HEAVY RESISTANCE TRAINING REST INTERVALS SHOULD RANGE BETWEEN 3-6 MINUTES

Sjuts, S. L., Krosch, B. A., Todd, J. B., & Conley, D. S. (2001). Traditional and preferred rest intervals result in optimal performance at ninety percent on repetition maximum. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(5), Supplement abstract 1828.

This study evaluated the effects of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and preferred-minutes rest intervals on 3 sets of 90% 1-RM bench press performance. Males (N = 20) with some weight training experience, completed three sets of the resistance exercise to exhaustion twice per week with a minimum of 48 hours between each testing. Rest intervals were followed in randomized order.

It was found that traditional rest intervals ranging from 3-5 minutes and personal preference intervals ranging from 3-6 minutes resulted in optimal performance.

Implication. Rest intervals in very heavy resistance training should range between 3-6 minutes. Personal preference for the interval will facilitate optimal adaptation.

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