I have to admit that when I show up to the gym to work out, the first thing on my mind is how quickly I can get done with my workout. The last thing on my mind is how much rest I should be taking between sets of exercises.
Often forgotten is rest, but it makes up about 1/3 of your results. The other 2/3 is made up of exercises selection and volume (sets x reps x weight). Without rest, you will not recover and won’t achieve your desired outcome.
There are two types of rest I will be speaking about; the first three types of rest are focused on what happens during a workout. The last two kinds of rest will look at what needs to happen between workouts.
Rest Periods Between Sets
A rest period is the length of time you take between exercises. Depending on how you structure your workouts, rest periods can look different.
Example One: Goblet Squat 10 reps rest 30 seconds Goblet Squat again.
Example Two: Goblet Squat 10 reps, do 30 second Front Plank, grab a drink of water, and repeat.
In the first example, you can hang out for your rest period or do supersets and use a not as taxing exercise to count as an active rest period.
No Rest
No rest is used for endurance goals. Thinking of being able to run or hike for more than 15 minutes. With endurance, you are not required to rest.
No rest is not recommended for using heavy, even moderate weights. Very light or bodyweight is recommended when not given any rest.
Short Rest (30sec – 1min)
Short rest periods are best used for goals like toning and general fitness and strength. This rest period gives the muscles enough time to recover but not all the way. This is why it is suitable for toning, for the short rest will increase the chances of getting the muscle pump feeling.
With short rest periods, you can use light to moderate weights. However, it is not recommended to use heavy weights while taking this short of a rest period.
Medium Rest (3-5min)
Medium rest is used when you are looking to focus on strength and power. You need a long rest period to give the muscle enough time to recover fully.
Resting this long is not recommended if your goal is weight loss or endurance.
Rest Periods Between Workouts
These are rest periods you take between workouts to recover for the next workout.
Long Rest (6-9 hours)
After a good challenging workout, your body needs a good long rest or commonly called sleep. Unfortunately, sleep is not always easy to come by. You might have young kids, stress or anxiety that keep you up, a bad mattress or pillow that causes you to toss and turn.
Many factors go into getting a good night’s sleep, and some of the big ones we can control.
- Room temp 65-70 degrees
- Going to bed at the same time each night
- Not drinking liquids right before bed
- Stopping screen time 30 minutes before bed
Sleep allows the body to rebuild and come back healthier and stronger; the goal should be at minimum 6 hours of sleep but trying to get 8 hours.
Rest Between Muscle Groups ( 24 hours)
The final point is rest between muscle groups, think quads vs. chest vs. glutes. For optimal muscle recovery, you should have 24 hours between muscle groups. Meaning if I did heavy Squats one day, I should not do Squats again the next day. The next day I might focus on the upper body instead.
The 24-hour rule is more important if your goal is maximal strength and power or bodybuilding. However, if you are going for weight loss, toning, or general strength, you can break this rule a little bit by varying the weight and reps.
Meaning one day, you do 4×6 for Goblet Squat, and the next day you do 4×30 seconds Bodyweight Squats.
To wrap this up, if you have a specific goal you want to focus on, then you need to pay attention to your rest periods, all 1-5 from above.
If you are looking to say active and healthy, at least rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets, get 8 hours of sleep, and for every two hard workouts, you need to do a rest day in between, which could still consist of stretching, walking, easy cardio. If you follow this flow, you will be golden.
Your Fitness Sherpa,
Josh
