I use gymboss interval timer to keep track of my rest periods and have it vibrate every 30 seconds as a constant reminder. How do you keep track of your rest periods?
