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The short version
- For muscle growth, resting more than 60–90 seconds seems to help a little; beyond about 90 seconds, studies find no clear difference.
- For strength in trained lifters, 2 minutes or more on the big lifts seems best.
- Rest long enough to repeat your reps on the next set. That matters more than the exact number.
- Use a timer. Rest that "feels like" 2 minutes is often much shorter.
Why rest matters
Between sets, your muscles recover the energy they need for the next one. Rest too little and you lose reps on the next set; lose enough reps and you have done less work overall. Most of what rest does to your results comes from that.
What the research says
For muscle growth
In an 8-week study of trained men doing 3 sets of 8–12 reps, the group resting 3 minutes gained more strength and more thigh muscle than the group resting 1 minute, with everything else the same [1].
A 2024 meta-analysis of 9 studies found a small benefit to resting more than 60 seconds, but no clear difference once rest went beyond 90 seconds [2]. The authors suggest the benefit comes from keeping more reps on later sets.
For strength
A systematic review of 23 studies found strength improves even with short rests, but trained lifters seem to need more than 2 minutes to get the most out of their training. For beginners, 60–120 seconds looked like enough [3].
The ACSM's 2009 position stand recommends 3–5 minutes between heavy sets for strength and 1–2 minutes for moderate loads aimed at muscle growth [4]. Its 2026 update, which pooled 137 reviews, found that rest length did not consistently change strength results, and that there was not enough data to judge its effect on muscle growth [5].
A simple rest table
| Exercise type | Examples | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy compound, 1–6 reps | Barbell Full Squat, Barbell Deadlift | 3–5 min |
| Compound, 6–12 reps | Barbell Bench Press, Barbell Bent Over Row | 2–3 min |
| Machine or cable compound | Sled 45° Leg Press, Cable Seated Row | 90 s–2 min |
| Isolation | Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Cable Pushdown | 60–90 s |
The practical test
Rest until you could repeat roughly the same reps with the same weight. If you got 8 reps and the next set gives you 5, you rested too little. If you are scrolling your phone for 6 minutes between curls, you can cut back.
Short on time?
- Pair exercises that use different muscles (a superset), such as Barbell Bench Press and Barbell Bent Over Row. Each muscle still gets a long rest.
- Keep the long rests for the first lift and shorten them on isolation work.
- Cut an exercise rather than cutting every rest to 45 seconds.
FAQ
Do isolation exercises need as much rest?
Usually less. 60–90 seconds is often enough for moves like lateral raises or pushdowns. Check that your reps hold up from set to set.
Should I cut rest to make workouts harder?
It makes a session feel harder, but the studies above found shorter rest can cost reps and a little growth. Make the sets harder instead, and rest enough to do them well.
Should rest be the same for every set?
Roughly, yes. Keeping rest similar from week to week also makes your logged numbers easier to compare.
Sources
- 1Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016; 30(7): 1805–1812. doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001272
- 2Singer A, et al. Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2024; 6: 1429789. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789
- 3Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Skrepnik M, Davies TB, Mikulic P. Effects of Rest Interval Duration in Resistance Training on Measures of Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine, 2018; 48(1): 137–151. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0788-x
- 4American College of Sports Medicine. Position Stand: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2009; 41(3): 687–708. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
- 5Currier BS, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2026; 58(4): 851–872. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003897
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a professional before you start.
