There are many different weirdos in the hall. For example, a girl wants to pump up herself the center of the universe like Usmanova, and over there in the locker room the guy chokes on a banana to close it.
Hmm, what is this? A guy with a stopwatch measures the minutes of rest between sets. Um, stop, seriously? Guy, come to us, Kostya Shirokaya will tell you everything about the ideal rest interval between sets for muscle growth!
Strength training manuals state that for maximum strength gains, long rest intervals (3 minutes) between sets are required, and for maximum muscle growth, it is recommended to rest about 1 minute between sets and not a second more, lazy! But at the same time, the opinions of different fitness experts differ on this issue. For example, Terrence Christian Luoma believes that rest between sets should be from 60 to 90 seconds, endurance enthusiasts try not to rest at all, and lifters (emphasis on e) rest for 5, 10, and 15 minutes!
They can be understood, all the same, the security forces work with critical weights and simply cannot “move away” faster after such a shake-up. This is explained very simply (especially for those who read our article): it takes an average of 3 to 5 minutes to reboot the anaerobic energy system, which is the main one for making a short-term and most powerful muscle contraction.
So who to believe then? Fortunately for us, this question has an incomplete answer in a study by renowned fitness scientist Brad Schoenefeld.
Rest time between sets
Why do people even care about rest time between sets? It is believed that higher metabolic stress associated with limited rest time between sets actively stimulates muscle growth. Some experts in particular focus on the post-workout spike in anabolic hormones as the main driver of the muscle growth process. However, prior to 2014, there were no studies with experienced trainees that would support the generally accepted recommendation to rest between sets of 3 minutes for strength gains and 1 minute for hypertrophy.
In 2014, Brad Schoenefeld and Menno Hanselmans presented a review that was published in the journal Sport Medicine. Found: There is little reason to believe Conclusion: Shorter rest intervals between sets have a positive effect on hypertrophy. At the same time, you can independently choose the rest intervals without compromising the growth of muscle mass, if you are able to reproduce the necessary efforts in the next approach.
A group of 21 young men were randomly divided into 2 subgroups: one rested 1 minute between sets and the other 3 minutes. All other components of the training program remained unchanged. The subjects trained in a standard bodybuilding-oriented style, performing 7 exercises and working out all the major muscle groups of the upper and lower parts of the body. In each exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions were performed, while the training itself took place 3 times a week for 8 weeks.
Participants were tested before the study and immediately after its completion. As test exercises to determine the growth of strength indicators, a bench press on a horizontal bench and squats were used (the indicators were determined based on the growth of 1RM - 1 limit maximum). With the help of two-dimensional ultrasound (ultrasound), specific indicators of hypertrophy of the elbow flexors, triceps brachii and quadriceps femoris were evaluated.
Experiment results:
When analyzing changes based on the 1 RM test, the group that rested longer, and in the bench press on a horizontal bench, and in squats the growth rates of maximum strength were significantly higher. However, somewhat unexpectedly: in the same group, muscle volume also increased more.
What causes fatigue during exercise?
How quickly your energy runs out. that we already have 4 factories that produce "fuel". The energy supply of muscle contractions (meaning during strength training) occurs due to two sources - adenosine triphosphate-creatine phosphate and. Moreover, their inclusion in the process occurs precisely in this sequence: in the first 15 seconds, the mechanical work of the muscles is supported on creatine, and then the glycolytic mechanisms of “feeding” are connected.
First, we have a factory that uses its raw materials creatine phosphate. This factory is the most powerful, it is able to produce ATP very quickly. However, the reserves of CRF located directly in the muscles are negligible. With high-intensity work, already at the 5th second, the reserves are reduced by 1/3, at the 15th - by half, and somewhere in 45 seconds they run out completely. After the completion of the load, the reserves of ATP and CrF in the muscles are restored by 70% - after 30 seconds and by 100% - after 3-5 minutes. This must be kept in mind when performing speed and strength exercises.
