Train faster, talk less!

For some people the gym is as much a social event as an opportunity to workout. Unfortunately spending too much time talking and resting between sets will decrease the results you get from your training significantly.

If your goal is maximum hypertrophy (muscle size) you want to fully overload the muscle; by resting too long between sets you are giving your body too much time to recover and decreasing the effectiveness of the workout.

There are certain styles of exercise where a long rest is appropriate. Power lifting training for example requires longer rest periods due to the demands it places on the nervous system when lifting maximal weights (85%+ 1RM).

As most people’s goal is an aesthetic one rather than one of maximal strength limit your rest periods to 45-180 seconds. The added benefit of having less rest is that you will have a greater rise in your growth hormone and testosterone levels.

Muscle is built outside of the gym when you rest; exercise is only the stimulus.

Train hard, train briefly then go home and give your body the correct nutrition. Make sure to get enough quality sleep also. There's a reason babies sleep so much; it's because they are on growth overdrive!