Good point Fluff
And the rest time between sets is something that you don't hear people talk about or utilise.
[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/the-5x5-program.html[/FONT][FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]
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[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]Here is some extracts from the above link.
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Some other general rules of thumbs are often thrown out (usually when the loads are too heavy) for this version of 5X5: for example, if you can’t get at least 14 total repetitions across the 5 sets (a complete workout would be 25 reps), the load is too heavy. So if you got something like 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 the weight is too heavy. It probably means you started way too close to your 5 repetition maximum.
In any case, after doing warm-up sets, the goal of 5X5 across is to do all 5 sets of 5 with the same weight. This pretty much requires that the load be less than the 85% value I threw out above; someone would have to have one hell of a work capacity/recovery ability to do 5 true maximal sets of 5 in a row. Typically 75-80% of maximum might be used.
Some people, when the weights get heavy, don’t ever seem to be able to get all 5 sets of 5 no matter how long you keep them at the same weight. So they’ll get 5,5,5,5,3 one workout and 5,5,5,5,3 the next workout and no matter how long you wait, that last set never gets to 5 reps. They just can’t do it for whatever reason.
[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]Info on rest times[/FONT]
[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/factors-affecting-the-length-of-the-rest-interval-between-resistance-exercise-sets-research-review.html[/FONT]
A key factor that determines the ability to sustain repetitions is the length of rest interval between sets. The length of the rest interval is commonly prescribed based on the training goal, but may vary based on several other factors. The purpose of this review was to discuss these factors in the context of different training goals. When training for muscular strength, the magnitude of the load lifted is a key determinant of the rest interval prescribed between sets. For loads less than 90% of 1 repetition maximum, 3-5 minutes rest between sets allows for greater strength increases through the maintenance of training intensity. However, when testing for maximal strength, 1-2 minutes rest between sets might be sufficient between repeated attempts. When training for muscular power, a minimum of 3 minutes rest should be prescribed between sets
When you look around the weight room, it’s not uncommon to see folks using rest intervals that are wholly inappropriate for their stated goals. The paper I want to look at today was a good overall review of how rest intervals should be structured for different training goals including maximal strength, hypertrophy, power production or local muscular endurance.
When training with a system such as 5X5 (discussed in more detail in
The 5X5 Program) or even something like 6 sets of 3, rest intervals of 3-5 minutes between maximally heavy sets would be a common recommendation; again this ensures that the heaviest weights can be handled on each set without too much accumulated fatigue.
I should note that, while the paper didn’t mention it explicitly, I have seen folks for whom too long of a rest interval actually does more harm than good. This is especially true for highly technical movements, especially when technique isn’t completely stable. Lifters will lose their groove (and this happens most often on Olympic lifts) if they sit around too long between repetitions. As well, some lifters seem to cool down between sets if you let them rest too long. So there can be some individual variance in the length of time taken between heavy sets.
Put simply, I think that both longer (complete or near complete) and shorter (incomplete) rest intervals have their place in hypertrophy training. In general, I’ll typically use longer rest intervals when the goal is primarily a tension stimulus (e.g. rest interval of 2-3 minutes for sets of 5-8 reps) and shorter rest intervals when the goal is a fatigue stimulus (e.g. 60 seconds for sets of 12-15 reps).
I guess my point is that there is more to hypertrophy than giving a simple short or long rest interval can properly address. The interaction of tension with fatigue/metabolic work and tonnage are all involved in the growth stimulus and by the time you get into issues of sarcoplasmic vs. myofibrillar hypertrophy, it starts getting complicated. Some of those issues are addressed in the series on
Periodization for Bodybuilders.
Put simply, I think that both longer (complete or near complete) and shorter (incomplete) rest intervals have their place in hypertrophy training. In general, I’ll typically use longer rest intervals when the goal is primarily a tension stimulus (e.g. rest interval of 2-3 minutes for sets of 5-8 reps) and shorter rest intervals when the goal is a fatigue stimulus (e.g. 60 seconds for sets of 12-15 reps).
Summing Up
Summing up this review, practically folks may manipulate rest intervals for different goals according to the following guidelines:
- Maximal strength training: 2-5 minutes between sets. Possibly shorter when intensity is above 90% and reps are three or less.
- Testing 1 rep max: the paper recommends short rest of 1-2 minutes. From a real-world perspective, I’m not sure I agree with this as a general rule.
- Muscular power: generally 3-5 minutes although shorter rests of 30-45 seconds can be used with very short sets (multiple sets of doubles and triples).
- Hypertrophy: the paper recommends incomplete rest intervals of 30-90 seconds but I disagree somewhat with this. I feel that both complete and incomplete rest intervals have their place in hypertrophy training.
- Muscular endurance: Short rest intervals of 30-60 seconds performed in circuit fashion.