If the effort lasts longer than 10 seconds or the breaks between efforts are too short, then the glycolytic system is activated. The glycolytic system works on glycogen and reaches a maximum of 10-20 seconds.
You can see that the niches of energy resources are exhaustible, so it is clear what the role of inter-set pauses is - we need them to restore energy, which makes it possible to perform each next approach.
Why is it better to over- than under-rest?
There is a well-established dose-response relationship between training load and hypertrophy, in which high volume correlates with greater muscle growth. Very short rest intervals between sets can negatively affect hypertrophy by reducing the amount of weight you can use in subsequent sets.
This means that if, in the pursuit of shortening your rest time, you start messing around in a workout, then you should rest exactly as much as you need in order to perform the next set with a pre-planned weight, technically correct and at the right pace, and not half-bent, twitching as if under electricity. In addition, you can simply throw up from excessive stress ()!
By the way, pay attention: it was about heavy, basic exercises!
It is quite logical to build your workout as follows:
1) rest enough time when performing multi-joint exercises on large muscle groups -, bench presses and. These exercises cause very high metabolic stress, even when performed (8-15). In this case, to restore energy before the next approach, it is necessary longer rest periods. So you will have strength, enthusiasm and sparkle in your eyes for the rest of the workout.
2) On the other hand, (insulation) are not as heavy as basic ones, and therefore you can recover faster from set to set. So do not rest too much between and, for example, in the simulator, short rest intervals between sets will be enough for you.
In this scenario, it is best to leave exercises with a short rest interval at the end of the workout to make sure that they do not interfere with recovery and do not affect physical performance during multi-joint exercises.
How to rest with benefit between sets?
Now that the theory has cleared up, a practical question is ripe: how to rest between sets? Several options, but none of them provide for the operation of gadgets. The use of mobile devices, albeit during a legal timeout, is taboo. “Stuck” on the phone is very distracting from training tasks and worsens not only the working mood, but also communication. And in general, did you come to the hall to look at pictures on the Internet or what? March to work!
Ideally, rest should take place under the motto “movement-life”, because in this case the muscles do not have time to “cool down”, and with active oxygen circulation through the bloodstream, lactate and hydrogen ions can be “washed out” from acidified muscles. Boxing with an imaginary opponent or running a race to the toilet is not worth it, and it is unlikely to succeed after a hard approach, but walk and breathe- a very good decision.
Remember that during training, your main guideline should be your well-being, and not the advice of “that very dude from the Internet), since the ability to recover is individual for each person, this should not be forgotten.
At first glance, the simplest question in the training process, but if you dig deeper, read various sources of information, you immediately get confused and get confused, some say one thing, others put forward other versions, others generally turn everything upside down and at this moment the time comes - global uncertainty.
Muscle Energy Source
To understand this, you need to know how the energy processes in muscle fibers go and how much time is needed for their recovery. You must understand that energy for muscles is taken from 3 sources , which are included in the work in a strict sequence:
1. ATP (adesinotriphosphate) - gives starting strength, but is consumed in the first few seconds of working with weights;
2. Creatinophosphate - a decay product, comes into effect after ATP, it lasts for 30-40 seconds of work;
3. Glucose - the last part of the energy that comes from glycogen is turned on after the consumption of creatine phosphate, by splitting in the muscles, and then the reserve residues are scooped out from the liver.
So here it is the approach should take so much time so that it gets into the phase of action of ATP and creatine phosphate, that is, no more than 40 seconds , then glucose is turned on, which significantly reduces strength indicators, which means that the exercise must be stopped.
