How long should you rest between sets to grow muscles?
The effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Short rests may be just as good as long ones for building muscle
Common gym wisdom says you need 2–3 minutes between sets to recover and grow. This challenges that idea, showing short rests (≤60 s) can work too.
Practical Takeaways
Beginners can rest 30–60 seconds between sets and still build muscle effectively.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Short rests may be just as good as long ones for building muscle
Common gym wisdom says you need 2–3 minutes between sets to recover and grow. This challenges that idea, showing short rests (≤60 s) can work too.
Practical Takeaways
Beginners can rest 30–60 seconds between sets and still build muscle effectively.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Sport Science
Year
2017
Authors
J. Grgic, Bruno Lazinica, P. Mikulic, J. Krieger, B. Schoenfeld
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you rest less between sets at the gym, you might get too tired to lift as much overall, which could slow down your muscle and strength gains over time.
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.
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.
Whether you take short or long breaks between sets at the gym, both can help you build muscle — as long as you train at least twice a week for a month or more.