Ever walk into a gym and see people rushing through their workouts, seemingly trying to keep their rest periods as short as possible? It’s a common sight, and some folks even think cutting rest short is the key to faster results.
After all, less rest means harder, and harder means better, right?
Fortunately, when it comes to rest periods and strength training, that’s not always the case.
Here at Nova Strong, we’ve found the opposite to be true. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your strength gains is to simply… rest more!
The Science of Smart Resting: It’s Not Wasted Time
Studies on optimal rest periods consistently show that longer rest periods (3-5 minutes) is often best for strength and power. This doesn’t mean you always need to rest for three minutes, but it highlights that rest isn’t dead time; it’s crucial recovery time for your muscles and nervous system.
You may be thinking, “If I rest that long, there’s no way I’ll get my full workout in,” and I can empathize with that. Fortunately, rest, like most things, is dosage-based in its effects, and after a certain point, we do see diminishing returns.
Additional studies show that resting for at least 90 seconds and ideally 2:00 can improve your set performance and thus your results drastically when compared to resting for just 1:00. Rushing it too much means you’re likely to lift less weight, perform fewer quality reps, and ultimately get a weaker stimulus for growth.
How Long Should You Really Rest? Context is Key!
The ideal rest period length truly depends on the style of training, Training History and the specific exercises you’re doing:
- For Newer vs Experienced Lifters: The stronger you are, the more rest you’re probably going to need. This doesn’t mean that the rest isn’t important to watch; poor rest can still be detrimental to results. It’s just that lifting 50 lbs isn’t going to be as fatiguing as lifting 200 lbs, even for the stronger trainee and therefore won’t need as long for the body to bounce back.
- For Heavy Compound Lifts: Think deadlifts, squats, bench press, or overhead presses. These exercises engage a lot of muscle mass, demand high degrees of effort from your entire body, and are taxing on your nervous system. For these, you are far better off taking longer rest periods, typically closer to 1.5 to 2 minutes, or even longer (up to 3 minutes or more). This allows for sufficient recovery so you can maintain performance and truly challenge your muscles in subsequent sets.
- For Smaller/Isolation Movements: For exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, or calf raises, you might be able to get away with slightly shorter rest periods (think 60-90 seconds). You’re working a smaller muscle group with less overall systemic fatigue, so recovery can be quicker. However, even here, ensuring you feel ready for the next set is more important than rushing it.
For best results, I highly recommend recording your rest and set performance. Many times, I will see a client stagnate on a lift simply because they’re cutting their rest. Sometimes, even though the body and heart rate may feel ready to go, an extra thirty seconds can make all the difference.
Smart Resting: Making the Most of Your Downtime
So, what should you do during those longer rest periods? It doesn’t have to be just standing around! Our coaches often guide clients through “super-sets” or active recovery during this time. This means doing something that doesn’t interfere with the recovery of your lift, allowing you to prepare for the next push.
For example:
- If you’re squatting, your coach might have you perform some light mobility drills (like hip circles or thoracic rotations) in between sets. This helps keep you moving and prepped for the next lift.
- During a pressing session, you may do some pulling exercises that work different muscles and have minimal effects on your recovery.
- Between deadlifts, we may work on balance or skill work of another exercise.
- Going for a PR? Take a full rest with our recovery coach: Coach Bean.
The key is that if you’re doing a hard or heavy primary lift, the secondary exercise should be low-intensity and not negatively impact your primary exercise. It’s about optimizing recovery and adding value, not simply rushing to get more done.
Is There Ever A Reason to Cut Rest
Yes, ultimately, we’re aiming to optimize the type and amount of training stimulus to help you achieve superior results. For our big lifts, it’s more optimal to be rested at the start of each set. For smaller or more isolated exercises, it’s more important that we just get the reps in, even if we’re fatigued.
It’s for this reason that you will see us constantly employ Giant Sets, Timed Sets, or Myo-Reps to help maximize the work done in our supplemental exercises in the limited time we may have left in a session.
At Nova Strong, we tailor your rest periods to your specific goals and the demands of your workout. We’ll teach you when to push the pace and when to embrace the recovery, ensuring every minute in the gym is working for your strength, not against it.
Don’t let the myth of short rest fool you. Embrace smart, adequate recovery between sets to truly maximize your strength, prevent injury, and consistently see better results. Your muscles (and your nervous system!) will thank you.