Source
r/Fitness•
youngstud

Question about the science behind rest times.

my buddy says we only need 2 minutes (only a few seconds really)for rest times to fully replenish our energy stores.

i've read 3 minutes minimum is best. which is better and any scientific sources for this?

his reasoning: "our body goes through these sources in the following order

  1. Avail. ATP stores

  2. once thts depleted: Avail Creatine stores

  3. Once thts depleted avail: glycogen stores

  4. Once thts depleted: Aerobic respiration

Glycogen is never even used in weight training

depletion of glycogen occurs in order to replace depleted phosphocreatine as well as low blood glucose. it literally takes seconds for ur body to reaccumalate any lost phosphocreatine.

I just find 2 min to be enough to let ur body recover but its prooly more than necessary".

Posted Jun 1, 2012, 5:29 PM UTC · edited

04
thinklewisHiking•

rest time (along with set count, rep count, %weight of max) all depend on your goals... There are times when I take 5-7 minutes between sets of squats when I am aiming for 3-5 reps with heavy weights. For more of a hypertrophy workout (8-12 reps at a lower weight) , rest times will be shorter (maybe 90 seconds).

2
youngstudOP•

This is regarding maintaining muscle on a cut.

1
Bewildered_vagabond•

Your rest time depends on the exertion of the workout. If you are training in the aerobic system you will not be producing a lot of lactic acid and will need less rest for the workout or between sets. The more you start to lean towards the anaerobic system you need more rest in between sets.

If you are working on your "anaerobic capacity zone" then the workout should approaching 100% of maximum exertion. an example would be 4 X 400 Meter runs. If you are going at almost 100%. Let's says you do it in 1 min 30 sec. You will need somewhere near 3 times 1:30 to let your body rest for the upcoming sets. Hope this helps

1
GyroisabotDance•

wut

0