A typical strength or muscle building workout consists of sets. You lift the weight a certain number of times ("reps"), then put it down for a short rest before going again. But how long should that rest period be? The answer depends on a few factors, including the goal of the workout.
How long should I rest between sets to build muscle?
There are legitimate reasons for powerlifters to wait five minutes between sets of squats, or for calisthenics fanatics to set a timer for 30 seconds before jumping back up for another set of pullups. There’s also a good argument that rest periods aren’t that important to many of us.
The longer you rest between sets, the more recovered you'll feel. But the shorter your rest, the more work you can do in a given gym session.
Choosing the most appropriate rest time for each exercise will help you achieve the best gains in the gym. But the optimal rest time depends on what type of exercise you’re doing and what your goals are. So let’s go over some pros and cons of long and short rest times.
