We don't have enough solid proof yet to say if taking short or long rest breaks between sets at the gym makes a real difference in muscle growth.

Resting for 1 to 3 minutes between sets doesn’t seem to build more muscle than resting for 1 to 1.5 minutes — the difference is too small to matter in practice.

We don’t know if resting longer between sets helps people who already lift weights, older adults, or muscles in the chest and back — there just isn’t enough research yet.

Whether you push your muscles to complete exhaustion or stop a few reps short doesn’t change how much rest time between sets affects muscle growth.

Inter-set rest intervals exceeding 60 seconds promote greater skeletal muscle hypertrophy compared to rest intervals of 60 seconds or less, when training volume and intensity are matched.

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.