Rest-Pause training is often used for bodybuilding, but it can also be used to help you gain strength. However, the exact way in which you apply rest-pause training will vary to some degree depending on whether your main emphasis is on building muscle, or on building strength.
The basic procedure for rest-pause training is for a lifter to perform a full set of reps which will most commonly be somewhere between six to twelve reps. The lifter then takes a rest or a pause by setting the weight down for ten to twenty seconds. After this short rest, he begins doing the same exercise again although he won’t be able to do as many reps as he did for the first set because no one can recover back to full strength after only ten to twenty seconds of rest between sets. After the second set, he will rest-pause for another ten to twenty seconds and do another set. Some lifters will stop after their second rest-pause set, and some will do up to four rest-pause sets after completing their first full set of an exercise.
Rest-Pause for Building Strength and Power
When the main emphasis of rest-pause training is on building strength, I suggest that you don’t push all the way to failure when doing the initial first full set, nor should you push to failure when doing the rest-pause sets that follow the first full set. If your goal is long term sustainable strength gains, my advice is to push forcefully into each rep, and to stop before you start grinding out slow strenuous reps. If you watch the next two videos, you will see a good example of how to use the rest-pause technique with perfect form without pushing to the point of slow strenuous grinder reps.
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Rest Pause for Building Muscle
From my observations, it seems that bodybuilders are more likely to push their sets to failure than powerlifters when doing any kind of set; including rest-pause sets. Rest-pause training is often thought of as a high intensity training technique, but it will only be a high intensity technique if you push to failure on each set, including the rest-pause sets. The lifter in the following video demonstrates the use of rest-pause training while pushing to failure on each set. (Note: He starts demonstrating the rest-pause technique at about 2:40 in the video).
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Determine Your Purpose for Rest-Pause Training
The manner in which you use rest-pause training depends upon your goals. The application of performing each rep with power and force are very important when the emphasis is on strength development. However, intensity of effort is the primary training factor when striving for maximum muscular development. Decide which is more important to you and use the rest-pause method in accordance with your training objectives. May God bless you with the best of training.