Best Rest Time Between Sets for Muscle Growth

The Old School Myth

For decades, bodybuilders believed shorter rest periods (30-60 seconds) were superior for hypertrophy. The reasoning? More "time under tension" and greater metabolic stress.

Turns out, this advice was partially wrong.

What Recent Research Shows

A landmark 2016 study by Schoenfeld et al. compared 1-minute vs 3-minute rest periods in trained lifters over 8 weeks. The result? The 3-minute group gained significantly more muscle.

Why? Because longer rest allows you to lift more total volume. And volume—not metabolic stress—is the primary driver of hypertrophy.

The Volume Equation

Here's a simple example:

• Short rest (60 sec): 225 lbs x 10, 8, 6, 5 reps = 6,525 lbs total
• Long rest (3 min): 225 lbs x 10, 9, 9, 8 reps = 8,100 lbs total

That's 24% more volume simply by resting longer. Over weeks and months, this compounds into significantly more muscle growth.

Optimal Rest by Exercise Type

Not all exercises are created equal. Here's a practical framework:

Compound Exercises (2-5 minutes)

• Squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows
• These tax your CNS and require full recovery between sets
• 3 minutes is a solid default

Isolation Exercises (1-2 minutes)

• Curls, lateral raises, leg extensions
• Less systemic fatigue, quicker recovery
• 90 seconds works well for most people

Supersets (minimal rest)

• When supersetting opposing muscle groups (chest/back), you can rest less because each muscle recovers while the other works

The Practical Approach

Don't obsess over exact times. Rest until you feel ready to match or exceed your previous set's performance. If you got 10 reps and can only get 6 with shorter rest, you need more time.

RepLog's Auto Rest Timer learns your preferences and can be customized per exercise. It even tracks your actual rest times so you can correlate them with performance.

The Takeaway

For hypertrophy, 2-3 minutes is the sweet spot for compounds. Don't rush. The extra volume you'll accumulate is worth the slightly longer workout.

Your muscles will thank you.