Theory of development of muscle fibers
Unfortunately, friends, how muscle growth occurs is not fully understood, and research is ongoing to this day, otherwise everyone would not have been tormented for so long to make a beautiful muscular figure. At this point in time, there are 2 theories of muscle growth:
♦ Cumulative fatigue - is based on the fact that the growth of muscle mass occurs after their saturation with lactic acid after physical exertion, in this case adherents of this theory recommend resting for 40-60 seconds ;
♦ Microtrauma - fans of this theory, claims that the growth of strength and mass occurs as a result of training with large weights, and this is possible, as mentioned above, only after the restoration of ATP and creatine phosphate reserves. Time for them to recover 2-3 minutes, that's how much you should rest.
Now the question arises even more, so how much rest??? Let's find out what the studies conducted by scientists say.
Scientific research
What experts from different sports research universities tell us:
→ 1 group of scientists - conducted an experiment on 2 groups of people, for a month, using a schedule of 3 one-time workouts per week, they did strength exercises - bending the arms with a barbell and bench press. Some rested between sets for 3 minutes, others for 1 minute, after a month there were no significant differences in the growth of strength and muscle volume;
→ 2 group of scientists - conducted a detailed study and found that a rest of 1 minute increased strength endurance, although she later found that a rest of 3-5 minutes would be better;
conclusions
Let's now highlight the main points from all of the above.
Rest directly depends on which muscle fibers will be involved, for example - fast muscle fibers are included in strength exercises -, about 3 minutes of rest is needed to restore them.
If slow fibers are included in the work for training strength endurance, that is, exercises with low weight and a large number of repetitions are done, then the rest should be up to 1-2 minutes.
In order not to get lost, use the suggested scheme below:
1. For strength development: 1-4 reps/set - rest 3-5 minutes;
2. For muscle growth: 6-8 reps / set - rest 2-3 minutes;
3. For strength endurance: 9-12 reps / set - 1-2 minutes;
4. For active fat burning: 13-15 reps / set - 0.5 - 1 minute.
Based on your goals in training, use the correct rest system, but also additionally use your feelings, what to do during the rest, find out in the article -
After all, it’s not every time you come to training fresh and cheerful, the boss got it, the household chores were exhausted, so combine the recommendations in this article + your feelings and achieve high results, I wish you success 😉!
There are many different weirdos in the hall. For example, a girl wants to pump up herself the center of the universe like Usmanova, and over there in the locker room the guy chokes on a banana to close it.
Hmm, what is this? A guy with a stopwatch measures the minutes of rest between sets. Um, stop, seriously? Guy, come to us, Kostya Shirokaya will tell you everything about the ideal rest interval between sets for muscle growth!
Strength training manuals state that for maximum strength gains, long rest intervals (3 minutes) between sets are required, and for maximum muscle growth, it is recommended to rest about 1 minute between sets and not a second more, lazy! But at the same time, the opinions of different fitness experts differ on this issue. For example, Terrence Christian Luoma believes that rest between sets should be from 60 to 90 seconds, endurance enthusiasts try not to rest at all, and lifters (emphasis on e) rest for 5, 10, and 15 minutes!
They can be understood, all the same, the security forces work with critical weights and simply cannot “move away” faster after such a shake-up. This is explained very simply (especially for those who read our article): it takes an average of 3 to 5 minutes to reboot the anaerobic energy system, which is the main one for making a short-term and most powerful muscle contraction.
So who to believe then? Fortunately for us, this question has an incomplete answer in a study by renowned fitness scientist Brad Schoenefeld.
Rest time between sets
Why do people even care about rest time between sets? It is believed that higher metabolic stress associated with limited rest time between sets actively stimulates muscle growth. Some experts in particular focus on the post-workout spike in anabolic hormones as the main driver of the muscle growth process. However, prior to 2014, there were no studies with experienced trainees that would support the generally accepted recommendation to rest between sets of 3 minutes for strength gains and 1 minute for hypertrophy.
In 2014, Brad Schoenefeld and Menno Hanselmans presented a review that was published in the journal Sport Medicine. Found: There is little reason to believe Conclusion: Shorter rest intervals between sets have a positive effect on hypertrophy. At the same time, you can independently choose the rest intervals without compromising the growth of muscle mass, if you are able to reproduce the necessary efforts in the next approach.
