90 second intervals?

[BlackMagicPanther]

I want to preface this question with the thanks that this site deserves. When I first started here 4 years ago, I hadn't cared one bit about fitness for decades. Yes, the Babes section got me to this site originally (I really miss Mr. Dee's posts, he was a cool guy), but as I looked around, I realized there was a great deal of incredible information. Since then I have dropped 52 pounds and 11% of body fat. I know that probably seems slow for some of the die hards in here, but there have been injuries and illnesses that have had me take some steps back here and there. My goal is another 30 pounds and 7% more body fat off of me, and I am definitely on my way. So, thanks, merci, gracias, arigato, danke, fa'afetai, salamat, mahalo...

On to the question:

I have a couple of people close to me who have quoted their personal trainers telling them that for optimal (I guess the best term is re-oxygenation) of the muscles you are working is to wait 90 seconds between each rep. Would this be an accurate statement?

[tooncesthecat]

In order to workout with maximal weight, 90-120 seconds is a good rest. However, if you want to maximize fat burning during your weight training, go for 60 seconds or less between sets. You won't be able to move as much weight but it comes down to what type of goals you have for yourself and from your comments it sounds like you are trying to lose some more weight.

BTW, congrats on the gains you have already made! You are doing great! Keep it up

[TommuGuns]

Your goal is too lose fat, so rest no more than 20 seconds per set, than followed by a 90 second rest between exercises. Do 7-12 reps. start heavy on your first set, then drop the weight for your remainding sets.

Congrats on ur weight loss! Well done and keep up the hard work!

[mooshue]

I used to take that high rep advice for a while too, until it proved to be useless to me. Loosing weight as you stated is not your main goal, you want at least another 7% body fat off, so your goal is to keep/add lean mass and remove excess fat. This would require a heavy lifting routine, not so high in reps.
To get fat off, you have to do cardio. I know this and can state this having lost 70 lbs myself, you have to do cardio, long sessions of it after each weight workout, and if you can take it, on your off days. Keep the heart rate moderate, switch it up between fast incline walks, jogs, runs, stairs, elliptical, bike, etc.. 25 min or more every time.
Nourishment is also a key factor. As ive learned and many other here, you probably arent getting enough of what you need. Its not enough to just cut calories, its important what calories you are cutting out and what you need more of to accomplish your goals. I always was under the assumption that cutting carbs = loosing fat. Not true, read arnolds book or any old school lifters book for that matter, carbs are for energy. Your macro nutrient ratio for someone who is the endomorph body type, like myself, should be 40% or more protein approx 40% carbs 20% fats. Now dont just pick up mcdonalds and think its ok so long as your ratios match. You need like 6 meals a day, each meal consisting of 8oz of meat, 6oz of carbs (rice, potatos, yams) mix in some greens (broccoli, spinach, green beans, salads, keep some cheap whey protein on hand, maybe a bag of almonds, and a food scale if you are truly serious about loosing it.
Since ive been training with my hired IFBB pro and nutritionist, ive made some incredible progress by simply following some old school rules, and ditching all this new age high rep low carb bullshit.
Insex is also another natural person who believes that you can get everything you need from foods instead of expensive worthless supplements if you dont believe me.

Anyway , my advice, take it or leave it.

[stephenlavin]

just a note on the cardio there guys. I know it depends on your physical state but an even more effective way to lose fat than long tedious cardio sessions is high intensity interval training. Even after you finish you will still burn calories. Takes less time, is more painful but is nowhere near as boring as long cardio sessions. Just my 2 cents

[torofuerte]

Originally Posted by BlackMagicPanther

(I guess the best term is re-oxygenation)

No-reoxygenation, but to do work at an oxygenating deficit. That is, it means working on a state of incomplete recovery. Chris Thibeaudau at t-nation just published a 4-article series on training, the 3rd one dealing with training frequency and rest periods. See section 6 of his article:

The Thib System: Training Frequency and Rest Periods

Christ Thib-

3) Rest periods for fat loss: When training for fat loss, you should always shoot for incomplete recovery, meaning that you must accumulate an oxygen debt from set to set. Your breathing should stay hard and heavy for the whole workout. If you can talk normally during a fat-loss workout, you aren't training properly! So the rest intervals should be shorter, even with compound movements.

How short? Well, again, this depends on your level of conditioning and work capacity. Since the goal is incomplete recovery, get back to work before your breathing normalizes!
During a fat-loss program, you should feel out of breath and almost nauseous during the whole workout (the nausea is mainly due to the increase in lactate/lactic acid production).

You should rest anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds between your sets with a tendency toward gradually reducing the amount of rest you take.

Originally Posted by stephenlavin

just a note on the cardio there guys. I know it depends on your physical state but an even more effective way to lose fat than long tedious cardio sessions is high intensity interval training. Even after you finish you will still burn calories. Takes less time, is more painful but is nowhere near as boring as long cardio sessions. Just my 2 cents

Exactly. Two to three 2-3 minute rounds of HIIT or tabatas do the job just fine, specially after a weightlifting session. Care should be made, however, for the novice not to overexert himself to the point it impairs his recovery.

