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A Pause Program for Progress

Rest-pause sets are simple to do. To get the most out of them, follow these guidelines from our experts:

Know when to pause.

- The best time to insert a rest-pause is when doing so will most effectively help you to complete another rep, says strength coach Charles Staley, MSS, of Staley Training Systems in Gilbert, AZ.

- Don't pause too early, when your muscles are still fresh enough to complete more reps without a break.

- Don't wait until your muscles are completely exhausted and therefore unable to squeeze out another rep. even with a rest-pause.

- Pause when your speed slows discernibly.

-Increase activity gradually.

-Rest-pauses bump the work volume of your set, either by increasing the energy for reps or the amount of activity you can handle.

-But how much more should you try to experience? "It depends on the movement," says Waterbury.

-As a general rule, you can usually increase the activity by 5 to 10 percent and then stop.

-Blend your sets, to be effective.


Rest-pause sets are just one effective tool for breaking through intensive activity plateaus.

The downside to rest-pauses is that you lose your rhythm, and sometimes maintaining rhythm gives you a better chance out there if you last…

With practice and mindful attention to your muscles, you can learn to tell whether maintaining your rhythm or taking a quick break will have the greater effect on your chances of completing another repetition in any given situation.

How do you know if you're using rest-pause sets correctly? Just monitor your performance, says Staley. "As long as your performance is improving, you are using them correctly."