Pauses long between exercises in the gym? Great thing for muscles: according to a new study published in Journal of Sports Sciences Those who take it easy between sets of weight-bearing exercises may actually maximize muscle gains. Like repetitions and loads, recovery times can also help us reach fitness goals more quickly. But how exactly does it work? And, above all, how long do you have to wait between one series and another?
long recoveries in the gym
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A group of researchers analyzed 23 volunteers, including 15 men and 8 women, dividing them into three groups. Each group was asked to rest for 1, 3, or 5 minutes between a few sets of chest exercises on a flat bench. The experiment was divided into 6 training sessions, each consisting of four sets performed at 75% of the participants’ maximum lifting capacity. To evaluate proximity to failure muscle, the researchers monitored how quickly they lifted the barbell. The results showed that longer rest periods provided better strength training performance than shorter rest periods. AND breaks of up to 5 minutes between sets of bench press exercises provided better results than rest periods of one to three minutes. Although, in case of lighter weights, a 3 minute rest is sufficient.
I study
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“Our study suggests that for maintain mechanical performance of the bench press, rest periods between sets of 5 minutes are necessary when sets are finished close to muscle failure, while 3 minutes may be sufficient when sets are finished further from failure,” admit the study authors.
the usefulness of recovery
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The reason longer rest periods are advantageous when it comes to lifting heavy loads is that the human body relies on different energy resources for activity sessions with variable durations. Muscles and the central nervous system take longer to recover from lifting heavy loadscompared to endurance-focused sets with lighter weights.
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These findings indicate that different rest periods support different goals such as endurance, hypertrophy, strength, and power. That’s why, according to researchers, we should learn to adapt recovery times between sets based on training goals. Longer breaks appear to aid in the development of strength and muscle mass, especially when lifting heavy loads. Conversely, shorter rest periods may be indicated for improving endurance. But, as always, it is essential to listen to your body: if it asks for a longer break in the gym it is a good idea to give it to you.
