When wrestlers take 3 minutes to rest between bench press sets instead of 1 minute, they can do more reps, lift more total weight, and move the bar faster in the last few sets — meaning longer breaks help them perform better later on.

After three sets of bench press with only 1 minute of rest, wrestlers start to struggle more — this is the point where fatigue really hits if you don’t rest long enough.

For people who already work out, taking short breaks during leg exercises leads to much better muscle stamina—27% better—than doing sets without breaks, which only improves by 8% after 6 weeks.

When two different ways of lifting weights are adjusted so that the total time your muscles are under strain is the same, both ways lead to about the same strength gains and muscle growth in people who haven’t trained before.

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.

Lifting heavy weights with fewer reps and longer breaks makes your arms stronger and bigger faster than doing more reps with lighter weights and shorter breaks, especially for guys who already work out.