Top 30 Toughest Workout Protocols – #1 The Rest-Pause System

The Rest-Pause System has been around for quite a long time and lots of strength training enthusiasts looking for mounds of new muscle has used this system extremely effectively. Sergio Oliva was a big proponent of this system as well as internet trainers like DoggCrapp training and the monster Trevor Smith.
It is a low volume regimen as far as number of sets go, but as far as intensity is measured…you don’t get much more intense than RP training. This a way to take that muscle to the wall and punish it till grows. It;s brutal, so I hope you like pain. It can use for any body part, big or small, any movement, single or multi, and any modality. The set starts off innocently enough with you attempting to complete a set of anywhere between 6 and 12 reps (to be chosen ahead of time) and then perform those reps until momentary muscular failure. When you cannot complete another FULL rep anymore then rest for a period of 10-20 seconds. Then pick up that bar and train to failure again. You might complete 3-5 reps again and hit the wall. Rest 10-20 seconds again. The a third time hit that bar again for 1-3 reps till the muscle gives out. Rest 10-20 seconds one more time and give that bar all you have left. You might complete 1-2 more and then you are spent. NOW, while all that blood is rushing into your muscles in response to al that stimuli, try and aggressively stretch that muscle so to use the leverage of the training pump to help stretch the fascia and thus give you a larger envelope to build that muscle for the next time.
Now if you haven’t experienced a descending set or a giant set, then the rest pause will a big jump. I wouldn’t jump straight into squats or deadlifts (although they will be your best tools for this system) just right yet. Just try some single joint movements first and get a feel for the intensity. Normally only two sets (some say only one set is needed…but that is another discussion for another day) is enough but you advanced guys with over 5 years experience and consistency may want to experiment with more sets.
Here’s to your next pound of muscle!

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3 Responses to “Top 30 Toughest Workout Protocols – #1 The Rest-Pause System”

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   June 6th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

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