How much rest time do you take between sets

RobertHendrix

So I have recently started working out in the mornings before work since the weight area at my gym is so less crowded at 5:30 am than at 5:30 pm. When I worked out in the evenings I did a lot of sharing and working in with others as there are only 2 squat racks at the gym so my rest in between sets could be anywhere from 3-6 min as we changed weights and worked other people in. It was starting to get up in the 2 hour range to finish a complete workout and didn't leave me much time to do any cardio or assistence exercises by the time I would need to leave and get home to get started on dinner. Now that I am working out in the mornings there may be only 1-2 other people that are in the free weight area.

I have started taking teh following amount of time between sets.

5 Warm up sets -(5,5,4,3,2) time it takes to add the next amount of weights to the bar to warm up with
1 min rest
Set 1
45 sec rest
Set 2
30 sec rest
Set 3
45 sec rest
Set 4
1 min rest
Set 5

I feel that I am really getting a good workout by not taking a big rest in between sets and am able to keep my heart rate up during the entire workout and have cut the total time it takes to complete the 3 lifts down to about 75 min and then can do 30 min cardio after and still get home before it is time to get my daughter up for school. This morning one of the trainers was using the smith machines with a couple of the women he was training while I was working out. After I was done he asked me if I normally went through my sets so fast or was it was just a one time thing due to having to be somewhere else this morning. When I told him the rest times I have been using he said that I am putting myself at a high risk for injury by doing this. He stated that you need to take a min of 3 min rest between sets once you get to a weight that really taxes your muscles on each set ( I am at that weight on all 5 lifts) to allow them time to recover from the shock of the set. He recomended taking 5 min in between sets to allow a proper reset of the shock factor and to allow for less fatigue of the muscle allowing you to complete the next set with out straining and breaking form.

I know there are a couple people in this group that have a pretty extensive lifting background so I am asking is this correct? Am I putting myself at a higher risk of injury by not resting longer between sets? Is 3-5 min the time I should be resting or should I follow the if it aint broke don't fix it strategy and start resting more once I start stalling on a lift?

danimalkeys

There is no set rule. Do what feels best. I try to maintain around 2 minutes, but if I need more, I take more. I go by how hard my heart is pounding, I let it calm down before starting the next set. Usually squats are what I need the longest rest on, rows, the shortest. As the weight gets heavier, the rest gets longer. Right now 2 minutes is working. In 3 months, it probably will not be working and I'll take longer.

I don't take much time between my warmups, like you, as soon as the weight is loaded, I do the warmup set, change the plates, next set, etc.

cajuntank

I think Mehdi actually mentions this in his pdf or video somewhere about rest time between sets. About a minute between warmup sets if needed, and early on in your program since weight will be lighter. As you get into heavier weights, your rest period will have to increase to allow the glycogen enough time to get back into the muscle. Generally three minutes on heavier weights and even going to five minutes if you are to the point of failing a set. This is not a hard fast rule, just a point of reference he uses.

Jessemelcher

I take between 2 min and 5 on my heaviest sets .

mikejholmes

The StrongLifts iPhone app suggests 3 mins between sets, and 5 mins if you've failed a rep.
Mark Rippetoe says take as long as you need to ensure that fatigue from the previous set is gone.

I can't imagine doing only 30 seconds rest after a set -- I'm still gasping and heaving 30 seconds after a set. If you're not gasping and heaving, I'd say that you're not at a weight that REALLY taxes your muscles. And if you ARE gasping and heaving when you start your next set, I'd be very worried about your form by the end of the set.

tootoop224

As weights got heavier, I had been increasing rest time to upwards of 5 minutes or more. This allowed me to complete a full 5 reps, but was causing my workout to take 2 hours. One of the things that drew me to SL in the first place was that I feel, it has the best ratio of time invested to benefit received. I loved when I fist stared, I was done in one hour. So I recently decided to limit my rest to 3 minutes. It clearly caused me to not be able to complete my5 reps on my heavier lifts immediately. As I continue to do this, I am seeing progress each workout, and have been able to complete a full 5x5and move up in weight. I think I will continue as I can get my workout done in about 80 minutes, and that feels right for me. My question is though, what is more beneficial, taking a 5 minute rest and completing 5 reps, or taking a 3 minute rest and struggling to get a 3rd or 4th rep, then failing?

bostonwolf

There is no set rule. Do what feels best. I try to maintain around 2 minutes, but if I need more, I take more. I go by how hard my heart is pounding, I let it calm down before starting the next set. Usually squats are what I need the longest rest on, rows, the shortest. As the weight gets heavier, the rest gets longer. Right now 2 minutes is working. In 3 months, it probably will not be working and I'll take longer.

I don't take much time between my warmups, like you, as soon as the weight is loaded, I do the warmup set, change the plates, next set, etc.

Same here. I like to keep my heart rate up and get a mild aerobic benefit. It's probably about 2 minutes for me, but maybe slightly more or less.