Frequently, when I'm at the gym I see too many guys taking way too long to rest between sets. This can be a very negative thing because when you weight train effectively, the nitrix oxide effect also known as the pump only lasts for a limited time. You need to take propper rest for the amount of stress you are putting on your body during each set. You shouldn't be taking more than 5 minutes rest between each set and that is the maximum amount of time for a guy who is maxing out on that particular day.

It can be completely rediculous the way guys waste too much time resting between sets. If you are training for muscle endurance or muscle tone you only need to rest for 60-90 seconds between sets. That is enough time to take a few breathes get and get a drop of water in you. Thats all that brief time period should be used for. That time is not to be used for walking across the gym and chatting with Joe about the cops raiding a certain party the previous weekend. The same rule applies when lifting for strength and hypertrophy (muscle size and development) when you should be resting 1:00-2:30 half minutes between sets. Those couple of minutes should be to adjust the weight, get your breath back, let the lactic acid build up go down, and get some water in you if needed. It isn't a social break. It is a necessary rest that you're body must take in order for it to be able to sustain a high intensity and complete your scheduled work out in its enitirety.

When weight training you will develop the pump which is were blood rushes to the muscle that is being worked and temporarily blows it up. If you waste too much tme between sets socializing about meaningless garbage or just for sheer laziness, you will loose your pump and when that happens your workout is pretty much as dead as Vanilla Ice's music career. The bottom line is you need to stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish during that day in the gym. To some degree it becomes a question of how serious you are about weight training and how bad you want it because if you strongly desire to get the most of weight training, then prolonged rest should not be an issue. Just train smart and stay 110% focused and I can basically gurantee you will achieve some level of success as far as your weight training goals are concerned.