How Long Should You Rest Between Sets?

[@Gaz_Bajo]

2 - 5 mins depending on the exercise is the sweet spot imo.

[@msstry1]

It's dependent on the individual, I only need 60-150 seconds between sets and if I do supersets it's 1.5-3.5 minutes

[@molt3n412]

​@@msstry1Even on heavy squats? When im squating 200kg for 8 reps i need atleast 5 minutes if i want to hit 8 reps for the next set

[@virtualrealityfitness283]

True

[@s.owen2216]

i do like 20-40 secs damn imma try longer rest

[@NoMomICatntPause]

@@s.owen2216 if you're only resting 20-40 seconds you probably aren't pushing hard enough

[@RowanWalker-j3n]

As a powerlifter, I can say that we rest harder than last time.

[@nacho2529]

than*

[@david-pb4bi]

Rest = strength

[@smarthousetech8593]

​@nacho2529 we got a class monitor here everyone

[@david-pb4bi]

@@smarthousetech8593 Don’t you just hate them?

[@dennisirribarren5848]

@@smarthousetech8593nacho as a teacher: I don’t know CAN you go to the bathroom ?

[@ironman2326]

I'm a physical therapist and Greg has literally got me asking my patients, when they come in, if they "feel better than last time"😂😂

[@allenshadrick22]

You are a legend 🙌

[@branenchristian]

I'm gonna be resting more than last time! Thanks Coach Greg!!

[@donsims1941]

After ACTUALLY timing myself i can tell you 45 seconds of work is an ETERNITY and 60 seconds of rest between sets is the blink of an eye 😂

[@brezelp3137]

you as anabolic gollum at 10:30 hiding in the trunk got me good 😂 great video coach!

[@jamesgausepohl5033]

For those who have endless time to train, this sounds great. For those of us with limited time, dc-style rest pause sets can stimulate growth as well as straight sets. Myo-reps are also a great technique for isolation exercises.

[@TeamYouphoric]

19.638 minutes of rest between sets is optimal.

[@pwfitid]

Bro youve been watching and commenting on coach greg's videos since the dawn of time lmao

[@TeamYouphoric]

@@pwfitid free advertising 🤣

[@Reppintimefitness]

Facts 😂

[@Reppintimefitness]

​@@TeamYouphoricfacts I do the same 💯

[@YounesBerrada01]

No, 19.639 is the correct one

[@autodesksmoker]

I've been resting for 1:15 between sets for years. Will test 2 minutes today to see how things work out. Great vid Greg!

[@jeffk4710]

Thats nuts if i do that the rep ranges go like 10-7-4 in a 3 set workout

[@454Casull]

I, too, have been resting between sets for years. I'll let you know when I do my next set.

[@brianj7027]

Same, I can rest 1 minute and tbar row for 10-12 reps, and repeat. I got very used to it.

[@jagjitkailey5366]

​@@454Casull😂

[@marklouisspark]

@@jeffk4710 We (the ones that rest that short) can complete 3 sets in full only because that's how we've been doing it. Will give this longer rest thing a try. 2mins max for me tho.

[@MaiWhisper]

Does this sound right? I work out at a lightly populated gym. I do five sets which take from 45 to 90 seconds and then I take a 60 second rest. My sets look like this: 1st set 8 reps at heaviest, 2nd and 3rd 10 to 12 reps at -5 to -10 lbs., 4th and 5th 12 to 15 reps at -10 to -20 lbs. A one minute rest feels replenishing enough without my feeling rushed or unrested. Likewise I'm not hogging the machine. In general I'm on each machine for around 10 minutes which I FEEL is short enough to be respectful while long enough to be effective. Also I use machines so I can get closer to failure with higher loads. I started with dumbbells at home but moved to the gym for greater variety and heavier weights. I've never had a trainer, can't afford one, but I love what's happening to my body.

[@muscleandmath2910]

More rest also means more effort and stimulus in each set, meaning you have to do less sets, so your workout time isnt going to double or triple.

[@charlesrosebushes7748]

Yes. I rest 5 minutes or more on heavy sets with high reps on squats for example sets of 12-15 res at 315 or 5-8 reps at 405

[@SyriusStarMultimedia]

Coach, I am about to dip below 200 pounds for the first time in so long that I don’t remember the last month and year that I was below 200 pounds. Last night I was 200.1. At my heaviest I was 245 pounds with a blood pressure of 200/114 and a heart rate of 100+ bpm. Today I ran wind sprints!

