Rests between sets?

[DigitalLou]

what's the maximum amount of time i should wait between sets? i usually wait about a minute. is that good or too fast?

[NoCalBbEr]

I do 45-60 seconds. I move pretty quickly. but a minute should be enough the get yourself together for the next set.

[The Squadfather]

5 minutes on most stuff and more like 7-8 on squats or deadlifts, if you want to get in better shape do cardio, lifting weights is lifting weights and should be used for getting bigger and stronger.

[tonymctones]

I do about 2 or 3 mins on isolation exercises, and about 5 or more on compound movements that i use the heaviest weight. fvck me nocal 45 to 60 secs gezzz thats gotta be a joke

[Obvious Gimmick]

I kinda go by feel. having said that, its usually about 2 minutes. Except, as Squad said, deads adn squats which is about 5 minutes.

[Nails]

1min up to 3mim depending on the weight and reps of the set, basically when my body feels like doing it. And usually 3-5 min between each diffent exercise

[webcake]

2-3 mins is generally all you should need. It comes down to allowing our creatine phosphate stores to recover. For weight training, the fuel source used is ATP-CP (anaerobic activities) so the general understanding is that after 2 mins, your ATP-CP stores will be fully restored. But at saying that, ill rest up to 5 mins for some exercises.

[jpm101]

For pure BB'ing you would want a faster pace, with consideration to TUT (time under tension). Also to encourage the pump. If doing the extremes, like SS's, Tri set/s, Pre-exhause, Giant sets than no rest between grouping of exercises. And than maybe 60 tp 90 seconds between those SS's, Tri sets, etc, etc,etc before starting another group set..  Some misguided folk with take anywhere from 15 seconds to 30 seconds between sets but that is on the edge of marathon training. Usually for short burst of training while cutting down. But you will lose muscle mass in the long run. Maybe why so many local show BB'ers look like skinned rabbits 

But not too many people do that type of intense training in the real gym world. So as a general rule when using moderate weight and workouts (as most guy's do) than 90 to 120 seconds is usually the rule of thumb to hold that pump. Even on the compound exercises. A few of my chunky PL'ing friends will take 15, all the way up to 30 minutes, between benches, squats & DL's.

If you take more than 3 minutes max between sets than your just stroking it. Or your really not in true shape anyway. Want to keep a fairly good pace the whole workout, from start to finish.  Good Luck.

[The Squadfather]

For pure BB'ing you would want a faster pace, with consideration to TUT (time under tension). Also to encourage the pump. If doing the extremes, like SS's, Tri set/s, Pre-exhause, Giant sets than no rest between grouping of exercises. And than maybe 60 tp 90 seconds between those SS's, Tri sets, etc, etc,etc before starting another group set..  Some misguided folk with take anywhere from 15 seconds to 30 seconds between sets but that is on the edge of marathon training. Usually for short burst of training while cutting down. But you will lose muscle mass in the long run. Maybe why so many local show BB'ers look like skinned rabbits 

But not too many people do that type of intense training in the real gym world. So as a general rule when using moderate weight and workouts (as most guy's do) than 90 to 120 seconds is usually the rule of thumb to hold that pump. Even on the compound exercises. A few of my chunky PL'ing friends will take 15, all the way up to 30 minutes, between benches, squats & DL's.

If you take more than 3 minutes max between sets than your just stroking it. Or your really not in true shape anyway. Want to keep a fairly good pace the whole workout, from start to finish.  Good Luck.

hahahhahaa, biggest pile of bullshit i've ever read on this board.

[JasonH]

Depends what bodypart I'm training. I don't time it specifically but it's usually in the region of the following:

Large bodyparts (chest, back, and legs) = 4-6 minutes
Small bodyparts (biceps, triceps, delts, calves, abs) = 2-4 minutes

[Charlys69]

between 30 Seconds and 4 Minutes. Depends on what the goal is (strength, M-Building, M-Endurance,.....)

Normally i start the workout, warm up to heavier weights and doing the heaviest exercises at the beginning with longer rest between the sets, as longer the workout getīs i decrease the weights but up the reps, and keeping the rest between the sets shorter (holistic Training)

[MisterMagoo]

higher the reps i'm doing, the shorter my rest time.

for my big lifts, my general rule is one set per song unless it's a way long song (opeth) or way short (nasum).

when i'm doing assistance shit and hitting 12-15 reps per set, it'll be 45 seconds or so. on shoulder raises and pushdowns and those type of lifts, sometimes it's just enough time to shake my arms and get the blood moving.

but really, i don't exactly watch the clock. when i'm ready, i go for it. that's why i rest less with higher reps, it takes less out of me than, say, balls-out triples on squats.

