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.

Pro

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

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

Contradicting (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

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.

91%

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.

90%

You can do more sets with shorter rests to match the total work of fewer sets with longer rests—and you’ll still get the same muscle growth and strength gains.

89%

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.

89%

Whether you rest for 1 minute or 3 minutes between sets doesn’t make a difference in muscle growth, as long as you do the same total amount of work.

88%