

Aerobic training for enduranceįor resistance training where your goal is to build muscular endurance, your work:rest ratio should be lower than for strength training, close to 1:1. So, for a 30-second sprint, you’ll want to rest for 1.5–4 minutes, depending on how much sprint work you’re doing and your workout goals.
#OPTIMAL REST TIME FOR HYPERTROPHY FULL#
Work:rest ratios for sprint training (short runs at full speed) should be similar, clocking in between 1:3 and 1:8. Longer rest periods closer to 5 minutes are appropriate when lifting high percentages of your 1-rep max. For example, if it takes you 20 seconds to perform a set of 8 reps, you’ll want to rest for somewhere between 60–180 seconds (1–3 minutes) before you begin your next set. Anaerobic training for strength or powerįor resistance training where your goal is to build muscular strength or power, aim for a work:rest ratio between 1:3 and 1:6. It’s typically higher for high-intensity or aerobic training for cardiovascular and muscular endurance, and lower for anaerobic training for strength and power. The ratio should vary based on the type of training you’re doing. So, if you’re doing 10-second sprints and resting for 60 seconds, your work:rest ratio is 1:6. Your work:rest ratio is the comparison between how much time you’re (working) lifting weights or doing high-intensity cardio to the amount of time spent resting.

But in the short term, adding rest into your rep-and-set scheme allows your body to recharge so you’re ready for your next set.

In the big picture, rest days are important because they allow your body to recover from the mild damage to your muscle fibers that normally happens during a workout. When you’re working out, the amount of weight and number of reps are all important, but one factor that’s often forgotten is rest.
