Rest long enough to repeat your reps
About 1 to 2 minutes for most sets, 2 to 3 minutes for heavy compound lifts, and 60 to 90 seconds for small isolation moves.
Training guide
How long to rest between sets
Rest long enough to repeat your reps: about 1 to 2 minutes for most sets, 2 to 3 minutes for heavy lifts such as squats and deadlifts, and 60 to 90 seconds for small moves such as curls and raises. For muscle growth, resting more than a minute gives a small advantage, with no clear extra gain past about 90 seconds.
Shorter rest isn't a shortcut to more muscle: it cuts the reps you can do, and the hormone boost it brings doesn't add growth. This guide gives the rest for each kind of set, what the trials found, and how to save time with supersets.
The short version
For muscle
Resting more than 60 seconds gave a small advantage for growth in pooled studies, with no clear extra gain past about 90 seconds.
Source 1
For strength
1 to 2 minutes is enough for beginners, and experienced lifters may do better with more than 2 minutes on heavy lifts. Across reviews, rest length didn't consistently change strength gains.
Short rest isn't a shortcut
One-minute rests raised hormones briefly but halved the early rise in muscle building compared with 5 minutes, and hormone rises after exercise didn't add muscle in a 15-week trial.
Short on time? Superset
Pairing moves that don't compete, such as a press and a row, cut session time without losing strength or muscle gains.
Source 6
How long to rest: the quick guide
The first three are the rest times in our plans; the others name their source.
Heavy compound lifts, 5 to 8 reps: 2 to 3 minutes
Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses and chin-ups.
Other compound lifts, 8 to 12 reps: about 90 seconds to 2 minutes
Goblet squats, dumbbell presses, rows, pulldowns and lunges.
Source 1
Small isolation moves: 60 to 90 seconds
Lateral raises, curls, triceps extensions, leg curls and calf raises.
Source 1
Near-maximal sets of 1 to 5 reps: 3 to 5 minutes
The 2009 position stand of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests 3 to 5 minutes for very heavy sets, which let people keep their reps up across sets in older studies.
Light, high-rep endurance work: under 90 seconds
Weights of 40 to 60% of your maximum for more than 15 reps (2009 ACSM stand).
Source 8
Beginners, for strength: 60 to 120 seconds
Shorter rests build strength well while you are new to lifting; longer rests matter more once you lift heavy.
Source 2
A rule of thumb
Rest until your breathing has settled and you could repeat your last set's reps. If your reps fall by more than 2 or 3 from one set to the next, rest longer (our suggestion).
Why rest matters
What counts as rest
The time between sets of the same exercise. Between different exercises, rest about as long as the next exercise needs (our suggestion).
Why it changes your results
With too little rest, your muscles haven't recovered, so you manage fewer reps or less weight in your later sets, and the total work falls. In a lab study of 16 young men, muscle protein building over the first 4 hours rose about 76% with 1-minute rests and about 152% with 5-minute rests, though it was similar a day later.
What the evidence says
Rest over a minute: a small edge for growthEmerging evidence
A 2024 analysis of 9 studies (19 measurements, mostly young adults) found a small advantage for growth from resting more than 60 seconds, and no appreciable difference beyond 90 seconds. Whether sets went to failure didn't change this. Only 3 of the studies were in experienced lifters, so the evidence is thin.
Source 1
Trained men grew more with 3 minutes than 1Emerging evidence
In 21 trained men over 8 weeks, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 3 minutes' rest built more squat and bench-press strength and more thigh muscle than the same training with 1 minute's rest.
Source 7
Both short and long rest build muscleMixed evidence
An earlier review of 6 studies found both short (60 seconds or less) and long rests built muscle, with a possible advantage for longer rests in trained people.
Source 10
Strength: mixed evidenceMixed evidence
In 23 studies with 491 people, even rests under 60 seconds built strength well; more than 2 minutes looked best for trained people, and 60 to 120 seconds was enough for beginners. The ACSM's overview of reviews found rests under or over a minute didn't consistently change strength.
Very heavy sets need longerEmerging evidence
For heavy sets of 1 to 6 reps, the 2009 ACSM stand suggests 3 to 5 minutes. A review of 35 studies found 3 to 5 minutes let people do more reps across sets of heavy weights, and gave more strength in longer trials.
Short rest, hormones and muscle buildingEmerging evidence
One-minute rests raised testosterone more than 5-minute rests, yet halved the early rise in muscle building. In a 15-week trial of 12 men, arms trained alongside a hormone-raising leg session grew no more than arms trained without it.
Short on time: supersets
What a superset is
Two exercises back to back, then a rest. Across 19 studies with 313 people, supersets kept the total reps and weight lifted, shortened sessions, and gave similar gains in strength, muscular endurance and muscle size to traditional sets. They feel harder.
Source 6
Pair moves that don't compete
A press with a row, a squat with a core move, a curl with a triceps move. Pairing opposing muscles kept or even raised the reps people managed; pairing two moves for the same muscle cut the weight they could lift.
Source 6
How long to rest
Go straight from the first move to the second, then rest 60 to 90 seconds after the pair, a little longer after a heavy squat pair (as in our plans and workouts).
Other time savers
Drop sets and rest-pause sets also roughly halve training time while keeping the total work. They may suit muscle growth more than strength.
Source 11
Rest by exercise
Heavy squats, bench presses and deadlifts: 2 to 3 minutes. Goblet squats, rows and pulldowns: about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Raises, curls, pushdowns and leg curls: 60 to 90 seconds. Superset the dumbbell press with the row, push-ups with band rows, or goblet squats with dead bugs, and rest after each pair.
