how long between sets?

[RipperMan]

i did a search - but i couldnt find the info i needed

i am curious how long u leave between sets ... i do super sets ( two excercises following each other)

and at present i leave 90-120 secconds between them - in that time i jog/run

should i leave it longer?

[$AJ]

you're ging to get a lot of different responses. myself, i keep it to 2-3minutes. if you're jogging or whatever between sets to keep yourself occupied, you probably arn't training hard enough.

[TheCrushinator]

Depends on how heavy you're lifting. Like the post above, I usually take about 2-3 minutes between sets, but basically you should listen to your body. If your body doesn't feel ready to do another set, then longer should be fine.

[ed073]

2 or 3 minutes.

Stop jogging b/n sets...that's freaky! There was a guy at my gym who would break out the skipping rope b/n sets in the middle of the weights room.....lucky no-one lost an eye!!

[RipperMan]

why is that freaky? it keeps ur heart rate up and burn cals between lifting...

[mp906]

2-3 minutes. I go balls to the wall!

[e_burna]

I go 45 seconds to 1 minute between sets, 2-3 minutes inbetween diff. excercises. Your body will adapt and I've read that you can actually gain back about 90% of your strength in 45 seconds. It will also teach your muscles to recover quicker.

[LoN]

why is that freaky? it keeps ur heart rate up and burn cals between lifting...

o_O it also means you arent working hard enough. you shouldnt have the energy to run around between sets. add weight or something...

leave cardio for cardio day IMO

[Young Taylor]

I go 45 seconds to 1 minute between sets, 2-3 minutes inbetween diff. excercises. Your body will adapt and I've read that you can actually gain back about 90% of your strength in 45 seconds. It will also teach your muscles to recover quicker.

This pimp knows his ****. I totally agree, I take no longer than 1 minute between sets too. You're muscles can recover in this time no matter how big your lifts are. It's just a higher intensity level and you body can adapt to this. It's a lot easier to keep your pump between sets as well. You can cum the whole time you're in the gym.

[ed073]

why is that freaky? it keeps ur heart rate up and burn cals between lifting...

because you should be recovering in this time.

[$AJ]

o_O it also means you arent working hard enough. you shouldnt have the energy to run around between sets. add weight or something...

leave cardio for cardio day IMO

exactly. there's no way in hell after i rack pull, say, 600, i'm thinking 'oh boy! time to go for a jog while i wait for my next set'!!!

[ed073]

exactly. there's no way in hell after i rack pull, say, 600, i'm thinking 'oh boy! time to go for a jog while i wait for my next set'!!!

^^

lol....mental picture of AJ jogging on the spot between sets....he he!!

[$AJ]

^^

lol....mental picture of AJ jogging on the spot between sets....he he!!

[NoChemicals]

Depends on how heavy you're lifting. Like the post above, I usually take about 2-3 minutes between sets, but basically you should listen to your body. If your body doesn't feel ready to do another set, then longer should be fine.

Totally agree wtih you. Listen to your body and see how it responses to long/short rest periods. My friend used to complain that my rest period was too long. However, he failed to understand that I need more time to psych myself up for the next set. If you are not well rested for the next set, I do foresee bad form is imminent because your body is not fully prepared to lift.

[RipperMan]

lol

maybe...maybe i am super man! and all you weaklings cant keeep up with me and i can run and run...oh wait...no cape in site, never mind...

i will stop running and start lifting harder!

i have no spotter so i dont push my benches :-(

[IGF]

30-180 seconds i rest, but heavier you go the more rest you will need. A set of 6 is a lot more taxing than a set of 12 which also uses a different energy system (forgot the name the one thats by product is lactic acid)

[RipperMan]

ok - just caem back from workout - i have been v.tired ALL day - and had a menacing headache but i didnt want to miss my workout...i couldnt finish the final few sets but i got the most important 4 in (i do 6 exercises)

anyway - i upped my pulldown(close underhand grip/widegrip over hand) by 33% of original

I did the same for all my excercises - i need someone to spot me - becuase i am having trouble with the benching - thats my real down fall is the bench.

But i feel great - woot!

thanks guys.

I spaced my sets by 60 seconds.

[ed073]

ok - just caem back from workout - i have been v.tired ALL day - and had a menacing headache but i didnt want to miss my workout...i couldnt finish the final few sets but i got the most important 4 in (i do 6 exercises)

anyway - i upped my pulldown(close underhand grip/widegrip over hand) by 33% of original

I did the same for all my excercises - i need someone to spot me - becuase i am having trouble with the benching - thats my real down fall is the bench.

But i feel great - woot!

thanks guys.

I spaced my sets by 60 seconds.

Cool.....keep it up!

[armz_ha]

60-120 seconds work best for me...

