how much rest between sets ?

[Drago]

are you watching the clock or wait till you are ready for another set

phil heat trained with jay cutler and then reduce his rest time between sets.
he says this improve his condition and he gained a lot of muscle too.

 

[gridlock]

i always try to stick under one minute. i find it helps me over load the muscle more and keep me a lot leaner

 

[Titan1969]

When Im ON....

I can definitely train faster. OFF I take 2-3 minutes on large muscles, 1-2 minutes smaller ones. If I train too fast on large groups I build up more fatigue in my lungs than muscle pump. I trained for a year in a fast pace with 2 minutes or less for large groups...I actually got weaker.

Everyones different...Id say if you ready, go if your huffing and puffing rest.

 

[Pekkerwood]

I have used more rest 2-3 minutes when lifting low rep sets with my goal being to add strength. When I did measure I estimated that extra minute made about 10% difference in my next set. The studies that made me try this were in one of Polquins books many years ago that showed average recovery versus time. Same book also did a fair job of predicting max lifts from reps at lower poundages.

For the last 9 months I have lifted in the 12 rep range with less time between sets and gotten good results. I recently dropped down to 6 to 8 rep range again with 90 seconds or so, trying a different approach in conjunction with a diet.

I definately "feel" like do more with less rest. But I lift more total weight by letting that last bit of recovery happen. I also feel this is another one of those things thats probably highly individual physically as well as mentally.

Good Luck.

 

[natabolic]

Depends..

If im cutting, i have very short rest periods between sets, as i am trying to get my metabolism up. when bulking, ill give myself as much as 5 mins between sets so i can go really heavy.

 

[Ness]

Like Steel said.

Depends on my body...when my breathing returns to normal, I hit it again. Sometimes with big lifts its a few minutes, and sometimes a minute or less on the smaller lifts.

 

[Jrflex10er]

Easy....More demanding lifts like squats and deadlifts take more time between sets. Your breathing should be the key, not the clock. Once you start breathing relatively normal do another set. There could be a lot of factors involving the time. For example, the program you are performing. DC training, during squats, could end up taking you more time between sets then someone who is just doing a regular straight set of squats. Basically, go with your instinct. This will not make or break you.

 

[CB]

If i have the energy to start, i always try to keep the rest minimal. Like others have said, i usually bump it up a bit when i go heavy. It's becoming harder and harder to show up with great energy since the temps are up around 110 degrees in phx now. Just sucks the life out of you.

 

[ALPHA&OMEGA]

If im cutting, i have very short rest periods between sets, as i am trying to get my metabolism up. when bulking, ill give myself as much as 5 mins between sets so i can go really heavy.

I must agree here with my fellow canadian.

 

[Realize]

I watch the clock and aim for 60 seconds. If I am still out of breath then I give my self another 30.

 

[mike1107]

are you watching the clock or wait till you are ready for another set

phil heat trained with jay cutler and then reduce his rest time between sets.
he says this improve his condition and he gained a lot of muscle too.

I dont think the only reason he gained such an amount of muscles was the fact that he reduced his rest between sets

 

[Big Bapper]

I try to tell people that I train that there is no magic amount of time to take between sets. Its a good laugh to see people walking around my gym timing themselves between sets. Some say rest 5 mins some say 1min. I say is recovery time going to be the same after doing a heavy sets of squats the same as a light set side laterals, A BIG HELL NO !!

Wait till your breathing has returned to normal and the soreness had gone from the muscle and its go to go IMO.

 

[Big Bapper]

I dont think the only reason he gained such an amount of muscles was the fact that he reduced his rest between sets

It would be great if it was, are job would be allot easier and we would all look like Jay Cutler.

Respect.

 

[blackhole]

for basic heavy movements like deadlift, squat, rows, military and bench you need to rest a while. 3 minutes minimum. you need that rest to make sure you have the energy to do the next heavy set. later on in the workout do some light dumbells and/or machines in supersets with minimal rest (like one minute)

 

[Dangkolo]

I rest as long as it takes my partner to finish his set. I usually move pretty quick through my sets.........No time to waste with familia and other things that need be attended too throughout the day.............

 

[Sesshomaru]

Rest in between sets is VERY dependent on what kind of athletic quality you are trying to build up. If you dont know why youre doing or maintaining other aspects of yourself (i.e. diet, other training volume, etc.) then odds are youre not going to get much out any given amount of rest.

 

[Mr.Loony]

I never worry about time. I start my next set when I feel I can give it 100%. You'll know when that is. I use to be a time junkie, but not anymore. I learned to abandon that when I started training arms and legs differently. I had a new training partner and liked to alternate muscle groups in between exercises for legs and arms. Meaning he would do barbell curls (4 sets), then tricep pushdowns (4 sets), then another bi movement, then tri moevement and so on.

I use to think the muscles wouldn't get the proper stimulation due to letting them rest this long between exercises. But I was wrong. I actually liked training like this for awhile. I don't do it all the time, but it's great for a change of pace. I got some good gains doing this for a couple of months. Especially my legs. But this proved to me that resting to long doesn't negatively effect stimulation as I thought before. Least it didn't for me.

I use to power train as well. Not necassarily powerlifting, but I was using nothing but basic exercises and powerlifting exercises for 3-4 sets and 6-8 reps. I trained like this for about a year. I took no less than a 3minute break in between sets. For the larger bodyparts I took around 5-6 minutes. It wasn't that I was timing them, I just happened to have a clock on a wall nearby and would notice from time to time how long I was taking. Of course I attribute most of my size and foundation to this period in my training more than any other.

