The Effect of Different Rest Intervals Between Agonist-Antagonist Paired Sets on Training Performance and Efficiency

ABSTRACTBehenck, C, SantʼAna, H, Pinto de Castro, JB, Willardson, JM, and Miranda, H. The effect of different rest intervals between agonist-antagonist paired sets on training performance and efficiency. J Strength Cond Res XX(X)000–000, 2020—The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of different rest intervals (RIs) between agonist-antagonist paired sets (APS) on training performance and efficiency. Eighteen recreationally trained men (age21.5 ± 2.1 years, body mass74.5 ± 10.4 kg, height1.75 ± 0.04 m, body mass index24.4 ± 3.7 kg·m) completed 4 sessions. During each session, a 10-repetition maximum load was used for 3 APS of Bench Row + Bench Press and Lat Pull-down + Overhead Press with RI between APS sequences of 1, 2, 3 minutes (min) or self-selected RI (SRI). Total training volume (TTV), session time and efficiency were measured in all sessions. The 1 minute resulted in significantly less TTV vs. the other conditions (p = 0.000). The 2 minutes resulted in significantly less TTV vs. the 3 minutes (p = 0.002), but the SRI was not significantly different vs. the 3 minutes. For session time, the 1 minute was significantly less (p = 0.000) and the 3 minutes was significantly greater (1 and 2 minutes, p = 0.000; SRI, p = 0.010) than the other conditions. Therefore, the efficiency of the 1 minute was significantly greater vs. the other conditions (3 minutes and SRI, p = 0.000; 2 minutes, p = 0.001) and the 2 minutes was significantly greater vs. the 3 minutes (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in TTV, session time, and efficiency between the 2 minutes and SRI conditions. In conclusion, the 2 RI and SRI conditions may present a better cost-effectiveness. It is suggested that self-selected RI can provide better performance, whereas 2-minute RI may enable greater efficiency.