When it comes to building strength, most people focus on what happens during their workouts. Lifting heavier weights, adding more reps, or pushing through intense cardio sessions seem like the obvious keys to progress. However, the truth is that your body gets stronger in the time between workouts, not during them. Recovery is when the magic happens, and understanding the role of rest—both between sets and between training days—can make or break your progress.

At Nu Fitness, we help our clients unlock their full potential by balancing their workouts with the appropriate rest intervals, ensuring they recover and adapt optimally. Here’s how we approach this often-overlooked element of training.

Why Rest is Essential for Strength Gains

When you train, especially during resistance or high-intensity workouts, you create microtears in your muscle fibers. This process is essential for building strength and muscle, but the repair and rebuilding of those fibers only happen during recovery. If you don’t allow sufficient time for this process, your body won’t be able to fully adapt, leading to stalled progress, overtraining, or even injury.

Rest Intervals Between Sets: Finding the Sweet Spot

The rest intervals between sets play a significant role in your ability to perform your next set effectively. Depending on your goal—whether it’s building strength, muscular endurance, or hypertrophy (muscle size)—the length of your rest period will vary.

• Strength Training (Heavy Lifts):

Resting 2-5 minutes between sets allows your energy systems (primarily ATP-PC) to recover, enabling you to lift heavy weights with maximum effort for each set.

• Example in a Nu Fitness session:

When working with a client aiming to increase their squat max, we program 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps at a high percentage of their one-rep max. Between sets, we ensure they rest for 3-5 minutes to fully recover. During this time, we may discuss form tweaks or engage in light mobility work to stay loose.

• Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth):

Resting 30-90 seconds between sets keeps the muscles under tension, which is ideal for stimulating growth.

• Example:

A client working on upper-body hypertrophy might do 4 sets of 10-12 reps of dumbbell presses, resting 60 seconds between sets. We emphasize keeping the tempo controlled during lifts to maximize time under tension.

• Muscular Endurance:

Resting 15-60 seconds is typical for higher-rep, lower-weight sets to build stamina.

• Example:

For a lacrosse player we train, we incorporate bodyweight exercises like pull-ups and push-ups with minimal rest to improve muscular endurance for prolonged performance on the field.

Rest Between Workouts: Strategic Recovery

Recovery isn’t just about what happens between sets; it’s also about what you do between workout sessions. At Nu Fitness, we tailor recovery strategies to each client’s goals, lifestyle, and fitness level.

• Strength Athletes:

Heavy lifting sessions require at least 48-72 hours of recovery for the same muscle group. For example, a client focusing on increasing their deadlift will have lower-body workouts spaced out, with active recovery or mobility-focused sessions in between.

• Endurance Athletes:

For clients training for marathons or triathlons, we alternate high-intensity training days with lower-intensity runs or cross-training to allow the body to recover without losing momentum.

• General Fitness Clients:

For clients seeking overall fitness, we balance strength, cardio, and active recovery days to ensure they’re not overtraining. A typical weekly schedule might include three strength-focused sessions, one cardio session, and one mobility or yoga session.

Common Misconceptions: More Is Not Always Better

In fitness, it’s tempting to believe that doing more will lead to faster results. However, more is not always better—especially when it comes to rest. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, burnout, and injury. Likewise, resting too much during a workout can reduce intensity and limit the benefits of the session.

For example:

• A client who previously spent hours doing back-to-back cardio and strength workouts found that they were constantly fatigued. After joining Nu Fitness, we adjusted their program to prioritize quality over quantity, incorporating structured rest intervals during workouts and additional recovery days. Not only did they feel more energized, but they also saw improved strength and endurance.

How Nu Fitness Puts This Knowledge into Practice

At Nu Fitness, we approach every client’s program with their unique needs and goals in mind. Here’s how we incorporate the right dose of rest into our sessions:

1. Individualized Programming:

We assess each client’s goals, fitness level, and recovery capacity. Whether it’s a new mom returning to fitness or a competitive athlete aiming to peak for an event, we tailor their workouts and rest intervals for optimal results.

2. Education During Sessions:

During sessions, we explain the purpose of rest intervals and why they’re essential. This not only helps our clients understand their programs but also empowers them to approach rest as a critical component of their fitness journey.

3. Active Recovery Techniques:

Rest doesn’t always mean sitting still. We incorporate activities like stretching, foam rolling, or light mobility work during rest intervals to keep clients engaged while aiding recovery.

4. Tracking and Adjusting:

We regularly monitor how clients respond to their programs and adjust rest periods or workout intensity as needed. For instance, if a client is plateauing in their lifts, we may extend their rest intervals to ensure they’re fully recovered before their next set.

The Takeaway: Train Smarter, Not Harder

Rest is not a weakness—it’s a weapon. By incorporating the appropriate amount of rest into your workouts and recovery periods, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. At Nu Fitness, we’re committed to helping our clients achieve their goals with smarter, science-backed training programs.

Are you ready to optimize your training and unlock your full potential? Let’s get started!