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Effectiveness of training depending on rest between sets

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2016-10-24

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This article will discuss the dependence of training effect direction on the duration of rest between sets. It is perhaps one of the most significant factors, as the duration of rest affects the overall intensity of the workout and average heart rate.

In the table, effectiveness is indicated in percentage terms, and therefore the total sum = 100%. Naturally, this does not fully reflect the real state of affairs but helps to understand how effectiveness changes in one direction or another.

Rest time (min.)	Strength	Mass	Fat burning
More 5	90%	10%
4 - 5	80%	20%
3.5 - 4	70%	30%
3 - 3.5	60%	40%
2.5 - 3	50%	50%
2 - 2.5	40%	50%	10%
1.5 - 2	25%	40%	35%
1 - 1.5	10%	30%	60%
0.5 - 1		20%	80%
Less than 0.5			100%

From the table, it can be seen that:

Maximum effect for strength – rest of more than 3 minutes.
Maximum effect for fat burning – rest of less than 1.5 minutes.
Maximum effect for muscle mass – rest of 2-3 minutes.

There is a small clarification. If you are training with supersets, you may add half a minute to the time in the table, as the rest between supersets under equal conditions may be longer than if you are training separately.

Overall table of maximum effectiveness for repetitions + weight + rest time:

Effect	Repetitions	Weight (100% = weight for 10 repetitions)	Rest (min)
Strength	1 - 6	110% +	3 +
Mass	7 - 12	90% - 105%	2-3
Fat Burning	16 +	Less than 80%	Less than 1.5