If I want my vents to be blowing heat of 76 degrees as fast as possible should I set it to 76 or should I put it on max and then lower it once I feel that it is blowing hot air?
Assuming the engineers who designed your car were any good, they would design it to blow whatever maximum possible heat is available at any given time that the temperature is below 76.
When you just start the car use recycled air until it warms up a bit and then switch to fresh air. Also, don’t use the bi-level, stick to feet only, hot air rises and it will be hotter from the foot vents than the top vents.