Mechanical, physiological and perceptual responses to different rest interval conditions during consecutive sets of the high-pull exercise

Abstract

Olympic weightlifting movements and their derivates are commonly used within resistance training sessions. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of different rest intervals (RI) over five sets of the high-pull (HP) on power output performance, lactate concentration [La] and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses in trained subjects. Eleven well-trained males attended four testing sessions. The first session consisted of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) assessment. The next three sessions consisted of the same protocol (5 sets x 6 repetitions at 80% 1RM in the HP) but differing in the RI between sets used (1, 2 and 3 min). No significant power output decreases over the five sets in any RI condition. [La] did not significantly differ between RI conditions. The 1 min RI condition led to greater RPE values (6.5 ± 1.8) than both 2 (5.4 ± 1.6) and 3 min RI (5.0 ± 1.8). The present study shows that short RIs (i.e., 1 min) can be used by strength coaches to design more time-efficient sessions. The use of RPE during power training sessions should be considered as a sensitive tool to quantify training intensity.