[@breadman177]

@@robert5697congrats on the 198

[@SyriusStarMultimedia]

@@robert5697 Thank you brother. I am so happy for you because I know you understand how much better you feel.

[@Maxrepfitgm]

Long enough to check social media, finish a phone call and hog the most used machine 😒 Even better if you're super setting and taking up multiple machines!!

[@TheEliminator1992]

Yeah, no.

[@stanleykowalsky]

I’ve been resting 6 months to 1 year between sets for maximum gains.

[@OnlyHumanRealityShow]

Lmfao

[@pawanvinjamuri5219]

Hahahaha

[@jessicas2379]

Coach Greg saying do what's best for you harder than last time! Makes so much sense what works for you may not work on what the internet says

[@markin1238]

Coach Greg and Chilll had me rollin 🤣

[@jeffreystark75]

Jay Cutler has stated many times,he rests 45 seconds between sets.He says it keeps him in the game and gives him a better pump.I like one set to failure + 1-2 rest pause sets which works for and my mind set(similar to Dorian Yates type training).I like coach Greg and his videos but,when I rest longer,I just have more energy to do more junk volume to get where I want to be(which is the last 4 reps to failure,which recruites the most fibers).Take advice like this as a guide but,after some experience,find what works for.It's that simple.

[@TheGuardianofblind]

Needed to hear this. I time my rests and have figured I need at least 2-2.5 min to be able to lift again with similar intensity, but kept hearing from average looking people how a rest should be 30-60 sec, and felt like I am out of shape. I think it is as Greg says, they don't time themselves and have no idea how short 30 seconds really are, you can hardly catch your breath in that time

[@CraigMayhem]

As Greg mentioned, 2 minutes isn't that long. It goes fast. That's @ what I've been doing for ages and have considered it 'short' rest. It's fairly efficient and doesn't slow down your workout.

[@tomlazoriksuccessfitness]

I think it's purely up to the individual and depends heavily on the exercise(s) being performed. I personally never time my rests

[@nickpartynski1855]

Whenever I do a set with 2-3 RIR, I’ll do a 90 sec rest break Whenever I go to failure, I’ll do 2-3 min depending on the body part I’m training On the final set, I’ll do 3-4 min assuming I went to failure on the set prior

[@_baller]

Lifting weights with short rest periods is called…CrossFit lol, it’s basically cross training, it’s a form of cardio where muscles are used, so it’s good for fighting or wrestling stuff like that, or even moving furniture around lol

[@simplediyr]

Never fails to learn something new. This entire time I thought I was testing to much. I rest about 3-5 minutes between sets.

[@Kevin-pu6bt]

My biggest obstacle is simply the time I have available. Working out before I can go to the office, I only have so many minutes available. If I double my rest time, I risk either being late to work or having to come and work out short. I generally rest for about 1 minute. I do like what Coach Greg says about doing it antagonistic exercises, alternating between chest and back. I might try that one!

[@Kowal351]

Alternating between doing chest and back is indeed one of the most effective ways to make people at your gym hate you

[@charliebartlett5768]

Yeah supersets are definitely the way to go. Saves you plenty of total time whilst allowing your muscles the proper time to recover between each set.

[@Kevin-pu6bt]

@@Kowal351 right??? Fortunately I have access to a gym on weekends where I'm the only one there. I'll have to wait until then to try it 😅

[@ygalel]

Thanks to Coach I learned to alternate exercise between sets so it saved me so much time weight lifting

[@ryanbeyer9078]

I have been doing a system where I measure my sets and rest to the music I'm listening to for years, I try to get in 1 set per song since most songs are between 3-5 minutes and have gotten enough rest to keep my sets in a pretty consistent range, only losing 1 or 2 reps tops per set while consistently getting noticeable progress week over week, only losing progress when I do something stupid that results in an injury

[@sawyertimmerman2722]

This is some top tier greg

[@LaurentBracey-mb8nz]

i love these videos they are filled with knowledge plus greg is funny asf

[@IntoTheOutside000]

Agonist antagonistic super sets can also help correct muscular imbalances. Most people can do more pusg ups that they can do inverted rows. I corrected this by doing my pull first then the push and not fo more push ups than inverted rows even if I can. Eventually my back surpassed my chest and corrected my posture and shoulder mobility. Now I can continue progressively overloading the press without overshadowing the pull in both endurance and intensity.

