How Long Should You Rest Between Sets?
Standing at the rack watching the clock, how long should you really rest between sets? Here is what the research says about rest intervals for strength, muscle size and endurance, and a 2-week test you can run yourself.
Short answer
Rest between sets of about 2 to 3 minutes suits most heavy strength work, and about 1 to 2 minutes is common for muscle size, but the evidence is small and mixed. Shorter rests can still work, though they often cost you reps or load. Pick the rest that lets you keep good form.
Key facts
- A 2016 trial of 21 resistance-trained men over 8 weeks found 3-minute rests gave greater squat and bench press strength gains than 1-minute rests, and greater thigh muscle thickness.
- A 2018 systematic review of 23 studies (491 participants) found meaningful strength gains are possible even with rests under 60 seconds, while trained people seemed to need more than 2 minutes to maximise strength.
- A 2024 Bayesian meta-analysis of 9 studies suggested a small muscle size benefit for rests longer than 60 seconds, with no appreciable difference beyond 90 seconds.
- A 2025 meta-analysis of 19 studies found supersets gave similar reps and outcomes in shorter sessions, but felt harder.
- Most rest-interval studies are small, short and mostly in young men, so the findings may not apply to everyone.
In this article
- How long should you rest between sets?
- What did the 2016 study of 1-minute and 3-minute rests find?
- Does rest between sets change muscle growth?
- How does your goal change your rest time?
- Why do short rests make your sets harder?
- How can you test two rest lengths yourself?
- Who should be careful, and when should you see a clinician?
- Frequently asked questions
- Final thoughts
- Sources and further reading
How long should you rest between sets?
Rest between sets is commonly 1 to 2 minutes for muscle size and 3 to 5 minutes for heavy strength work in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 2009 position stand, but the research suggests the real picture is looser.
The ACSM position stand on progression models in resistance training for healthy adults gave rest guidance by goal. For intermediate to advanced lifters it listed 3 to 5 minutes between heavy strength sets, 1 to 2 minutes for hypertrophy (muscle growth), and under 90 seconds for muscular endurance. The abstract gives no novice rest period.
How often you lift matters alongside rest, and how much strength training you need each week covers that side.
What did the 2016 study of 1-minute and 3-minute rests find?
The 2016 trial by Schoenfeld and colleagues found that 3-minute rests produced greater strength and thigh muscle gains than 1-minute rests in 21 resistance-trained men over 8 weeks. It is one of the most cited rest-interval studies, but it is also small and limited to one kind of participant.
Published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the study randomly assigned 21 men with resistance training experience to a short group (1-minute rests) or a long group (3-minute rests). Everyone trained 3 days per week with full-body workouts: 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetition maximum on 7 exercises.
The long group improved more in 1-repetition-maximum squat and bench press, and in anterior thigh muscle thickness measured by ultrasound. Triceps thickness trended the same way (p = 0.06) but did not reach statistical significance. Both groups improved upper-body muscle endurance to a similar degree. Twenty-one young men over 8 weeks is a small sample, so one trial cannot settle the question.
Does rest between sets change muscle growth?
Rest between sets appears to matter little for muscle growth once rests are longer than about 60 to 90 seconds, according to reviews, though the studies are limited. Shorter rests have not been shown to build more muscle, despite a long-held belief that they do.
A 2014 review in Sports Medicine by Henselmans and Schoenfeld looked at long-term studies and found none in which shorter rests produced more muscle growth than longer rests, and one found the opposite. The authors noted that rests under 1 minute acutely raise growth hormone, but that the link between short-lived hormone changes and lasting muscle growth is debated and appears weak.
A 2024 systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (Singer and colleagues) pooled 9 randomised studies. Results varied widely between studies. The authors suggested a small benefit for rests longer than 60 seconds, possibly because longer rests preserve training volume, and no appreciable difference beyond 90 seconds. The pairwise estimates for arm and thigh favoured longer rests but their intervals crossed zero, so the benefit is uncertain.
