There are a lot of factors involved in optimizing a training program. How much rest in between sets you should take is one of them that you have to consider for maximum strength and muscle growth.
It’s a common confusion among gym-goers. On one side there are short rest periods of about 1 minute which makes you sweat a lot and give an amazing pump. On the other side, there are longer rests of 2-3 minutes which are not that intense and less taxing for you.
So which one is best for maximum muscle growth? Let’s understand the pros and cons of each case.
Short Rest Periods Between Sets (~1 min)
Some people believe that shorter rest periods are better than the longer ones. The main reason behind that is the ‘burn’ they feel. And more the burn, more the muscle growth.
Really..?
Well, the burn you feel with shorter rest periods is because of high metabolic stress and the formation of lactic acid in your muscles. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get better muscle-building benefits.
However, according to a 2010 meta-analysis done by Dr. Brad Schoenfeld shows that metabolic stress is the major factor in muscle growth. Hence with shorter rest periods, you’ll get:
- More blood flow in your muscles
- Better pump
- More metabolic stress
Does that mean shorter rest periods of about 1 min give better muscle-building results? Well… No.
The Problem with Short Rest Periods…
Though, you’ll feel the better pump and more burning sensation with shorter rests between sets. But another important thing for maximizing muscle hypertrophy is Total Workout Volume.
With a short rest period, you won’t be able to lift as heavy or do as many reps as you would do with longer rest between sets.
Now let’s look at the case of longer rest periods in between sets.
Longer Rest Between Sets (2-3 min)
With longer rest (about 2-3 min) you are able to lift a heavier weight or do more reps in your sets. Hence, with longer rests, you can achieve:
- More total volume
- Lift heavier weights
- Do more reps
However, you may not feel that ‘pump’ or that satisfaction of ‘intense workout’ with longer rest.
So to conclude – with shorter rest periods you’ll get more metabolic stress and with longer rest periods you’ll get more volume and lift heavier.
Now, which one gives better muscle-building and strength gain results? Let’s check out what research says.
What Research Say About Rest Between Sets?
In 2016, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld published a study comparing short vs long rest periods for better strength and hypertrophy results.
In this study, he took 21 resistance-trained individuals and divided them into two groups, and monitor them for 8 weeks. Both the groups trained for 8-12 rep range for all exercises but with different rest periods.
- Group A: Short rest group (1 min rest between sets)
- Group B: Long rest group (3 min rest between sets)
Results..?
After 8 weeks, “the 3 min rest group experienced better strength gains and muscle growth than the 1 min rest group“.
This was because the longer rest group able to lift heavier weights and more total volume as they were more rested and recovered.
Hence, longer rest between sets (2-3 min) gives better strength and muscle building results than the shorter rests (~1min).
Here are some more studies that show the same results.
But Exactly How Long Should You Rest
Now we know that longer rests are better, but exactly how long should you rest between sets? Well, it depends on mainly two things:
- The exercise you are performing and
- The number of reps you are doing
In 2016, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a study showing the effect of different rest periods on different exercises.
That study shows that about 3 minutes rest is important for the compound lifts or multi-joint exercises (squats, deadlifts, etc). On the other hand, up to 2 minutes rest is enough for isolation exercises or single-joint exercises (dumbbell curl, chest flies, etc).
However, if your primary goal is to gain strength and lifting super heavy weight for low reps (3-5), then you can go for up to 4 or even 5 minutes for heavy compound exercises. Whereas, for isolation exercises and other simple exercises, 2 minutes rest is still optimal.
Remember, don’t take too much rest (more than 5 minutes). This can cool down your muscles and may have a negative impact on your performance.
SUMMARY: For compound movements: 3 min rest and for super heavy weight: up to 4-5 minutes. For isolation exercises: 2 min rest is enough.
Is Shorter Rest of Any Use?
Though, longer rest between sets gives better muscle building and strength gain results. But that doesn’t mean shorter rests are useless.
You can use shorter rest periods (about 45-90 seconds) to increase muscular endurance. In simple terms, increasing muscular endurance means making your muscles more fatigue resistance.
You can do that by lifting light to moderate weight for 15-20 reps with a rest period of 45-90 seconds. This type of training makes your body more efficient at clearing lactic acid hence making them more fatigue resistant. (Researched by Donovan & Brooks)
How To Incorporate This In Your Workout Routine
Here’s an example of chest and biceps workout with optimal rests between sets for muscle growth:
Barbell bench press: 4 sets of 5-8 reps (3 min rest b/w sets)
Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps (2-3 min rest b/w sets)
Dumbbell flies: 3 sets of 10-15 reps (1.5-2 min rest b/w sets)
Barbell Curls: 3 sets of 6-12 reps (2-2.5 min rest b/w sets)
Hammer curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps (1.5-2 min rest b/w sets)
For major compound lifts with super heavy weights, longer rest periods are used. Whereas, for isolation movements with moderate to heavy weights, slightly shorter rest periods are used.
Remember, this is just an example to demonstrate how you should design a workout protocol with optimal rest periods. Though you can decide the number of sets and exercises as per your goal and body type. For more references, check the articles below:
Read More: How Many Exercises Per Workout Should You Do?
Read More: How Many Sets To Maximize Muscle Gain?
CONCLUSION
Though shorter rest periods will give you more pump, more burn in your muscles, and you sweat more. But don’t make these elements a measure of the effectiveness of your workout.
These are just the results of more blood flow and the accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles which can give you the short term satisfaction but not the long term growth.
So for better strength and muscle building results, give slightly longer and enough rest to your muscles as mentioned in the article above, and proved by several pieces of research also.
Thank you for reading so far. I hope it cleared your confusion and you have learned something from it. If you have any queries please mention in the comment section.
