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View Full Version : Training FAQ #9: How long should I rest between sets?



Animal Rep
05-25-07, 4:35 pm
As with many things, there are no hard and fast rules. In general, I like to keep things as short as possible, when possible. With heavy compound movements like squats or deads, I might go a couple minutes between sets. For isolation movements, maybe a minute or less. Rest depends on many variables including how you're feeling, etc.

xman
07-27-07, 11:22 am
in the beging of my work out i got for strength so i rest for like a minute .. but for the second half wen my strength is wasted. i rest for like 30 sec. to get a better pump. that way i increase in stenght . size. and deffinition. but each body type is different!xXx

Beowulf
07-27-07, 11:46 am
Depends what I'm doing, but usually anywhere from 30-90 seconds.

HOLLYWOOD2
08-21-07, 12:32 am
ya really it jus depends on how i feel....some days i take short breaks and almost pass out and push myself to the limit....other days im more sluggish and wait a couple minutes...it jus depends

gsb239
08-21-07, 12:36 am
Like everyone else said here... depends on the day, the exercise, the rep range.

Shogun Assassin
09-26-07, 4:00 pm
in the beging of my work out i got for strength so i rest for like a minute .. but for the second half wen my strength is wasted. i rest for like 30 sec. to get a better pump. that way i increase in stenght . size. and deffinition. but each body type is different!xXx

i usually always just rest 1 minute in between my sets. is this a better option to rest for a minute in the begining and towards the end rest less for a better pump? if i did this i feel like i would need to drop weight or do far less reps... what is everyone's take on this?

SQUAT or DIE!
10-01-07, 3:27 pm
well personally since right now im only concerned with size, i usually rest at least 1 minute, rarely 2 when im absolutely thrashed on squats or deads.. i dont know if it helps, but it gives me soem time to refocus and get back into the mind set.. which i need where i workou, bunch of pansy ass guys.. shameful

wolfsburg2
10-11-07, 3:31 pm
if i am really beat from a heavy working set i wait until my heart slows down and my breathing returns to normal. if it takes more than 2 minutes i will take 5 deep breathes and move on to the next set.

deads, squats, standing military barbell are all good candidates for kicking my ass.

hayden_28
12-14-07, 7:50 pm
i try and aim for around 40 to 70 seconds

Infinite Fury
02-08-08, 7:19 pm
I make sure not to go pass 3mins between sets. When my breathing gets back to about normal then I know it's time. Just don't lose the pump, very important. Actually what helps me the most is psyching up between sets, sometimes you gain more energy than you would recover in 5 min.

BeachPirate1976
02-11-08, 1:29 pm
Seems that most people try & not rest more than 60-90 secs between.

pain4life
03-09-08, 1:21 am
I go to the gym for that burn, that agonizing pain we have all grown to love in our muscles. The best way for me to accomplish this is to wait 60 seconds, 90 max, between any given set.

Matt Dickerson
03-09-08, 1:27 am
I rest 5 minutes between sets on my main movement on max effort days. I rest 45-60 seconds between sets when doing speed work and I rest 1-2 minutes between sets on my assistance work. Typically, the more compound or muscles involved in the movement, the more rest I take. On isolation type movements with small muscle groups I rest very briefly.

Nihility
04-15-08, 1:57 pm
i rest longer on coumpounds, and less on isolations


say... compound 1.5-3 minutes, depending on the day

on say, curls i do 45 sec - 1.5 min

monster99
04-28-08, 2:01 pm
Well, the rest periods depends on what your goals are. You want strength? Take 3-5 minutes between sets. But if you're in a shredding phase, shoot for less than a minute. Shorter rest periods equals to more intensity, and better muscle fiber recruitment.

fernandob
12-09-08, 12:12 pm
i try to keep it under a min you dont want to cool down, steching between sets is supposed to help....

trady1990
06-20-09, 11:02 am
I was actually reading an article on line, supposedly after a set you can rest, but if you want to maximize muscle growth and performance you should do active stretching in between sets for the amount of time you rest. This supposedly works the muscle, but in a different way allowing it to rest. Be sure to only hold the stretch for 5 seconds max.

Joseph V
12-29-09, 6:31 pm
the happy medium for me in general is 1 minute and 30 seconds...because as you wait to hit the weights again your muscles are getting filled with nutrient rich blood..everybodt is different and everybody has different methods in the ways that works for them speicifically...this is what works for me

utransform
12-29-09, 10:53 pm
I usually can't wait to get to the next set but a lot of times I don't want to get to the next set. What does that mean ? I have no Idea. I know one thing nights I have Animal Pump in me are those nights when I can't wait to get to the next set.