A group of 21 young men were randomly divided into 2 subgroups: one rested 1 minute between sets and the other 3 minutes. All other components of the training program remained unchanged. The subjects trained in a standard bodybuilding-oriented style, performing 7 exercises and working out all the major muscle groups of the upper and lower parts of the body. In each exercise, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions were performed, while the training itself took place 3 times a week for 8 weeks.
Participants were tested before the study and immediately after its completion. As test exercises to determine the growth of strength indicators, a bench press on a horizontal bench and squats were used (the indicators were determined based on the growth of 1RM - 1 limit maximum). With the help of two-dimensional ultrasound (ultrasound), specific indicators of hypertrophy of the elbow flexors, triceps brachii and quadriceps femoris were evaluated.
Experiment results:
When analyzing changes based on the 1 RM test, the group that rested longer, and in the bench press on a horizontal bench, and in squats the growth rates of maximum strength were significantly higher. However, somewhat unexpectedly: in the same group, muscle volume also increased more.
What causes fatigue during exercise?
How quickly your energy runs out. that we already have 4 factories that produce "fuel". The energy supply of muscle contractions (meaning during strength training) occurs due to two sources - adenosine triphosphate-creatine phosphate and. Moreover, their inclusion in the process occurs precisely in this sequence: in the first 15 seconds, the mechanical work of the muscles is supported on creatine, and then the glycolytic mechanisms of “feeding” are connected.
First, we have a factory that uses its raw materials creatine phosphate. This factory is the most powerful, it is able to produce ATP very quickly. However, the reserves of CRF located directly in the muscles are negligible. With high-intensity work, already at the 5th second, the reserves are reduced by 1/3, at the 15th - by half, and somewhere in 45 seconds they run out completely. After the completion of the load, the reserves of ATP and CrF in the muscles are restored by 70% - after 30 seconds and by 100% - after 3-5 minutes. This must be kept in mind when performing speed and strength exercises.
If the effort lasts longer than 10 seconds or the breaks between efforts are too short, then the glycolytic system is activated. The glycolytic system works on glycogen and reaches a maximum of 10-20 seconds.
You can see that the niches of energy resources are exhaustible, so it is clear what the role of inter-set pauses is - we need them to restore energy, which makes it possible to perform each next approach.
Why is it better to over- than under-rest?
There is a well-established dose-response relationship between training load and hypertrophy, in which high volume correlates with greater muscle growth. Very short rest intervals between sets can negatively affect hypertrophy by reducing the amount of weight you can use in subsequent sets.
This means that if, in the pursuit of shortening your rest time, you start messing around in a workout, then you should rest exactly as much as you need in order to perform the next set with a pre-planned weight, technically correct and at the right pace, and not half-bent, twitching as if under electricity. In addition, you can simply throw up from excessive stress ()!
By the way, pay attention: it was about heavy, basic exercises!
It is quite logical to build your workout as follows:
1) rest enough time when performing multi-joint exercises on large muscle groups -, bench presses and. These exercises cause very high metabolic stress, even when performed (8-15). In this case, to restore energy before the next approach, it is necessary longer rest periods. So you will have strength, enthusiasm and sparkle in your eyes for the rest of the workout.
2) On the other hand, (insulation) are not as heavy as basic ones, and therefore you can recover faster from set to set. So do not rest too much between and, for example, in the simulator, short rest intervals between sets will be enough for you.
In this scenario, it is best to leave exercises with a short rest interval at the end of the workout to make sure that they do not interfere with recovery and do not affect physical performance during multi-joint exercises.
How to rest with benefit between sets?
Now that the theory has cleared up, a practical question is ripe: how to rest between sets? Several options, but none of them provide for the operation of gadgets. The use of mobile devices, albeit during a legal timeout, is taboo. “Stuck” on the phone is very distracting from training tasks and worsens not only the working mood, but also communication. And in general, did you come to the hall to look at pictures on the Internet or what? March to work!
