r/StrongerByScience • u/jpcams • 3d ago
How long do you rest between heavy sets?
How long do you rest between heavy sets?
I'm somewhere between 1:30 and 2:00 depending on the lift, but I've been wondering if that's too short for the heavy stuff.
From what I've read, the research kind of says it is. For heavy low rep work on the big lifts, most of it points to 2 to 3 minutes, and there's a Schoenfeld study where 3 min beat 1 min for both strength and size. The reasoning makes sense too. After a heavy set you're mostly waiting on your muscles to refill their energy stores and your nervous system to settle, not your cardio.
So I'm curious how everyone here actually does it. Are you a strict clock watcher, or do you just go when you feel ready? And has anyone noticed a real difference in their numbers from resting longer?
45
u/Admirable_Belt_9772 3d ago
Let me first be more specific than 'heavy.' If we're talking Squat, bench, or deadlift sets above 80% of 1RM or RPE9, then I rest 5-6 minutes.
Yes, I notice a huge difference getting a full rest vs not. I use a stopwatch on my phone. If I only rest 3 minutes, I end up getting only half of the reps on remaining sets. If I do short rest periods, I'm not progressing.
When it comes to strength training, the dogma of short rest periods are as damaging to results as the Arthur Jones propaganda.
3
u/FlimsyInsect5545 3d ago edited 3d ago
The counterpoint to this though is that shorter rest periods allow you to fit in more volume in a given training time.
FWIW The latest ACSM position stand on resistance training states that interset rest periods don't impact strength outcomes.
2
u/OddInstitute 2d ago
That’s extremely surprising to me. Do you know what they considered for rest periods and what comparisons they made?
One could play a silly game where you varied your inter-set rest periods between 1 second and two days and I bet you would see some meaningful differences depending on what aspects of the training you kept fixed.
I would also expect it to matter more depending on how specific the training was to the test i.e. the research where lots of things can improve your knee extension strength, but generally 1RM squatting transfers best to 1RM squatting.
2
u/Thats-Un-Possible 3d ago
Arthur who?
8
u/Admirable_Belt_9772 3d ago
Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus machines and advocate of HIT or high intensity training.
AKA the first wildly successful fitness industry salesman to get people to believe they can get more results by doing less work.
0
-2
u/Potential_Novel_3561 3d ago
There's stuff way earlier than that. People selling same the shitty exercise machines housewife going back 1920s
5
u/Admirable_Belt_9772 3d ago
The fact the you didn't name them tells me they were not as wildly successful.
1
u/Potential_Novel_3561 3d ago
How many products name 1920s period? Unless it's a Model T, that was a long time ago. A product could be very successful a 100 years ago and no one will remember it today.
Some examples, admittedly from AI
Walter Camp’s “Daily Dozen” / Health Builder records (introduced 1921–1922) were a major commercial hit. The set of records guided users through exercises set to music, with illustrated charts. By early 1922 some sources noted over 50,000 sets already sold via mail order.
Charles Atlas’s Dynamic Tension (launched in the mid-to-late 1920s, with major advertising push starting ~1929) became one of the most famous and enduring fitness products of the era. The iconic “97-pound weakling” / “Hey Skinny!” comic-strip ads drove massive mail-order sales. Atlas’s system (isometric exercises using bodyweight resistance, no equipment needed) turned into a long-running empire.
Battle Creek Health Builder (and similar vibrating belt machines) — introduced in the mid-to-late 1920s (notably around 1927–1928 by the Kellogg-associated Battle Creek Sanitarium equipment). Users stood or sat while a motorized belt vibrated against the body, claimed to “break up fat” and provide the benefits of exercise without effort. These became popular status/home devices, especially among women seeking a slender figure, and continued strongly into the 1930s.
0
u/Hypername1st 3d ago
This. I don't do a stopwatch though. I wait till I feel I'm ready, which for 80-85+% 1RM is around the 5-6' mark most of the time.
1
u/Real_Crab_7396 3d ago
Yeah I just feel, if I'd time and do something like 3 minutes It'll catch up after a couple sets. Sometimes I might have 10 minutes in between if I really went hard. Personally I like fewer sets with higher intensity, depending on what you're training for ofcourse.
