Thread: v.long rest intervals

to allow your body to fully recover before lifting again. 5+ min. is a long time to rest. I don't even rest that long when lifting at high intensities ( > 90% of 1RM).

2-3 minutes is the ideal range to rest when performing at 85% or greater of your 1RM

If you are training for hypertrophy, cut down the RI to 30secs - 90secs

yea i've seen suggested times for hypertrophy but still havent read any thing that explains why it is any better - only thing i have read is from foremans post where the guy was sayin saying give yourself at least 2-3mins for the lactic acid to clear to get a better set in next time, but surely you could take that to the extreme - only your workout wud take a lot longer!

I usually rest for 2 minutes. Any longer than that i start to get lazy because the pressure is off for too long :P.

I used to take 90 seconds, but i found it wasnt enough time. Although that's probably because ive started to lift at a higher intensity now.

I couldnt imagine a 5 minute rest set...that just seems FAR too long.

The only time I rest 3-5 minutes or so is in between 1RM attempts. Otherwise I try to keep my rest intervals between 30 and 90 seconds, and occasionally venture up to 2 minutes or so.

I alternate rest times depending on whether I'm training on days off, or after work. On days off, I have rested 4-5 mins between sets & have tended to find my lifts were better with the increased rest time. Maybe this is just me though.

Originally Posted by DanOz

I alternate rest times depending on whether I'm training on days off, or after work. On days off, I have rested 4-5 mins between sets & have tended to find my lifts were better with the increased rest time. Maybe this is just me though.

You can definitely lift more if you wait more in between sets. It allows for greater recovery of the phosphagen energy system. This will make the most difference when you're going really heavy, but should also amount to a noticeable difference when dealing with slightly lighter weights as well.

Of course, if you always wait 4-5 minutes in between sets then you will be in the gym all damned day trying to reach a good level of volume. That's why I reserve rest periods like this for my absolute heaviest sets: in between 1-3RM attempts.

I guess this is one advantage of training at home. The nearest gym to me is about 20kms away, and the hours don't suit me because I'm a shift worker. After pulling anything from a 10-18 hour shift (best so far is a 23 hour shift) the thought of driving to the gym is not appealing, and besides I often train well after closing time.

On days off, I'm not rushed, in fact, I enjoy the time spent training as time to myself. I'm doing a low volume program at the moment anyway, so the 4-5 mins between sets doesn't stretch the session out too far. I do like the better lifts achieved from the longer recovery time.

That being said, if I'm training after work, I try and make it in and out in around 45 minutes which means approx 2-3 mins between sets. Because the lifts can be a little down, I try to vary the program to a Work Day / Off Days seperate split, so I can keep trying to beat the last effort.

For example for chest on Off days I do Barbell work, on Work Days I do Dumbbell work. This way I'm not feeling like I had a bad session on Work days with the lesser recovery times and often lesser progress with the lifts. This system works well for me.

i like shorter rest periods. 15 to 45 seconds tops. I find it far more intensive than waiting around, plus i finish my workout sooner. I thought my strength would suffer a lot but it hasn't, granted i can't use a ton of weight, but if you can crank out 4 sets of 10, with 30 seconds of rest between sets with say 225 or whatever weight is your goal, for incline presses. Thats not bad. it seems that shorter rest periods generate greater hypertrophy gains.....at least for me anyway.

so basicaly the only negative to long rest intervals is the amount of time your going to be spending in the gym...? dats kool.

Originally Posted by zapedy

so basicaly the only negative to long rest intervals is the amount of time your going to be spending in the gym...? dats kool.

I would also consider long rest periods less than optimal for hypertrophy. Studies seem to indicate that 30-90 seconds is the sweet spot, but less than that isn't really beneficial.

Which studies are you referring to? Are they reliable? I would give your personal experience more credibility than studies. Did you find better size gains with less recovery between sets?

Originally Posted by DanOz

Which studies are you referring to? Are they reliable? I would give your personal experience more credibility than studies. Did you find better size gains with less recovery between sets?

I've found that most of those variables don't make a whole lot of difference when it comes to gaining mass. If I eat enough food I grow; my caloric intake is always my limiting factor in the end.

Look for P-funks post about testosterone. There is a study or two in there regarding rest interval times. The NSCA also lists 30-90 seconds as the optimal range for hypertrophy in their textbook geared toward obtaining a CPT certification, which they reference with numerous studies.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I've found that most of those variables don't make a whole lot of difference when it comes to gaining mass. If I eat enough food I grow; my caloric intake is always my limiting factor in the end.

Look for P-funks post about testosterone. There is a study or two in there regarding rest interval times. The NSCA also lists 30-90 seconds as the optimal range for hypertrophy in their textbook geared toward obtaining a CPT certification, which they reference with numerous studies.

Thanks - will give them a read. I personally don't place much stock in any studies though. You don't know how well it was done, who financed it, whether there were any agendas etc.

And all this aside, one size does not fit all. Every person is different, and they respond to training methods etc differently. So no matter what the current study / guru preaches, it may not work for you personally even if it does for others.

The only truly reliable study is the one you do yourself when you keep a lifting log and see what results you get with the methods used. Just my opinion anyway.

Originally Posted by DanOz

Thanks - will give them a read. I personally don't place much stock in any studies though. You don't know how well it was done, who financed it, whether there were any agendas etc.

And all this aside, one size does not fit all. Every person is different, and they respond to training methods etc differently. So no matter what the current study / guru preaches, it may not work for you personally even if it does for others.

The only truly reliable study is the one you do yourself when you keep a lifting log and see what results you get with the methods used. Just my opinion anyway.

I will say that you can't argue with results. However, that doesn't mean you can't get better results by trying something different.

I still say that the most important factor when it comes to mass gains is diet. Don't even worry about little picky bullshit like that until you have a diet in order than is conducive to building muscle.