The Effect of Inter-Set Rest Intervals on Resistance Exercise-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy
- PDF / 210,709 Bytes
- 9 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 39 Downloads / 189 Views
REVIEW ARTICLE
The Effect of Inter-Set Rest Intervals on Resistance ExerciseInduced Muscle Hypertrophy Menno Henselmans • Brad J. Schoenfeld
Published online: 22 July 2014 Ó Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
Abstract Due to a scarcity of longitudinal trials directly measuring changes in muscle girth, previous recommendations for inter-set rest intervals in resistance training programs designed to stimulate muscular hypertrophy were primarily based on the post-exercise endocrinological response and other mechanisms theoretically related to muscle growth. New research regarding the effects of interset rest interval manipulation on resistance traininginduced muscular hypertrophy is reviewed here to evaluate current practices and provide directions for future research. Of the studies measuring long-term muscle hypertrophy in groups employing different rest intervals, none have found superior muscle growth in the shorter compared with the longer rest interval group and one study has found the opposite. Rest intervals less than 1 minute can result in acute increases in serum growth hormone levels and these rest intervals also decrease the serum testosterone to cortisol ratio. Long-term adaptations may abate the postexercise endocrinological response and the relationship between the transient change in hormonal production and chronic muscular hypertrophy is highly contentious and appears to be weak. The relationship between the rest interval-mediated effect on immune system response, muscle damage, metabolic stress, or energy production
M. Henselmans (&) Bayesian Bodybuilding, Lingsesdijk 46B, 4207 AE Gorinchem, The Netherlands e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] B. J. Schoenfeld Department of Health Science, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
capacity and muscle hypertrophy is still ambiguous and largely theoretical. In conclusion, the literature does not support the hypothesis that training for muscle hypertrophy requires shorter rest intervals than training for strength development or that predetermined rest intervals are preferable to auto-regulated rest periods in this regard.
1 Introduction Several review articles have established that multiple sets of resistance exercise result in greater strength development and muscular hypertrophy than a single set [1–4] and that these adaptations are considerably affected by the rest interval between sets, with different rest intervals producing different results for different training goals [4– 7]. Correspondingly, rest interval prescriptions commonly vary per training goal [4–6]. To maximize muscle hypertrophy, many authors have proposed that rest intervals of 30–60 s are optimal because they result in the greatest exercise-induced elevations in ostensibly anabolic hormones, notably growth hormone [5, 6]. The American College of Sports Medicine currently recommends 1–2 min rest intervals for training programs designed to stimulate muscular hypertrophy in novice and intermediate trainees with longer rest periods of
Data Loading...
