How long between reps before it's not a "set" anymore?

MisterDerpington

Really depends on the lift. For deadlifts, I say you can take about up to 8-10 seconds once in the set if you're going for max reps. For squats, OHP, and bench, it's still a set until you rerack the weight.

bgelliott

Don't hold your breath during any exercise. Inhale during the negative (eccentric) and exhale during the lifting (concentric).

Holding your breath stabilizes your core while lifting heavy weights. It is the right thing to do.

Holding your breath can lead to dangerous increases in blood pressure.

then you better inform EVERYONE who lifts advanced strength lifts or higher. Because they all do it...

do you even lift? Because anyone who does knows you hold your breath to stabilize yourself. I mean this is heavy lifting 101 stuff dude.

Dude????

bgelliott

Don't hold your breath during any exercise. Inhale during the negative (eccentric) and exhale during the lifting (concentric).

Holding your breath stabilizes your core while lifting heavy weights. It is the right thing to do.

Holding your breath can lead to dangerous increases in blood pressure.

I have seen this stated in various places, and hypothetically it sounds valid. However what I haven't seen is any numbers or examples to back it up. Are people being carried out of gyms on stretchers after having strokes during heavy lifts, and I'm just not hearing about it?

If you hold your breath throughout really heavy lifts, this is likely to happen to you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMrEodLXc-g

ROFL - I love that video...Poor guy!

MisterDerpington

Don't hold your breath during any exercise. Inhale during the negative (eccentric) and exhale during the lifting (concentric).

Holding your breath stabilizes your core while lifting heavy weights. It is the right thing to do.

Holding your breath can lead to dangerous increases in blood pressure.

I have seen this stated in various places, and hypothetically it sounds valid. However what I haven't seen is any numbers or examples to back it up. Are people being carried out of gyms on stretchers after having strokes during heavy lifts, and I'm just not hearing about it?

If you hold your breath throughout really heavy lifts, this is likely to happen to you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMrEodLXc-g

Clearly you've never watched any olympic weightlifting or powerlifting. They all hold their breath. You hold the breath to stabilize everything, and frankly because it puts more oomph in it. This guy is the exception not the rule.

LiftAllThePizzas

I guess that depends on how you define failure, because there are two different things going on:
1- your muscles run out of fuel and are incapable of working any more.
2- your heart rate maxes out and if you exert more you will risk various problems.

ummmm........no.

Thanks for the previous reply, sounds like we do it the same way. About this one, are you saying no I'm not hitting max HR or no there's no risk of problems by exceeding max HR? For me, personally, I get large regions of my vision pulsing black in time with my heartbeat at about max HR, beyond which is blacking out, so I stay short of that. Meanwhile, my legs at that point are still like, "dude what's the holdup, let's go!!!"

Lyadeia

Mostly I'm talking about during a 15RM of squats. It's about 45 seconds of squatting time. Holding my breath for 45 solid seconds plus all that exertion obviously would not be feasible. I typically end up doing a handful, then taking maybe 5-10 seconds to breathe, then another few, etc.

Also since someone mentioned between sets, when I'm doing 5RMs I tend to rest 5 full minutes between sets. I've found I can't complete the next set(s) without that much recovery time.

This is what I thought you meant. And the answer is take all the time that you need. When I'm going mega heavy for a few reps or sorta heavy for 20 reps, toward the end I'll stand there and take 5 deep breaths with the bar on my back, do 1 rep, and take a bunch of breaths again. It's fine.

Also, I only hold my breath during the rep, and I exhale on the way up. Holding your breath for 45 secs while under heavy exertion is a recipe to come up dizzy and fall into something after you sets up.

As to the 5 mins between sets, on heavy squats and deadlifts that's perfectly fine. But keep in mind that you can manipulate your rest times to change the intensity of your workout. Let's say you can't quite increase the weight yet, but what you can do is shorten your rest to 3 or 4 minutes. If doing 3 mins, go down to 1 or 2 minutes. There's lots of things you can do to change intensity that don't involve the load.

