RCTHumann = 212016
Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men.
Plain-language summary
This study set out to see whether resting longer between sets changes how much strength and muscle a trained man builds. Twenty-one resistance-trained men did the same routine for 8 weeks with either 1 minute or 3 minutes of rest between sets, with strength and muscle thickness measured before and after. The 3 minute group gained more strength and more muscle thickness. Another study here, on weekly training volume, comes from the same research group.
Key findings
- Longer 3-minute rests between sets led to greater strength gains in squat and bench press than 1-minute rests.
- Muscle thickness increased more in the thighs with longer rests, with a trend toward bigger arms.
- Both short and long rest groups improved equally in upper-body muscle endurance.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Randomized trials assign people to groups by chance, so differences between groups are unlikely to come from who chose what, but the small sample here means the findings may not generalize to all lifters.
- Population
- Young, resistance-trained men.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that taking 3-minute rests between sets led to bigger strength and muscle gains than 1-minute rests, without sacrificing endurance. If you are lifting for size or strength, it may be worth giving yourself longer recovery between sets.