When you write “60 seconds rest” for a superset, what are you timing? There’s the rest after each exercise, and there’s the total time before you repeat the same exercise. You need both to judge whether the pairing will let the athlete produce the output you’re after.
Time the gap between repeated sets
Take a press and a row. Each set takes 30 seconds, and you prescribe 60 seconds of rest after each exercise.
- A1. Press for 30 seconds, then rest 60 seconds.
- A2. Row for 30 seconds, then rest 60 seconds.
- Start the next press set.
From the end of the press to the start of the next press, about 150 seconds pass: 60 seconds of rest, 30 seconds of rowing and another 60 seconds of rest. Any extra setup or transition time can extend that interval. Check the same thing for the row, using the actual time the press takes between row sets.
Account for the work in the middle
In this example, 120 of those 150 seconds are prescribed rest. The other 30 are work. A press and a row may train different prime movers, but they can still share grip, trunk or shoulder demands. Check what the row does to the next press set instead of assuming the pairing takes care of fatigue.
Set the rest by the output you need
Start with the session objective. If the press is there to develop strength or power, watch what happens to its load, repetitions and execution across rounds. If the row compromises the output you need, review the rest after each exercise and whether the pair belongs together. For other objectives, you may accept some accumulated fatigue. Make that a programming decision you can explain.
Write the rest after A1 and the rest after A2 on the program. Then check the actual time before each exercise repeats and whether the athlete can reproduce the required work.
For more on choosing rest by training objective, see Rest and Recovery Intervals. View the original Instagram carousel.
