When performing isolation exercises, people will probably default to a rest period somewhere in this range anyways as they’ll feel like they’re ready to hit an exercise with 100% intention again. Going heavy with only 30-seconds between sets confers more risk than benefit.Ħ0-90-seconds: We typically use this as a range as there’s really no secret difference between 60- and 90-seconds of rest. We typically recommend this rest period with isolation exercises or lighter weights/higher reps. 2019), it’s still a great way to mix things up to continue stressing each muscle.

While metabolic stress likely isn’t the most important determinant of growth ( Wackerhage et al. Let’s cover those next.ģ0-seconds: When would you use a 30-second rest period? These typically aren’t recommended as they won’t allow you to hit each set with 100% intention, but these short rest periods are great for increasing metabolic stress and giving a great pump. This recommendation works for most training, but there are a few scenarios in which we’d recommend specific rest period lengths. For the most part, we typically recommend to simply rest as needed use as much rest as you need in order to feel ready to hit your next set with 100% effort. There’s no rule to rest periods, much like the other 99% of training variables. With that definition out of the way, is there a rule to rest periods? Do you have to rest a certain period between sets? In short, no. It’s important to keep this distinction as we often implement agonist/antagonist supersets there’s really no “set” rest period in the middle of each superset, but we still want sufficient rest before you get back to the first exercise again.

The rest period is simply the amount of time you take between sets on the same exercise/muscle group. What’s the takeaway here? Do you need a stopwatch on you at all times? Let’s discuss. We see many high level bodybuilders swearing by 30-, 60-, or even 90-second rest periods while the research suggests longer periods are more effective for growth.

Rest periods are often a point of contention in training.

Rest time hypertrophy