Rest Periods

[Gator]

Hi all,

I've been watching this site for a while and thought I had better get involved.

I train mainly for size but I tend to get caught in the trap of lifting heavy weights (well for me anyway) so my rest periods are generally longer, around the 3 minute mark.

I know the basics of longer rest for strength, less for size and even less for endurance but wonder what you guys experiances/recommendations are?

[Leeroid]

What I like to do is give myself plenty of rests in between sets on the heavy compound lifts so that I can maximize the amount of weight lifted and therefore maximize CNS overload. Then when I get into the accessory exercises where weight is not as important, I'll reduce rest times to a minute or so. Seems to work well for me.

[Cam0505]

How often you guys have a rest day?

I do push-pull-legs-off-push-pull-legs-off(1-2 days) and repeat.

[Gator]

Between shift work and the kids I train 3-4 x a week, each body part once, each set (other then warm ups) to failure or near as when training alone. I have no real set rest days as work dictates when I train.... Lotto :pray: will one day free up my time to maybe train some more.

[Cam0505]

Dude you have kids?

Very respectful that you take the time and have the drive to workout in-order to improve yourself. Got my mum into fitness haha , now i just have to get her into weights and she'll be all kinds of healthy :nod:

Don't worry to much about going to failure, just make sure your getting progressive over load and you'll make all kinds of improvements :nod:

[rapz]

i never time my rest periods during heavy compound movements, when i feel good to go thats when im usually ready.

isolation or accessory work is a bit different, but even still i dont really look at a clock and time myself, just when im good to go. sometimes thats 30 seconds other times its 2min.

[Riccardo]

What Rapz said! Rest periods between sets are important but I think you'll find that if you just go when you're ready to go you will be sweet. With Heavy compounds ad Leeroid said, you are maximising CNS overload so you want plenty of rest, by giving yourself enough rest you also maximise myofibrillar tension, which leads to greater hypertrophy.

When it comes to accessory work, then it's time to reduce your rest periods and try to cause metabolic stress within the muscle tissue, the anoxic environment and build up of metabolites also triggers hypertrophy.

[jimmybro1]

How often you guys have a rest day?

I do push-pull-legs-off-push-pull-legs-off(1-2 days) and repeat.

Mathew Ogus fan?

Just take enough rest to fully recover for your last set so you can have a decent output. I.e. once you get your breathe back I don't think putting a time period on it is a good idea might be to long or might be to short.

Obviously you will need much longer rest times for heavy compound movements rather than isolation movements.

Everyone is different you just have to find what works for you, if your not to strict on the time you have to workout do it at a pace your body will let you. Rest times being to short will heavy impact performance.

[Cam0505]

Mathew Ogus fan?

Not really, i've seen a few videos and noticed his workout routine so gave it a go and i really enjoy it. The focus on compound movements and separating the big three into different workouts is very handy.

Not sure what accessory work he does so i do the exercises i like.. eg Romanian deadlifts which are my 3rd fav exercise :nod:

What routine you do jimmy? just curious.

[Cam0505]

What Rapz said! Rest periods between sets are important but I think you'll find that if you just go when you're ready to go you will be sweet. With Heavy compounds ad Leeroid said, you are maximising CNS overload so you want plenty of rest, by giving yourself enough rest you also maximise myofibrillar tension, which leads to greater hypertrophy.

When it comes to accessory work, then it's time to reduce your rest periods and try to cause metabolic stress within the muscle tissue, the anoxic environment and build up of metabolites also triggers hypertrophy.

One second got to go get my pad, haha.

Yea after deadlift, squat, and bench-press sets i always give myself as long as i need to fully recover.

You know your stuff Riccardo :nod: You a pt?

[jimmybro1]

Monday: Chest & Triceps

Tuesday: Back & Biceps

Wednesday: Shoulders & Abs

Thursday: Deadlifts & Bench (3x3)

Friday: OFF

Saturday: Quads & Hamstrings

Sunday: Calves, Rear delts, grip & Abs

Got powerlifting and bodybuilding goals

[Cam0505]

Monday: Chest & Triceps

Tuesday: Back & Biceps

Wednesday: Shoulders & Abs

Thursday: Deadlifts & Bench (3x3)

Friday: OFF

Saturday: Quads & Hamstrings

Sunday: Calves, Rear delts, grip & Abs

Got powerlifting and bodybuilding goals

Common and obviously effective :nod:

Nice. What your numbers looking like?

