Rest Intervals
“How long should my rest times be?” This is a question I constantly hear, and with all the information out there, much of it which contradicts each other, the confusion is well warranted.
What does the science say? Well…it depends. Are you training for hypertrophy? Strength? Endurance? The answer will depend on your goals, and even then, there are multiple variables to consider. In terms of increasing overall strength and power, the general consensus is a 3-5 minute rest in between sets is optimal. Both the acute adaptations(the short term effects, i.e., increased blood flow into the muscles, hormone release) and chronic adaptations(the long term effects, i.e., increased strength) benefited greater from these longer rest time times, particularly in lifts of 50%-90% of an individuals 1MR, which is a VERY wide range.
Now…let’s focus on hypertrophy, 30-60 second rest times appear to be most optimal, primarily because of the growth hormone release that occurs with the shorter rest times. For building muscle endurance, rest times between 20 seconds to 60 seconds proved to be most effective, most likely do to the higher intensity of the workout. So…has that answered the question?
From my experience, a combination of various rest times throughout your workout is ideal. These are good general guidelines to follow as you embark on your weight lifting journey, but as you begin to understand your body better you will learn what will work best for YOUR body. For larger lifts that require multiple muscle groups, such as bench press, squat & deadlift, I will give myself a couple minutes in between sets, to maximize power output, and if you attempt a heavy lift too early, you will know you did not take enough rest. Smaller muscle groups, such as biceps, triceps, etc require less time to recover, and as such, I take shorter rest times, usually around the 30 second-90 second range.
Knowing proper rest times comes with experience, and working with a trainer can aid you on your path.
Reference:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19691365/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17194236/
Lambert, M. (2016). General Adaptations to Exercise: Acute Versus Chronic and Strength Versus Endurance Training. In: Vaamonde, D., du Plessis, S., Agarwal, A. (eds) Exercise and Human Reproduction. Springer, New York, NY.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3402-7_6
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