How Long Should You Rest Between Sets? The Science Might Surprise You

If you’ve done a decent amount of strength training (whether solo or following a class or instructor), there’s a good chance you’ve been resting between sets for as long as you can remember. But have you ever given much thought to why you need to rest or how long you should?

It’s OK if the answer is “no”... but we’re about to change that. Rest is a training tool that you can manipulate to serve your fitness goals, just like anything else (think: how much weight you’re lifting, how many reps you're doing, or which exercises you’re programming), says Peloton Instructor Robin Arzón. Depending on how long you’re hanging out between sets, you can optimize potential muscle growth, endurance adaptations, and even strength and power gains. 

How long should you be resting, then? We’re breaking down everything you need to know about resting between sets (including why it’s worth whipping out a timer), below.

Why Is Rest Time Between Sets Important?

It’s not so you have time to text back or scroll Instagram. Put simply, “the objective of rest is to prepare you for the next effort,” Robin says. Giving yourself a chunk of time to recharge not only impacts your recovery in the moment but also allows you to optimize your performance and make it through the entirety of the workout without burning out, explains Clay Ardoin, physical therapist and co-founder of Sculpt U Physical Therapy in Houston.

The amount of rest between sets and exercises significantly affects your body’s metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular responses to resistance training, as well as what training adaptations (i.e. results) you’ll see and how you’ll perform on subsequent sets, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) confirms.

Why is resting so important? First, it’s because “strength training isn’t just a physical challenge but also a neurological one,” Ardoin explains. Rest intervals allow the central nervous system to recover so that you can properly recruit all the muscle fibers needed to execute the rest of your sets. Moreover, during intense exercise, your muscles use something called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as fuel, Ardoin continues. Resting allows time for your body to regenerate ATP so you can ultimately keep performing. 

Rest between sets is also important from an injury prevention perspective. “Rest can help reduce the risk of injury by ensuring that you're not overly fatigued during exercises, which can lead to compromised form and technique,” Ardoin says. “Most injuries in the gym occur when we’re pushing ourselves to the limit, which is necessary to see the changes we desire, but we need to be mindful of our form and technique as we start to fatigue.”

How Long Should You Rest Between Sets?

Experts say that how long you should rest between sets often depends on your fitness goals. “There are a lot of ways to play with rest to get the desired training effect,” Robin says. Case in point: The range of acceptable rest intervals between sets is pretty big, stretching from about 10 seconds up to five minutes. 

A different amount of rest is ideal depending on whether you’re a beginner just figuring out your form, trying to build as much muscle as possible, looking to increase your endurance, or aiming to cultivate maximal strength and power. You also may need to vary the amount of rest depending on the exercise you’re doing; for example, the ACSM recommends at least two to three minutes of rest for compound exercises using heavy loads (think: the squat, deadlift, or bench press), but for isolation exercises, accessory work, or machines, they say one to two minutes should suffice. 

Keep in mind: “It is possible to take too much rest,” Robin says. “Then you're just going to be spinning your wheels and wasting your own time, which is so valuable.” 

To keep yourself from falling into this trap, don’t grab your phone or open a new computer tab during your rest time. “When we go on social media and start answering emails and do things that distract us from the workout, that's not helpful,” she says. “When I’m resting, I like to focus on what I'm gonna be asking my body to do next; maybe unpacking any form tips or coaching cues that I want to take into the next round or any lessons learned from the previous set or effort.”

With that in mind, here’s how to decide how long to rest between sets based on your goals.

How Long to Rest Between Sets for Beginners: 1-2 Minutes

“For beginners, I’d recommend taking a moderate rest time between sets, so one to two minutes,” Ardoin says. Beginners are going to fatigue quickly, and that’s usually when we see a breakdown in form. Leaving at least one minute for rest generally allows for enough recovery time so you can keep your form on point. 

