5 Benefits of Using a Rest-Pause Technique for Back Movements
You want better results from your training, right? How long have you been doing the same old workout week after week, expecting to see changes in your physique? If you want to create that 3D look that you aspire to achieve, you need to start changing things up. If you’ve never utilized a rest-pause technique for back movements, you’re missing out!
In this article, I want to lay down five benefits of implementing a rest-pause technique into your back training so you can help get the results you desire from your dedication to the gym. But first, let’s go over exactly what a rest-pause technique is.
What is a Rest-Pause Technique?
Essentially, a rest-pause technique is where you take a single set and break it down into multiple “mini-sets.” For instance, if you were working your back by utilizing a lat pulldown, you would do your first set as usual to failure (around 10-12 reps). Then when finished, you rest 10-20 seconds and then hit another set to failure. Push for the same number of reps but you may find you fall short by a couple from your first set – that’s ok. Then, rest and repeat again.
This type of training is brutal both mentally and physically. Be prepared to push yourself through some of the hardest back workouts of your life. You should also be mindful when it comes to recovery. If you don’t feel you fully recovered from your previous workout, allow yourself an extra day or two before getting after it again.
5 Benefits of Rest-Pause
Below are five reasons you should consider implementing rest-pause into your back training program.
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Build Muscle Faster
First and foremost, something most of you are looking to achieve is muscle growth. If you want the muscles of your back to grow, you need to hit them from all angles, stretch out the fascia surrounding the muscle, and effectively stimulate and tear down the muscle fibers. All of this can be done through the use of a rest-pause technique during your back day. By implementing this technique, you can push blood and nutrients into the muscle to better help stimulate growth.
Research has shown that when implementing rest-pause into your training, you can increase muscle activation by 13% when compared to conventional training techniques.
Combine this with an effective training program like Hany Rambod’s FST-7 and let the gains begin! If you are training for hypertrophy and want to also see some serious increases in strength, add a rest-pause technique to your back training.
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Increase Strength Gains
A rest-pause technique for back movements can not only help you build more dense and thick muscle but along with that can come an increase in strength as well. Rest-pause is a great way to increase the number of muscle fibers being broken down which can allow them to come back bigger and stronger. After all, a bigger muscle is inherently a stronger muscle.
The process of tearing down and repairing muscle fibers through rest-pause can help your muscles to become more resilient and better able to handle the load you put them under. You will want to utilize different exercises from week to week to continually stimulate the muscle differently. One week you may use a wide-grip lat pulldown, the next a barbell row, the next a straight-arm cable pulldown, the next a close-grip pulldown… you get the idea.
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Reduce Overall Training Time
One thing that many people love about a rest-pause technique is that it’s incredibly intense and quick. You go hard and heavy, stimulate the muscle, and then leave. With rest-pause, you don’t have marathon workouts. The intensity stays high to allow you to get in and out of the gym quickly due to the short rest periods between sets.
Rest-pause is perfect for those training days where you’re pushed for time. Research has shown that when comparing a conventional training program to rest-pause, the strength gains were identical in both groups while the rest-pause group was able to achieve the same results with less time spent in the gym.
Who wouldn’t want more time in their day? Less time in the gym means more time doing whatever else you want!
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Less Stress on Your Joints
Many people think in order to add size to their back, they need to max out during back days. What this can cause is joint pain due to the heavy load they are moving. Thanks to rest-pause, you can give your joints a break while still making progress.
With rest-pause, you can do the same amount of volume as you would during “heavy” back days, but when using this technique, you can lower the weight and get the same results. Less weight means less wear and tear on your joints – helping to keep them healthy and pain-free. This can also help keep you injury-free which is a win-win across the board.
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Do More with Less
By utilizing a rest-pause technique for training, you are able to get more overall muscle activation and stimulation with less time and weight. This allows you to increase your back training density and efficiency while limiting some of the negative aspects of training heavy in an effort to build quality lean muscle mass. For most, this is going to be a no-brainer and implementing this type of training on back day (or for any muscle group) is extremely advantageous.
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