Rest Interval Length on Repeated 1 Repetition Maximum
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:41 am
Effect of Rest Interval Length on Repeated 1 Repetition Maximum Back Squats
Researchers at the University of Memphis and Lambuth University found that there was no significant difference in repeat performance of a one repetition maximum (1RM) squat with 1-, 3-, or 5-minute rest intervals.
Seventeen weight trained college males volunteered for this study. During testing sessions, subjects performed two 1RM squats with the rest intervals between each attempt being 1, 3, or 5 minutes in length. A Cochran Q test was used to determine whether or not the second 1RM attempt was equally likely to succeed following each of the three different rest intervals. Analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the ability to perform a repetitive 1RM using the 1-, 3-, or 5-minute rest periods.
The findings suggest that a 1-minute rest period is a sufficient recovery period between 1RM squat attempts. This is consistent with other studies reported in the literature. The authors caution that these results should not be extrapolated to an actual resistance training program. An actual training program utilizes much larger volumes of work. This larger volume combined with a short rest period (e.g., one minute) could lead to considerable metabolic and neurological fatigue, which could lead to significant decreases in strength for athletes.
Matuszack M, Fry A, Gates T, Weiss l, Ireland T, McKnight M. (2003). Effect of Rest Interval Length on Repeated 1 Repetition Maximum Back Squats. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(4): 634 – 637. (12/22/2003)