3D demoBarbell back squatAdvanced · A barbell
3D demoBarbell bench pressIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box
3D demoTrap bar (hex bar) deadliftIntermediate · Other / check instructions
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoMachine leg curlBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoDumbbell biceps curlBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoTriceps pushdownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoDumbbell bench pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoDead bugBeginner · No equipmentWorkouts to follow
Each move in these workouts comes with its rest: 2 to 3 minutes for the heavy lifts, 60 to 90 seconds for the small moves, and arm supersets with a rest after each pair.
Barbell strength workout
A classic barbell strength session: back squat, bench press, rows, overhead press and deadlift.
50 minIntermediate8 movesA band, A barbell
Upper body gym workout
A gym upper body workout for chest, back, shoulders and arms: bench press, rows, presses, pulldowns, raises, curls and pushdowns.
50 minIntermediate13 movesA band, A barbell
Lower body gym workout
A gym lower body workout for legs and glutes: trap bar deadlifts, hip thrusts, reverse lunges, leg curls, hip abduction, calf raises and core.
50 minIntermediate13 movesOther / check instructions, A barbellPush day workout
A push day workout for chest, shoulders and triceps: bench press, overhead press, incline dumbbell press, lateral raises and pushdowns.
55 minIntermediate10 movesA band, A barbellWarning signs
Out of breath between sets?
Some breathlessness after a hard set is normal and should settle during your rest. If it doesn't settle, or you feel dizzy or faint, stop for the day, and see a GP if it happens again (our suggestion).
Call 999 now (911 in the US)
Stop and call 999 for:
- Chest pain that feels tight, heavy or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back.
- Chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness, or with a racing, slow or fluttering heartbeat.
- Someone fainting while exercising.
Get help the same day
Call NHS 111 (in the US, your doctor or urgent care) for a headache brought on or made worse by lifting, straining or bending down. Call 999 if a headache starts suddenly and is extremely painful.
Source 15
Myths
"Rest 30 to 60 seconds for the hormone boost"Emerging evidence
Short rests were once recommended for muscle because they raise hormones. But hormone rises after exercise didn't add growth, one-minute rests blunted muscle building, and resting more than a minute gave a small advantage for growth.
"Longer rest is lazy"Emerging evidence
For heavy lifts, 2 to 3 minutes, or 3 to 5 for near-maximal sets, keeps your reps and weights up. Trained men gained more strength and muscle with 3 minutes than with 1.
"Supersets are only for burning fat"Emerging evidence
Pairing moves that don't compete gave similar strength and muscle gains to traditional sets while saving time.
Source 6
Read next
Questions people ask
How long should I rest between sets?
About 1 to 2 minutes for most sets, 2 to 3 minutes for heavy compound lifts, and 60 to 90 seconds for small isolation moves. Rest long enough to repeat your reps.
How long to rest between sets for muscle growth?
More than 60 seconds gave a small advantage for growth, with no clear extra gain past about 90 seconds. In trained men, 3 minutes built more muscle than 1 minute.
How long should I rest between sets for strength?
One to 2 minutes is enough for beginners, and experienced lifters may do better with more than 2 minutes on heavy lifts. For near-maximal sets of 1 to 5 reps, rest 3 to 5 minutes.
Is shorter rest better for building muscle?
No. Short rest raises hormones briefly but cut the early rise in muscle building in a lab study, and the hormone rise doesn't add growth. It also means fewer reps in your later sets.
Can I rest too long between sets?
Rest beyond about 90 seconds didn't add muscle growth, so very long rests mainly cost time. For heavy lifts, 3 to 5 minutes is fine.
How long should I rest between sets of push-ups?
The same rules apply: 60 to 90 seconds for most bodyweight moves, longer if your reps drop a lot from set to set. For hard versions you can only do a few reps of, such as pull-ups, about 2 minutes is reasonable.
What is a superset, and does it work?
Two exercises done back to back, then a rest. Pairing moves that don't compete, such as a press and a row, saved time with similar strength and muscle gains in 19 studies. Avoid pairing two moves for the same muscle, which cuts the weight you can lift.
How long should I rest between sets to lose weight?
Rest length makes little difference to fat loss; your total activity and eating do. Supersets and circuits save time and use a little more energy during the session. Our weight-loss guide covers the rest.
Should I rest between different exercises?
Yes, about as long as the next exercise needs. Before a heavy lift, a lighter warm-up set helps; our warm-up guide has the detail.
Is it normal to be out of breath between sets?
Some breathlessness after a hard set is normal and should settle within your rest. Breathlessness that doesn't settle, chest pain or feeling faint means stop, and get help.
Sources
- Singer 2024 · Rest between sets and muscle growth: 9 studies (Bayesian meta-analysis, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living)
- Grgic 2018 · Rest between sets and muscle strength: 23 studies (systematic review, Sports Medicine)
- Currier 2026 · Resistance training for muscle function, size and performance in healthy adults: 137 reviews (ACSM position stand, MSSE)
- McKendry 2016 · Short rest between sets and muscle protein building in 16 young men (trial, Experimental Physiology)
- West 2010 · Hormone rises after exercise and arm muscle growth over 15 weeks (trial, Journal of Applied Physiology)
- Zhang 2025 · Supersets vs traditional sets: 19 studies (systematic review and meta-analysis, Sports Medicine)
- Schoenfeld 2016 · Longer rest between sets, strength and muscle growth in 21 trained men (RCT, JSCR)
- ACSM 2009 · Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (position stand, MSSE)
- de Salles 2009 · Rest interval between sets in strength training (review of 35 studies, Sports Medicine)
- Grgic 2017 · Short vs long rest between sets and muscle growth (systematic review, European Journal of Sport Science)
- Iversen 2021 · No time to lift? Designing time-efficient training for strength and muscle (narrative review, Sports Medicine)
- NHS · Heart attack: symptoms
- NHS · Chest pain
- NHS · Fainting
- NHS · Headaches
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.