Training · Moderate evidence
Rest Between Sets
Rest intervals of two minutes or more favor strength and hypertrophy in compound exercises; short rest intervals work well when time is constrained.
Systematic review and controlled trial · 2 sources · 2 min
What the studies show
- Rest intervals over 2 minutes were accompanied by greater strength gains in trained individuals.
- Three-minute rest intervals produced greater strength and hypertrophy than one minute in trained men.
- Short rest intervals reduce the number of repetitions completed in subsequent sets.
How Letz applies it
Compound lifts receive 120 seconds when the session is 60 minutes or longer and 90 seconds in shorter sessions; accessory movements get shorter rest.
Numbers derived from this rule
| Parameter | Range | Weight | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rest for compound exercises | 90–180 seconds | 60% | Compound exercises perform better with two minutes or more of rest; 90 seconds is the floor when time is limited.Rest Between Sets · Minimum Effective Dose and Time-Efficient Training |
| Rest for accessory exercises | 45–120 seconds | 30% | Isolation exercises tolerate shorter rest periods without losing quality.Rest Between Sets |
Who it applies to
Resistance training in trained and untrained adults.
Limits
In beginners, 60 to 120 seconds may be sufficient; the response depends on the load, the exercise, and individual conditioning.
Sources
- Grgic et al., Sports Medicine, 2018 DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0788-x
- Schoenfeld et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016 DOI 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001272
More in Training
- Resistance Training, Strength, and HypertrophyVarious training prescriptions improve strength and hypertrophy; heavier loads favor strength, and multiple sets favor hypertrophy.
- Weekly Volume: Sets per Muscle GroupMore weekly sets per muscle produce greater hypertrophy, with diminishing returns; for strength, moderate volumes already capture most of the gains.
- Frequency: training each muscle at least twice per weekTraining a muscle group twice a week is superior to once for hypertrophy; for strength, higher frequency helps primarily because it distributes volume more effectively.
- Load and rep rangeLight and heavy loads produce similar hypertrophy when sets are taken close to failure; heavy loads are superior for maximizing strength gains.