How long to rest between sets depends on your goal. Here's what the research actually shows for strength, muscle growth, and fat-loss circuits.
The Fitness RoadEvery set you lift draws on stored energy in your muscles, mainly a fuel system called ATP-PCr (adenosine triphosphate and phosphocreatine), which powers short, intense efforts like a heavy squat or...
The Fitness RoadIf you're training for pure strength, low reps, heavy weight, things like 3 to 5 rep sets of squats, deadlifts, or bench press, rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets. Strength and power work relies almost...
The Fitness RoadThis is where the research has genuinely moved the needle on old advice. For years, the standard gym wisdom was 60 to 90 seconds of rest for hypertrophy, based on the idea that shorter rest creates...
The Fitness RoadIf your training goal leans more toward general conditioning, muscular endurance, or a fat-loss-focused circuit style workout, shorter rest of 30 to 45 seconds, sometimes less, is the more...
The Fitness RoadQuick summary - see the full breakdown in the article.
The Fitness RoadOne of the most common mistakes is using a single rest time for an entire workout regardless of what's actually being trained. A heavy set of deadlifts or barbell squats recruits huge amounts of...
The Fitness RoadWithin a reasonable range, no, and the more common mistake by far is resting too little, not too much. That said, there is a point of diminishing returns.
The Fitness RoadYou don't need to stand there staring at a stopwatch for every single set. A phone timer or a smartwatch works fine for your first few weeks on a new program, mainly to build a feel for what 90...
The Fitness RoadResting the same amount for every exercise. As covered above, treating a heavy squat and a triceps pushdown the same way shortchanges one and wastes time on the other.
The Fitness RoadHow long to rest between sets depends on your goal. Here's what the research actually shows for strength, muscle growth, and fat-loss circuits.
The Fitness Road