Ideally, rest should take place under the motto “movement-life”, because in this case the muscles do not have time to “cool down”, and with active oxygen circulation through the bloodstream, lactate and hydrogen ions can be “washed out” from acidified muscles. Boxing with an imaginary opponent or running a race to the toilet is not worth it, and it is unlikely to succeed after a hard approach, but walk and breathe- a very good decision.
Remember that during training, your main guideline should be your well-being, and not the advice of “that very dude from the Internet), since the ability to recover is individual for each person, this should not be forgotten.
Rest between sets. How right?
The length of rest between sets is one of the key elements of training. Rests can range from as short as 15-30 seconds to the five minutes that Dorian Yates rested between sets (and powerlifters can rest even longer).
Let's see what the duration of rest between sets may depend on, and how long a pause can be considered optimal.
Factors affecting performance
The level of our performance depends on the level of creatine phosphate in our body (this is where the idea to use this substance as a dietary supplement originates). In the course of training, creatine phosphate is gradually consumed (its level decreases), but during periods of rest between sets it is able to recover (its level rises). How fast does it happen?
The physiological level of creatine phosphate in the body is restored in 3-4 minutes. This is in the event that it was used up completely, that is, one hundred percent. Is it possible to deplete creatine phosphate in just one session? It turns out you can. But the duration of such a very difficult approach should be one and a half minutes. Do many people use such lengthy approaches? I think no. Typically, the duration of the set is approximately 30 seconds (10 repetitions performed at the following pace: 2 seconds to lower the weight, one to raise) or even less. So, a set lasting 30 seconds depletes creatine phosphate by 50%.
Now let's look at the rate of recovery of creatine phosphate. Recovery from the level of 50% to the level of 70% occurs in just 20-30 seconds. That is, resting between sets for only 30 seconds, you can perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions without compromising performance. The usual rest between sets in volume training is one minute. During this time, the level of creatine phosphate will be restored from 50% to 90%. That is, without a decrease in performance, you can already complete about 6 sets, which is confirmed by practice - usually in the case of volume training, you have to reduce the number of repetitions in the seventh approach.
Short sets - for 3-4 repetitions - lead to a very slight decrease in the level of creatine phosphate, so its restoration to a normal level in this case can occur in 10-15 seconds. Why, then, did Dorian Yates take such long breaks between sets - 5 minutes, and powerlifters rest even longer?
It's all about the fatigue of the nervous system: it is fully restored somewhere in 5-8 minutes. Until your nervous system is fully restored, you will not be able to work with a lot of weight - the signal transmitted from the brain to the muscles will be “jammed”. This feature of the nervous system is actually a protective mechanism of our body from various kinds of injuries - muscles, ligaments, joints: the body does not allow tired muscles and ligaments to start working at full capacity until they are fully restored. Dorian Yates used "failure" training, powerlifters tend to train very intensively - that is, with weights close to the maximum. Both of these types of training lead to very severe fatigue of the nervous system. Unlike volume training or “pumping”, which practically do not load the nervous system.
Necessary explanations
It is clear that in this case it is impossible to do without some simplifications. So, it is worth saying that when we talk about lowering the level of creatine phosphate, we usually take into account complex exercises, that is, those that allow a significant amount of muscles to be involved in the work. This is not necessarily the same notorious “base” - three “pillars” that migrated to bodybuilding from powerlifting: squats, deadlift, bench press. It can be, for example, pull-ups or traction, dumbbell presses, leg presses. Isolation exercises, usually performed in special simulators or exercises that involve only small muscles, lead to a less significant decrease in performance.
When we talk about a 10 rep set, we don't mean a "failure" set, but not one where you could easily do another 10 reps. Usually on the set we're talking about, you stop 1-2 reps before you hit failure.
