Read 21 times since Monday, January 23, 2012
In previous articles I have shown you how to select rep ranges and set numbers based on your training goals. There is another key variable that we have to cover and that is how long to rest between sets. It is important that as a Glasgow personal trainer I plan rest periods and make sure my clients stick to them. It is all too easy to get caught up in entertaining conversations with clients between sets and end up resting far too long.
So how long should you rest between sets? Until the game on the gym TV's has reached halftime? Long enough to update your facebook status on your iphone? Once you have finished admiring yourself in the big gym mirrors? No, no and dear god no! Your rest is dependant on the intensity of your effort so the closer the weight is to your maximum, the lower the rep range and the longer your rest has to be. This is because the energy system your body uses for high intensity exercise takes several minutes to recover to the point where you can complete another set. If you are training at high intensity to build strength you should rest for 2 to 4 minutes between sets with the highest intensities demanding the longest rest periods. Using a timer like a gym boss is a great way to keep the rest times, and the intensity of the session consistent.
As training intensity drops and reps increase you gradually move away from strength training, through muscle building training into muscular endurance work. As this happens your rest periods should shorten. This is because you are changing the energy system you are using and ultimately muscular endurance can only be developed in the absence of sufficient rest. Lower intensity high volume resistance training intended to improve muscular endurance should have rest periods of only 30 to 45 seconds between sets. The lower the training intensity the shorter the rests should be.
A final key, usually overlooked point about rest periods is that they have to be consistent. There is little point increasing either intensity or the volume of your training if you need more rest between sets to manage the greater workload. This is hollow progress and it is only when you can cope with increased workload without increasing your rest periods that you can be sure you have progressed. Doing whatever it takes to keep rest times consistent is a very important part of a productive training plan. Iain Smith (MPhil/CSCS) owns Standout Gym, an independent warehouse gym in Glasgow, focusing on weight loss. He offers small group training as an affordable alternative to Glasgow personal training. Iain is a former international decathlete with 17 years coaching experience. www.standoutgym.com.
|
|