One good way to initiate individuals into HIIT and get them into shape for tabatas or long rounds of HIIT are taku intervals. Taku intervals provide a progression into the 20/10sec rest periods. I suggest you read the following page - and pay VERY, VERY close attention on the three metabolic pathways (phosphagen, lactic acide and oxidative). Learn that stuff and you'll know how to better arrange your workouts for fat loss.

BODY BY FISH

For a more complex program based on Taku and Tabata intervals, see here:
Peaking for Competition (Taku’s Intervals: PHASE 4) « Hybrid Fitness Blog

For BlackMagicPanther:

The bulk of taku intervals (quoted verbatin from the link above) is aimed at high metabolic conditioning, specially for combat sports athletes. The details and execution can get in the way if your aims are much simpler, so I'd suggest you use a mini-modified version of taku intervals as follows:

2 sessions of 90 second high intensity work x 90 seconds of active rest.

High intensity work would be almost anything involving your full body (or as much as possible) - no isolation work : bodyweight squatting, weighted squatting (which light weights of course), leg pressing, push ups (normal, plyo or agility), pull ups, jumping jacks, cherry pickers, burpees, dumbbell swings into overhead presses, or some sort of circuit involving squatting/deadlifting, rowing/pulling and benching/pressing, or running on a threadmill/track, rope skipping, etc. Avoid limb isolation exercises as you'll blast them to failure w/o taxing your body's energy reserves.

Active rest means that you don't rest sitting on your butt, but you are actively moving : .ie. shadow boxing, walking back and forth windmilling your arms, doing some side squatting/side lunges or jumping jacks/cherry pickers here and there. It is not light movement, but active movement (which just happened to be much less intense than the work part, but intense enough to force you to breath.

This in opposite to passive rest, where you basically do not do anything and (try to) catch your breath.

When the work part is being executed, you start as fast as you can. Say for example, running. You start running as fast as you can. Obviously you cannot sprint at maximum speed for 90 seconds. You will obviously slow down, and even stop. But you keep running. However slower you get, however many stops you do, you just keep running. What counts is your effort, the maximal effort you feel yourself capable of safely doing. On those 90 seconds, you do your best effort... in every set.

It is not 90 seconds of work, then 90 seconds of active rest, then sit on your ass for some time and repeat. The work and rest parts are done back to back, with a clock, religously.

As you progress, then you increase to three sessions, then four sessions. Then, while staying with 3-4 sessions you can then decrease the length of the rest part, then decrease the length of the work part, and so on until you get to 20 second work, 10 second rest (tabata sets)... if you wish you push it there.

As you decrease the length of rest, say, 30 seconds, then you will have to use a full standing (not sitting) passive rest

At any point, you do not want a session of HIIT (be it tabatas, takus or whatever) for more than 12 minutes (unless you have a sport-specific goal that requires you to go beyond that.) For simple fat loss, 6-9 minutes should do.

The beauty of this is that you can stay at the 90sec work/90sec active rest if you so wish. You can taylor it to your needs.

I'd also suggest you check Mike Davie's "Cardio Survivor" CD #1. It's packed with bodyweight/dumbell exercises that are are excellent for HIIT training (which works best for fast loss IMO.)

Mike Davie's Fitness Factory - Store

You have to find how to blend this to your training. Most people try to add weight while losing body fat. While it's possible, it can be a f* nightmare (unless you are one of those lucky bastards with the genetic disposition to do so.)

My suggestion is to stop "working out" and start training for a given goal. Either reduce your body fat % or pack on the muscle, changing the goal at 12-16 week intervals for mass gain (and 6-8 for fat loss). Less than that amount of time could be too short to gauge any improvements for most people.

Trying to do both fat loss and muscle gain is a logistical nightmare, specially if you are just starting. I'd suggest you stick to gaining weight first (since the amount of muscle mass you get will determine how efficient you will be at burning body fat.)

One good way to measure your progress is this. Measure your waist, around navel level and your hips at crotch level every week first thing in the morning (ideally after pooping... gross I know.)

Simultaneously, get a scale at home. Doesn't matter if it's acurate. Just get one, and measure your weight every day around the same time (again, ideally after pooping and peeing and before eating.) Calculate your weekly average every sunday.

Now, if

1 - your weight remains the same or increases, and
2 - your hip circumference at crotch level stays the same or increases (gluteus maximus development), and
3 - your waist circumference at navel level stays the same OR DECREASES

Then it means you are packing on the muscles while reducing or retaining (not increasing) your body fat %. That means, you are doing progress.

Hope this is helpful.

[Italianangel]

Originally Posted by BlackMagicPanther

On to the question:

I have a couple of people close to me who have quoted their personal trainers telling them that for optimal (I guess the best term is re-oxygenation) of the muscles you are working is to wait 90 seconds between each rep. Would this be an accurate statement?

depends on goals and weight used.