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Bodytalk
Question: How long should I rest between sets when lifting weights? Rest plays
important part in
weight workoutsHow long do I need to rest before training the same muscle group again?
Answer: Both depend on a number of things.
Rest is an important component in a well-planned strength training program.
The short rests that you take between sets during a workout and the time you take off between workouts give the body a chance to recover.
Let's address the rest, between sets first.
There is no pat answer
It depends on:
Basically a person should rest only long enough between sets so that they're able to complete the next set without stopping.the muscle group you're working;
Larger muscle groups need more rest time.
If, for example, you are doing heavy squats (which work the large muscles in the buttocks and legs) you will need a longer recovery time between sets than if you are doing biceps curls (which primarily work one muscle in the arm).
If a beginning weightlifter is doing a leg press, he or she will need a longer rest than someone who is fully trained at doing leg presses.
Conditioned muscles recover much faster than unconditioned ones.
However, if an individual is lifting 50 pounds they will need a little longer recovery time than a person lifting 15 pounds.
This reasoning still applies even when you take into account the individual's strength factor.
I recommend that when you're working the leg muscles, you walk around between sets and not sit down.
This allows the blood to keep circulating and not pool in the lower extremities.
Now let's look at how long a person needs to rest between weightlifting workouts.
I recommend taking a 48-hour rest before training the same muscle group again.
To reap the benefits of weight training a person needs to stimulate the muscle, deplete the muscle, then rest the muscle.
Rest is an important component in a well-planned strength training program.
Time off gives the body a chance to recover from the workout.
Without this recovery time, the muscles and other related tissues won't have an opportunity to remodel and rebuild themselves.
To understand the need for rest, let's look at some of the physiological adaptations that occur during the recovery phase of a strength training routine.
After a strenuous workout, microscopic contusions (ruptures) actually take place within the muscle belly.
With proper rest, the muscles' physical response is to increase the size and number of contractile proteins within the muscle fiber.
As a result, the muscle's fiber size and strength both increase.
Without adequate rest, the muscle won't heal and the potential for injury increases.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.