[@jonmoris9354]

Depends what you want, it comes down to intensity of effort and going to faliure if you do that you will gain, for me rest pause with alot of mini sets with 20sec break is where i gained most of my muscle and great for muscular endurance

[@AbrahamsYTC]

2-4 min rest works best for me depending on exercise/weight. Although half the days I work out with my friend and we do about 1-1.5 minute. Definitely feel that extra 1-2min makes me output 10% more reps & weight per set.

[@porcupinecraig]

Shorter rests actually give me a much better pump. 90seconds is a short time for me. If I rest 3 minutes, I get bored waiting that long and I recover too much. I don't want full recovery. I want to force my muscles to recruit more muscle fiber. So the whole point is to not fully recover from each set. And yes, I do lower the weight sometimes and try to get more reps. It is much more difficult and I get a much better bump and I feel like I have really fried my target muscles.

[@twistedtuningandperformanc7799]

Heavy compound lifts 3-4mins or longer until HR gets in a more normal range and respiratory system.isolation exercises on smaller muscle groups 2mins.atp energy has to replenish so longer breaks are better.

[@bigpapaadam1]

Makes hard to get multiple opinions on this subject. Jay Cutler rests only 30-45 seconds between sets and always went by the pump he had in the gym versus the weights. He said he had a harder time staying pumped if he rested longer. That’s just Jay Cutler’s opinion. I like Coach Greg’s example of if one is using 0 seconds of rest… it’s basically cardio and doesn’t really build muscle compared to resting more in between your sets! If one has super human elite genetics like Jay Cutler, the 45 seconds between sets will work… then again… anything usually works for those with incredible genetics! They just have to stare at the weights hard enough and they grow 😂😂

[@combatcritique]

More rest than last time 💪💪

[@ThePhysicalReaction]

rest as long as you need to remove system fatigue (cardiovascular, stabilizer muscles) , nervous system fatigue (mental), and fatigue in the specific muscle. This could mean 2 minutes for single arm isolation curls. And it could also mean 3-4 minutes for even just 3-6 reps of heavy, paused squats. The single arm curls aren't going to fry your whole body like paused squats are. Any exercise involving axial loading (weight on your spine) will typically need greater rest between sets. Another example is that bent over barbell rows will require more rest than seated cable rows.

[@koleary1798]

If you're cleve with how you programme and make use of supersets or even giant sets you can get all the work done that's required in a fairly short space of time and still give each muscle group the chance to rest. It's also great for conditioning, in a specific lifting context.

[@RS1xT]

Ever since I’ve started lifting, I’ve always listen to my body to assess when I’m ready for the next set. Some days my body can handle less rest breaks(1-2mins), other days my body needs to take the session slow, so I take longer rest breaks (how ever long I need to feel ready for the next set) Still makes gains & look delicious💪🍑😮‍💨

[@DappaInvicta]

"Coach Greg and chill" is gonna be my new pickup line.

[@pierre-davidmoreau]

Always did 30 to 45 seconds but my new coach set me 2 minutes minimum and more like 3-4 minutes for legs i see a huge difference!!!!

[@leelunk8235]

1 MINUTE ONLY..STOP UR BS

[@Dr_Coe]

I time every set and increase or decrease the time based on how well the set goes. generally I rest 90 seconds for a hypertrophy workout and up to 4 minutes if I'm lifting heavy doing a strongman workout; sometimes up to 6 minutes if I'm doing max lifting.

[@DBIIIStudios]

It would be cool to get some cycling content from coach Gregg. Curious about his thoughts on the comparison between Road biking and mountain biking for muscle building and weight loss.

[@idan654321]

Statistical significance isnt only about how large was the change but what it asks is how probable is the change to occure in general, one outlier doesnt disprove the predicting model, thats why statistical significance is more related to the sample size than to the actual change, in a small sample size you beed very large changes to reach statistical significance, but in some of those observational studies where they have thousands of participants, they can reach statiatical significance even if the clinical significance (in other words the real life change) is virtually non existent. In other words, you can have a very meaningful result while having little statistical significance and vice versa because statiatical significance asks how sure you are that the mere existance of change isnt a fluke and not how significant is this change. Edit: btw, it would be a bad study design (i didnt read the study so idk) but its possible that they reached statistical significance in the longer rest group simply because it had more participants, not saying its the case, but if all we have is the statistical significance, at principal it's possible.

[@marklouisspark]

I'm actually trying to lose weight while building muscle so 1:25 seconds for me is perfect. Need the heart rate constantly going. It also makes up for the fact I hate Cardio, so having cardio in my workouts is perfect.