[Gator]

Dude you have kids?

Very respectful that you take the time and have the drive to workout in-order to improve yourself. Got my mum into fitness haha , now i just have to get her into weights and she'll be all kinds of healthy :nod:

Don't worry to much about going to failure, just make sure your getting progressive over load and you'll make all kinds of improvements :nod:

**Yip got kids, that is some of the reason why I like the Gym so much, I don't have to put up with screaming there (well apart from the odd 1 or 2 who insist on screaming when they do squats)

Interesting about your point on going to failure. As I said I have been taking all my sets other than warm up to failure, around 8-9 for small body parts or 11-12 for the larger body parts. How many on average do you do/works for you?

Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic so far.

[jimmybro1]

Monday: Chest & Triceps

Tuesday: Back & Biceps

Wednesday: Shoulders & Abs

Thursday: Deadlifts & Bench (3x3)

Friday: OFF

Saturday: Quads & Hamstrings

Sunday: Calves, Rear delts, grip & Abs

Got powerlifting and bodybuilding goals

Common and obviously effective :nod:

Nice. What your numbers looking like?

Squat 200, Bench 130 (going for 140 next 3 weeks) & Deadlift 200 (haven't attempted more)

Only started deadlifts 2 weeks ago and bench last week hadn't benched for at least a year and haven't deadlifted for 2 years. So all PRs.

[Cam0505]

How many on average do you do/works for you?

Thanks to all who have contributed to this topic so far.

I've only really just started taking lifting seriously again as i lost quite a lot of weight last year through stress and not eating enough.

I'm sure some of the seasoned lifters on the forum will have some good advise for you :nod: in terms of the number of reps per set.

I'd say keeping a good variety of 6-8 and 10-12 would be optimal, obviously depends on the lift your doing and how you feel on the day.

Progressive overload with enough rest in-between sets to fully recover is always the best idea for compound movements.

Damn Jimmy!, I've got a fair way to go before i'm DLing 200 or squating/benching as much as you.

[Gator]

Sorry Cam I didn't make myself clear in the last post.

I am happy with the reps but interested in what you said about not bothering about going to full failure so often. I was asking how many sets you take to failure (on average a workout). Mine is about 8-9 small body parts and 11-12 for the larger ones.

I would be interested in what others think to.

**I should have maybe introduced myself prior to my first post.

I use to be into my weights but had kids, got lazy and after a good 6 years I am back into it again.

I have been training again for the last year and happy with the progress, muscle memory is a wonderful thing :nod: but in this game everyone gets results in different ways so you have to be pretty arrogant not to listen to everyones opinions and what they feel worked for them. If I can gain another kilo or 2 in muscle through the information I get back from asking various questions I will be more than happy.

I turely believe that everyone has something that is interesting to share.

Back in the day I got educated in Sport Science and worked in various gyms in NZ and UK. That was a while ago now and as I have not kept up with the play I have lost a lot of scientific type knowledge.

Keep up the training everyone and look forward to the feedback.

[Cam0505]

I'm a Human Nutrition and Sport/exercise science student(just changed from nutri+physiology). 20(21 on may 5th) at University.

Number of reps for failure seem to depend on exercise and weight(obviously) I like to keep it around 6-10, however sometimes i go heavier on deadlifts/romanian deadlifts to hit 1-4rep sets. no particular reason, i just love the feeling.... which sounds weird. My squats took a huge knock from the weight i lost from stress/not eating last year (my pb back then was 140-160kg, now i struggle to hit 120...) Been bring up my lagging hamstrings which has help a lot +my deadlift.

Again i'm sure some seasoned lifters will have some great advise for ya.

[Diab0lic]

What I like to do is give myself plenty of rests in between sets on the heavy compound lifts so that I can maximize the amount of weight lifted and therefore maximize CNS overload. Then when I get into the accessory exercises where weight is not as important, I'll reduce rest times to a minute or so. Seems to work well for me.

This is what I do. I usually wait for my breathing to come back to normal and I'm ready to go again. After heavy compound sets that can be a few minutes, after isolation sets could be under a minute