Optimal rest time between sets

[androjunkie]

On the average, how long do you rest between sets? Sometimes I rest a minute, while other times I'll wait as much as three.

 

[Synpax]

I do 5x5. So between the 5x5s, I often give it 2 going on 3 depending on how I'm feeling and what set I'm on. With the 2x10 I give it about a minute.

 

[bignate73]

i wait til im ready. i dont time it. i just wait until my breathing is back to relative normal. especially if its a max/heavy lift. if im just hitting a bodypart, then i dont worry about being totally fresh for the next set.

 

[InTraining]

1-3 minutes depending on what exercise it is

 

[anthrax]

1-3 minutes depending on what exercise it is

 

[time2getbig]

I too wait till I am ready. Only on days that I am going to fight (ju jitsu) do I train high intensity (30 sec between sets and 1 min. between exercises).

i wait til im ready. i dont time it. i just wait until my breathing is back to relative normal. especially if its a max/heavy lift. if im just hitting a bodypart, then i dont worry about being totally fresh for the next set.

 

[Vash]

I go for 60 seconds. If I don't feel ready yet I'll wait till 90 but thats rare.

 

[Griz1]

It totally depends on what kind of training you are doing.

If you are doing low volume/heavy lifting in the range of 3-6 reps per set, likely your going to wait minutes between sets.

If you are doing a higher volume/lighter lifting routine, then typically I'd wait between 40seconds to a minute (no more).

Of course you can temper that with "what are you trying to achieve in the first place?"

Higher volume low weight routines do in fact have a cardio/fat burning aspect to them. While not as tailored to most of the folks on this board and thier goals, they do have some validity if done correctly. One of the "correct" aspects is the shorter rest time for these routines.

Generally, the reverse can be seen as true for the low vol/high weight routines.

 

[JKurz1]

It totally depends on what kind of training you are doing.

If you are doing low volume/heavy lifting in the range of 3-6 reps per set, likely your going to wait minutes between sets.

If you are doing a higher volume/lighter lifting routine, then typically I'd wait between 40seconds to a minute (no more).

Of course you can temper that with "what are you trying to achieve in the first place?"

Higher volume low weight routines do in fact have a cardio/fat burning aspect to them. While not as tailored to most of the folks on this board and thier goals, they do have some validity if done correctly. One of the "correct" aspects is the shorter rest time for these routines.

Generally, the reverse can be seen as true for the low vol/high weight routines.

yup....100% depends on your goals.................

 

[drbones2]

I wait till my breathing returns to normal typically... I think I may have timed my rests maybe 1-2x in my life

 

[cmdubs]

I use to wait around 3 minutes between sets so that I could press more weight/reps. For the last couple of weeks I've been timing 1 minute breaks between each set. I can't use as much weight, but the workouts are real intense, much faster, my heart rate stays pretty elevated and I work up a huge sweat.

I left the gym 30 minutes earlier than usual last night using this technique. I never realized how much time I spent just sitting.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

definetly depends on what i'm doing. i've been doing a 5x5 routine for a while. when it was lighter, i could take shorter rest periods. as it's been getting heavier, however, it's been taking me much longer. last week i did 250 for 5x5 squats. that, for me, was real heavy. took me almost 40 minutes from the time i started warmup sets til i finished. i also took a lot of time stretching between sets. seemed like a long time, but if i wouldn't of taken my time, i don't think i would've gotten all the sets.

a lot of other stuff i move pretty fast on though. any big compound exercise i wait until i'm good and ready to go again. iso lifts usually get 1-2 minutes.