How Long to Rest Between Sets for Hypertrophy: 30-90 seconds

Rest periods for hypertrophy (aka muscle-building) training should generally be between 30-90 seconds, Ardoin says. This is long enough for your muscles to regenerate a good amount of ATP, but not completely bounce back—which is a good thing. “Not fully recovering between sets can create the right environment for metabolic stress,” Ardoin says, which is key for building muscle.

As mentioned above, the amount of rest you need also varies based on the muscle group you’re training. “Bigger compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and training with high intensity that pushes you to failure will require longer rest periods,” Ardoin says. “Training smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, and calves will be on the shorter end of that rest window.”

How Long to Rest Between Sets for Muscular Endurance: 30-60 seconds

If you’re training to improve muscular endurance (your muscles’ ability to perform work or an activity for a prolonged period of time), you’re likely doing higher reps with lower weight and shorter rest intervals, Robin says. This would also include bodyweight strength work. (For example, holding a plank builds muscular endurance in your core.)

If endurance is your goal, you can aim for shorter rest periods of 30 seconds to one minute, Ardoin says. “Here, we’re trying to challenge the body to recover under fatigue, which over time will enhance your endurance,” he says. 

How Long to Rest Between Sets for Strength and Power: 2-5 Minutes

“If you're training for power and you're going for pretty heavy weights, like a one rep max, for example, you might rest up to five minutes,” Robin says. Ardoin agrees. “With strength and power training, we’ll use longer rest periods, from two to five minutes,” he says. “This allows for full ATP stores to be replenished and to maximize strength and power output.” 

Taking enough rest time between sets is especially critical for heavy lifting and hitting PRs. “It’s less optimal for muscle growth, but if lifting as much as possible is your goal, then you’re going to want to make sure you are as fully recovered between sets as possible,” Ardoin says.  

How Long to Rest Between Sets for Conditioning: 10-40 seconds

Admittedly, we’re deviating a bit from resistance training here, but it’s worth considering how rest periods fit into workouts like metabolic conditioning, interval, or circuit training. Rest intervals are generally much shorter than in pure resistance training. For example, during HIIT, you might use a 1:1 work-rest ratio (think: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off), or, in Tabata, a 2:1 work-rest ratio (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off), Robin says. These strength-cardio hybrid workouts are designed to maximize efficiency by keeping your heart rate elevated, engaging your cardiovascular system, and sustaining metabolic stress—all of which are driven by shorter rest periods.

How to Ensure You’re Resting Enough (Without a Timer)

What if you don’t wear a watch to train, don’t want to use your phone, or can’t be bothered to keep an eye on the clock? “More advanced lifters often go by feel to determine when to begin their next set,” Ardoin says. “They might use Perceived Recovery Status (PRS), which is similar to RPE (rate of perceived exertion). It's a 0-10 scale, with zero being poorly recovered and 10 being maximally recovered. For example, if I just finished a set training for hypertrophy, I would want to start my subsequent set when I feel I’m at about a seven or eight if 10 is fully recovered.”

You can also use breathing patterns, heart rate recovery, or your ability to maintain proper form to determine whether or not you’ve hit the proper recovery mark before you start your next set. “As form starts to go, it might be time to take another minute or two to make sure you’re targeting the muscle groups correctly and reducing the risk of injury,” Ardoin says. 

This can be tricky if you’re newer to exercise or strength training since you may not be able to accurately judge your PRS. “So, for beginner/novice lifters, I think it’s valuable to track your rest periods,” Ardoin says. “These objective measures allow you to track how you are feeling during your workout and how you are performing. Over time you’ll learn your body and what kind of rest it needs for the type of workout you are doing.” 

Takeaway

“Rest periods are essential in having effective training sessions,” Ardoin says, but reading all the above may be a little overwhelming. Rest is important, but it’s also just one piece of the puzzle, which is why Robin says: “I don't think people should be overthinking it…Roughly one to three minutes is probably gonna be a sweet spot for most programs and most workouts.”

If you take anything else away from this, let it be this tip from Robin: Even during rest periods, when you’re not actively working, stay focused. Where your mind goes, energy flows.