While there is some overlap between the two, they are not identical.īuilding pure strength is accomplished by multiple sets of low reps (3-5 reps per set), very heavy weight (85-95% of 1-RM), and long rest periods. To make the most of each set, your muscles need to be stressed hard, then allowed to rest so that they recover enough energy (ATP) so that they can do another really hard set.īuilding muscle and strength are often viewed as one-in-the-same. Your focus is on stressing and fatiguing your muscles, not seeing how quickly you can complete your workout. When you’re training for muscle growth (hypertrophy), you want your muscles to be the limiting factor, not your cardiovascular system. squats, rows, etc.) require more rest than simple, single-joint exercises (e.g. More complex, multi-joint exercises that recruit large amounts of muscle (e.g. If you want to build lean muscle, the current recommendations are to rest 1.5-3 minutes between sets. The goal you are pursuing as well as your current level of fitness will dictate how long you should rest between sets. They can provide enormous output (power), but don’t have the longevity of fat.Īre you looking to build muscle? Gain strength? Improve conditioning? Think of fat as your “slow burning fuel.” It can power you for long periods of time doing moderately-low intensity work.Ĭarbohydrates are the high-octane fuel. However, the more intense your activity, the greater percentage of carbohydrates (glycogen) are used to fuel muscle contractions, since carbohydrates are more quickly broken down and converted to ATP than fatty acids.ĭuring low level activity (steady-state cardio), a greater percentage of ATP is generated from the breakdown of fatty acids than glycogen. To replenish ATP levels and continue to power you through your workouts, the body will turn to either glycogen or body fat.ĭepending on which type of activity you’re performing (resistance training vs steady-state cardio) will determine which energy reserve is more heavily taxed.ĭuring exercise, both glycogen and fatty acids are mobilized for energy production (it’s not an either/or proposition, it’s BOTH). Supplementing with creatine can help increase how much fast-acting ATP you have on hand, and thus extend the time you can train at a high level before needing a rest (or exhibiting a drop-off in performance), but you’ll still have to take a break at some point. The issue is that muscles exhaust ATP reserves pretty quickly (especially if you’re doing intense exercise). Whether that’s folding laundry or attempting a new deadlift PR. In the moment, the body utilizes the ATP it has on hand to perform whatever actions are needed. It has a certain amount of energy reserves, in the form of: It goes and goes…until it starts to get too low at which point you need to plug it in and recharge it. You see, the body can only produce so much work before it needs to recharge. This applies to not only your rest between sets, but also your rest between workouts. Rest is your body recovering, regaining energy, so that you can continue to get after it. Part of this is driven by social media and advertising, but the concept of continually pushing ourselves to the brink is also something steeped in the very roots of bodybuilding.Īnd, while there is something to be said for working hard in the gym and pushing beyond your comfort zone (especially since most people who go to the gym aren’t working nearly hard enough to ignite the change they want), it can also be beneficial to “tap the brakes” and pull back from time to time.Īs crazy as that may sound, the properly timed rest day or deload week, or even waiting just a few more seconds between your next set, can do wonders to help you push harder and ultimately take your fitness and results to the next level! We’ve been conditioned to believe that in order to get results from our fitness regimen, we have to constantly do more - more weight, more reps, more workouts, etc.
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