Myth vs fact
Myth: You must keep rests under a minute to build muscle.
Fact: Long-term studies have not shown that shorter rests build more muscle than longer ones. Reviews found no clear advantage for very short rests, and the evidence overall is limited.
How does your goal change your rest time?
Your goal shapes a sensible rest range: longer rests tend to suit maximal strength, moderate rests suit muscle size, and shorter rests suit endurance work. The table below separates what comes from studies and guidelines from what is general practical advice.
Beginners deserve a note. The 2018 systematic review by Grgic and colleagues (23 studies, 491 participants, rated good or moderate in quality) concluded that for untrained people, rests of 60 to 120 seconds appeared sufficient to maximise strength gains. For resistance-trained people, rests longer than 2 minutes appeared necessary to maximise strength. The same review found that robust strength gains can occur with rests under 60 seconds.
| Goal | Typical rest approach | Strength of evidence | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximal strength (trained lifters) | Longer than 2 minutes, up to 3 to 5 minutes | Moderate: a systematic review plus one small trial, mostly young men | Studies and guidelines (Grgic 2018, Schoenfeld 2016, ACSM 2009) |
| Strength (beginners) | About 60 to 120 seconds | Limited: pooled from small studies | Studies (Grgic 2018) |
| Muscle size | About 1 to 2 minutes is common; longer than 60 seconds may help slightly | Mixed: small effect, wide uncertainty | Studies and guidelines (Singer 2024, Henselmans 2014, ACSM 2009) |
| Muscular endurance | Under 90 seconds | Guideline only: not tested here | Guidelines (ACSM 2009) |
| General fitness with limited time | Rest until you can repeat the set with good form | General advice, not a study finding | General practice |
Luna Band
See how long your gym sessions actually run
Luna Band does not time your rests between sets. It can log a session with its workout modes, and show session length and your heart-rate zones, so you can compare how long your workouts really take when you change your rest habits. Luna reports 96.5% heart rate accuracy against a Polar chest strap (company-reported), and also states that no sensor is right for every body in every moment.
Why do short rests make your sets harder?
Short rests make sets harder because muscles have had less time to recover, so you usually manage fewer repetitions or a lighter load on later sets. That lost work, called volume, is one plausible reason longer rests sometimes show small advantages in studies.
A 2023 randomised, counterbalanced study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Rosa and colleagues) compared 1, 2 and 3-minute rests on Smith machine squats and leg extensions. Longer rests had a small positive effect on repetition performance, with the biggest gain between 1 and 2 minutes and a trivial difference between 2 and 3 minutes. Longer rests also meant lower perceived discomfort. The abstract does not state the sample size.
Are supersets a good way to save time?
Supersets, which pair two exercises back to back, can shorten a workout without clearly reducing results, but they feel harder. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Sports Medicine (Zhang and colleagues, 19 studies, 313 participants) found similar total repetitions and volume load, with shorter sessions.
Strength, endurance and muscle size did not differ significantly from traditional sets, while blood lactate and perceived exertion were higher. Pairing opposing muscles, such as a push and a pull, kept more volume than pairing similar movements.
If recovery between workouts is a worry, how many rest days you actually need is a useful companion read.
How can you test two rest lengths yourself?
You can test two rest lengths yourself by using one rest time in week one and another in week two, while keeping exercises, loads and sets the same.
Two weeks is too short to see real changes in muscle or strength, as how long until you see results from strength training explains. What you can compare is how the sessions feel, how many reps you complete and how long you spend in the gym.
Try this: 2-week rest test
- Pick one workout you already do, with 3 to 4 main exercises and the same weights both weeks.
- In week one, rest about 60 to 90 seconds between sets. In week two, rest about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a phone timer for all rests.
- For each exercise, write down the reps you completed on every set, and note whether form held up.
- After each session, rate how hard it felt from 1 to 5 and write the total session length in minutes.
- If you use a fitness tracker, note your session length and time in each heart-rate zone as well. A tracker will not time your rests, so keep the phone timer.
