Hi Coach CT,
I have read/heard a lot of info lately regarding the benefits of 3 minutes rest intervals, and I have incorporated such into my training. My question is whether this also applies to HF forearm exercises such as the ones in your recent Look of Power: Build Big Forearms, or if forearms can be successfully trained with shorter rest periods.
Thanks again for all your help!
I don’t totally buy the 3 minutes recommendation. My experience with training athletes has thought me that one can adapt to shorter rest periods, especially on less demanding exercises.
YES studies tend to show that longer rest periods work better. But these studies are more often than not using untrained or low-level subjects with much poorer conditioning and tolerance for physical work. And they are of a relatively short duration (typically 6-8 weeks).
I’ve had success using gradual rest periods decrease for specific cases. For example, with a pro football player to mimick the demands of a game with 45 seconds between plays.
The guy was super strong, with a 500lbs bench press max. In the “specific/precompetitive” phase of training we included density work with 45-60 seconds of rest specifically to train his capacity to maintain a higher level of force capacity during a football drive with 45 sec. between plays.
At first, we’d do 5 sets of 5 with 60 seconds of rest. Initially, we would have to significantly drop the weights from set to set (something like 425 - 385 - 365 - 335 - 315) after 5 weeks of this he was doing all of his sets with 425 with 45 sec of rest.
I’ve also had Crossfit athletes beat their snatch or clean & jerk PR right after a 400m run (with minimal rest).
My theory is this:
Central fatigue (the main cause of performance decrease from short rest periods) is caused in large part by afferent signals sent to the nervous system. These signals are mostly about what is going on during the set. Pain, discomfort (including the one from lactate/hydrogen ions), the feeling or effort being the main ones what will increase central fatigue.
If you train in that “pain zone” voluntarily, you will eventually build a tolerance to it.
Improved tolerance is NOT that the factors leading to pain, discomfort or feeling of effort decrease, they do not, but your body doesn’t perceive them as being as intense and as such, you reduce central fatigue.
What does that have to do with your question? It doesn’t directly answers it but it’s to show that 3 minutes of rest is not the be-all end-all of rest periods.
If you can maintain the same performance level for set to set with 60 seconds of rest, then there is no ill effect, quite the contrary to short rest periods.
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Thank you very much for your detailed reply. As well as addressing my question about forearms, you expanded on a subject that I have been contemplating since I read about and switched to longer rest periods. I am so grateful and cannot say enough for all the time and effort you spend helping me and others looking for guidance and assistance!
Gratefully Appreciated
I didn’t switch to longer rest periods.
My rest periods are dependant on the type of training I’m doing. When my goal is progressive overload using big free-weight movements, yes, I rest longer (at least on demanding exercises). But right now I’m using a volume approach with more machines and pulley exercises and my rest periods are shorter.
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