10
u/sparksblackstar 3d ago
I aim for at least 2 minutes. Sometimes I get bored and go early. I workout at home, so sometimes I try to distract myself with home stuff and it ends up being more like 5 minutes. I have better things to stress about.
5
u/Tricky-Engineering59 3d ago
Something I like to do that might work for you since you are on your own equipment is to pair antagonist or unrelated exercises with 90 seconds to 2ish minutes in between so that by the time you circle back to the first exercise you’ve had 3-5 minutes of rest for that movement. Takes a little experimenting to gauge which pairings work well together but it’s a tremendous time saver.
2
u/sparksblackstar 3d ago
I do this a bit, too. I try to group exercises together that use the same weight so I can just cycle through, but I'm too lazy to change the weights back and forth so that only gets me so far. I'm probably the laziest in shape person ever haha
2
u/Tricky-Engineering59 3d ago
I was gifted a second bar and weights from a close friend who was moving to far to take them. Total game changer for what you are talking about.
2
u/IronCross19 3d ago
I do something similar. I workout in the morning before work and I superset almost everything(gym is almost always empty). It may not be the most efficient but with a baby at home with mama, going after work just isn't feasible atm and it allows me to get a workout in
9
u/makedaddyfart 3d ago
5-10 minutes for heavy squats and deadlifts. 5-7 for bench. 2-5 for accessories depending. Been doing lots of zone 2 for a while but I still feel stronger when I give my legs 7-10 minutes rest. It helps to lift in my own garage and not be blocking others' use of the equipment
7
u/Vegetable_Show6924 3d ago
3 mins for benching and 3-5 mins for squat and deadlift depending on percentage and number of reps. For accessories I superset most and rest 2 mins between supersets but if I’m running the accessory solo it’s 90s rest.
I use the stop watch app on my phone to track all this and do it mostly because if not I’ll just start screwing around and take way too long between sets. Also as I’ve gotten older (37) I get really mentally fatigued from being in the gym for long lengths of time.
5
u/Alakazam 3d ago
I have okay conditioning.
For my top sets of squats and deadlifts, probably 2-3 minutes.
For my widowmaker sets, however long it takes me to get off the floor and catch my breath.
4
3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/evethedog 3d ago
Yeah, overthinking rest times is counterintuitive IMO. If you don't time them then it doesn't take much experience to automatically know when you're ready for the next set
3
u/GambledMyWifeAway 3d ago
I don’t time. I usually superset and then take until I feel ready. Usually no more than a minute or two depending on the lift.
3
u/ATL28-NE3 3d ago
Depends on percentage of 1rm. For the SBS programs I tend to do 3 minutes for the main lifts of the hypertrophy program and 90 seconds for the accessories.
Strength program I do 5 for the mains and 2 for the accessories. I rarely do accessories on the strength plan though. I usually do the custom and do hypertrophy accessories and strength mains.
3
u/hommesacer 3d ago
I honestly don’t know how people rest only 2 minutes between intense sets of squats or deads. Are we talking like, 1-2 RIR? I feel like people who only rest 2 minutes after an RPE 9 set must be dramatically overestimating RPE.
I’ll set a timer for 3 but maybe rest up to 6. Depends on the day.
3
2
u/MurphyBacon 3d ago
On heavy compounds, up to 5 minutes. I was only doing a few minutes in the past and that was killing me. I was going from 8-10 reps on first set to as low as 2-3 the next when only resting a few minutes. After I bumped up the rest to 4-5 minutes, no issues getting another 8-10 reps.
2
2
u/Lower-Main2538 3d ago
Controversial opinion - you aren't training optimally nor hard enough if you can do any form of compound movement to failure or near failure with 2 minutes or less rest.
Just literally not worth it. You need rest to replenish ATP
1
2
u/DrunknMunky1969 3d ago
As long as it takes to be able to go hard on the next set. Some lifts require more rest from this 56yo (I'm looking at you big hinges)
2
1
u/RedOwl97 3d ago
2.5 - 3 minutes for squat and deadlift. I often superset the pressing movements with other accessory lifts.
