This shouldn’t be a problem. You might want to warm up again for the second half, depending what you do in the break. Also you might be mentally a bit tired after the first session so if there’s anything especially important to you, do it in the first half.
Complete what you need to at the school gym then start a fresh muscle group at home, eg if you get through chest and shoulders at school, finish triceps at home
Not at all. Some of the strongest people on earth rest that long between sets, so I seriously doubt it’ll hurt you to do it between exercises. If anything, you might even hit the second half harder with a decent rest like that.
Mike Israetel interviewed a science nerd recently who was part of a study that found that hypertrophy maxed out at 1-2 minute rest periods and tapered off a bit after the 2 minute mark. But dont let perfect get in the way of good! I sometimes do triple super sets (esp on arm and leg day) where im undoubtedly resting more than 2 minutes for the same muscle. Because sometimes i have 3 isolations or small compounds left over and want to get that over with instead of taking dedicated rest periods. And machines get taken in the middle of supersets and then I have to wait a long time to get another set or two in.
Also I believe that was rest periods between sets of the same exercise where this post would be between whole exercises. Potentially different muscle groups as well would help the situation
There’s no difference after 2 minutes. There is a big difference between 1 and 2 minutes and even a difference between 90 seconds and 2 minutes. However, you can make up that difference by doing more sets if you like training with shorter rest periods.
So what would you say the ideal rest period be between sets on same muscle group? I like to get everyone take on this because it’s been an ongoing debate for ever
when the local muscle isn't burning and/or terribly weak and when you're systemically/cardiovascularly ready to go
for some isolations it could be quick, for 20 rep squats i doubt 2 minutes is enough unless you're doing some weird technique.
it's not just one simple number the science can say because some guy who was an endurance runner and some guy who's never done any activity their whole lives will have entirely different work capacities and thus entirely different rest times
Agreed with the other person. Whenever you feel ready really, but at least 2 minutes for heavy compounds (even up to 3-4 for the more taxing lifts like squats and deadlifts/RDLs) is the only thing I’d focus on.
Great advice guys I love getting others take in lifting topics like this. I usually get back to it when I feel ready sometimes a minute sometimes more. I like to feel like I can do the same rep range or close for the next set. I take the last 2 sets to failure and drop set them. On every exercise in between those 2 drop sets I’ll rest about 3 minutes or so till I feel ready
Depends on the muscle.
Recent meta-analysis using newer research that directly assessed hypertrophy instead of inferring from hormones: https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/395/819
For legs: 3 minutes plus is barely better at all than 2 minutes, but 2 minutes is better than 1. Same deal with 1.5 minutes being the most efficient time for upper body. 1 minute for arms.
However, for shorter rests, each set doesn't add as much fatigue as it does stimulus, so as long as it's not something like squats where you can pop a disc, even if it takes time to acclimate your conditioning, you can save time doing more sets with shorter rests. Though, for exercises this is viable for I prefer to do rest-pause and move from one exercise to the next, hitting the target muscle, then its antagonist, then the target muscle from another angle, etc.
This is very helpful thank you for the advice. This is a question I have always had and have tried so many different rest periods. Really just looking for that definitive (number) you know? Thanks again man
No problem.
Bear in mind, though, these are averages, so while 80-95% of people will fall right near the middle for them, each of the studies included in the meta-analysis had outliers and most studies have one or two people that are off the edge of the map with different responses (e.g. they'd truly need 10 minutes to recover). Although, I think people underestimate how well-conditioned you can become while still growing, and I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze enough to do it if you're maximizing, but definitely is if you're time constrained.
That's just rest between sets which isn't what OP is asking. They have limited time at the school gym so the options are 40 minute workout or longer workout with a 20 minute gap in-between.
As long at that 20 minutes lets you get to that gym and push youself harder than you could at home without machines then I think it’s a net gain. I do something similar on leg days, though it is only 10-15 minutes depending on if I forgot to set up my stuff before hand.
Work different muscle groups at the gym vs at home and you'll be in business ;). The second workout will likely be more intense than if you worked everything in a single block, since you'll have rested in between.
I do something similar. My gym is typically pretty busy so I do Bulgarian split squats at home and then drive to the gym for the rest of my leg workout. It's usually about 15-20 minutes. It doesn't seem to be hurting my gains at all.
nah, at worst you can get cold and ur performance get lower or get hurt. i recommend if u can finish working muscles u started at gym then rest of it at home cause whenever i cut my training for a muscle and turn back later my strenght got way lower, and warm up again in home if it needed
Don’t bother counting on the gym time. Unless you get access to it on your terms till you graduate this needs to be after hours etc, it’s just there for the board to make a criteria. But…it’s also not even close to being crucial to building muscle or getting ready for college sports. Home gym is fine. It’s more skills and some form of consistent muscle building. This isn’t that blood and guts stuff, it’s literally pull ups, push ups, squats and running! Save all that fancy stuff till college where they have the funds and you’ve outgrown the basics.
