more intensely. Recall from chapter 20 that a muscle may require four to seven days to recover
from eccentric loading. This fact has led many individuals to train each bodypart once per week
and train every day in the gym. This may be a mistake for natural lifters. On top of local fatigue,
trainees also have to deal with systemic fatigue as daily high intensity training generally stresses
the body. So while daily training may give each bodypart up to seven days of rest, the body as a
whole is never allowed to recover.
For natural lifters, it is suggested that no more than two days of heavy training be
performed without a day of rest to avoid negatively affecting hormone levels. In addition, three to
four days per week in the gym is probably the maximum a natural lifter should perform (11). The
exercise routines presented in chapters 27 and 28 reflect this philosophy.
Rest periods
The rest period between sets is inversely proportional to the number of reps done (5). For
sets of 1-5 reps, a rest of three to five minutes may be required. For sets of 12-15 reps, only
ninety seconds may be required for recovery to occur (5, 8). For sets of 25 and up, as little as 30”
may be required between sets
Recall from chapter 20 that the interplay of reps, sets and rest periods can affect the
hormonal response to weight training. To recap:
- Multiple (3-4), longer sets (10-12RM, lasting 40-60 seconds), with short rest periods (60-90
seconds) raise growth hormone levels and may be helpful for fat loss. - Multiple (3-4), short sets (5RM, lasting 20-30 seconds), with long rest periods (3-5’) raise
testosterone levels in men and may be beneficial for strength and size gains.
Tempo
Very little research has examined the effects of lifting speed on strength and mass gains
and no consensus exists on optimal lifting speed (21). Several studies compare high-speed to slow
-speed lifting and find that slow speed lifting increases maximal strength while explosive training
(plyometrics) increases rate of force development (22,23,24).
Most exercises in the weight room are not safely done at high speeds due to the possibility
of injury. Controlled lifting speeds are recommended for strength and mass gains (5). While high-
speed lifting may improve power, training for this type of event is beyond the scope of this book.
More importantly, rep speed should probably be varied in the same way that other
program variables are. Within the context of 20-60 seconds of total set time, a large variety of
rep tempos can be chosen, with the number of repetitions changing to accommodate. For
example, a lifter could do 1 rep of 30 seconds up, 30 seconds down or 15 reps of 2 seconds up, 2
seconds down or 10 reps at 2 second up, 4 seconds down.
Simply keep in mind that the eccentric portion of the movement must be controlled for the