Wondering How Long Should I Rest Between Sets?
One of the most frequently asked questions of me as a long time Austin personal trainer and gym owner, is how long should I rest between sets? It’s a very common question, but like anything else in the health and fitness world, there’s no generic, one-size-fits-all answer. That would be what I refer to as impersonal training.
Asking me, or anybody else, how long should I rest between sets, is akin to asking me how many sets and reps you should I be performing? The answer is going to be dependent upon a myriad of variables and factors. For example, if you ask me how long should I rest between sets, in order to get an answer that is even worth listening to, I would have to know exactly what your goals are, I would have to be able to see what kind of shape you are in common and that includes what kind of imbalances and tightness is you have, your medical history, your level of cardiovascular conditioning, your age, and so on.
There’s a million formulaic approaches one could follow if you’re wanting to know basically anything about working out, nutrition, athletics, Etc. Those generalizations are fine for some, but the reason the world personal is in the term personal trainer, is because it has to be the job’s description. If I, or any other personal trainer simply threw generalizations, myths, and colloquialisms at you, I would certainly not be earning my paycheck. You will read widespread articles and hear various opinions in different gyms that it’s important to rest 30 seconds between sets. Maybe it’s 90 seconds? Who knows what great formula there’re extolling the virtues of these days? If you want to know how long should I rest between sets, you’d need to supply me the aforementioned information, and only then could I tell you specifically to you and your needs.
If, however, you’re looking for a generalizations, they pretty much end up being common sense. You certainly don’t want to overdo it in the weight room, as you cannot only tear muscles, but you can also pass out from a lack of oxygen. It’s additionally important to be sufficiently rested between sets for the consideration of wanting to get the most out of the next set or sets. If you blow all your energy on the first set, the remaining ones will be rather useless, depending upon your goals, of course. One way to answer for yourself how long should I rest between sets, is the simply see how you feel. Are you still short of breath? Are your muscles on fire from lactic acid? Do you feel revitalized and ready to get the next set in? Those should be the barometer’s as opposed to some formula that you read in a magazine that generically quantifies your rest period between sets.
Andy is a top notch trainer for fitness novices to seasoned body builders. He has a breadth of knowledge matched only by very few in the fitness industry today.
Andy
Latest posts by Andy (see all)
- Workout Motivation: How To Get Motivated To Work Out - March 9, 2022
- Body Fat Types: Subcutaneous and Visceral Fats - June 1, 2019
- Why Diets Work If You Stick With Them - April 1, 2019