- After two weeks, compare reps, effort rating and session length. Choose the rest that keeps your reps steady at a session length you can keep up.
| Week | Rest between sets | Reps on 3 sets of squats | Effort (1 to 5) | Session length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1, session A | 60 to 90 seconds | 10, 8, 7 | 4 | 45 minutes |
| Week 2, session A | 2 to 3 minutes | 10, 10, 9 | 3 | 60 minutes |
Who should be careful, and when should you see a clinician?
People who are new to exercise, have a medical condition or have not exercised in a while should speak to a GP before starting resistance training, according to the NHS.
Which warning signs need medical attention?
The NHS says to call 999 for sudden chest pain that does not ease, especially if it spreads to the arm, neck, jaw or back, or comes with sweating, nausea, light-headedness or breathlessness. Chest pain that comes and goes but worries you should be checked by a GP.
For joint pain, the NHS advises seeing a GP if pain disrupts daily life or sleep, keeps returning or has not improved after two weeks of home treatment. Urgent help is advised for a hot, swollen joint or joint pain with fever, and emergency care for severe pain after an injury or if you cannot put weight on the joint.
Frequently asked questions
Is 30 seconds enough rest between sets?
Probably for light, endurance-style work, but often not for heavy sets. The ACSM 2009 stand lists under 90 seconds for endurance training. Rests that short tend to cost reps on later sets.
How long should beginners rest between sets?
About 60 to 120 seconds appears sufficient for beginners to gain strength, according to a 2018 systematic review. If you are new to exercise or have a medical condition, check with a GP first, as the NHS advises.
Do longer rests build more muscle?
Possibly a little, but the evidence is uncertain. A 2024 meta-analysis suggested a small benefit for rests longer than 60 seconds, with no appreciable difference beyond 90 seconds. Wide uncertainty remained, so treat it as a hint rather than a rule.
Is it okay to rest more than 3 minutes?
Yes, for heavy strength work. The ACSM 2009 stand lists 3 to 5 minutes for heavy sets in intermediate and advanced lifters. A 2023 study found only trivial differences in reps between 2 and 3 minutes, so longer is not always better.
Should I rest between supersets?
Usually a short rest after completing both exercises is sensible. The 2025 meta-analysis found supersets give similar outcomes in shorter sessions, but with higher perceived effort and lactate. If your form slips, take extra rest.
Does a heart rate monitor tell me when to start my next set?
Not reliably. The studies here used timed rests or rep performance, not heart rate, and no guideline cited here uses a heart-rate target between sets. Your reps and form are a better signal for the next set.
Final thoughts
Here is the short recap.
- Longer rests of 2 to 3 minutes or more seem to help heavy strength work in trained lifters, but the evidence is small and mostly in young men.
- For muscle size, rests beyond about 60 to 90 seconds show little extra benefit, and very short rests have not been shown to build more muscle.
- Supersets can save time at a higher effort, and anyone new to exercise or with a medical condition should check with a GP first.
Your turn: How long do you usually rest between sets, and have you ever tested a different rest time? Tell us in the comments.
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Sources and further reading
- Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016.
- Henselmans M, Schoenfeld BJ. The effect of inter-set rest intervals on resistance exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy. Sports Medicine, 2014.
- 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.
- 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.
- Rosa A, Coleman M, Haun C, Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ. Repetition Performance, Rating of Perceived Discomfort, and Blood Lactate Responses to Different Rest Interval Lengths in Single-Joint and Multijoint Lower-Body Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2023.
- Zhang X, Weakley J, Li H, Li Z, Garcia-Ramos A. Superset Versus Traditional Resistance Training Prescriptions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2025.
- American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009.
- NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. nhs.uk, accessed 2026.
- NHS. Chest pain. nhs.uk, accessed 2026.
- NHS. Joint pain. nhs.uk, accessed 2026.
Keep reading
General information only, not medical advice. It does not replace guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Speak to one about any health concern.