Timing Your Rest Intervals
When we rest properly between sets, it gives our nervous system enough time to recover from stressful activity.
Sometimes it seems that rest times aren’t taken as seriously as they should, since you rarely see anyone in the gym timing their workouts on their smartphones or fitness watches.
People may not time rest intervals because they think it doesn’t mean much in the long run, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Rest times count when it comes to both fat loss and muscle gain, which should be greatly considered if you want to get leaner or get through your workouts much faster.
Importance of Rest in Between Sets
When we tax our bodies with strenuous exercise, we need to allow our nervous system enough time to recuperate. The time required depends on the type of exercise being performed and the intensity of the exercise.
For example, when lifting a weight that 90-95% of your max 1 RM, it takes a longer time to recover than working at an intensity level of 70-75%.
It also depends on the type of movement being done, as compound exercises like bench press and squats recruit more muscle fibers than isolation movements.
If your goal was to burn more fat, you want to use shorter rest times between all of your sets. The reason why is because of the hormonal response that comes from shorter rest times.
When you rest from 30-60 seconds between sets you elicit a higher release of growth hormone, which speeds up the body’s metabolic processes and promotes muscle preservation and growth.
That’s why exercises like circuit training work so well, as going from exercise to exercise with little to no rest increases your heart rate. The release of growth hormone is just another benefit that helps with fat burning in the body.
This is why it’s crazy to see people not take advantage of timing any of their rest times, you’re at a great disadvantage when you don’t use short recovery times to increase fat burn.
The Wrap Up
Rest times can greatly improve the rate that you burn fat without taking additional supplements or making harsh restrictions in your diet. You should be checking your wristwatch or the wall clock to time your rest periods between sets. This will ensure that your heart rate is constantly high and that you don’t waste any unnecessary minutes in the gym.