[@Grendelbc]

Rest as long as you need to. Get ready mentally and physically for the next effort.

[@handle8423]

Love the editing, keep it up

[@supagreatman2826]

To whoever is reading this keep going,you're doing fine! No matter how slow your progress each new week is filled with tiny steps forward. Be proud of yourself you got this!

[@LampzyWampzy]

I prd yesterday on deadlift (RIPPED MY HAND OPEN BUT GOT THE PR)!!!

[@enekourrutia2786]

Great edditing btw

[@jacksontd7757]

Currently doing a program that does some of both. 3 minutes rest on main lifts such as bench, deadlift, sqauts etc. And then the rest for high sets, high reps, with 30 sec. Rest between each set. Really enjoy it for getting some cardio in with my lifting on a time crunch

[@fernandesalexf]

I think I got that from one video of yours doing antagonistic sets. I do chest, back and shoulders and it works tons for me

[@pignut9361]

For whatever reason, few people advocate alternating sets. Rest 1 minute between working opposing muscle groups, you get the best of both worlds - shorter workouts & adequate rest.

[@ckh2431]

I rest average 3mins, works perfectly

[@Goatlikeitornot]

I'd say 2 min. is the best overral

[@Toppengyu369]

@@Goatlikeitornot but when youre on the 3rd exercise, doing your 2nd set close to failure i dont think 2 mins would be enough. Always depends how hard youre training tho.

[@FeelingGodBlessed]

if 3-2 reps in reserve, i rest 7 minutes, if going to complete failure, than i rest 10-15 minutes (20 minutes for quads)

[@weeeriksson4598]

Seeing as you get maximum overload in the first set after warm up that being the set that gives the most stress and muscle growth you should of course rest as long as possible between sets.

[@ssjllamamusic]

For me it’s 2-3min on compounds, 1-1:30mins on isolations.

[@MrchallengeCreative]

glad picture fit is getting their recognition that they deserve

[@williambreeze2659]

Good information.

[@marcelschmidt8658]

It´s fascinating EVERY TIME i do something out of my intuition AND then get "real" information to the specific topic it comes out that im RIGHT!

[@user-ir8ip5st1x]

Best vid in a long time

[@NickKnox-hr2hy]

Love your videos man keep it up

[@lolickypeepee23xdd6]

2:02 hit me in the side that was gold

[@grindhard91]

I love how coach Greg explained commercial breaks ahaha 🤣

[@Alexander-dr4mw]

If the gym is not completely full, I complement it with another exercise. The point is that most people are not bodybuilders or fitness influencers; they have jobs and a life outside the gym. Spending double the time in the gym is, for most, impossible.

[@spoker9642]

How come if GO2 Max is so good no other supplement company has tried to make something similar?

[@koleary1798]

I think it varies person to person, and even lift to lift for the same person. For me, if I go to a limit set on say lat pulldowns or curls no matter how long I rest I wont be able to replicate the performance, I've found that after 90 seconds I'm as recovered as I'm going to get. For chest and tricep work I can get pretty close to matching reps with sets across, provided I rest a bit longer so I normally go 3 minutes.

[@chaddsteinberg3758]

Question? If it has no effect, why does the body increase Test and GH? It must certainly help, I believe the question is how much in natural vs enhanced?

[@Koroar]

I commonly rest 5 minutes or more because I train a lot of bodyweight exercises. Almost impossible to do sets of weighted pull-ups close to failure with a 1 minute rest, you just won't be consistent at all.

[@RS1xT]

If it’s not cardio, I don’t see the need to speed through the training session. Lifting is therapeutic, so longer rest breaks (exercises dependent) & rest days make sense to make sweet gains🔑. Assess every set when you’re resting so you know how to approach the next set. If you’re rushing through it, easier to make training mistakes & not train with good form/techniques.

[@joshuahollyer3791]

For me I rest until I feel fired up and ready for the next set to give my full effort, which for me is anywhere from 2-5 minutes.

[@benjamin.kelley]

I wear my running watch when I lift because I don't want to feel like garbage on my next set because I rested too little. Typicaly with a good warmup, I'm in the gym for 1 to 1.5 hours max. Thats not too bad, especially if I'm only doing 3 days per week, and evey time I'm hitting antagonistic groups with 2-4 heavy compounds, then day 3 I hit general upper body.

[@jasonfritz838]

For heavy presses, I'm going to need at least 3 minutes. If it's something else like bi curls or tri extensions, I can get away with a 90 second rest. There's only a few exercises where I would be ok with only 60 seconds.