[thewickedtruth]

depends...most working sets if you're not working in the 90% range or higher or maxing 2-5 minutes is plenty.

It is proven however to fully recover enough to push heavier weights again and again to wait 7-10 minutes between sets. I've been doing this on my benching and squattinga nd love it. More than 10 minutes rest and i cool down and blow it..not enough and i've not rested fully and end up struggling the next set. 7-10mins is perfectly fine when working at your PEAK..

but if you're screwing off and wasting time then that's something different... typical bodybuildign sets just working with whatever kinda weights for sets of 8-12 or whatever else... 2-5 mins is plenty.

[The Squadfather]

the great Paul Anderson used to take 15-20 minute breaks between sets of squats and deadlifts to sit and drink milk but shoot that guy only standing shoulder pressed 425, squatted 950-1000 pounds in the 1950's and deadlifted over 800 but hey what did he know right?

[HTexan]

For pure BB'ing you would want a faster pace, with consideration to TUT (time under tension). Also to encourage the pump. If doing the extremes, like SS's, Tri set/s, Pre-exhause, Giant sets than no rest between grouping of exercises. And than maybe 60 tp 90 seconds between those SS's, Tri sets, etc, etc,etc before starting another group set..  Some misguided folk with take anywhere from 15 seconds to 30 seconds between sets but that is on the edge of marathon training. Usually for short burst of training while cutting down. But you will lose muscle mass in the long run. Maybe why so many local show BB'ers look like skinned rabbits 

But not too many people do that type of intense training in the real gym world. So as a general rule when using moderate weight and workouts (as most guy's do) than 90 to 120 seconds is usually the rule of thumb to hold that pump. Even on the compound exercises. A few of my chunky PL'ing friends will take 15, all the way up to 30 minutes, between benches, squats & DL's.

If you take more than 3 minutes max between sets than your just stroking it. Or your really not in true shape anyway. Want to keep a fairly good pace the whole workout, from start to finish.  Good Luck.

thats me I rest 30 secs. Im going to force myself to rest a min. now.

[davie]

DC had me doing 15-20 seconds btween sets, but they we rest/pause workouts.

HIt has u doing no rest btween pre ehaust moves and compound.

Just throwing in sum diff ideas, not saying there rigtht or wrong.B4 squad goes off on me lol (only messing bro).

davie

[AVBG]

Generally 1 min between sets, although every couple of weeks I aim for 30 secs. Check out robthoburn.com this guy wrote an article for Ironman a while back, he's got some interesting theories.

[Gym dude]

30secs max on super sets, less on straight compound

[webcake]

30secs max on super sets, less on straight compound

less than 30 secs rest on compound moves WTF?

[Bluto]

in general 1,5-2 minutes between sets. maybe up to 3 minuts or so if its my very last set and it's something heavy when im going to failure.

[YoungBlood]

30secs max on super sets, less on straight compound

Yeah, you're like Matarazzo, right? Big Mike claimed that he was using 400lbs for a squat session, doing many reps, and resting only 7-20 seconds. I remember the quote well. It stuck out because I was like "seven seconds?" How do you come to decide on that number? Of course it was in FLEX so it must be true.

[jpm101]

With regards to the great pioneer of lifting, Paul Anderson, those were extremely heavy lifting workouts he was doing. Guy's like him (and other old time strongmen) were noted for the extended breaks between working sets. Three to four hour gym time was the norm. And sometimes twice a day. This thread concerns BB'ing workouts and training, not lifting style training. The original purpose of BB'ing being to keep any muscle group under attack (longer timed work load and encouraging the pump throughout) for most of the time when working out. Shorter rest periods, with a max of 3 minutes max for compound movements. They do not want to lose that pump and cool down.

 Comparing lifting rest between sets with BB'ing is like comparing  apples and oranges. And of course the tiny banana of SF. Good Luck.

[DigitalLou]

thanks for the input guys. i use a stop watch train alone and usuallt just wait about a minute between sets, thanks again

[Meso_z]

5 minutes on most stuff and more like 7-8 on squats or deadlifts, if you want to get in better shape do cardio, lifting weights is lifting weights and should be used for getting bigger and stronger.

I agree, get on to the next set when you feel you can give 100% one more time, even if that takes 5 minutes. I love the guys at my gym who watch all the time at their digital watches, preparing for the next "intense" set.

[Redwingenator]

I rest until I catch my breath and feel ready to give 100% again.  Squats 2-4 min rest, DL 3-5, most upperbody compound about 2 min.  Of course some days I feel like I need more rest, some days less.