Finally, about one more factor that determines the duration of rest between sets, which we deliberately omitted. I mean the restoration of the cardiovascular system. So, you are unlikely to be able to squat normally if your heart rate is consistently off scale for 120 beats per minute. Yes, and blood pressure, which rises significantly after performing heavy approaches, will not allow you to work at full strength. The rate of recovery of the cardiovascular system is purely individual.
Hormonal response
Another factor that we must take into account when planning rest between sets is the hormonal background. It is pauses of 45 seconds - no more - that lead to an increase in the secretion of growth hormone and testosterone (the same lactate, which contributes to a decrease in efficiency, is responsible for increasing the secretion of the first). True, the hormonal background rises for a very short time, but this surge may be enough to increase protein synthesis and enhance the fat-burning effect of training. It should also be remembered that long-term work with short pauses (if such, of course, is possible) - from 20 minutes or more - can have the opposite effect.
Another point: training, in which the outflow of blood from the working muscle is difficult (ideally, this is training with a tourniquet that makes normal outflow of blood impossible), significantly increases the release of growth factors into the blood, the main of which is IGF-1.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: PLUSES AND MINUSES
Positive points:
Intensification of metabolic processes in the body
Blood does not leave the working muscle/muscle group
The hormonal background rises
As muscles get tired, more muscle fibers are involved in the work.
Negative points:
Accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles, which reduces muscle strength
Short pauses do not allow the nervous system to fully recover, therefore, in this case, the type of training is chosen that does not load the nervous system so much. It is worth avoiding the use of limit weights (more than 75% of the one-time maximum - RM), work to "failure".
Long pauses
Positive points:
The nervous system normally rests, which makes it possible to work with large weights or in a "failure" style
Using significant weights gives a greater incentive for muscle growth
Negative points:
Despite the use of submaximal weights, the muscles do not receive enough volume of work
There is practically no blood retention in the muscles
There is no increase in hormonal levels
Only "fast" muscle fibers are involved in the work, and even then not all
Pauses of medium duration
These are pauses, the duration of which is 1-2 minutes. Typically, durations are typical for volume training. In fact, they are a compromise between short and long pauses.
In this case:
There is no such outflow of blood from the working muscle, as with long pauses, but the blood does not linger in, as with short pauses.
Almost no increase in hormonal levels
Muscle performance is reduced to a small extent due to a not so sharp increase in the level of lactate in the blood, as with short pauses
The nervous system does not rest enough for a full recovery time, so working with submaximal weights or until “failure” is impossible
In the work - in the case of volumetric training - the maximum possible number of muscle fibers is involved
What's better?
It's best to alternate different rests between sets, perhaps even within the same workout. So, training "for volume", you can start with pauses of 45 seconds, and before 2-3 last approaches to rest minutes two, or even more. This, by the way, will bring the hormonal system into a “combat state”. And you can try to work in different modes at different workouts, one week, for example, devoting training with long pauses between sets (long workouts), and on the second, squeezing these very pauses to the maximum (short workouts).
It is impossible not to say here about such a training method as “rest - pause”, as well as about “cluster” training. The first allows you to extend the usual set, performed with significant weights, due to the fact that after about five repetitions you take a pause for 10-20 seconds for some recovery of the level of creatine phosphate, and then continue the work by doing, for example, another 2-3 repetitions. Then rest for a full 3-4 minutes. In this case, you combine a significant stimulus for muscle growth and the involvement of additional muscle fibers in the work. With this type of training, the hormonal response also increases.
Similar goals are served by "cluster" training, in which you work with a weight of 85-90% of your RM. After completing one repetition, you take a pause for 10-15 seconds, followed by a second repetition - and so on, as long as you can still lift the weight. Practice shows that for one such long set really do 7-8 repetitions.
