This Is How Long You Should Rest Between Sets in The Gym
The Four Factor Rest Model
How many times have you seen a fitness plan that looks something like this?
“Barbell Bench Press — 3 sets of 10; rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets.”
Not only have I seen a lot of this, I used to write my programs like this.
But why are we resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets? Why not longer? Why not shorter?
After all, if you’re a 400-pound bench presser, you’re going to need a lot more recovery time between sets than a 95-pound bencher would. It’s just way more work, and therefore requires way more recovery.
Here’s another consideration: Maybe you have a six-week block of training mapped out. During week one, you’re working hard but staying about 3 reps or so away from failure. During week six, maybe you’re taking each set to full blown, eye-popping failure.
Won’t you likely need more time to recover between the eye-popping sets than the just slightly difficult ones?
Assuming building muscle is the goal, “2 to 3 minutes” between sets might serve as a decent starting point or general guideline, but exactly how long you should be resting is highly individual.