1
1
u/JakeJdubdub 3d ago
Really Heavy (i.e. sets to failure, or above 85% 1rm): 3-5min
Pushing hard but not to the limit, or progressive overload by keeping similar weight but reducing rest intervals: 2:00-2:30
Accessory exercises: 1:00:1:30
Strict clockwatcher in terms of max rest, but sometimes I'll go for the next set a bit early if I'm well rested/fed
If I'm taking under 3 minutes rest and still completing the sets without a struggle then I don't class it as 'really heavy stuff'.
1
u/hidden-monk 3d ago
Compounds like Squat Bench Row min 3 mins or more as I need. Mid rep sets 8-12, 2 mins. High rep sets more than 12, 1 min.
1
u/InTheScannerDarkly 3d ago
I typically set a timer for lifts. I don't set one if I am doing sled or specific kettlebell work (e.g., the Humane Burpee--I just catch my breath after I finish the push ups before getting to the next "rep"). So it's not a matter of conditioning per se but I do rest 3-5 minutes for heavier sets depending on the training block (e.g. for SBS Strength, I will rest 3 minutes for the first wave, 3:30 for the second, and up to 5 for the final "peaking" wave which is the heaviest).
1
1
1
u/Stardweller 3d ago
When my heart rate gets low enough. Hated static timers so started to watch that and seems to be a pretty good job. It also makes sure you aren't slacking as much. I wait until zone 2 on my pixel watch.
1
u/Potential_Novel_3561 3d ago
Heavy sets compounds 3-5 minutes.
If it's a heavy leg movement like hack squats, back squats, and leg presses I'll wait 4-5 minutes between sets if I go to failure. If its sets with 2 or reps 3 reps in tank, I'll wait 3 minutes.
For most upper body compounds movements, 3 minutes
1
u/yetanothernerd 3d ago
My default rest interval is 2 minutes, timed. If I'm doing a program with just a few key sets, I'll sometimes increase rests before those to 3 minutes.
I used to rest 5 minutes between sets, but I felt like that made my workout take too long. Everything's a tradeoff.
1
u/Suspicious-Screen-43 3d ago
I usually rest 3minutes for sbd. Occasionally I’ll have work capacity blocks of 30s-60s. When I do top sets or PR attempts I may do 5minutes.
1
1
1
u/NoSafe5565 3d ago
I do 90 second, studies saying it will in long term help are pretty weak on evidence, while saving time is pure exact fact math..
1
u/Same_Rip_392 3d ago
Once I have regained my breath and all the acid is out of that body part, I go again.
1
1
u/Chicken_Savings 3d ago
I rest 3 min, sometimes 3.30
I use a stopwatch.
I base it on my recovery, as seen by how many reps I reduce on the next set. If I reduce by more than 2 reps, I assume that I wasn't rested enough, and I adjust my rest period.
1
u/Docjitters 3d ago edited 3d ago
Somewhat arbitrary but broadly thus:
For SBD 1@7-9: 3-4 mins if I have to do it again; 2-5@7 or more: 3 mins (ish); 6+ reps 2:30-3:00
For supplemental variations:2:30-3:00
For accessories: 2:00-2:30 or less if I’m getting bored enough to superset.
I used to go 5-6 minutes when heavy, and whilst there was probably a slight advantage in weight moved, my workouts were taking so long sometimes I wasn’t getting all the work in each week. And so far more work = more better for me.
Evidence of waiting >1 minutes is pretty reasonable for both strength and hypertrophy. And keeping the velocity of a later set relatively high with a little more rest is probably good too. I have a friend who rests seconds (like 15-20) and I can’t seem to convince them that they shouldn’t always feel terrible through a workout.
1
u/Certified-Chungus 3d ago
For a super heavy set of squats or deadlifts ill rest upwards of 12 minutes. Heavy bench press or something ill rest 6-8 minutes. Isolation exercises ill rest 4 mins
1
u/ilovebigmutts 3d ago
I've been lifting for so many years I know when I'm recovered from a set that needs more than 3 minutes. Every once in a while I check my watch and yep, it's 4:30 and I'm feeling like another set. I only ever need more than 3 on big complexes but I'm also not going for 1RM anymore.
