Many times I see people in the gym rushing through their sets with nearly zero rest between sets…

Many times I always see people in the gym taking forever between sets sitting on their phone, talking, the list goes on…

Either of these scenarios are not ideal.

The ideal rest time between sets might be something you have wondered about in the past, and hopefully this helps clear things up for you.

We will start with a baseline of knowledge which is that the heavier you are going on an exercise, the more rest time you should take.

So what does this mean exactly?

Most of your main movements in the gym should be compound movements. Compound movements involve more than one joint being used at once— for example, a squat or push up compared to a isolation exercise such as a bicep curl or Tricep extension.

For example you are using both your shoulder, wrist, & elbow joints during a push up— likewise you are using both your hip joint, ankle, as well as your knee during a squat.

In a tricep extension or bicep curl, your elbow joint is really the only joint involved in the movement.

Why does this matter to rest times?

Typically as a rule of thumb you will be stronger in the compound movements that you will be using more than one joint— this means you will be using heavier weight, therefore taxing your body more during each set.

You typically will also be doing less reps in these compound movements which will force you to fatigue faster as well.

Both of these factors tell us that MORE rest time is ideal for these compound movements typically which will ensure you get the most out of each set.

You will do far better, feel stronger, and have more precise technique resting between 1-3 minutes typically on these heavier, lower rep compound movements. For example, bench press, deadlifts, squats, rows, RDL’s, pull ups, the list goes on.

Now, when it comes to more isolation exercises where you are not using as heavy of weights and typically using higher reps, a lower rest time may be ideal or advantageous. This is all dependent on the program set up itself, but a lower rest time of under a minute to 2 minutes may be ideal.

Now, with these isolation style exercises you can actually often benefit from a lower rest time because it allows you to use lighter weights which will save you from overly taxing your joints & ligaments excessively while still getting a great workout in.

Also, you typically are just not as taxed nor fatigued from these isolation exercises as compared to a heavy set of a compound movement.

With that said, for more secondary or accessory style higher rep compound movements within a program or routine you may choose to use less rest on those specific exercises more like you would for a isolation exercise. This is why it’s highly situational.

With that said, the general rule of thumb you can follow with ALL exercises is that you should be taking enough rest in order to get the most out of your next set. You can apply this to any situation with some critical thinking & intelligence (hopefully haha) which will tell you a lot. You want to ensure you are taking enough rest to feel recovered but you also don’t want to take so much of a break that you feel cold or not ready for the next set.

With that said, supersets & compound sets do have their place. These typically will be reserved in my programming for later in the workout during mostly the isolation exercises. This allows you to use less weight once again for less tax on the joints & ligaments while still fatiguing the muscle immensely. This is also great for maintaining blood flow through the end of a workout to really finish things off nicely.

Supersets & compound sets can be detrimental when done too often or excessively. It you are throwing them in too often you actually can be missing out on potential gains you would be making it you just resting a bit longer or split up the exercises.

Knowing WHEN the right time for those types of specialities can make all the difference. This is where having a customized routine based on your goals, life, schedule, and overall fitness level / experience can make all the difference. If you cannot sustain your plan because it’s too overbearing OR because it does not continue to challenge you enough is a recipe for wasted effort. When you combine this with outside support & accountability it can make all the difference.

If you’d like to optimize your efforts, dial in a plan that gets you results faster but also more sustainably, click the link below & I will be in contract to see if we are a good fit to work together! Looking forward to chatting. Talk to you on the other side.