The rest period or inter-set rest is a break you take between sets when working-out, it is not for watching TV, taking a nap on the bench or making conversation with your buddy. In fact rest plays a critical role in designing strength training programs and can be manipulated to fit the goal of a weight training program. Research has indicated that the rest interval significantly affects the metabolic, hormonal and cardiovascular responses to resistance exercise programs.
When training for strength is your primary goal, rest a lot between sets. Five minutes are standard, three minutes are pushing it, and ten minutes are not unheard of. Now be careful: “rest” does not mean falling asleep. Best you can do stand up, walk around or even work on something else. The idea is to recover as close as 100% before the next set. That means mentally and physically. So you still need to be focused and alert, sitting or lying down will turn off your nervous system diminishing your performance and may even increase the risk of injury.
If your goal is to train for speed or power performing pylometrics is the way to go. But again, you need at least 3-5 minutes recovery time between sets or intervals. Drills should not be thought of as cardio respiratory conditioning.
Conditioning is simple: rest as little as possible. If you are not panting, you are slacking. Muscle building is a little trickier. Resting too long interferes with the production of muscle building hormones. Resting too little forces one to use lighter weights. A compromise is in order. Typically one to two minutes is sufficient.
In conclusion, 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 program.
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