{"id":22088,"date":"2016-10-28T15:11:40","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T15:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/turnaroundfitness.com\/?p=22088"},"modified":"2016-11-02T16:43:44","modified_gmt":"2016-11-02T16:43:44","slug":"short-rest-periods-debunked-for-optimal-muscle-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turnaroundfitness.com\/short-rest-periods-debunked-for-optimal-muscle-size\/","title":{"rendered":"Short Rest Periods Debunked For Optimal Muscle Size"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the optimal rest period between sets to grow muscle faster?\u00a0 Two studies debunk the myth of shorter rest periods between sets as being optimal.<\/h2>\n

Most training programs are designed around the belief that in order to build strength and muscle size largely depends on load, progression, time under tension, nutrition and rest periods.<\/p>\n

It’s common knowledge in fitness communities across the world that to build strength you need longer rest periods (3-5 minutes) and to build muscle size you need shorter rest periods (30-90 sec).<\/p>\n

While these rest periods have their place in various training programs, short rest periods are not as necessary as one might think in order to grow muscle size.<\/p>\n

Does Shorter Rest Periods Produce Two of\u00a0 The Three Mechanisms to Muscle Growth i.e. Metabolic Stress and Muscle Damage?<\/p>\n

The 3 Mechanisms To Muscle Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"rest<\/a><\/p>\n

Recent research has discovered that there are 3 primary mechanisms<\/a> to muscle growth:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Mechanical Tension (Lifting heavy using progressive overload)<\/li>\n
  2. Metabolic Stress (Creating micro-tears in the muscle fibers which has to repair)<\/li>\n
  3. Muscle Damage (Reaching the lactic threshold for releasing testosterone)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Out of the 3, mechanical tension is the most important one by using progressive overload.<\/p>\n

    Progressive overload over time produces strength by using heavier weights each time you hit the gym.<\/p>\n

    Shorter rest periods do create metabolic stress and muscle damage, but if that comes at the expense of making slower strength gains you are actually not training optimally.<\/p>\n

    You are compromising the primary driver of growth, strength.<\/p>\n

    Eric Helm states, “It is well established that using very short rest intervals can reduce the\u00a0number of repetitions that can be performed on subsequent sets. Thus, if you\u00a0restrict rest periods for the purpose of increasing metabolic fatigue to the point where\u00a0you perform less total repetitions, or have to use lighter loads on subsequent sets,\u00a0you are essentially \u201cthrowing the baby out with the bathwater\u201d. Meaning, you have\u00a0sacrificed total volume for metabolic fatigue.”<\/em><\/p>\n

    As you can see, it’s not really worth sacrificing overall strength to create metabolic stress and muscle damage.<\/p>\n

    How Do You Create Metabolic Stress and Muscle Damage WITHOUT Short Rest Periods?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \"rest<\/a><\/p>\n

    To answer that question, we first need to understand that there is no correlation to the amount of weight you lift in order to produce muscle size.<\/p>\n

    Both metabolic stress and muscle damage are produced when using the right amount of “time under tension”<\/p>\n

    Muscles do not know how much weight you are lifting, it only responds to tension and stress.<\/p>\n

    Creating the right amount of tension requires that you reach the lactic threshold responsible for producing the male hormone testosterone.<\/p>\n

    You’ll know when you reach the lactic threshold when you are unable to perform any more reps in that set.\u00a0 This is commonly called, “Training to Failure.”<\/p>\n

    The point?<\/p>\n

    Creating metabolic stress and muscle damage has nothing to do with rest periods, but everything to do with how you perform the set<\/strong>:<\/p>\n