How Long Should You Rest Between Sets?
What systematic reviews show about rest intervals for muscle growth and strength, and a simple rule for timing your rest.
The short answer
For muscle growth, resting more than about 60 seconds appears slightly better than very short rests, with no clear extra benefit beyond about 90 seconds. For strength, longer rests (over 2 minutes) help trained lifters on heavy sets.
What the evidence says
A 2024 Bayesian meta-analysis found a small benefit for rest intervals longer than 60 seconds for hypertrophy, possibly because short rests reduce the work you can do, but no appreciable differences beyond about 90 seconds.
A systematic review of rest and strength concluded that robust strength gains occur even with short rests, but longer rests (more than 2 minutes) seem needed to maximise strength in resistance-trained people; 60–120 seconds appeared sufficient for untrained people.
A simple rule
- Heavy compound lifts: 2–3+ minutes.
- Most hypertrophy work: about 1.5–2 minutes, or until you can repeat the performance.
- Short on time: use supersets of non-competing muscles rather than cutting rest on heavy lifts.
Common mistakes
- Resting 45 seconds before heavy squats and losing reps on every set.
- Scrolling for 6 minutes between curls.
Bottom line
Rest long enough to repeat a good performance — usually 1.5–3 minutes — and use supersets when time is tight.
References
- [1] Singer A, Wolf M, Generoso L, 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. Systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789
- [2] Grgic 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. Systematic review doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0788-x
This guide summarises published research for healthy adults. It is general information, not medical advice — if you have a health condition, injury or take medication, talk to a qualified professional before changing your training or supplements.
