How to Design a Resistance Training Program
Part 5: Rest Periods
This is PART 5 of a 5-Part series on acute program variables for designing a resistance training program. The first step before undertaking any training program is to have a clearly defined goal. That will determine how you manipulate each of these variables, which are necessary to create a change in the physiological responses and subsequent adaptations to resistance training.
Acute Program Variables:
Exercise Selection ———- Order of Exercise ———- Intensity ———- Volume ———- Rest Periods
Rest Periods
Rest periods can have a profound influence on adaptations to resistance exercise.
As always, your goals should dictate how you program rest periods into your resistance training program.
For example, between sets of resistance exercise:
Short rest periods (e.g., <2 minutes) produce a greater growth hormone response, which is ideal for increasing muscle size.
This is why bodybuilders, who are training to add muscle, will keep their rest periods short when lifting — to capitalize on the greater hormonal response.
However, short rest periods will also reduce or impair performance on subsequent sets, as you’ll learn below.
To increase muscle strength you should utilize longer rest periods (e.g., >3 minutes).
Otherwise, over time, your strength gains will actually diminish.
“Well, why is that?“
Muscle physiology made simple:
The almighty molecule, ATP (adenosine triphosphate), is the main energy source for muscle activation. It’s colleague, PC (phospho-creatine), is also stored in the muscle and is available for energy use too. When rested, your ATP-PC gas tank is full.
While both ATP and PC are stored within muscle tissue, they are in limited supply and thus are depleted quickly. (Like the toilet paper people hoarded at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic).
An all-out bout of exercise will deplete ATP and PC stores within 30 seconds.
Try it out for yourself: Jump on a treadmill or stationary bike. Sprint as hard and as fast as you can. See how long you can maintain top speed before having to slow down. (If you can go much longer than 30 seconds, you aren’t likely at max effort)
Similarly, performing a resistance exercise, like deadlifts or the bench press, at or near a 1-repetition maximum (i.e., 1-RM) will drain much of the ATP and PC stored locally within the activated muscle. To attempt another repetition would be futile, as your metaphorical gas tank is now at or near empty.
Once drained, it takes 3 to 4 minutes for the majority of the depleted ATP and PC stores to replenish.
That’s why, if strength gains are the goal, several minutes of rest must be allowed before attempting another equally heavy set with resistance. Otherwise, the energy will not be readily available, and you will either be unable to complete the maximal effort attempt (if performing a 1-RM) or the desired number of reps to be completed will be reduced.
Similarly, if increasing muscle size is the goal, be aware that in keeping rest periods under 2 minutes, as prescribed, your ATP-PC stores will only be partially replenished prior to each set, so the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise will continue to drop with subsequent sets.
“OK, so how do I incorporate this into my training program?”
.
Put Into Practice: Goal = Muscle Size
Exercise: Bench Press (4 Sets of 10 reps with 185 lbs)
Set 1: 10 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
Set 2: 9 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
Set 3: 7 repetitions
Rest 2 minutes
Set 4: 6 Repetitions
Put Into Practice: Goal = Muscle Strength
Exercise: Bench Press (4 Sets of 5 reps with 225 lbs)
Set 1: 5 repetitions
Rest 3-4 minutes
Set 2: 5 repetitions
Rest 3-4 minutes
Set 3: 5 repetitions
Rest 3 -4 minutes
Set 4: 5 Repetitions
There are a multitude of other ways to manipulate rest periods during resistance training sessions that are beyond the scope of this article: Drop Sets….Rest-Pause sets….Giant Sets….Supersets….Tri-sets.
For more on these and other great ways to spice up your training, check out Training Tips & Tricks and Sunday Sessions pages.
