Even if you rest only 20 seconds between sets, you can still get just as strong as someone who rests 2 minutes—as long as you do the same total amount of lifting.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

51

Community contributions welcome

51

Comparison between 20-s and 2-min inter-set rest intervals on changes in muscle cross-sectional area and maximum strength under volume-load-equated resistance training

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

In this study, guys did leg exercises with either 20-second or 2-minute breaks between sets, but they did the same total amount of work either way. Both groups got just as strong, so short breaks don’t hold you back if you do enough reps.

Contradicting (0)

0

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Comparison between 20-s and 2-min inter-set rest intervals on changes in muscle cross-sectional area and maximum strength under volume-load-equated resistance training

Score: 51

DOI: 10.1007/s11332-025-01605-5

Similar Assertions

Even if you rest only 20 seconds between sets instead of 2 minutes, as long as you do the same total number of reps and weight, your muscles still grow and get just as strong.

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92%

You don’t need long breaks between sets to get strong—just do the same total amount of work, even with short rests, and you’ll get just as strong.

51

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88%

If you do the same total amount of weightlifting work, it doesn’t matter much if you rest 20 seconds or 2 minutes between sets—your muscles grow and get stronger about the same either way.

51

0

86%

The strength gains from this study are about what you’d expect from regular weight training—whether you rest a little or a lot—so rest time doesn’t seem to change how much stronger you get.

51

0

85%

If you lift heavy weights with either short or long breaks between sets—while doing the same total work—you’ll get about the same stronger in your leg muscles after 10 weeks.

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83%