Systematic Review
How Long Should You Rest Between Sets To Maximize Strength?
LayMed Simplified Version
Purpose:
This study looked at whether the amount of time you rest between sets—your “Rest Interval“—changes how much strength you gain over weeks of training.
Importance:
Rest time is one of the most overlooked “hidden” variables in strength training. If you rest too little, you may not recover enough to lift heavy (or do enough quality reps), which can quietly cap your long-term strength gains—especially once you’re past the beginner stage.
Strength gains come from progressively challenging muscles and the nervous system over time. But to train hard set-after-set, you also need enough recovery between sets to (1) keep performance high and (2) accumulate enough high-quality training volume.
In general, shorter rests can make training feel more “cardio-like” (more burn, more fatigue), while longer rests typically help you keep your reps and load higher—two things that usually matter a lot for building maximal strength.
This was a Systematic Review that searched 5 databases for studies that compared different rest times between sets during resistance training, then looked at strength changes over time.
What they included
23 studies
491 total participants (413 men, 78 women)
The included studies were rated good-to-moderate quality, with no poor-quality studies.
You can gain a lot of strength with short rests—but longer rests tend to be the edge that maximizes strength (especially if you’re experienced).
If you’re experienced (“resistance-trained”):
Strength gains can still happen with < 60 seconds of rest.
But to maximize strength gains, the overall evidence suggests resting > 2 minutes between sets is typically better.
If you’re a beginner (“untrained”):
60–120 seconds of rest seems sufficient to maximize strength gains for most people early on.
To maximize strength, most experienced lifters should rest about 2+ minutes between hard sets.
Therefore, if you’re serious about getting stronger, stop rushing your rest—especially on heavy compound lifts.
Study Strengths:
• Systematic Review design.
• Included studies were generally good quality (none rated poor).
• Clear, practically useful separation between recommendations for resistance-trained vs untrained.
Potential Weaknesses / Limitations:
• Most participants were men, so the evidence base is less balanced by sex.
• Different studies used different programs and strength tests, which can make “one perfect rest time” hard to pin down for every situation. (Common issue in training research.)
Key Figures
Disclaimer: This simplified version is LayMed’s own interpretation of the original article’s text, and may or may not accurately reflect the beliefs, views, or findings of the authors. The original article was published in Sports Medicine.
Citation: Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Skrepnik M, Davies TB, Mikulic P. Effects of Rest Interval duration in resistance training on measures of muscular strength: a Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2018 Jan;48(1):137-151. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0788-x