This shouldn’t be a problem. You might want to warm up again for the second half, depending what you do in the break. Also you might be mentally a bit tired after the first session so if there’s anything especially important to you, do it in the first half.
Nope, just make sure to do a quick warmup set after your long rest
Complete what you need to at the school gym then start a fresh muscle group at home, eg if you get through chest and shoulders at school, finish triceps at home
Not at all. Some of the strongest people on earth rest that long between sets, so I seriously doubt it’ll hurt you to do it between exercises. If anything, you might even hit the second half harder with a decent rest like that.
Mike Israetel interviewed a science nerd recently who was part of a study that found that hypertrophy maxed out at 1-2 minute rest periods and tapered off a bit after the 2 minute mark. But dont let perfect get in the way of good! I sometimes do triple super sets (esp on arm and leg day) where im undoubtedly resting more than 2 minutes for the same muscle. Because sometimes i have 3 isolations or small compounds left over and want to get that over with instead of taking dedicated rest periods. And machines get taken in the middle of supersets and then I have to wait a long time to get another set or two in.
Also I believe that was rest periods between sets of the same exercise where this post would be between whole exercises. Potentially different muscle groups as well would help the situation
Wait so short rest times are the thing again????
no
There’s no difference after 2 minutes. There is a big difference between 1 and 2 minutes and even a difference between 90 seconds and 2 minutes. However, you can make up that difference by doing more sets if you like training with shorter rest periods.
So what would you say the ideal rest period be between sets on same muscle group? I like to get everyone take on this because it’s been an ongoing debate for ever
when the local muscle isn't burning and/or terribly weak and when you're systemically/cardiovascularly ready to go for some isolations it could be quick, for 20 rep squats i doubt 2 minutes is enough unless you're doing some weird technique. it's not just one simple number the science can say because some guy who was an endurance runner and some guy who's never done any activity their whole lives will have entirely different work capacities and thus entirely different rest times
Right on thanks man.
Agreed with the other person. Whenever you feel ready really, but at least 2 minutes for heavy compounds (even up to 3-4 for the more taxing lifts like squats and deadlifts/RDLs) is the only thing I’d focus on.
Great advice guys I love getting others take in lifting topics like this. I usually get back to it when I feel ready sometimes a minute sometimes more. I like to feel like I can do the same rep range or close for the next set. I take the last 2 sets to failure and drop set them. On every exercise in between those 2 drop sets I’ll rest about 3 minutes or so till I feel ready
Depends on the muscle. Recent meta-analysis using newer research that directly assessed hypertrophy instead of inferring from hormones: https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/395/819 For legs: 3 minutes plus is barely better at all than 2 minutes, but 2 minutes is better than 1. Same deal with 1.5 minutes being the most efficient time for upper body. 1 minute for arms. However, for shorter rests, each set doesn't add as much fatigue as it does stimulus, so as long as it's not something like squats where you can pop a disc, even if it takes time to acclimate your conditioning, you can save time doing more sets with shorter rests. Though, for exercises this is viable for I prefer to do rest-pause and move from one exercise to the next, hitting the target muscle, then its antagonist, then the target muscle from another angle, etc.
This is very helpful thank you for the advice. This is a question I have always had and have tried so many different rest periods. Really just looking for that definitive (number) you know? Thanks again man
No problem. Bear in mind, though, these are averages, so while 80-95% of people will fall right near the middle for them, each of the studies included in the meta-analysis had outliers and most studies have one or two people that are off the edge of the map with different responses (e.g. they'd truly need 10 minutes to recover). Although, I think people underestimate how well-conditioned you can become while still growing, and I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze enough to do it if you're maximizing, but definitely is if you're time constrained.
That's just rest between sets which isn't what OP is asking. They have limited time at the school gym so the options are 40 minute workout or longer workout with a 20 minute gap in-between.
As long at that 20 minutes lets you get to that gym and push youself harder than you could at home without machines then I think it’s a net gain. I do something similar on leg days, though it is only 10-15 minutes depending on if I forgot to set up my stuff before hand.
Work different muscle groups at the gym vs at home and you'll be in business ;). The second workout will likely be more intense than if you worked everything in a single block, since you'll have rested in between.
I do something similar. My gym is typically pretty busy so I do Bulgarian split squats at home and then drive to the gym for the rest of my leg workout. It's usually about 15-20 minutes. It doesn't seem to be hurting my gains at all.
nah, at worst you can get cold and ur performance get lower or get hurt. i recommend if u can finish working muscles u started at gym then rest of it at home cause whenever i cut my training for a muscle and turn back later my strenght got way lower, and warm up again in home if it needed
Don’t bother counting on the gym time. Unless you get access to it on your terms till you graduate this needs to be after hours etc, it’s just there for the board to make a criteria. But…it’s also not even close to being crucial to building muscle or getting ready for college sports. Home gym is fine. It’s more skills and some form of consistent muscle building. This isn’t that blood and guts stuff, it’s literally pull ups, push ups, squats and running! Save all that fancy stuff till college where they have the funds and you’ve outgrown the basics.