HIGHER MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENTS COMPARED WITH ADULTS AFTER A RESISTANCE TRAINING SESSION WITH DIFFERENT REST INTERVALS

Tibana, RA, Prestes, J, da Cunha Nascimento, D, Martins, OV, de Santana, FS, and Balsamo, S. Higher muscle performance in adolescents compared with adults after a resistance training session with different rest intervals. J Strength Cond Res 26(4): 1027-1032, 2012-The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of 3 different rest intervals between sets on the total training volume, number of repetitions, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and resistance to fatigue in adolescents and adults during a resistance training session in the isoinertial chest press exercise. Fifteen male adolescents (15.2 +/- 1.2 years; 20.7 +/- 2.0 kg.m(-2); Tanner -4; 61.5 +/- 8.9, 10 repetition maximum [RM]) and 15 adults (22.2 +/- 2.7 years; 23.3 +/- 2.0 kg.m(-2); Tanner -5; 84.3 +/- 13.5, 10RM) without previous experience with resistance training participated in the study. After 10RM test-retest on 3 different occasions, participants were randomly assigned to a resistance training protocol with 30-, 60-, and 120-second rest interval between sets. The protocol consisted of 3 sets with 10RM. In all studied variables, with exception to total training volume and RPE, adolescents presented superior results as compared with adults (p < 0.001). On the other hand, both adults and adolescents exhibited a higher resistance to fatigue, total training volume, and number of repetitions with a longer rest interval (120 > 60 > 30 seconds) (p < 0.01). Thus, these results indicate that adolescents present a higher recovery capacity between sets in a resistance training session than adults and a longer rest interval results in a higher number of repetitions completed, total training volume, and resistance to fatigue.