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.

Whether you push your muscles to complete exhaustion or stop a few reps short doesn’t change whether longer breaks between sets help you build more muscle.

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

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.

Whether you push your muscles to complete exhaustion or stop a few reps short doesn’t change how much longer rest periods help your muscles grow — the benefit stays about the same either way.

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.