Training FAQ #9: How long should I rest between sets?

[Animal Rep]

As with many things, there are no hard and fast rules. In general, I like to keep things as short as possible, when possible. With heavy compound movements like squats or deads, I might go a couple minutes between sets. For isolation movements, maybe a minute or less. Rest depends on many variables including how you're feeling, etc.

[xman]

in the beging of my work out i got for strength so i rest for like a minute .. but for the second half wen my strength is wasted. i rest for like 30 sec. to get a better pump. that way i increase in stenght . size. and deffinition. but each body type is different!xXx

[Beowulf]

Depends what I'm doing, but usually anywhere from 30-90 seconds.

[HOLLYWOOD2]

ya really it jus depends on how i feel....some days i take short breaks and almost pass out and push myself to the limit....other days im more sluggish and wait a couple minutes...it jus depends

[gsb239]

Like everyone else said here... depends on the day, the exercise, the rep range.

[Shogun Assassin]

in the beging of my work out i got for strength so i rest for like a minute .. but for the second half wen my strength is wasted. i rest for like 30 sec. to get a better pump. that way i increase in stenght . size. and deffinition. but each body type is different!xXx

i usually always just rest 1 minute in between my sets. is this a better option to rest for a minute in the begining and towards the end rest less for a better pump? if i did this i feel like i would need to drop weight or do far less reps... what is everyone's take on this?

[SQUAT or DIE!]

well personally since right now im only concerned with size, i usually rest at least 1 minute, rarely 2 when im absolutely thrashed on squats or deads.. i dont know if it helps, but it gives me soem time to refocus and get back into the mind set.. which i need where i workou, bunch of pansy ass guys.. shameful

[wolfsburg2]

if i am really beat from a heavy working set i wait until my heart slows down and my breathing returns to normal. if it takes more than 2 minutes i will take 5 deep breathes and move on to the next set.

deads, squats, standing military barbell are all good candidates for kicking my ass.

[hayden_28]

i try and aim for around 40 to 70 seconds

[Infinite Fury]

I make sure not to go pass 3mins between sets. When my breathing gets back to about normal then I know it's time. Just don't lose the pump, very important. Actually what helps me the most is psyching up between sets, sometimes you gain more energy than you would recover in 5 min.

[BeachPirate1976]

Seems that most people try & not rest more than 60-90 secs between.

[pain4life]

I go to the gym for that burn, that agonizing pain we have all grown to love in our muscles. The best way for me to accomplish this is to wait 60 seconds, 90 max, between any given set.

[Matt Dickerson]

I rest 5 minutes between sets on my main movement on max effort days. I rest 45-60 seconds between sets when doing speed work and I rest 1-2 minutes between sets on my assistance work. Typically, the more compound or muscles involved in the movement, the more rest I take. On isolation type movements with small muscle groups I rest very briefly.

[Nihility]

i rest longer on coumpounds, and less on isolations


say... compound 1.5-3 minutes, depending on the day

on say, curls i do 45 sec - 1.5 min

[monster99]

Well, the rest periods depends on what your goals are. You want strength? Take 3-5 minutes between sets. But if you're in a shredding phase, shoot for less than a minute. Shorter rest periods equals to more intensity, and better muscle fiber recruitment.

[fernandob]

i try to keep it under a min you dont want to cool down, steching between sets is supposed to help....

[trady1990]

I was actually reading an article on line, supposedly after a set you can rest, but if you want to maximize muscle growth and performance you should do active stretching in between sets for the amount of time you rest. This supposedly works the muscle, but in a different way allowing it to rest. Be sure to only hold the stretch for 5 seconds max.

[Joseph V]

the happy medium for me in general is 1 minute and 30 seconds...because as you wait to hit the weights again your muscles are getting filled with nutrient rich blood..everybodt is different and everybody has different methods in the ways that works for them speicifically...this is what works for me

[utransform]

I usually can't wait to get to the next set but a lot of times I don't want to get to the next set. What does that mean ? I have no Idea. I know one thing nights I have Animal Pump in me are those nights when I can't wait to get to the next set.

Heavy work I usually do about a minute and a half. When I want a real pump to isolate a body part less than a minute. I like to get the aerobic intensity in my work outs. Okay I dont know squat pun intended but this works for me

[jandirigma]

Usually I take just a minute or less to rest specially during isolation exercises. Otherwise, if my breathing gets very heavy or I feel nauseous, I just wait for my breathing to slow down a bit and my heart rate to calm down, perhaps for three to five minutes. However, I like to target one minute rest periods to closely simulate rest between rounds in boxing.