R.E.S.T workout system has been around for more than a decade.

What is R.E.S.T Training?

R.E.S.T was created by prominent natural bodybuilder and doctor Dr. Pete Samra. Pete Samra has won prestigious natural competitions Natural Mr. USA and Mid-America Championship. He has been president of Samra Nutrition, holds degree in nutrition, and advocated R.E.S.T training on radio and televesion. His advocacy of his program was in deep contrast to most current philosophies in the southern California bodybuilding scene.

Principles of R.E.S.T:

The R letter Relaxation, Rejuvenation, Rest. Samra believed that bodybuilders become too obsessive and don’t know how to relax and enjoy life. He believed in having a life outside of gym and taking vacations occasionally. Do not let your life revolve around bodybuilding completely.

The Letter E stands for eating. Dr. Samra believed it was important to eat healthy. He also advocated to stay away from dairy, beef and eggs.

The Letter S stands for spiritual. Dr. Samra became a born again Christian in 1979. He believes that having a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. He also believes that both work for or against each other. Being moral and spiritually at peace, will help you physically in your goals.

Finally the letter T stands for, you guessed it training.

R.E.S.T Workout:

Samra has different workout splits. Below is just one example.

Sample R.E.S.T Workout

Workouts are full body for about one hour. He does 4 sets per excercise with reps between 10 and 15 to muscular failure. Whether it is 10 or 15 reps will depend on the phase. Every 2 weeks he will change the rep scheme and weights. If he is at 10 reps, after another 2 weeks he will lighten the weight and do 15 reps for all sets. After 2 weeks then Samra will increase weight and do 10 reps. After another 2 weeks he will lighten the weights and do 15 reps again. By alternating back and forth, it helps the body to not plateau.