I do this as well for breathing in between reps in a set.

As far as time between sets, when I am lifting really heavy with compound lifts with a max of 5 reps, I tend to go 120 seconds. For moderate weight including things like isolation exercises (bicep curls, for example) where I go around 10 more reps, I just do 60 seconds.

During my set breaks, I like to walk around and make sure to fully catch my breath and dynamically stretch the muscles before going again.

Tedebearduff

I know this will be a matter of opinion for everyone, but I'm just curious where people draw a line, if any, for how long you would pause between reps before you consider stopping a set or consider it not "a set" anymore?

If you are that @$$hole that is always texting between sets your taking to ducking long !!!!! and it's no longer a set your just taking a seat!

chrisdavey

If you aren't holding your breath for a heavy set of squats or deads, you aren't lifting heavy enough. Definitely lifting 101 stuff.

To the OP's question: It's hard to put a specific time on it between reps but I've seen some people do a few deadlifts then they say they are resetting grip and actually take at least 10 seconds to do it. IMO that is a new set. Me personally, I never let go of the bar during DL's. I finish my rep, extend legs and relax for a second, take my next big breath (and hold) and drop back into tight starting position and go again. Only takes about 5 seconds absolute max.

LiftAllThePizzas

I know this will be a matter of opinion for everyone, but I'm just curious where people draw a line, if any, for how long you would pause between reps before you consider stopping a set or consider it not "a set" anymore?

If you are that @$$hole that is always texting between sets your taking to ducking long !!!!! and it's no longer a set your just taking a seat!

ROFL!

No, I usually do snake chores between sets, like cleaning, feeding, putting breeding pairs together, setting up eggs in the incubator, etc. I thought everyone did snake chores between sets.

BeachIron

I know this will be a matter of opinion for everyone, but I'm just curious where people draw a line, if any, for how long you would pause between reps before you consider stopping a set or consider it not "a set" anymore?

If you are that @$$hole that is always texting between sets your taking to ducking long !!!!! and it's no longer a set your just taking a seat!

Too long for circuit training maybe. Not too long for lifting.

122ish

Ok so question I bench then do two types of leg extensions then kettle bell squat, then do it over three times all sets of 12. I do pretty much the same for curls, triceps and flys is that wrong then. I just find it easier than doing 12 of one resting a few seconds and continuing so I just keep going. Hope that made sense

Looks like you are doing circuit training. I haven't read too much on it but it seems it can increase your VO2 and allow you to get a fullbody workout in less time. Probably not ideal for some one who wants to put on muscle but good for overall fitness. If you enjoy it, keep at it.

Thank u, I am looking to build muscle in my legs, my arms need a little toning but that's it. Think I will do sets now.

LiftAllThePizzas

Why are you holding your breath?

Why do we swing our arms when we run?

My 2 and 4 year olds both hold their breath when trying to lift/push something heavy. There must a physiological reason for it if we do it automatically.

bgelliott

Why are you holding your breath?

Why do we swing our arms when we run?

My 2 and 4 year olds both hold their breath when trying to lift/push something heavy. There must a physiological reason for it if we do it automatically.

Are you really comparing breathing during lifting to swinging your arms when you run??? Oy Vey :huh:

DavPul

Why are you holding your breath?

Why do we swing our arms when we run?

My 2 and 4 year olds both hold their breath when trying to lift/push something heavy. There must a physiological reason for it if we do it automatically.

I think the gist of what we're saying is that's it's fine to hold your breath during reps but silly to try to hold one breath for the duration of a 45 second set. You're not under water.

Re: the hrm thing, my primary issue with hrms in general is because while they have value, people are constantly trying to use their readings in places they have no business. Mid set is one of those places

LiftAllThePizzas

Why are you holding your breath?

Why do we swing our arms when we run?

My 2 and 4 year olds both hold their breath when trying to lift/push something heavy. There must a physiological reason for it if we do it automatically.

