Rest periods; how long is too long?

Although it is widely accepted that weightlifters should rest 3-5minutes between maximal effort sets, in practice many of us would then require two plus hours in the gym for every training session and often that just isn't realistic. It’s a very well researched area and there are good reasons for that suggested time frame, not least the replacing of energy substrates in the muscles we need to work optimally.

Going beyond energy production, we also need to allow time for the central nervous system to recover. Chemical signalling pathways from the brain actually take longer than the muscles themselves to get back to being able to reproduce the same level of output. This effects not just power production but also coordination - as you’ll know if you’ve attempted a set of 5 snatches…

If it’s suggested that we rest 3-5 minutes to perform at our best, how come we only get 2 minutes between attempts in competition (assuming you followed yourself)? I actually don’t know the reasoning behind this. I assume it’s simply a matter of time management for the competition to run smoothly and to prevent long periods where spectators could be getting bored. If anyone knows the answer please let me know!

Should you rest for complete recovery?

One decision that will influence rest periods in your training is deciding what you are trying to prioritise.

Study’s looking at the performance of single cleans showed a marked improvement when resting 3 minutes between sets as opposed to just 2 (Ammar et al, 2020). This suggests that if your aim is to maximise power output, speed and technique on the classic lifts then you are better off resting 3 minutes rather than any less. I don’t think a study focusing solely on the snatch has yet been published but I’d hazard a guess the results would be similar. On the jerk, the same researchers found again that 3 minutes rest between maximal efforts maintained speed and power measures much better than 2 minutes rest.

The important thing to note is that not all training is maximal effort. So do we need 3 minutes rest between all sets at all times? Probably not. Other research has shown that self-selected rest periods of approximately 2 minutes maintained performance in higher rep sets such as accessory lifts for the upper body and more general hypertrophy work (De Salles et al, 2016). Even in strength work like performing 5 x 5RM back squats using self-selected rest periods was shown to be just as good as timing the rest periods strictly for experienced lifters (Ibbott et al, 2019)*.

(*Although the rest periods got longer as sets went on and fatigue increased. The exact duration of rest was not stated in the abstract and I haven’t been able to access a full text but my suspicion would be they moved from the 2-3min area to the 3-4min end of the scale)

Practical application

In practice, it’s almost instinctive that for maximal effort sets and the higher loads such as 1-3RM should warrant longer rest periods between sets. For practical reasons I personally never go beyond 4 minutes simply because it takes too long to get enough work done.

For easier sets, warm ups and accessory work I often use 90-120 seconds as a rough guide but also make a judgement call on how I feel or how the lifter I’m coaching moves. Too often people I’ve coached head back to the bar too soon and don’t perform as well as they could have done with just another 30-60sec recovery.

I use a ‘GYM BOSS’ timer for myself and my lifters which makes it really easy to stay strict on whatever rest periods you decide upon. Rest periods are an important variable in your training and need to be at least considered. Prior to lifting I did mostly boxing so everything was timed in strict 2 or 3 minute rounds. Always a minute between. I got very good at ‘eye balling’ a minute, 2 minutes and even 3 minutes just through repetition. Experience is key to self-selecting rest periods and I wouldn’t advise beginners to do it.

There are lifters who like to (or at least choose to) rest exactly 2 minutes between lifts because “thats what happens in a comp” but I believe it is a mistake to ALWAYS use this strategy. I do think that sometimes you need to improve conditioning so can reduce rest to achieve this, or you can put more mental pressure on to push a lifters fortitude, again just by taking some rest time away.

To only every train under incomplete recovery however would be to do a disservice to yourself. Research shows this very clearly - the things that make for good lifts need time to recover between efforts.

Ammar, A., Riemann, B. L., Abdelkarim, O., Driss, T., & Hökelmann, A. (2020). Effect of 2-vs. 3-minute interrepetition rest period on maximal clean technique and performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(9), 2548-2556.

Comyns, T. M., Harrison, A. J., Hennessy, L. K., & Jensen, R. L. (2006). The optimal complex training rest interval for athletes from anaerobic sports.

De Salles, B. F., Polito, M. D., Goessler, K. F., Mannarino, P., Matta, T. T., & Simão, R. (2016). Effects of fixed vs. self-suggested rest between sets in upper and lower body exercises performance. European journal of sport science, 16(8), 927-931.

Ibbott, P., Ball, N., Welvaert, M., & Thompson, K. G. (2019). Variability and Impact of Self-Selected Interset Rest Periods During Experienced Strength Training. Perceptual and motor skills, 126(3), 546-558.