How Much Time Should You Rest Between Sets?

[Walking Beast]

My rest time is all over the place. Unless I am doing No rest dropsets. My rest times can exceed 10 mins. I hit it when Im ready and when the fire has returned. I dont set any rules. To give an example of tuesdays chest workout:

Flat Bench Press: (Full range reps or just short of lockout)

135x20 warm
225x34 (No spotter for lift off, so high on bench)
275x16 (spotter for lift off only, to get lower on bench)
315x6 (same)
315x2 (Slow reps.No spotters from this point on.)
275x4 (Very slow with pause on chest)
275x4 (same)
275x4 (same)
245x13
245x7 (Pause reps)
225x12

Incline Smith Machine Press: (full reps)

225x21
275x6
275x6
275x8 (fast)
275x10 (fast with bounce off stoppers. Set about inch above chest)
275x4
275x7 (varying rest periods. Not too long between these last sets)
275x6 1/2
225x9

Incline Hammer Strength Press: (Mix of full and 3/4 reps)

270x10
320x7
360x5 (Full reps, last rep finished with a slow negative)
410x1 (Full rep with a slow negative back down)
360x6 (3/4 reps)
360x5 3/4
360x2 (Negative on last rep)
360x2 (same)
360x1 1/2
320x6 1/2
320x7
320x3 1/2
320x3 (slow negatives)
320x4 (slow)
320x8 1/2 (fast, ballistic)
320x7 1/2 (fast)
320x10 1/2 (very fast, ballistic with bounce at bottom)
360x6 1/2 (fast)
360x5
360x2 (slow)
360x5
320x6
320x4 (slow)

Dumbbell Laterals:

45x30 warm

Incline Hammer Strength Press:

270x8 (slow)

Machine Flies: (Machine is broken. Massive friction and handles shaking. Was irritating elbow)

205x8

Shoulder Press: (pin loaded)

295x21
295x21 1/2
295x21
295x16

Reverse Machine Flies:


143x20 warm
198x13
225x8 (stack)
225x8
178x12

Dumbbell Laterals:

70x15
50x20
60x20
60x16
65x16
70x12
65x12
90x10
45x15
60x12
40x15
55x15
45x15
45x15
60x12

20 mins cardio

5-6 sets of Kneeling Cable Crunches. 200 lbs (stack) for 15-25 reps per set

6 and a half hours in the gym. Alot of volume but also alot of rest time. I dont count, just train on instinct. Of course I could move at a faster pace. Ive done over 45 sets within an hour before. This means using much more moderate weight however and never got the same kind of growth training this way. High volume to failure has always worked for me. My strength is still way down but you can see the volume is returning.

Its also an adaptive thing. When I started training at 14 almost immediately I was training all day. Trying to fucking destroy on each set. Only weighing 105-115 lbs if I was lucky. So I have a very high tolerance and recovery for this type of abuse. Which also means I require a shitload of abuse for my muscle to respond in anyway. It varies on the individual though. There are way too many factors. I think it is best to lift heavier and take longer rests however, for optimal growth.

Now take off ya thangs. Ill be with you in a moment



KILL EM N GRILL EM

[juced_porkchop]

I do 1-2 min between sets
for bbing i would rec this.

power lifting is ntothe same , and its not my thing so im nto sure but i would say rest more but lift more since lifting more is the point i guess.

[tmno]

for lighter sets i rest for only 40 sec to a minute and for heavy sets it takes about 2 minutes for me, perhaps u should also look at your cardio if you think its holding u back

[Wallbag]

You fucking BEAST. Damn dude. 6 hours? What the fuck.

[Shawn Bellon]

6 hour workouts? Hmmm how do you have time for that?

I like 2 hrs at the most including cardio otherwise 90 min works. I will rest 3-5 min between hard sets. Everything else is much faster 30-90 sec.

[Walking Beast]

Never satisfied with a training session. Takes a shitload to exhaust my muscle endurance. If I dont push that limit I feel nothing is accomplished. Maybe its just my obsession with KILLLLLLING THAT SHIT