I think the gist of what we're saying is that's it's fine to hold your breath during reps but silly to try to hold one breath for the duration of a 45 second set. You're not under water.

I wasn't suggesting I'm holding my breath non-stop for the entire set. That would truly be silly. LOL. But my point is that I have to stop to breathe before my muscles are actually tired, otherwise I see spots, get dizzy, and if I keep going I suspect I will pass out. Breathing with every single rep is also not doable because I don't breathe that quickly and I'd then be getting dizzy from hyperventiliating. I'm not asking how I should or shouldn't breathe, I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing there.

I was asking others at what point they consider a pause to just be a pause and not a new set.

Re: the hrm thing, my primary issue with hrms in general is because while they have value, people are constantly trying to use their readings in places they have no business. Mid set is one of those places

I wasn't using an HRM to determine calorie burn. I was using it to see how my heart rate went up and down during my workout. HRMs are pretty good at determining your heart rate. :P

Are you really comparing breathing during lifting to swinging your arms when you run???

In the context of, "are they ridiculous and stupid questions" yes I am comparing them and I find them rather similar. Also, nobody suggested closing your glottis and then forcefully trying to exhale as hard as possible. If simply holding your breath or even exhaling against resistance were so horrible there'd be lots of musicians dropping dead from it too.

DavPul

I wasn't using an HRM to determine calorie burn. I was using it to see how my heart rate went up and down during my workout. HRMs are pretty good at determining your heart rate. :P

usually i'm very direct and succinct so that my point gets across. some people find this rude, but my point still gets across. for some reason, you don't seem to be getting my point.

great, you know your heart rate. wtf does that have to do with your set? nothing. n o t h i n g. you are collecting and responding to data that make no difference in the situation you're in.

brb, checking the er to find the list of people who's hearts exploded in the middle of 45 second sets.

LiftAllThePizzas

usually i'm very direct and succinct so that my point gets across. some people find this rude, but my point still gets across. for some reason, you don't seem to be getting my point.

great, you know your heart rate. wtf does that have to do with your set? nothing. n o t h i n g. you are collecting and responding to data that make no difference in the situation you're in.

Nope I get your point. But I think you're missing mine. You said you stop to breathe during a set too. I'm sure there's a reason, probably similar to my reason: I need to breathe. My muscles are polluting my blood with waste products faster than my lungs can clear them, so the lungs need to catch up. Or something like that.

IOW, "you get tired and need to take a breath or two, but you don't just end the set because the muscles you're working aren't done yet." Right?

I used an HRM during exercise for the same reason I like to look at stuff under a microscope and have a bike computer to tell me my speed/distance. I found it more than worthwhile to discover that my heart rate goes from mid 60's to 168 in as long as it takes me to do 3 squats, and it drops to the mid 90's almost as quickly after a few deep breaths. I wouldn't have expected either of those things to happen. I also learned why I was needing to stop and breathe and that it isn't just a psychological barrier I'm hitting, so although I had no intention of it being of practical value, it did turn out to be relevant to how I do a set.

BTW I'm still laughing (empathetically) at the problem solvers who have implied that there's some change I could make in my technique that would make it so I don't have to pause during a set of heavy squats.

Becky_Smith72

I wouldn't wait long, but with that being said I'm a huge fan of "active rest." Give your muscles a mini break but keep your heart rate up.. jog in place, do jumping jacks, squats, etc. This will not only give your muscles a rest, but will help you to burn more calories.

EPICUREASIAN

Core stability aside, I would assume that muscles need oxygen during weight lifting the same way they need oxygen during any other form of exercise, right? Sorry, I'm still a beginning lifter, and just curious about the "holding your breath" part.

wswilliams67

2-3 seconds max between reps for a rest-pause scenario; otherwise no pause.

60-90 seconds between sets unless you are squatting or deadlifting very heavy then 2-3 minutes rest is fine.

5x5 method states 90s between sets if it was easy, 3 minutes if it was hard to finish the set.