The Study
Increased Neuromuscular Activity, Force Output, and Resistance Exercise Volume When Using 5-Minute Compared with 2-Minute Rest Intervals Between the Sets
This study found that if you rest 5 minutes between sets of leg pushes, you can push harder and do more total work than if you only rest 2 minutes — but it doesn’t prove that resting longer will make your muscles bigger over time.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Taking longer breaks between sets lets your muscles recover better so you can push harder and do more work.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 555 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — doing more work with less fatigue means better muscle growth potential over time.
- 2With 5-minute breaks: 15% more total work done, 17% less strength drop vs.
- 34% drop, 18.7% less muscle activation loss, and lower blood lactate.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research
Year
2024
Authors
Gerard McMahon, Nathan Best, Timothy Coulter, Robert M. Erskine
Related Content
Claims (10)
When healthy young adults perform maximal isometric knee extensions, using a 5-minute rest between sets results in smaller reductions in muscle force and electrical activity compared to using a 2-minute rest.
When healthy young adults perform maximal isometric knee extensions, resting for 5 minutes between sets leads to lower blood lactate levels than resting for 2 minutes, even when the mechanical effort is greater.
Longer breaks between sets during weight training allow for more total weight to be lifted, which increases the mechanical stress on muscles and may promote greater muscle growth.
When healthy young adults perform four sets of eight 3-second maximal isometric knee extensions, resting for 5 minutes between sets results in 15% more total work done compared to resting for 2 minutes between sets.
When healthy young adults perform maximal isometric knee extensions, resting for 5 minutes between sets results in less loss of muscle force compared to resting for 2 minutes.
When healthy young adults perform maximal isometric knee extensions, using a 5-minute rest between sets results in an 18.7% smaller reduction in muscle electrical activity during exercise compared to using a 2-minute rest.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.