I’ve been told that my 35-minute workouts need to be longer because my rest between sets need to be more than a minute if I want the best growth effects.
I caved and recently tried it. But my results were not any better—in fact, I felt as though I was regressing. Could it be that my body type and musculature are just more responsive to 20-second-rest “density” training?
It’s a method I learned from Vince Gironda, who trained the first Mr. Olympia Larry Scott as well as many movie stars back in the day, like Clint Eastwood and Clint Walker (not true that Larry thought about changing his name to Clint Scott).
Vince always told me—actually, he insisted with profanity—that condensing a workout with 20-second rests between sets was one of the best—and fastest ways—to grow. Unfortunately, most of the past studies only compared 1-minute, 2-minute and 3-minute rests. What about 20 seconds, the density-for-immensity standard used by the Iron Guru?
Thankfully, a recent study looked at that method: “Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared to traditional sets in resistance-trained males.” (Enes, et al. 2021)
Notice that these were experienced lifters, not beginners. Also, each group’s training volume was equal—same number of sets—all sets to volitional failure. The groups were…
1) Traditional training, which took significantly longer due to at least 1 1/2-minute rests between sets.
2) Drop sets, reducing the weight by 20 percent at failure and continuing for the designated number of sets—only a few seconds of rest to reduce the weight.
3) Rest-pause (my way), using rests of 20 seconds between sets.
Results: After eight weeks, the hypertrophy gains were the same in each group—although it’s worth noting, especially by me, that the 20-second rest-pause group got a slightly superior growth result. In other words, it was the winner—but not by much.
Sometimes you have folks hammering you to do this instead of what you’re doing. Then a study will come out confirming your method. That’s when you can channel Vince and whisper, “Please STFU now.”
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Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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Learn From The Master Trainer
Vince Gironda was the Iron Guru, a bodybuilding legend ahead of his time. His most famous pupil in the bodybuilding world was the very first Mr. Olympia Larry Scott, and he also trained many Hollywood stars back in the day, like Clint Eastwood, and even Arnold consulted with him and was a fan (even though Vince told Arnold that he was a “fat f**k” when he first arrived in the U.S.).
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