Boston's picture
Boston
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1759

Short resting periods between sets

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So for the last year and a half ive been focused ONLY on one thing. Size. And my head was filled with 6-8 reps, go heavy heavy heavy, long breaks, 4 minutes yada yada...Honestly i've not been impressing with my progress. Especially considering the fact that i've run 2 bulk cycles during this year. So my dad decided to start training again. He met up with me and the first thing he said to me was "son your breaks are way too long, get up and pump the iron" I said, "i'm trying to go as heavy as possible, i need to rest" He kept insisting that short 1-1/2 minute breaks force the body to bring more muscle fibers into play and therefor more fibers get torn and repaired. He drilled to me that it's not about the weight but rather the contraction itself. I listened to him. I got sore almost every time i lift now. It works guys. He's right, it aint about the weight. Its about working hard and concentrating on feeling every rep. My body is responding well!

SL's picture

This is what I do, I believe in short breaks in between heavy sets. I also believe in getting in the gym getting my workout (intense workout) and getting out of there and no play around unless there's some hot ass or something there lol

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red05's picture

I train 2 days on 2 off. I time my workouts and each time I try and beat my time amd aslo increase my weights or reps.

Eminemsroyaltys's picture

I was into the supersets with minimal rest and then wen't with the five minute rest periods as best as I could and it almost ruined me. Getting back to the short rest periods was tough but it had to happen...what I did was keep my max rest to two and a half minutes (maybe three) and for the next exercise I would go one min and a half max rest and ease into thirty seconds and finially supersets.
This way I was getting the best of both worlds for my workouts.

kc17's picture

Your dad is rig on the money .. Don't rest more than a minute

hustlecoke's picture

Develop your work capacity. If you build up a better work capacity, you will be able to do more work in a shorter amount of time. A good way to do this is work up to a heavy triple or 5, take off 10-20 lbs, work back up to that same triple or 5, take off weight, work back up etc. Ex: work up to a heavy set of 3 on squats which might be 350x3. Drop down to 330x3, 340x3, 350x3, 330x3 340x3, 350x3, continue until you feel like you are lifting the weight too slowly (you don't really want to grind out reps to failure). Rest just as long as it takes you to feel like you can do your next set explosively. (the bar speed won't actually be fast, but just lift as fast as you can). You will start to notice rest periods getting shorter. However, this is a technique with strength as the main concern.

sweatnosejackso's picture

I personally get in and get out. The King himself The Oak (ARNOLD JUST IN CASE)mashed his shit out. I do the same not really into hanging out in the gym. Thats just me though. High intensity on that muscle group works for me anyhow.

wallabokkie's picture

Hey mate there are 2 ways to train. You can train hard or long. You can't do both. Your old boy is spot on the money mate. I generaly resy only as long as it takes to either change the weight on the baror for my training partner to do their set. Then you should jump straight in and smash out the next set. Us older fellas do have a bit of an idea, well at least before we lose our minds. I will be walking around the gym looking for my dumbells that I lost instead of my marbles. haha. If you want a killer training routine try Vince Gironda's German Volume Training. If it's soreness you are after this is the king of DOMS.

slipperyslope's picture

I don't know what impresses me more the hard work or listening to you dad ;)

AMP KING's picture

It's the simple things that make a big difference...
Keep up the hard work bro