I honestly think it's a matter of preference and just what your body is use to doing. Cutler, who I have seen train numerous times on different video's (the guy has like 10 of them out, lol) doesn't rest that long. I think he knocks the sets out with about 2 minutes rest in between. But Cutler is also known for training with "moderate" weight, for his size compared to most pros. He makes up for it by resting less between sets and using a ton of exercises in his routine. For back he does what, 7-9 exercises?

Then I've seen Ronnie train and noticed that he uses long rest periods. I noticed this two different ways. One way is, a song will just begin to play, and song you know is 4 minutes long and Ronnie will just begin his set, then by the time he starts the next set, that song will be over and another song will be playing. Then another time he was training, I think on the same tape, there just happened to be a glimpse of a clock or something right before he began his set, then another glimpse of it around his second set. A good 4 minutes had gone by, and he was training triceps. Then of course you know he rest a good long while between heavy squats and deads. But as stated, he also does this on smaller movements and bodyparts. But Ronnie, opposite of Jay, use's only 3 exercises, maybe 4, and trains twice as heavy. So he needs that long rest period.

Conclusion: I think it's wise to use long rest's between sets when training heavy, no matter what bodypart. It could also help with a 12 rep range, depending on what is heavy to you and rep range you have trained your body to train "heavy" in. I personally like longer rests between sets, but thats not to say shorter rest times don't have their place. I think shorter rest times could be beneficial when getting ready for a comp, or just for a change of pace, or possibly can be used for an intensity booster. Meaning, people use supersets, giant sets, forced reps, rest-pause, etc, well shorter rest between sets could have it's place for extra intensity. Especially for someone who is not use to training with shorter rest's between sets.

It's really up to the individual training. Everyone is different. It has been proven that bodybuilders can gain muscle using shorter rests, and it's been proven bodybuilders can gain muscle using longer rests. So, that doesnt seem to be the issue, when it comes to a "must" for growth. So, I think they have their place in other categories of training.

 

[Emmortal]

I never worry about time. I start my next set when I feel I can give it 100%. You'll know when that is. I use to be a time junkie, but not anymore. I learned to abandon that when I started training arms and legs differently. I had a new training partner and liked to alternate muscle groups in between exercises for legs and arms. Meaning he would do barbell curls (4 sets), then tricep pushdowns (4 sets), then another bi movement, then tri moevement and so on.

I use to think the muscles wouldn't get the proper stimulation due to letting them rest this long between exercises. But I was wrong. I actually liked training like this for awhile. I don't do it all the time, but it's great for a change of pace. I got some good gains doing this for a couple of months. Especially my legs. But this proved to me that resting to long doesn't negatively effect stimulation as I thought before. Least it didn't for me.

I use to power train as well. Not necassarily powerlifting, but I was using nothing but basic exercises and powerlifting exercises for 3-4 sets and 6-8 reps. I trained like this for about a year. I took no less than a 3minute break in between sets. For the larger bodyparts I took around 5-6 minutes. It wasn't that I was timing them, I just happened to have a clock on a wall nearby and would notice from time to time how long I was taking. Of course I attribute most of my size and foundation to this period in my training more than any other.

I honestly think it's a matter of preference and just what your body is use to doing. Cutler, who I have seen train numerous times on different video's (the guy has like 10 of them out, lol) doesn't rest that long. I think he knocks the sets out with about 2 minutes rest in between. But Cutler is also known for training with "moderate" weight, for his size compared to most pros. He makes up for it by resting less between sets and using a ton of exercises in his routine. For back he does what, 7-9 exercises?

Then I've seen Ronnie train and noticed that he uses long rest periods. I noticed this two different ways. One way is, a song will just begin to play, and song you know is 4 minutes long and Ronnie will just begin his set, then by the time he starts the next set, that song will be over and another song will be playing. Then another time he was training, I think on the same tape, there just happened to be a glimpse of a clock or something right before he began his set, then another glimpse of it around his second set. A good 4 minutes had gone by, and he was training triceps. Then of course you know he rest a good long while between heavy squats and deads. But as stated, he also does this on smaller movements and bodyparts. But Ronnie, opposite of Jay, use's only 3 exercises, maybe 4, and trains twice as heavy. So he needs that long rest period.

Conclusion: I think it's wise to use long rest's between sets when training heavy, no matter what bodypart. It could also help with a 12 rep range, depending on what is heavy to you and rep range you have trained your body to train "heavy" in. I personally like longer rests between sets, but thats not to say shorter rest times don't have their place. I think shorter rest times could be beneficial when getting ready for a comp, or just for a change of pace, or possibly can be used for an intensity booster. Meaning, people use supersets, giant sets, forced reps, rest-pause, etc, well shorter rest between sets could have it's place for extra intensity. Especially for someone who is not use to training with shorter rest's between sets.

It's really up to the individual training. Everyone is different. It has been proven that bodybuilders can gain muscle using shorter rests, and it's been proven bodybuilders can gain muscle using longer rests. So, that doesnt seem to be the issue, when it comes to a "must" for growth. So, I think they have their place in other categories of training.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I just go when I feel I can give it my all. Some days that's 1 minute, others it's 3. Doesn't matter to me personally as I'm not looking to compete.

 

[hardkor]

I've seen Ronnie train in person as well. At least 3 minutes, probably 4 minute average rest between sets. And yes, even on bis/tris. The guy will do a set, sit there and zone out, do another set, zone out, etc.

I guess that's how he's able to maintain his muscle endurance 12+ reps and pyramid up on each set.