When it comes to resistance training, the length of rest between sets is an important consideration for maximizing gains. The appropriate rest period allows your muscles to briefly recover before hitting them again. Too short of a rest, and you won’t be able to complete your reps with good form or use an optimal weight. Too long of a rest, and you lose the benefit of keeping your muscles under tension. So what is the ideal rest time between sets? The answer depends on your goals, the exercises you’re doing, and other factors.
What are the guidelines for rest periods?
Here are some general evidence-based recommendations on rest periods from experts:
- 30-90 seconds for power/explosive exercises using lighter loads, such as plyometrics.
- 60-120 seconds for moderate load hypertrophy training.
- 2-3 minutes for heavier strength and power training.
- 3-5 minutes for near maximal/maximal lifts such as heavy compound exercises like squats and deadlifts.
Of course, these are just general guidelines. Many factors can influence your ideal rest period.
Factors that affect rest period length
Here are some of the key factors that can impact optimal rest time:
Exercise choice
Lighter isolation exercises like bicep curls allow for shorter rest periods around 60 seconds. Compound exercises using heavier loads like squats, deadlifts, and bench press require longer rest up to 3-5 minutes between sets.
Training goal
If your goal is muscular endurance, use shorter 30-60 second rests. For pure strength and power, longer rest up to 5 minutes allows better recovery for heavy lifting. Moderate 1-2 minute rests are ideal for hypertrophy focused training.
Load/intensity
The heavier the load, the longer your muscles need to recover before the next set. Near maximal lifts require the most rest. You’ll also need longer rest as you near muscular failure with challenging loads that limit reps.
Individual factors
Your rest requirements also depend on individual differences in recovery ability, work capacity, and genetics. Some people’s muscles fatigue quicker and need longer rests. Advanced trainees may also need more rest between challenging sets.
Use of advanced techniques
Weight lifting methods like supersets, drop sets, pyramids, and other intense techniques require adjustment to shorter rest periods to maximize their benefits. But don’t sacrifice form.
Energy system trained
Training focused on anaerobic power and capacity allows shorter rests than efforts tapping aerobic energy systems. Sports-specific metabolic demands matter too.
Resting too long between sets
Okay, so now you know the guidelines and factors influencing ideal rest period length. But is there such a thing as resting too long between sets? Let’s discuss how too much rest can be detrimental.
Cooling down too much
Resting more than 3-5 minutes will often cause an excessive loss of muscle temperature needed for power output. You want your muscles “hot” but not completely fatigued going into the next set.
Losing exercise specificity
Some studies show resting beyond 5 minutes results in succumbing to fatigue, losing metabolic and neural exercise specificity, muscle activation, and coordination.
Blunting hormonal response
Extremely long rest periods can blunt acute anabolic hormone increases like testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF-1 versus moderate 1-2 minute rests.
Losing muscle pump
While not critical, the muscle “pump” from increased blood flow helps nourish working muscles. But it dissipates after prolonged rest.
Losing focus
Resting too long can also result in lost focus, motivation, intensity, and mental arousal. This can negatively impact your training performance.
Wasting time
Unless you require long rests for heavy strength training, excessive rest time will prolong your workouts unnecessarily, eating into your schedule. Get in, get it done, and get on with life!
Finding the optimal rest period for you
Here are some tips for optimizing your rest periods for maximum gains:
- Follow the guidelines based on your goals, exercises, and workload.
- Time your rests to find your minimum effective rest periods for different exercises.
- Adjust over time based on your strength improvements, fatigue, and recovery needs.
- Use workout apps with timers to be consistent with rest periods.
- When in doubt, err toward slightly more rest, but avoid excessively long rests.
- Record rest times to monitor and adjust as needed over time.
Finding your optimal rest ultimately comes through practice, self-experimentation, and tweaking variables to maximize each lift, set, and workout.
Rest periods by training goal
To summarize, here are some evidence-based recommendations for rest periods based on your specific strength training goal:
Strength
3-5 minutes rest for core lifts (squats, deadlifts, etc.)
2-3 minutes for assistance lifts
Hypertrophy
60-90 seconds for isolation exercises
2-3 minutes for compound exercises
Power
2-3 minutes for heavy power lifts (cleans, snatches, jerks etc.)
1-2 minutes for medicine ball and plyometric drills
Muscular endurance
30-60 seconds between most sets
Metabolic conditioning
Little to no rest between circuits and intervals
How to know if you’re resting too long
Here are some signs that you may be resting too long between sets:
- Workouts regularly exceeding one hour with lengthy rests
- Muscle “pump” disappearing between sets
- Feeling cold between sets versus warm
- Struggling with first few reps of next set
- Fatigue fading completely versus partial recovery
- Having time to check phone, chat, or lose focus
- Load and reps feeling harder set to set
If you notice one or more of these signs, try gradually decreasing your rest times and monitor the impact. You may find a performance boost!
Sample rest period length table
Here is a table with sample rest period recommendations for different types of exercises and rep ranges:
| Exercise Type | Rep Range | Rest Period |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squat | 1-5 reps | 3-5 minutes |
| Bench Press | 6-12 reps | 2-3 minutes |
| Lat Pulldown | 12-15 reps | 60-90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 15+ reps | 30-45 seconds |
This table gives you a general idea of appropriate rest period ranges for different exercises loads, though individual needs vary.
Conclusion
To maximize gains, pay as much attention to your rest periods between sets as you do the sets themselves. Follow the guidelines based on your goals and the exercises being performed. Time your rests to find your optimal recovery period without losing benefits. If in doubt, start with more rest and decrease as able over time. Record rest times to monitor and tweak as needed. Finding your perfect rest time comes through practice – so start timing and experiment! Just don’t rest excessively long and undermine your progress.