Do I Really Need to Rest That Much In Between Exercises?

TLDR: If you are trying to get stronger or gain muscle, you should rest as long as it takes for your heart rate to come down to normal in between sets, so that you can give the best effort for each set 

Why do you even need to rest in between sets? For one, everything that allows you to do more simply stops, and your body needs time to replenish itself so that you can go again. Your heart will start to race as it pumps blood to the areas you are working out, and a high heart rate will prevent you from getting as much out of the next set. When we rest very little between sets or do a series of exercises back to back, we limit how heavy we can lift, which prevents us from getting stronger, adding muscle, or having a positive impact on our bone density. You will receive a greater cardiovascular benefit, but that’s the primary purpose of cardio.

How much should you rest? There is a lot of research on this topic, although much of it is conflicting. While some studies have found that 3 minutes or more is necessary, others have shown that 1 minute can be just as effective. The question of how much you rest ultimately comes back to your ability to recover in between sets. We don’t want our heart rate to be so high that it limits our performance in the next set. How long it takes to come down depends on the client, the exercise, and the intensity. The fitter you are and the less total muscle you are using in an exercise, the less rest you need. When in doubt, I would err on the side of a little more rather than less to ensure you get the most out of your strength work. We program with a 1-minute rest in between sets, but feel free to take more or less, depending on what you think you need.