Taking a little longer break between sets of weightlifting (more than a minute) might help your arms and legs grow slightly bigger, but the difference is so small it might not even matter in real...

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

2024

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

Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy

Score: 55

DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789

Similar Assertions

Taking a bit more than a minute between sets when lifting weights might help your arms and legs grow slightly bigger, but the difference is so small it might not matter much in real life.

99%

If you're someone who lifts weights regularly, taking longer breaks between sets might help you gain a bit more muscle than shorter breaks—especially if we're using precise tools to measure those gains.

84%

Taking a bit more time to rest between weightlifting sets might help your arms and thighs grow a tiny bit more, but the difference is so small it might not even matter in real life.

82%

The common advice to rest only 30–90 seconds between sets to build muscle might need updating — longer breaks (over a minute) seem to help a little, but not enough to be sure it’s worth changing your routine.

82%

If you rest longer between weightlifting sets (2.5 minutes instead of 1 minute), your arms grow bigger over 10 weeks — even if your strength doesn’t change.

82%