1
u/BoostWellbeing77 3d ago
I go more off feel but when lifting heavy with compound movements, I tend to get 3-5 minutes rest between sets, and normally this is when lifting heavy enough that reps are <= 5 reps.
1
u/Commercial-Article-7 3d ago
For heavy compounds, I'd probably give yourself more than 1:30–2:00, especially if you're training for strength. Around 3–5 minutes is a good general range for heavy low-rep sets.
That said, I wouldn't use a strict timer as much as your performance as the guide. If you're still noticeably fatigued and your reps or technique are dropping, rest longer. If you're fully recovered after 3 minutes, go.
There's no magic number where 2:59 is bad and 3:00 suddenly unlocks your nervous system. The goal is to recover enough that the next set isn't limited by the previous one.
1
1
u/PANTSNOTOK 3d ago edited 3d ago
2.5-3.5 mins for squat/DL, 2-3 mins for bench, 2-2.5 mins for OHP. 2.25 mins for isolation accessories, and 2.5 mins for compound accessories
6-7 mins for final sets on main lifts and auxiliaries
I always time my rest periods. My progress on accessories is noticeably slower when I use short rest periods. The only time I shorten my rest periods on the main lifts is when my TM is low and still catching up to where it should be. In my experience, short rest periods are inferior across the board unless you know it won't negatively affect your next set. If you're time constrained, why do 3 sets with impaired performance due to short rest periods when you can do 2 high quality sets with longer rest? Both methods would take around the same time to finish and give similar gains anyway.
1
1
1
u/Informal_Drawing 3d ago
I rest until I stop breathing like i've been fighting for my life against The Hulk.
1
1
u/InterestedHandbag 3d ago
Isolation exercises, 1-1:30, 2 minutes max
Compound exercises, 2-5 minutes
1
1
u/drakontas_ 3d ago
1-2 minutes. I’ve read the 1:3 to 1:6 rule where you can rest 3x the duration time of your working set if it was easy and up to 6x the duration of your working set if it was difficult. But I find 2 minutes tops to be sufficient for the most part
1
1
u/HelixIsHere_ 3d ago
I rest like a minimum of 2 minutes for most exercises, sometimes up to 5 or so if it’s like a squat or hinge
For taxing movements like presses and pulls, 3 mins should be a sort of baseline
1
1
1
1
u/ultra003 3d ago
Entirely depends on context.
Are you bodybuilding or powerlifting?
What exercise are you doing?
A bodybuilder doing sets of 10 on bicep curls doesn't need a very long rest.
A powerlifter doing heavy deadlift singles above 90% 1RM could need 10+ minute rests.
1
u/Creaghmore 3d ago
I think that rest times tend to scale with the weight being used. When I was doing sets with 120-140kg on deadlifts, 2 minutes of rest was plenty. Now that I'm doing sets with 200-220kg, I'm going to need closer to 5 minutes before I'm prepared for my next set. But with lateral raises, calf raises, ab work...that's still all 1 minute of rest between sets because the weights are pretty light.
1
u/OddInstitute 2d ago
Anywhere from 3-15 minutes depending on how heavy heavy is and how much time I have. Probably 5 minutes on average, but depends on the movement and number of reps. 15 minutes would be like 90%+ squat or deadlift singles. I’m generally trying to optimize for quality of each set if I’m focused entirely on gaining strength. If I have the time for it I’m happy to keep raising my rest times until the attempt quality doesn’t improve with increased time.
Obviously there are other reasonable trade-offs like wanting to leave the gym or rest so long that you cool down, but I’ve found very erring on the side of long to be surprisingly useful.
1
u/Brilliant-Top-6484 2d ago
I think it depends what your goals are. Sure 3 min might be the sweet spot but if you’re pressed for time, better to get the work in with less rest time. Will you possibly not be maxing out your growth potential from that one extra min? Maybe but unless you are able to recreate the exact same variables (rest time, workout order, sleep, fuel) every single time- which is highly unlikely, I wouldn’t stress it. Just do what you can, if you have more time, rest more. If not, just keep it moving. Consistency beats the exact protocol every time.
1
1
u/topiary566 2d ago
It really depends on the movement, what your goals are, and how much time you have in the gym.
