Logging Rest Taken

Rest taken is the actual time between working sets. It matters in the log because rest length strongly affects how many reps you can perform at a given load — so a "missed" rep target may simply reflect a short rest, not lost strength.

What it enables:

• Honest comparison. A 4×8×100 kg session done on 90 s rest is a harder, denser session than the same on 3 min rest. Without the rest field, the log overstates or understates progress.
• Density tracking. Total work ÷ total time = training-density; cutting rest while holding volume load is a progression lever that load/reps alone won't show.
• Adherence to prescription. Strength/power blocks prescribe long rests (often 2–5 min) to preserve load; hypertrophy commonly uses 1–3 min; metabolic/endurance work uses short rests (see rest-between-sets). Logging lets you verify you trained as intended.

Most apps auto-time rest from a built-in timer, which is more reliable than recall. If rest is not logged, at least note when a session was unusually rushed or relaxed.

• Rest length materially changes reps achievable at a fixed load.
• Typical prescriptions: strength/power 2–5 min, hypertrophy 1–3 min, endurance/metabolic <1 min.
• Density = work ÷ time; shrinking rest at constant volume load is a progression lever.
• Auto-timed rest beats recalled rest for data quality.

• rest-between-sets — the programming variable being logged.
• training-density — derived from rest + volume.
• training-volume-load — interpret VL changes in light of rest changes.
• what-to-log-strength — rest is a recommended per-set field.