Rest interval between sets in strength training

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In summary, the rest interval between sets is an important variable that should

receive more attention in resistance exercise prescription. When prescribed

appropriately with other important prescriptive variables (i.e. volume and

intensity), the amount of rest between sets can influence the efficiency, safety

and ultimate effectiveness of a strength training programme.

Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-77. doi: 10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000.

Rest interval between sets in strength training.

de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes Jda S, Lemos A, Willardson JM.

Strength training has become one of the most popular physical activities for

increasing characteristics such as absolute muscular strength, endurance,

hypertrophy and muscular power. For efficient, safe and effective training, it

is of utmost importance to understand the interaction among training variables,

which might include the intensity, number of sets, rest interval between sets,

exercise modality and velocity of muscle action.

Research has indicated that the rest interval between sets is an important

variable that affects both acute responses and chronic adaptations to resistance

exercise programmes. The purpose of this review is to analyse and discuss the

rest interval between sets for targeting specific training outcomes (e.g.

absolute muscular strength, endurance, hypertrophy and muscular power). The

Scielo, Science Citation Index, National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE, Scopus,

Sport Discus and CINAHL databases were used to locate previous original

scientific investigations. The 35 studies reviewed examined both acute responses

and chronic adaptations, with rest interval length as the experimental variable.

In terms of acute responses, a key finding was that when training with loads

between 50% and 90% of one repetition maximum, 3-5 minutes' rest between sets

allowed for greater repetitions over multiple sets. Furthermore, in terms of

chronic adaptations, resting 3-5 minutes between sets produced greater increases

in absolute strength, due to higher intensities and volumes of training.

Similarly, higher levels of muscular power were demonstrated over multiple sets

with 3 or 5 minutes versus 1 minute of rest between sets. Conversely, some

experiments have demonstrated that when testing maximal strength, 1-minute rest

intervals might be sufficient between repeated attempts; however, from a

psychological and physiological standpoint, the inclusion of 3- to 5-minute rest

intervals might be safer and more reliable. When the training goal is muscular

hypertrophy, the combination of moderate-intensity sets with short rest

intervals of 30-60 seconds might be most effective due to greater acute levels

of growth hormone during such workouts. Finally, the research on rest interval

length in relation to chronic muscular endurance adaptations is less clear.

Training with short rest intervals (e.g. 20 seconds to 1 minute) resulted in

higher repetition velocities during repeated submaximal muscle actions and also

greater total torque during a high-intensity cycle test. Both of these findings

indirectly demonstrated the benefits of utilizing short rest intervals for gains

in muscular endurance.

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK