A 9-Study Meta-Analysis Suggests the Optimal Rest Time Between Sets

Resting one to 2 minutes between sets could possibly be effective for promoting hypertrophy.

Last updated on May twenty eighth, 2024

Rest time between sets is a vital but often under-considered aspect of resistance training. Sufficient rest time between sets allows neuromuscular system recovery to maximise workout performance and results.

Dr. Mike Israetel, Ph.D. in Sport Physiology, discussed a meta-analysis led by Dr. Milo Wolf, Ph.D. in Sport Science, examining inter-set rest times’ effects on hypertrophy. Check out the findings below: (1)

The meta-analysis synthesized findings from nine studies that included various muscle groups (lower body, arms, whole body). Each study maintained an equivalent volume load across groups, ensuring shorter and longer rest interval groups performed the identical total work. This was achieved by adjusting the sets, reps, and weights.

Volume & Rest Intervals

Volume load is calculated by multiplying the load lifted by the variety of repetitions and sets:

• Volume Load = Weight x Reps x Sets

The researchers categorized the remainder of the intervals as follows:

• Short — Under 60 seconds
• Intermediate — Between 1-2 minutes
• Long — Between 2-3 minutes
• Very Long — Over 3 minutes

“All rest time groups led to hypertrophy,” said Wolf. “No matter your rest times, you’ll probably experience muscle gains when you train for hypertrophy.” These studies didn’t include super-trained participants or compound high-rep sets.

The research concludes that while all rest times led to some muscle growth, resting for one to 2 minutes between sets yielded the utmost hypertrophy. Conversely, resting for lower than one minute or greater than three minutes resulted in comparatively smaller gains in muscle mass.

Wolf highlights that the optimal rest times may vary depending on the trained muscle group. For instance, legs may profit from longer rest than arms as the previous engages more muscle mass.

Suggested Rest Times

“Rest time isn’t one in every of the variables that’ll kill your gains or create all of the gains on the earth,” said Wolf, who recommends the next rest times for hypertrophy:

• Lower body exercises: 1-3 minutes
• Upper body isolation exercises: 1-1.5 minutes
• Compound upper body movements: 1.5-2 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Rest intervals shorter than 60 seconds or longer than three minutes will not be optimal for maximizing muscle growth.
• Resting one to 2 minutes between sets is right for hypertrophy for most individuals.
• There could also be advantages to individualizing rest times based on the trained muscle group.

References

1. Singer, Alec & Wolf, Milo & Generoso, Leonardo & Arias, Elizabeth & DelCastillo, Kenneth & Echevarria, Edwin & Martinez, Amaris & Androulakis-Korakakis, Patroklos & Refalo, Martin & Swinton, Paul & Schoenfeld, Brad. (2024). Give it a Rest: A scientific review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy. 10.51224/SRXIV.395.