Looking for general advice to saving time while training. I am currently going through the Bridge 1.0. Each session usually takes me at least 90 minutes. Is this typical for everyone? I typically rest 1 minute between warmup sets, and 3 minutes between work sets.
i worry about starting the 12 week strength next as it stated it usually takes 2 hrs per session
I’m about to start week 6 of the Bridge. I’d say for me the Monday and Wednesday workouts have been taking around 75 minutes, but the Friday workouts are taking closer to 2 hours. I usually take 3 minute rests between accessory work sets and 4 minute rests between competition lift work sets. However, on Fridays I’ve been having to shorten the rest to get it all finished in time.
I ran 12WS a few months back with and at the time I had a tight 75 minute time limit on sessions. I was able to do it. Many of the sets in 12 week strength are in the RPE 6-7 range, and I was able to trim my rest periods down to 2 minutes on those no problem. I also did less warmups than I had in the past, and on warmup sets I took only enough rest time to change weights. I would especially cut my warmup sets way down on second and third exercises on the day as my body would already be warm. Most people don’t need as many warmup sets as they do, it’s more of a comfort/placebo kind of thing. Placebo is great if you have the time for it, but if your schedule won’t allow for it then you have to start to leave the comfort zone a bit and test what your body can do (and as is usually the case, it’s more than you think it can). Just keep an eye on your fatigue percentages on the Excel sheet when trimming down your rest times. 3-5% total fatigue is perfectly fine and normal for any of the lifts. As long as you’re not going too far over that on a regular basis then all is well.
I have cut off some time when needed by doing two movements at once such as alternating between Squat and Bench… I actually don’t know if this is a good or bad thing but it makes things go very fast and it shakes things up a bit which is nice for me. But really it is not uncommon for me to spend 2.5-3 hours at the gym depending on my programming for that week and how many of my buddies are at the gym, I also have about 4-5 min rest period usually.
I don’t think the math works out. If you’re really only taking 3 min rests between sets Bridge 1.0 shouldn’t take 90 min per workout. So I’d assess what else you’re spending time on that you can cut out, first.
After that, BBM warmup protocols are excessive, IMO. I warm up about half as much and don’t take 1m rests – my rests between warmups are as quickly as I can load the new plates.
You can also warmup the next lift in between working sets of your current lift. If you have access to a two barbell setup this can shave pretty significant time off.
And finally if you still need to save time, I’d try super setting. Again you need access to a two barbell setup, but I think bench/deadlift and squat/press works pretty well. Or Rows with anything.
Zero time between warmup sets but for changing weights. Between @6 and @7 I take 2 minutes ish and then 3 minutes before the @8 sets.
Set a timer on the watch/phone/grandfather clock/timekeeping thingy for 3 minutes. I watch the thing and at about 2 minutes in I get up and get ready. So by the time 3 minutes is buzzing on my wrist I am about to get under the bar (ideal), or if I forget it is buzzing on my wrist mid set (which is sorta/kinda annoying but not really).
The biggest time lag is between movements; i.e. say moving between squat and bench press. Tis a pain stripping the weight off, setting the pins, setting the bench, etc. But time can be saved here by just moving faster. I am sure many like me drag here.
Moving quickly between non-working sets and between exercises setting up can be seen as GPP/conditioning.
When I did the bridge it took me that long. I’m running through the 12wk now and everything is taking ALMOST 90 minutes. More if I add in the GPP stuff after the barbell movements. I just think that these things take time. You could try shortening breaks with a commensurate drop in weights. Also I have never really spent a full minute between warmup sets, just do 2x5 empty, then add weight. I do much less warming up for the second/third workouts in a day because my body is already warmed up so I just need to quickly acclimate to the weight, motion.
So if i squat, BP, and lets say row in a day I might have 5 warmup sets to the squatting, but only 2 or 3 to the other two. This seems to workout pretty well for me since the warmups mostly just get my body ready to go. My whole body seems suficiently ready to output force after a few heavy squat sets.
I train in my basement with many possible distractions from YouTube to kid to whatever minor house project is on my mind. I also tend to waste time setting up to make sure everything is ‘perfect’. A minute here and there adds up real quick. Some of my Bridge sessions were 2 hours long.
Last night I focused on starting my next set 3 minutes after the previous set - shortest training session ever! I need to keep this up.