Can Brief Rest Periods Between Weight Lifting Sets Promote Greater Muscle Gain?
Posted: Tuesday, March 03, 2009
by Francesco A. Castano
IncrediBody.com
One of the numerous bodybuilding concepts that weight lifters must consider when compiling an effective workout system is rest between sets, with some feeling that short rest periods provide a greater amount of muscle overload, leading to larger muscle gains. This idea is based on the overall fatigue felt when engaging in a weight lifting workout with brief rest between workout sets, as the assumption is, if such a workout is more challenging physically, the muscle gains must therefore be superior compared with longer rest between sets.
The error made by a number of bodybuilders is to combine their cardiovascular and weight lifting workout sessions, feeling that this approach is sufficient in encouraging both fat burning and muscle building. Yet, two variables are neglected in producing this hypothesis, as weight used during each workout set is a vital concept in producing the greatest level of muscle gain, and complete mental focus during each set is also critical in promoting the greatest level of intensity. When rest periods between workout sets are reduced to extremely low levels, the mind often becomes fatigued due to a lack of sufficient recovery between sets, and develops a nagging tendency to put forth less effort during the weight lifting set itself. This, in combination with the natural physical fatigue that is a consequence of moving quickly between weight lifting sets, causes the muscle to lift less overall weight than could be possible if rest periods were extended to a more suitable level, as the body and mind do not have an opportunity to recuperate sufficiently for the highest level of output throughout each set.
Lengthy rest periods between sets offer an emotional advantage for many, as feeling aerobically fresh throughout the weight lifting workout allows a bodybuilder to provide strict mental focus upon each rep, without a feeling of overall fatigue that adversely impacts motivation. Yet, there are certain bodybuilders who either due to their work schedules or personal commitments are incapable of devoting more than a brief period of time to weight lifting sessions, and therefore must sustain the shortest possible rest periods in order to target as many muscles as possible during their limited allotted workout time. In such a scenario, extremely short rest periods between weight lifting sets are acceptable, as this is far superior to eliminating exercises, abandoning training for certain muscles, or training body parts on a less frequent basis.
Certain bodybuilders are opposed to extending rest periods between sets, as they feel far more capable of completing a weight lifting workout with maximum focus when they limit idle time, therefore, in such a case, shorter rest periods are acceptable, as making a weight lifting session realistic to continually follow is one of the most important factors leading to significant muscle gain, and if longer rest periods cause frustration, then reducing rest to the maximum time frame that feels tolerable is a wise practice. But for the bodybuilder who wishes to produce the greatest amount of muscle gain, and has the time and mental wherewithal to lengthen rest between sets sufficiently so that a weight lifting workout gravitates away from a cardiovascular emphasis towards a strictly muscle building focus, then this is the ideal tactic to employ.
Remember that cardiovascular workout sessions are aimed at improving heart efficiency and improving metabolic rate for added fat burning, but they are not designed to produce significant muscle mass, and thus the best environment for muscle gains is one where the weight lifting workout session does not stimulate the cardiovascular system in any significant way, as passing through such a threshold can begin to greatly hinder muscle building potential.
Francesco Castano authors MuscleNOW.com, a workout routine for building muscle mass without supplements or drugs. He also owns FatVanish.com, teaching exactly how to lose fat without supplements.
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