New course and systematic research review about Optimal Rest Between Sets of Strength Training

How long should you rest between sets to optimize set performance and maximally improve strength, hypertrophy, and power?

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- From the course: Acute Variables: Rest Between Sets

Additional course: Acute Variables: Set Strategies

Additional Article: Circuit Training for Hypertrophy, Strength, and Power?


RECOMMENDATIONS:

General
- Long (3 min) rest between set durations

Specific
- 2 sets/exercise: Moderate (2 min)
- 3 sets/exercise: Long (3 min)
- 4 or more sets/exercise: Long (3 min) or very long (> 3 min)
- Alternative: Circuit training with short (1 min) rest between exercises
- Additional Strategy for Power: Inter-set rest of 10 - 20 seconds (sec)

COURSE SUMMARY:

This course discusses optimal rest between sets (a.k.a. rest period, rest interval, rest time, inter-set rest interval, rest between exercises), as well as strategies including rest between reps (a.k.a. intra-set rest, cluster sets, rest redistribution). This course details the evidence-based optimal rest between reps recommendations for muscle endurance, muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth), strength training, power, athletic performance, functional training, and corrective exercise. The topics discussed in this course include the effects of rest periods on muscle adaptations, short-term and long-term hormone concentrations, post-exercise protein synthesis, muscle growth, muscle fiber type proportions, EMG activity, fatigue, rate of force development, muscle strength, and power performance.

Some findings from the included systematic review resulted in counter-intuitive, or at least less than conventional recommendations. For example, the most important finding from our systematic review is that recommendations for rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise. Additionally, based on all performance measures, circuit training with 30-60 seconds between exercises is as effective as conventional training but may decrease session lengths by 40-60%, especially when longer rest between sets of the same exercise is adopted.

Movement professionals (personal trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, etc.) should consider acute variables essential knowledge for optimal exercise programming, and rest between sets is one of those acute variables. This course is part of our continued effort to optimize “acute variable” recommendations.

Brent Brookbush
Brookbush Institute
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