Intra-set rest time

[Nicholas E bucci]

I have this same post over in the official CBL forum, but I wanted as many educated opinions as I could get so I figured I'd post it here as well….How much does reducing your rest time change the effectiveness of CBL? I read all the time about different programs and protocols and what may or may not work with reference to sets, reps etc... so I got a good grasp of that. But i can't seem to find much about recovery time. For example: If I was doing DB Bench for 5x8 taking a full 2-2 1/2minutes between sets, I'd be using 100lb + dumbbells. Doing the same exercise with 1minute of rest forces me to use significantly less weight, around 75-80lb dumbells. I know CBL is based on heavy concentric contractions, so I'm curious to whether or not reducing your rest time, and therefore reducing weight, will have a negative effect? Technicially I'm doing less weight, but I'm still performing relatively heavy contractions, at least in reference to the amount of recovery that I have.  Also, I'm assuming (so correct me if I'm wrong because you should never assume) that the majority of the work I'm performing will still fall into the correct energy system, glycolosis. Mentally, I always feel like I've gotten a better workout when I train towards hypertrophy with shorter rest times even though the weight I'm using is less... My muscles feel pumped, I'm tight all over and physically I'm drained (which is something I enjoy feeling). Any info or theories on this would be greatly appreciated.

[sigma]

I'm curious about this as well.  I'm actually the other way and rest 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the exercise.  For DB bench I rest 45 seconds (or until breathing returns to normal, whichever comes last), two warm up sets and two working sets of 100lb X 8-12.  I actually like lower rest times as I feel it gives me a little cardio and I'm not in the gym all night, but maybe I'm short changing myself.

[AdamFiddler]

Well since CBL is based on the GLUT-4 receptors being translocated to the surface, and this in turn is predicated upon the weight you are lifting being heavy and being moved fast, I don't think rest intervals between sets is really something with a definitive protocol if that's what you're looking for.  In other words, there seem to be lots of ways to do it and it would be highly dependent on what your lifting protocol actually is.Two opposite examples:1)  During the ELECT protocol you are working with lighter weights and taking no time in between sets (only as much time as it takes to put more weight on the bar and then go again)2)  If you were to do something like Smolov the consensus seems to be take as much time as you need between sets, even if this is 10 minutes.-Adam

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