3 Secrets to Perfect Rest Interval
August 24, 2008 | 5 Comments
Photo by jason.lengstorf
From Your gym buddy, personal trainer, to your local body-builders have their own opinions about what is the perfect rest periods between sets. Hardcore “300″ training will enforce minimizing or no rest periods between sets, and there are heavy lifters who takes 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets. So, who should you listen to?
Jeffery Wilardson from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston concluded, rest intervals are essential for resorting the muscles’ active environment which includes blood flow, oxygen delivery, elimination of waste products, restoration of creatine phosphate, and balancing normal acid-base. Simply put, your rest periods are just as important as the actual lifting.
So, what is the perfect rest time? Well, it all depends on your fitness goals, genetics, and your fitness experience.
Fitness Goal
According to NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), if your fitness goal is endurance, conditioning, or simply to slim down, you should minimize your rest period to 30 seconds to 1 minutes between each set, training your body to perform under poor Active Environment as explained above. On the other hand, if your fitness goal is heavy lifting or power lifting you need about 3 to 5 minutes to fully restore your Active Environment so your muscles can perform under maximum capacity. And lastly, for muscle mass gain, you need about 1 to 2 minutes between each set.
Genetics
Also, genetics plays a huge role when it comes to deciding on your rest interval. It’s not science, Some people are just born with better genes allowing them to recover quickly and can get by resting 1 to 3 minutes between sets, while other people need more.
Fitness Experience
Another thing you need to consider when deciding on you rest interval is your fitness experience. Experienced people relatively train harder than untrained people, so they might need more rest, but on the other hand, untrained people are typically unfit and they need more time to recover.
Obviously, there are no single rest interval that works for everyone. The best thing to do is to experiment with different rest intervals. Just remember, you don’t have to follow your favorite fitness magazine down to a “T” when they recommend a routine. If you feel you’re ready to go again after your first set, then you’re ready. Don’t forget, your genetics, your fitness goals, and/or fitness experience are different than your favorite body-builder, find your own perfect rest interval.
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