How Much Rest Should You Take Between Sets?

Miranda Arrington
May 1
3 min read

Updated: Jun 20

Whether you’re lifting for strength, building muscle, or pushing your endurance, one variable that’s often overlooked is rest time between sets. At The Impact Initiative Physical Therapy & Performance here in Woodstock, GA, this is one of the first things we coach our athletes on to help them train with purpose — and recover like pros.

So, how long should you rest between sets? The answer depends on your goals.

How Much Rest Between Sets: Why Rest Is Important Between Sets

Rest between sets allows your muscles to recover enough to perform the next set at optimal intensity. Without enough rest, you risk fatigue setting in too early, limiting your ability to lift or perform at your best. Additionally, adequate rest helps reduce the risk of overuse injuries, as your muscles need time to replenish energy stores (ATP) and clear metabolic waste products (like lactic acid) that accumulate during intense activity.

But rest isn’t one-size-fits-all. How much rest you need between sets varies depending on your fitness goals, training intensity, and the type of exercise you're performing. Understanding this will allow you to rest smart, recover faster, and train more effectively.

The Science Behind Rest Periods

1. ATP Resynthesis and Muscle Recovery:

When you perform high-intensity exercises, your muscles use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as their primary energy source. After each set, ATP is depleted, and the body needs time to replenish it. This process typically takes 30 seconds to a few minutes. If you don’t allow sufficient rest, you risk not fully replenishing ATP, which will affect the quality of your next set.

2. Hormonal Responses and Muscle Growth:

Resting between sets allows the body to recover enough for growth. Intense training triggers the release of growth hormones, which stimulate muscle repair and growth. Too much rest can hinder these hormonal responses, while too little rest can prevent muscles from recovering properly, slowing down gains.

3. The Role of Lactic Acid:

Lactic acid builds up in muscles during anaerobic activities and contributes to fatigue and discomfort. Short rest periods may not allow enough time for lactic acid to clear, which can reduce performance. Longer rest periods allow for a more complete recovery, reducing fatigue and improving the quality of each set.

How Much Rest Should You Take?

The amount of rest you need varies based on your training goals: strength, hypertrophy (muscle growth), endurance, or power. Here’s a breakdown of how much rest you should aim for, depending on your focus:

1. If You’re Training for Strength (1–5 Reps)

Your goal is to lift heavy and maximize output. That means your muscles — and your nervous system — need time to recover between efforts.

Recommended Rest:2–5 minutes between sets.

Why?

Allows full ATP replenishment
Helps maintain maximal force output
Ideal for powerlifters, Olympic lifts, and compound lifts like squats and deadlifts

2. If You’re Training for Hypertrophy (6–12 Reps)

If muscle growth is the goal, you want just enough rest to lift heavy while keeping muscles under tension.

Recommended Rest:30–90 seconds between sets.

Why?

Keeps metabolic stress high
Stimulates muscle breakdown and repair
Great for aesthetic goals or accessory lifts

3. If You’re Training for Endurance (12+ Reps or Circuits)

When you're conditioning or preparing for events like Hyrox or DEKA, you're training your body to perform under fatigue.

Recommended Rest:15–60 seconds, or active recovery.

Why?

Promotes cardiovascular conditioning
Simulates event fatigue
Perfect for circuit training and functional fitness athletes

4. What About Supersets or Eccentric Work?

These can change the game. Supersets (back-to-back exercises) may reduce your rest between muscle groups but increase systemic fatigue. Eccentric-heavy training? You may need more rest than you think.

TL;DR: Rest Periods by Training Type:

Training Goal	Rest Time
Strength	2–5 minutes
Hypertrophy	30–90 seconds
Endurance	15–60 seconds

What We Recommend at Our Woodstock Clinic

At The Impact Initiative in Woodstock, GA, rest periods aren’t random — they’re programmed for purpose.

Whether you're rehabbing from an injury or training for performance, we help you:

Understand how rest impacts adaptation
Track your progress
Avoid under-recovery (which leads to plateau or injury)

We’ve worked with everyone from recreational lifters to hybrid athletes. The right rest can make the difference between training smarter and just working harder.