[LatsMakeTheMan]

I use 3 minutes for bigger muscle groups (chest/back/legs/military presses)

2 minutes for smaller muscles (tris/bis/traps/side delts)

Oh and for calves, I only wait like 30-45 seconds. Working on bringing those skinny b*tches up.

[TheForge22030]

Depends on your goals.
People who lift heavier have to take a longer break then people who are trying to shred up. Doing supersets regularly suggest you are trying to get gut, so jogging and taking shorter breaks isn't always a bad thing. However, you should take note that regular use of supersets does cause a catabolic effect. So if growth is your goal then you should limit your supersetting to two consecutive weeks every once in a rare while, and take a longer break in between sets.

[ATrainer]

I've done everything in the continuum. For 15 years, I rested 2-3 minutes between sets. Now I know better. In 45 seconds, I can regenerate between 60-65 % of spent creatine and with a glycogen backup, I'm ready physically for another set. I have to add that mentally, if you think you aren't ready, you aren't. Physiologically, you pretty much are.

I can train every bit as heavy as I did 10 and 20 years ago, although my resistances are far heavier now. And even now, I have graduated to supersetting every workout, every exercise. Forget jogging between sets of an exercise, do another antagonist exercise. And when I say superset, that means no implied rest between any two exercises or superset pairs, other than the time it takes to physically move between them or a brief setup.

E_burna was correct. You can train your body to adapt to this type of training. And recovery is a component that can be trained to be more efficient. Stored creatine and glycogen is a matter of training demand. Capillary exfiltration of lactic acid is also dependent on capacity, another component based on training.

If you don't think you can abbreviate your rest periods, you can't. But my experience as a trainer shows that you can if you exert faith and take the couple of weeks it takes to improve your muscular endurance to the point where you can. Saying it can't be done is irrelevant to someone who has seen it time and time again.

[Zensuji]

for me its about 2 mins (or less) on compounds and 45-1min for iso work

[RipperMan]

I've done everything in the continuum. For 15 years, I rested 2-3 minutes between sets. Now I know better. In 45 seconds, I can regenerate between 60-65 % of spent creatine and with a glycogen backup, I'm ready physically for another set. I have to add that mentally, if you think you aren't ready, you aren't. Physiologically, you pretty much are.

I can train every bit as heavy as I did 10 and 20 years ago, although my resistances are far heavier now. And even now, I have graduated to supersetting every workout, every exercise. Forget jogging between sets of an exercise, do another antagonist exercise. And when I say superset, that means no implied rest between any two exercises or superset pairs, other than the time it takes to physically move between them or a brief setup.

E_burna was correct. You can train your body to adapt to this type of training. And recovery is a component that can be trained to be more efficient. Stored creatine and glycogen is a matter of training demand. Capillary exfiltration of lactic acid is also dependent on capacity, another component based on training.

If you don't think you can abbreviate your rest periods, you can't. But my experience as a trainer shows that you can if you exert faith and take the couple of weeks it takes to improve your muscular endurance to the point where you can. Saying it can't be done is irrelevant to someone who has seen it time and time again.

Thanks very much to you and Eburna for lengthy replies - and thanks to all for replying.

i am hoping to get cut yes - but also build up a bit of muscle along the way - nothing majorly body building.

[LostProphet]

2 minutes for me on everything other than deads and squats........2.5 mins between dead and squat sets.

[Leeman]

no more than a minute between sets for me.

[LostProphet]

no more than a minute between sets for me.

I've never really used short rest periods so I'm curious......if you go all out on a set of hmmm lets say arse to the grass front squats......how the hell can you muster any kind of intensity for the next set with under a minutes rest ????

[$AJ]

I've never really used short rest periods so I'm curious......if you go all out on a set of hmmm lets say arse to the grass front squats......how the hell can you muster any kind of intensity for the next set with under a minutes rest ????

you've got me. (doing dc), i only take 15-20seconds for the rest pauses, and all i can muster is 1-3 sets 2x (2 rest pauses)

[ATrainer]

I've never really used short rest periods so I'm curious......if you go all out on a set of hmmm lets say arse to the grass front squats......how the hell can you muster any kind of intensity for the next set with under a minutes rest ????

The last two years I wasn't supersetting the power squats (13-16 plates) out of lazyness, and calf raises hurt my ankle. They were really kicking my ass anyway. Well, I decided that I needed to start working on traps again, and the machine was next to the power squat. So, I started supersetting trap shrugs with the power squat. It's really hard, but soon my body adapted. Easy concept: push the body, make it adapt. You have to have the mental desire to push that hard, but you can do it.

Watch the World's Strongest Man competitors heave those Atlas stones.

[$AJ]

erm, what's a power squat? A 1/4 squat?