[@Cuttlef15h]

What about rest between warmup sets? is 15 seconds okay? That's what Mentzer suggested. I.E. Warmup then 15 seconds, Warmup then 15 seconds, Real Set then 3 Min.

[@Red13.0]

Mexican and Russian workouts are very good and rest times are basically once you stop breathing heavy then you start the next set and they are strong

[@alkinineprodigy3902]

Always looking forward to watching your videos everyday there coach Greg!!! Always gives me a good laugh everytime haha

[@gamebros87]

Ok 52 weekly sets per body part with 3min rests... (30sec sets + 180secs) x 52 so 3.03 hours per body part per week. Holy Cook Book.

[@Gruff46]

52 sets seems like way too much. Even if each body part is trained 3x weekly you'll be left with junk volume every session

[@maxschmidt9461]

Well, myo reps and other short rest variants can work great, the question is if you nervous system and synergist muscles limit you from pushing the target muscle as hard as possible. And nothing wrong with drop sets, as long as the weight isn't completely laughable.

[@viniciovp4ever]

I'm really comfortable training full body A-B, MRO, resting two minutes. Is it the best strategy? I don't care, I'm natural, and this way I ENJOY my workout =)

[@coltenswindle3827]

Science also shows that more sets is better for hypertrophy So unless you’re gonna be there 3-4 hours a day then just do what feels comfortable to you

[@jerrellcharles]

Coach Greg and chill 🤭

[@bigguy7353]

5 exercises, 4 sets each, many rep ranges, always rest at least 3 minutes between sets. This has been magic for me.

[@Sheppydope]

4 sets to failure?

[@DJreeik]

Depends on what ur goal is but if it works for u it works for u

[@decabeatzHealthWellness]

It depends on what your goals are and the type of training you are doing. A good basic measure is between 1-3 minutes rest between sets.

[@Choco-u4n]

thank you!! I need at least 2-4 mins rest between sets depend how heavy it is! I can not rush on heavy weights.

[@pwnUgood]

I have a job and many responsibilities and at most one hour to spend in the gym. I try to hit all my muscle groups on the various machines, but I have to go fast. As soon as I catch my breath I'm on to the next one.

[@Dehura]

If you rest less, would it be easier to go to failure in the next set, because you can do less reps? 🤔 Or is not equal failure between resting long vs short. Isnt sets just simply approaches to failure? 3 sets = 3 approaches to failure, and amount of reps does not matter? 🤔

[@rj12341]

For big compounds 3-5mins

[@Leibniz_28]

Excellent

[@razorrabone4098]

There is also research done on active rest or ‘cardio acceleration’ where you do a minute of cardio in between sets. It sounds counter intuitive granted, but actually helps with recovery once your body becomes accustomed to it. Indeed, I’ve hit personal bests doing this.

[@capcomfan82]

I like to rest like 5 mins if im doing any type of presses. I lose alot of reps if i font.

[@Twistedmetallic]

What about rest-pause training? Maybe 20 sec pause between mini sets

[@Sway_LI]

You should do a video on shaun t natural or not or about his training programs are they good enough?

[@luightG]

One of the biggest guys of my gym said that you should rest 1min-1.30max to maximize the hypertrophy because resting like that you are breaking more fibers and your workout should last 1 hour if not you're getting in a catabolic state, idk probably he just not natty

[@rickycarfan54]

do you think it’s a good idea to spent your rest time between sets slowly walking on a treadmill?? i really like to do so… it’s kind of an active recovery… i really prefer this thant standing still eaiting for the clock to more around😄 do you think it can be beneficial or at least not detrimental or is it a bad idea??

[@springhillfitness6837]

The biggest and strongest guys I've met rest 5+ minutes between sets. But I've also known massive BBers who are all about pace and rest more like 45 sec, like Jay Cutler did. So it's hard to say one way is the best for everyone. But for sure the shorter rest moderate weights guys get injured less and have longer carreers.

[@johnwayne3491]

45-60 seconds for isolation movements and 90 for compound movements is my personal sweet spot.

[@_baller]

If I’m not recovered I actually count in my head how many seconds I’m waiting lol

[@1xavi2]

Laughed out loud at the McLaren clip

[@rashon420]

If you can lift the same weight and reps - will shorter rest times lead to greater hypertrophy?

[@brianpolston9713]

Thanks to sam sulek and go2max i only need 10 second rests.

[@christianijn-2553]

My rest time depends on the muscle I’m training