For most people, this should be enough to recover properly and hit it hard again when your next set comes up. So it’s a good idea to rest a bit longer between sets when you perform compound movements and a bit shorter during isolation lifts.Ī good general rule of thumb is to rest 2-3 minutes between sets on heavy compound exercises and 1-2 minutes on low-stress isolation exercises. On some exercises, you need more rest to recover than others.Ĭompound exercises like the squat, bench press and overhead press are inherently more fatiguing than isolation exercises like the side delt raise or bicep curls. The goal is to adequately rest so you can perform well again on your next set. But exactly how long you should rest between sets depends on the type of exercises you perform. So it’s evident that having longer rest periods is beneficial for muscle growth. Again, this likely was because the long rest group was able to perform more volume. In this research, the group that rested 2.5 minutes between sets gained more muscle than the group that rested only 1 minute between sets.
Most likely because the long rest group was able to handle more volume in their training.Īnother 2009 study had similar findings. After an 8-week training period, the long rest group gained significantly more muscle than the short rest group. Schoenfeld randomly assigned 21 trained males to a 1-minute rest between sets (SHORT) and 3-minute rest between sets (LONG) group. The research supports this.Ī 2016 study led by Dr. If you consistently can perform more volume, you generally also get better training adaptations. So having longer rest between sets allows you to perform more volume in your training. As a simple example, if you rest 45 seconds between each set of your squat, you’ll perform worse than if you rest 2-3 minutes between each set. Having short rest intervals directly impairs the amount of volume you can do in a workout. Up to a certain point, research consistently shows a positive relationship between volume and muscle growth. Volume can be defined as the total of Reps*Sets*Weight you perform per muscle group.
REST TIME IN BETWEEN SETS DRIVER
Training volume is the main driver of muscle growth. So just because HGH or any other anabolic hormone is acutely increased after having short rest periods, doesn’t mean this will translate into more muscle growth. The same holds true with temporary spikes in HGH or testosterone, these mean very little. But we know this isn’t harmful because it’s not a long-term change, it’s just a temporary spike.
Just think about it, cortisol (= stress hormone) and muscle protein breakdown (= breakdown of muscle) also increase after training. Changes in anabolic hormone levels can only influence muscle growth if these changes occur over the long-term. HGH is mostly involved in building up connective tissue (tissue that attaches muscle to bone), not so much muscle itself.Īlso, temporary increases in anabolic hormones do not increase muscle growth. HGH has a weak relationship with muscle growth. Since HGH is an anabolic hormone, increasing HGH by having short rest intervals must be beneficial for muscle growth, right?įirst of all. The idea that short rest periods are beneficial for muscle growth is primarily based on the finding that short rest intervals increase human growth hormone levels (HGH). Now, when it comes to muscle growth, the typical rest recommendations we see that state you should rest 30-60 seconds are mostly based on outdated theories. When you rest longer, you are able to train with heavier weights, which then results in strength adaptations that help you produce more force. So you’ll mostly achieve muscular endurance adaptations if your rest between sets is short.įor strength, the opposite applies. In line with the principle of training specificity, your muscles need to “endure” more if you have rest intervals of under a minute. The rest periods for muscular endurance and strength make sense.
You probably have seen a figure like the one below before on the internet or in an old-school exercise textbook. This will help you make more informed decisions on how long you should rest between sets to maximize muscle growth. With the use of the available scientific evidence, we’ll look into the effects of different rest times between sets.
In this article, we’ll discuss the science behind rest intervals. Some believe you should rest very little to stimulate growth hormone, whereas others rest longer to maximize performance. There are conflicting opinions when it comes to how long you should rest between sets for muscle growth.
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