Why Rest During Your Workout Is More Important Than You Think

Would you believe me if I told you that the thing that's keeping you from achieving your fitness goals is not properly resting during your workout?

Did I just blow your mind? 🤯 Because it's totally true!

Before we get into the awesomely nerdy science behind rest periods during a workout, let's define what a rest even is!

A rest is time you spend allowing your body to recover in between your sets.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Shouldn't I be pushing myself to work hard and push past my comfort zone?"

The answer is: Yes! Absolutely! You should definitely be trying hard and pushing yourself. In fact, that's exactly how we get our muscles to grow! BUT with the addition of strategic rests during your workouts, you're going to get much better results, much quicker. 

Let's dive into why you should take rests during your workout.

Why You Should Take Rests During Your Workout

1. Resting lets the lactic acid flush out of your muscles so you can continue to have a killer workout. 
2. Resting gives your body the ability to restore creatine phosphate back into your muscles so you can bring that power back into your movements. 
3. Resting give you the mental break you need to be able to hit it hard on your next set!

How Long Should Your Rest Period Be During Your Workout?

The length of your rest period in between your sets depends on your fitness goal. 💪🏋️‍♀️

• Strength: 2-5 minutes
• Hypertrophy aka Muscle Growth: 30-60 seconds 
• Muscular Endurance: 30-60 seconds
• Power: 1-2 minutes 

A lot of my clients are looking to build some sexy muscles and burn off that stubborn fat! If this is you, you'll want to follow the hypertrophy rest time of 30-60 seconds between your sets. 

Things to Keep In Mind About Rest Periods During Your Workout

• The more intense your last exercise set was, the more time your body will need to recover. 
• The better you can hit every set with focus and good form, the faster you're going to see results! 
• Be ready to start your next set immediately after your rest break so you can get the maximum results from your workout!
• Try adjusting your rest periods if you feel like you've hit a plateau in your fitness.  
• Try taking an "active rest" by continuing to move the muscles you were just working, but at a much lower intensity. This actually helps you flush the lactic acid and metabolic waste out of your muscles even faster so you won't feel as sore over the next few days. 

If you're looking for accountability and really determined to get back on track for summer, check this out!

For more awesome fitness tips and real talk, come hang out with me on Instagram! I'd love to connect with you over there! 🤗

Xo Lindsay!