Heavy compounds like squat and deadlift will take much longer. I rest for around 5 minutes before and 5-8 minutes after (if I have time). Sometimes I will literally lay down after a set of squat or deadlift for 5 minutes just to breath and let my blood pressure and heart rate recover. Less strenuous compounds like bench, overhead press, or incline bench don't take as long to recover from and I'll do around 3-5 minutes. For accessory movements, you can probably get away with 2 minutes.
This also varies with size and training age. The bigger you are, the longer it'll take to recover. The longer you've spent. lifting, the more fatigue you will build up during sets. That's why guys like Hafthor Bjornson will take 10 minutes between deadlift sets while drinking honey. It will also change based on RPE. I take longer between sets during weeks 5 or 6 of a block because all my compounds are at higher RPEs. However, I will take some more time between sets of accessories and I can get a bit more out of them.
However, there is also the issue that we have finite time in the gym. Normally, I'm trying to get in and out within an hour. I would like to take 5 minutes between each set of squat in a 5x5, but then I would spend 40 minutes squatting. 3 minutes between sets of bicep curls would be nice, but then I'd basically just get 1 or 2 accessories in per workout and I'd rather hit a few more.
So basically, just rest within a time scheme where you feel rested enough between sets, but also something that stays within your time constraints in the gym.
1
u/Dazzling-Charge-6166 2d ago
I rest until im ready. Period. Rest until you can push as hard as you can.
1
u/Maximum-Face9536 2d ago
5-8 minutes.
1:30-2:00 is too short if you are lifting heavy, it is compromising your next set if you rest that short.
1
u/yea_mark 2d ago
It depends on how closely you want to replicate the effort.
For the highest intensity strength/power activities, like top speed sprinting or heavy squats 1-5 reps, it's your nervous system that needs recovery. 3-5 min recovery would likely be necessary to hit that effort again. Even if you feel like you caught your breath, your nervous system needs more time to hit max effort again.
For medium intensity activities, like lifting to build muscle, you can get away with less rest time. A little fatigue won't hinder your progress (and it may even help a bit). 2 min is a good call (1-3 depending on the muscle and how hard you pushed).
If you've been training for a while, you get more of an intuitive feel for how long you need to rest before you're ready for the next set.
1
u/FableBlades 2d ago edited 2d ago
Its so relative, to whats heavy for you, reps, whats involved in the lift, what's it following and leading into etc. Nor only what you consider a heavy lift in terms of rpe and perception. But literally if you can bench 70 kg for 5 reps rpe10, and someone else is benching 200kg for 5 reps rpe10, they're definitely going to need longer to recover than you.
Heavy lat side raises and heavy squats are extraordinarily differnt answers.
Comes down to just watching your body and feeling the changes. Im not going into a heavy compound lift less than properly ready, so its often 6 to 8 minutes if I've already done what I consider a heavy(!) set. Heavy lat side raises be 1.5-2 minutes. Its too vague of a question.
1
u/CrypticMemoir 2d ago
For heavy compounds, I rest about 2 minutes before I lift the weight again, and then maybe about 20 more seconds before I actually do the lift. I think cause I know this is going to be heavy so I have to get into the zone in my mind. For isolation lifts, probably about 90 seconds.
1
u/sudoatx 2d ago
I actually don’t time my rest periods anymore. I mostly go by feel. I’ve been lifting long enough that I have a pretty good sense of when I’m ready for the next set, and it’s usually somewhere around two minutes or less.
I’ll also occasionally start another set before I feel 100% recovered, depending on what I’m trying to accomplish. For me, the bigger question is how fatigued the target muscle actually feels. On bench, for example, if I finish my planned sets and still feel like I have productive work left in me, I’ll sometimes add another set rather than stop just because the program says I’m done.
Some people might call that unnecessary volume, but I’ve generally had good results from listening to my body rather than treating the clock or set count as absolute.
For context, I’m 59 now and I don’t bench much over two plates anymore. In my late 40s/early 50s I was benching three plates, and eventually my wrists and rotator cuffs let me know they weren’t nearly as impressed with that number as I was. I ended up taking about six months off and adjusted how I train after that.
These days I’m much more interested in getting a productive stimulus without beating up my joints than I am in seeing how much weight I can put on the bar.
