Resting between sets

[Glassonion91168]

Hi all,

I'm about halfway through Stage 1, and I find it nearly impossible to keep track of the rest time between sets. I have an iPhone and keep it in the pocket of my sweatpants or shorts while I'm doing the workout. I use the stopwatch feature on the phone, but it's a pain to keep checking the time after each set. I know, I should probably invest in an armband or a watch, but I'm really strapped for cash right now.

My question is: Is it absolutely crucial that the rest time be 60 seconds per set, or am I allowed to shorten/elongate the rest time? I wouldn't elongate it by much, just enough time to get from one side of the room (it's kind of large) to another, or enough time to set-up for an exercise/new set.

Also, is there a way to post pictures of your progress in your profile, or does it have to be embedded in a thread? I would love to see progress pictures from other members nonetheless .

Thanks!
Lisa

[LisaS]

is there no clock in your gym? Most have several clocks you could use to time yourself.

I use a gymboss for interval timing - works well and is fairly inexpensive.

No reason you cannot just count or something as well. Or use a small timer (like a cheapo kitchen timer) that just runs forward and reset it. Or an old hourglass timer from a board game. Or ... ? Or maybe the point is to rest enough so that you can go all out on the next set but not so much that you are lazing around and not keeping up the intensity level that is intended.

[wendyr67]

I just look at the second hand on the clock on the wall at the gym. I'm not usually worried about it being exact. I take a look when I finish the set, then start to get in position for the next one at about 55 seconds later. Sometimes I forget to look or loose track, but I can usually get it pretty close just by the way it feels.

[rubyam]

After requesting that my gym install a clock in the weight area about 10 times I started bringing my own small analog clock with me. I snagged it from my son I just note about where the second hand is (to the nearest 1/4 min) and then use that to figure out how long to rest.

[butterbeean]

I bought a stopwatch with an oversized face. I call it my MR MAGOO Stopwatch because I can keep it on the floor and actually read it from a standing position. For those of you too young to remember, Mr Magoo was a comic strip character who was practically blind and wore really thick glasses to see.

[jamelden]

I use my ipod -- I play a song and press pause when it gets to the end of the rest (eg. 60 sec., 90 sec., 105 sec. etc.), do the rep, then press start again and go back to the beg. of the song. I don't wear the ipod during my weight lifting at the gym, I just use it to keep track of time.

[Matmos]

I bought a cheapo watch for $2.50 at a dollar store. I never even bothered to set the time correctly, just watch the second hand. This was better than the gym clock because sometimes I have to switch rooms between different exercises (plus it is always conveniently available to see).