Rest periods are incredibly important between two sets. If you can have less than 60 seconds rest and match the same reps at the same weight as the previous set, the weight or intensity was never high enough.

A lot of people “chase the burn” and believe that for a difficult/effective workout your muscles must feel on fire; however, this isn’t necessarily true. This is a rather outdated philosophy of training that prioritises fatigue, however, fatigue does not equal hypertrophy (building muscle). Yes, you can work on muscular endurance by reducing rest times; however, this is only a detriment to you if your goal is to build muscle.

Adequate rest periods allow Phosphocreatine (a component of your fast acting energy system) and ATP (energy) to replenish. Without these components, you will fail quickly on your next set, but not due to true muscular failure, which is what is needed for optimal muscle growth.

Adequate rest periods allow for the removal of lactic acid from the muscles, which is broken down using oxygen by the liver and is converted into energy. This decrease in acidity in the muscles is good as higher acidity in the muscles can paralyse the muscle fibres and halt energy production.

During rest periods we allow our nervous system to relax and not become overtaxed, which allows us to maintain a higher intensity for longer. Intensity is not just how hard a workout feels; it’s about overall weight lifted, training volume and how close to muscular failure we come, not due to fatigue.

How long should you rest? In the past, 60 seconds was the recommended rest period, however this is outdated and now studies suggest 2-3 minutes rest periods are favourable for maximal muscle growth. This does depend on the exercise being performed, for example, a compound exercise (focusing on multiple muscle groups) such as a squat will require rest periods on the higher end of this scale, whereas an isolation exercise (focusing on one muscle group) such as a bicep curl, may need slightly less rest. This is due to compound exercises putting a higher demand on the nervous system

Blog by Alex Boardman – Personal Trainer (Boardman Personal Training)