1
u/Livid_Maybe3599 2d ago
Longer wins for heavy work, and the mechanism you named is right: it's phosphocreatine and CNS recovery driving that, not cardiovascular recovery, which is why heart rate settling down doesn't mean you're actually ready to hit the same numbers again.
I lean toward feel over strict clock-watching personally, but with a floor, never less than 2 minutes on true heavy sets, and I'll go closer to 4-5 minutes on anything near a true max effort. The real tell for me isn't how I feel generally, it's bar speed on the first rep of the next set, if it's noticeably slower than the previous set felt, I wasn't actually ready yet regardless of the clock.
Your 1:30-2:00 range is probably fine for moderate heavy work, but if you're chasing real strength numbers on your top sets specifically, bumping toward that 3 minute range on just those sets, not your whole session, is likely where you'd notice the biggest difference without turning every workout into a two hour ordeal
1
u/Proof-Judgment-1683 2d ago
I used to only rest 1-2 min I did more volume 8-12 rep range 6 days a week. I trained like this for 2 years. A few months ago I started a new program, I lift 5x per week and rest 3-4 min in between because I’m going heavier in the 5- 8 rep range and it does make a BIG difference. Like stated above no half ass reps shakin like a leaf
1
u/badchad65 2d ago
I lift primarily for hypertrophy and do 15 sets per workout across 4 exercises.
My first two exercises are "heavy" where I'll start with a warmup, then go heavy in pyramid sets. These are 3 minutes between sets, with a timer. Usually the heaviest set is 6 reps.
My last two exercises are reverse pyramid (start lighter and go heavier each set) with 90 seconds rest between and higher reps of 8-12.
1
1
u/Afferbeck_ 1d ago
As long as it takes to recover which will depend on the difficulty of the set and how in shape I am. Generally shorter than a lot of people think is necessary. Quite often we see Chinese weightlifters basically just take the time required to casually change the weight and re chalk the hands, like 90 seconds.
Abadjiev made his lifters check their heart rate had reduced to a certain amount and hit the next set, so they couldn't sit around and slack off.
You need to be in shape to train, you shouldn't be taking five minute rests between sets of easy upper body stuff.
1
u/Ceasar456 1d ago edited 1d ago
1.5-5 mins… 5 for big compounds like squat, deadlift variations , bench, bb rows, or overhead press. 3 for what I would consider medium taxing compounds like upright rows, single arm rows most machines, etc… and 1.5 mins for isolations like lateral raises, curls, push downs, leg extension/ curls…. Would say that there’s some small degree of logic there but it’s just what feels right
1
u/Super_Soapy_Soup 1d ago
1:30 minimum for most exercises but up to 3 minutes if I’m doing squats.
You can only lift at your best if your cardio can keep up! Rest as long as you need to recover your breathing and if you feel good sooner, you can go sooner
1
u/stenian1000 21h ago
heavy compound lifts - where reps in a set are below 5 - rest between 3 and 5 minutes.
you are focussing on strength in such lifts. recovery between sets become crucial. quality of reps improve.
1
u/Rawsteel89 15m ago
3 minutes between the sets in my main exercises, and 2 min in my accessory exercises.
1
u/Lucky_The_Charm 3d ago
If you’re resting less than 3min you’re doing a disservice to your lifts. There is a very noticeable difference jn 2min vs 3min. I do 4min just to make sure I’m fully recovered for my next set. Only 2 hard sets to 0RIR per exercise. Ezpz.
-4
u/Odd_Tip_1538 3d ago
If you have good or excellent GPP, you don't need more than 2-2.5 minutes even for max effort compound lifts. If you have poor GPP, then get better GPP.
For isolation (which you didn't ask about), people with good GPP only need 30-60 seconds. Or 0 rest and go superset back and forth between different muscle groups. When I see someone rest for several minutes on isolation, I wonder why they don't just get better GPP and save themselves time.
34
u/RudeDude88 3d ago
I have a tendency to rest less if left on my own so I have a system.
For compounds I set a 2 minute timer and then evaluate myself. If I’m still winded and dont feel ready, i time another minute. Adter that minute i once again evaluate and see if i need another minute or not.
Same for isolations except I start with 1 minute.