Resting period question

**Squaggleboggin** · 10-26-2004, 03:25 PM

I try to gain strength, so I train with fairly heavy weights. My question is: How long should I rest between sets? I've been resting about thirty seconds or so, but I've seen that some people rest a few minutes. This almost seems like a waste of time to me. Should I rest longer and try doing it with more weight or something?

**DOMS** · 10-26-2004, 03:32 PM

It's my understading that you shouldn't wait more than a minute or so. It has something to do with muscle fiber recruitment. Perhaps on of the more experienced member could chime in?

**Saturday Fever** · 10-26-2004, 03:38 PM

I play it by feel. If I feel fine, I'll rest 30 seconds. If I really humped a rep out and want to try another, maybe I'll wait longer.

**Duncans Donuts** · 10-26-2004, 03:54 PM

I rest about 3-4 minutes between working sets - sometimes more. After squats I take 5 minutes (usually 3 before I can even stand up again)

**sabre81** · 10-26-2004, 04:41 PM

i play it by feel also. i usually rest no less than 30 sec. my usual rest is about a 1:30-2 min.

**min0 lee** · 10-26-2004, 08:53 PM

The amount of time you reserve for resting between sets will vary, depending on your particular goals.

If your goal is to gain strength and pack on the muscle mass, the ideal amount of time between sets is roughly 3-4 minutes. Allowing this amount of time will provide ample recovery time for your muscles, and thus, refuel your muscles with the strength it needs to conquer the next grueling set.

For the more toned, defined look, cut back the rest time to 1-2 minutes between sets, keeping the tension on the muscles while carving them into that sharp, chiseled look you so willfully desire.

**min0 lee** · 10-26-2004, 08:54 PM

Rest time in between sets is paramount in a quality workout. Too much rest and you lose your pump. Too little rest and you quickly fatigue the working muscle. So you have to be able to get it just right in order to achieve optimal results. After all, results are what we're after, right? Now that we've agreed that rest time is important for good training, how do we go about gauging our rest times. Well, for most well trained individuals, 60-90 seconds is optimal rest time. It is a good rule to use because various studies have indicated that 60-90 seconds of rest is enough to recover about 90% of your muscle's capacity to do work.

**largepkg** · 10-26-2004, 08:56 PM

^ Rutroo Raggy. He used the "tone" word.

**Cold Iron** · 10-26-2004, 08:58 PM

I think rest is determined by the type of training. EX. If im going real heavy, I'll take another minute or 2. No longer than 5 ever though.

I remember reading a while ago, that after 2 minutes, 90% of your strength is replinshed

**CowPimp** · 10-26-2004, 10:47 PM

If you're going for strength gains, then you don't want to be fatigued upon beginning your next set. If hypertrophy is your goal, then this is less of a consequence. Either way, I go by feel. Usually 1-2 minutes is ample for me. Occasionally I will wait longer, but that is usually only proceeding a superset, dropset, or achieving absolute failure.

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