A few "seditious" thoughts
Again I will say a few words about the "refusal". But before proceeding directly to “failure” training, I will say what I have said many times before: in order for a particular muscle or muscle group to grow faster, it must be trained more often. This is the first thought - it still seems seditious to some people.
The second "seditious" thought: muscle exercises that can be considered antagonists (but only specially selected exercises performed with insignificant weights) that are performed between sets of the main exercise can increase your performance! And this is despite the fact that the level of creatine phosphate, it would seem, should not only not be restored, but even decrease. In fact, everything happens exactly the opposite: by inserting inclined pull-ups between heavy bench presses (they can be performed in the Smith machine: the bar falls to a height of about a meter from the floor, you grab it with your hands, and stretch your legs forward and start pulling up), you can reduce without compromising your performance pauses between sets press for up to two minutes.
Finally, about "refusal". We're talking about long pauses between sets do not give the muscles enough load. This is despite the fact that "lifters" perform 5-7 approaches in a particular exercise. As for purely “failure” training, it is recommended to use only 1-2 sets per muscle group! What kind of load can we talk about? And look at powerlifters - they have heavy (strength) days alternate with light (volumetric). Fans of "refusal" training do not have such an alternation. Remember Mentzer: You can't train a muscle until it's fully recovered. But the limiting factor here is not the restoration of muscles, but the restoration of the nervous system! Muscles, on the other hand, receive a completely meager load, clearly insufficient for growth.
"But what about Dorian Yates?" - you ask. First, Yeats didn't exactly follow Mentzer's guidelines. Secondly, the six-time Mr. Olympia is a huge mountain of “pharma” that supported this type of training (Mentzer himself admitted at the end of his life that “failure” training without “pharma support” is impossible). And finally, who, other than Yates, has achieved something significant by training to "failure"? Finally, be realistic.
8-12 reps per set is best, and for strength training 3-6 reps. If your goal is endurance, then you need more than 12 reps per set. What is actually the optimal number of repetitions and rest time between sets for muscle growth?
origins
Sports research says that most growth hormone is produced if the working weight is such that "failure" occurs after 8-12 repetitions of the exercise. If the weight is greater and 2-6 repetitions is the maximum, then strength increases (corresponding changes occur in muscle fibers and the nervous system). It is also believed that during the best time to rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. If you rest less, then the muscles do not have time to prepare for the next approach and you will not be able to work at full strength.
What practice shows
In practice, the optimal number of repetitions and rest time between sets depends on a number of factors. For example, from training experience. Beginners often do best with weights that they can handle for 15-20 reps per set. Practice shows that experienced athletes can make a breakthrough in gaining muscle mass if they move from the traditional 10 repetitions per approach to a smaller number (or 10x3).
Where does such a spread come from?
- Muscles are made up of different types of fibers ("fast" and "slow"). Different fibers need different working weights/number of repetitions to grow.
- Those who are just starting to train with weights, as a rule, are dominated by "slow" muscle fibers in almost all muscle groups. They need more reps/lower weights.
- As the training experience grows, “slow” fibers partially turn into “fast” ones. In some muscle groups (for example, in the quadriceps), the majority of even those who train for a long time continue to work with “slow” fibers.
What Science Says
The intensity of training is very important for muscle growth. To maintain intensity, rest between sets should be short, and the working weight should be 65-80% of a single maximum, with which you can perform 4-12 reps to failure.
The result of one of the studies: increased testosterone and growth hormone in those athletes who rest less between sets (1 minute versus 3 minutes). Consequently, they also have a higher increase in muscle mass. Even more testosterone and growth hormone are released when the break between sets is reduced to 30 seconds and even to the complete elimination of pauses!
Therefore, muscle growth depends not only and not so much on how much weight you use and how many repetitions you perform with it, but on how long you rest between sets.
conclusions
In order for muscles to grow, the intensity of training must be high. Don't pause between sets anymore one minute(except for training with maximum weights), go down gradually to a 30-second break, and sometimes train at all with almost no pauses between sets (during
