I'm currently doing a (mainly) body-weight routine that involves 3 circuits of:
15 close grip push ups
15 squats
plank 1-2 min
5 chin-ups
5 pull-ups
(just started the *ups lagging behind in that dept)
dead-lifts
I used to try to rest as little as possible, but I recently started running on my off days, so I'm getting my cardio in that regard.
So, my question is as follows; If my goal is strength/muscle mass, can I rest as long as I need to between sets(not just circuits, but the actual sets).
If I let my heart rate go all the way back to normal, Not only does it make my workout more bearable, but I can crank out extra reps and work myself harder. For example, In just the past week, I progressed from 1 min planks to 2 min planks and made a lot of progress in the other areas as well. Does this benefit outweigh the benefit from the low-rest intervals?
Is there an optimal rest period I should shoot for?