Just musing the importance of continuous, sequential reps. I know re-setting and taking three or four seconds between reps on (e.g.) squats is common practice and there is some intra rep recovery but does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Thoughts?
The pausing for three or four breaths, and then continuing for 3-5 raps and repeating the process two or three times is called myo reps.
I believe the idea is to get close to failure, but not quite and then extend the number of repetitions near failure. I use them quite a bit lately.
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Personally, I like to do my reps continuously until I can’t move the weight up anymore. I think of it like I’m trying to chase failure, not run away from it. I have to imagine there is some kind of increased fatigue aspect that comes with pausing for more reps. I’ve done it with programs that have Widowmaker squats for instance and you are just whacked afterwards. I like this type of training but I use it more sparingly throughout the year as the former is a bit more sustainable Day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong, doing reps nonstop until you can’t move it is difficult and it hurts, you’re not allowing that lactic acid or burn To dissipate at any point. In addition, you can be assured that doing continuous reps to failure that you’re likely getting all the muscle growth benefits a set can offer without as crazy of a fatigue cost.
This isn’t to be confused with a cluster set approach like a rest pause set or muscle round where you have an abbreviated rest period where you’re not holding the weight whatsoever between mini-sets
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What is the purpose of a repetition?
How long (d/sec) is the repetition?
What would be the reason for pausing between reps?
More details please?
An African or a European repetition?
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https://www.borgefagerli.com/myo-reps-in-english
Ignore the book offer, but there’s a good explanation for myoreps here.
It’s just another tool in the toolbox. Every few years it gets renamed with a variation
on the theme. I just keep it simple when I use it.
I think it helps with my form and concentration with heavy weight. I found that I don’t always have to do continuous reps. I can get results with rest pause. I feel stronger
and can progress better. I think in my case there is also a safety factor.
With rest pause I like to mix it in with my routine. The way I do it is to pause about ten seconds between reps with a weight that where I can barely get the last rep. If I hit failure that fine too. When I get seven reps I add weight the next time. Sometimes I rest a minute and do a second set. I might get three reps.
I use rest pause with deadlifts. I usually do a set of 20-25 reps. About 10 seconds between reps. Near the end of the set I will take longer. I stand up between reps. I can use a little more weight and focus more on my form
Sometimes I use it with negative only weight chins and overhead presses.
Another way I use rest pause is after I hit failure with continuous reps. I try for two rest pause reps. I usually get one rep and then a forced rep.
You need to experiment with it for yourself. Give it a month.
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Pausing between each rep will let a person induce more ‘time with tension’ before metabolic fatigue terminates the set. It’s a good thing. It’s the same as using multiple non failure sets. Continuous tension will induce metabolic fatigue much faster and the muscles will ‘fail’ so to speak, with less ‘tension-time’ which will be less stimulation.
note- pausing between each rep is not Myo reps, myo reps are Borge’s version of rest pause where failure is avoided. It starts with a normal continuous repetition set to build enough fatigue for high activation levels, then pauses between each following cluster of reps so all subsequent ‘mini sets’ are at high activation yet not pushing to super high fatigue levels at failure. I used to use this method back in the 90’s long before it was named Myo reps.
There is also a method called ‘clusters’ where a person just performs 3 or so reps, pauses, 3 more, pause, etc.
Dan Moore created a method called Max Stim which fits the OP’s description the most accurately where there is a pause after each rep to limit fatigue just enough that each each is a good hard effort but not a ‘do or die’ rep, this allows a LOT more tension-time in a single set.
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