Heavy work I usually do about a minute and a half. When I want a real pump to isolate a body part less than a minute. I like to get the aerobic intensity in my work outs. Okay I dont know squat pun intended but this works for me

jandirigma
04-10-10, 11:06 am
Usually I take just a minute or less to rest specially during isolation exercises. Otherwise, if my breathing gets very heavy or I feel nauseous, I just wait for my breathing to slow down a bit and my heart rate to calm down, perhaps for three to five minutes. However, I like to target one minute rest periods to closely simulate rest between rounds in boxing.

TheAnima!Packist
06-24-10, 2:48 pm
When its strength I want to get, is 1-2min for a set of 6 and less than 1 for a set anything larger than 6?

zachlloyd
07-02-11, 7:48 pm
Typically i rest long enough to change the weight or for me to slightly catch my breath. 45 secs tops, typically its about 20-30 secs.

Potter
07-02-12, 11:20 pm
I really do similar to Nihility, though I never really paid attention to time. I typically rest long enough, for either type, to get some of my wind, but i wanna get that strength back too so i can still keep decent form.

BOSS
12-09-12, 9:24 pm
Lifting + stopwatch = crossfit

In Flames
12-26-12, 10:24 pm
I rest 30 seconds between straight sets and 60 seconds between super-sets and tri-sets, than again I'm not a powerlifter.

BOSS
12-27-12, 1:23 pm
I rest 30 seconds between straight sets and 60 seconds between super-sets and tri-sets, than again I'm not a powerlifter.

No need to rest excessively, but even if you're goal is just size, you'll be limited by your strength. If you get stronger then you can do all your rep work at higher weights. But you won't get stronger if you don't give yourself a chance to do some heavy sets without being out of breath first

Tauscheck
12-27-12, 2:31 pm
I rest untill I feel mentaly and physicaly ready, for me I dont like to rush into a set just because the clock said to. The smaller iso lifts like cables or isolated dumbells maybe 30 sec to 2 min but the barbell and larger movements maybe 3 to 5 mins.

In Flames
12-28-12, 12:24 am
No need to rest excessively, but even if you're goal is just size, you'll be limited by your strength. If you get stronger then you can do all your rep work at higher weights. But you won't get stronger if you don't give yourself a chance to do some heavy sets without being out of breath first

True to a certain extent. Muscle size has more to do with the amount of food you take in more than how strong the muscle is. I've been training this way for years and I've never looked back or looked better. When I get ready for a photo shoot I jump rope between sets. This is one of the most killer workouts I've ever done.

Example for Chest.

4 rounds 12-15 reps
Incline BB Bench Superset Incline DB Fly's
60 seconds jump rope

4 rounds 12-15 reps
Flat DB Bench Superset Cable Cross Overs
60 seconds jump rope

4 rounds 12-15
Weighted Dips Superset DB Pull-overs
60 seconds jump rope

BOSS
12-29-12, 4:11 am
True to a certain extent. Muscle size has more to do with the amount of food you take in more than how strong the muscle is. I've been training this way for years and I've never looked back or looked better. When I get ready for a photo shoot I jump rope between sets. This is one of the most killer workouts I've ever done.

Example for Chest.

4 rounds 12-15 reps
Incline BB Bench Superset Incline DB Fly's
60 seconds jump rope

4 rounds 12-15 reps
Flat DB Bench Superset Cable Cross Overs
60 seconds jump rope

4 rounds 12-15
Weighted Dips Superset DB Pull-overs
60 seconds jump rope

Yeah that does look a little different from what I've done before photo shoots. So is this just to lean out in a couple days then?

In Flames
12-29-12, 5:02 am
Yeah that does look a little different from what I've done before photo shoots. So is this just to lean out in a couple days then?

Yeah, I don't train like that everyday. But i do always train with the 30-60 second rest periods similar to the old pro Serge Nubret. It just works for me and my goals. Everyone trains differently though. My plan is far from perfect but it gets the job done for me.

Wrath
12-04-13, 10:14 am
Yeah small body parts I wait maybe 1 min. When I want to go Heavy on a movement I will give my self a few mins

MR. C
07-07-14, 3:39 pm
I go between 3-5 min

Jay Nera
10-30-14, 8:46 pm
Yeah that does look a little different from what I've done before photo shoots. So is this just to lean out in a couple days then?

You don't practice your double unders before photo shoots?

Pale Rider
10-31-14, 8:16 pm
i like around 3 min rest between sets

skibasgym
10-29-15, 9:59 pm
As a powerlifter, I rest 1-1/2 mins between sets for sub-max effort training. For max effort reps, I rest up to 5 mins depending how I feel.