Upper body, 3 × 10
Four moves, three sets each. Longer rest on the presses and rows, shorter on the arms.
- Moves
- Dumbbell bench press, seated row, shoulder press, biceps curl
- Rest
- 02:00 on presses and rows, 01:00 on curls
Hypertrophy rest timer. Rest enough to grow.
For sets of 8 to 12 reps, rest 1 to 2 minutes, and a little longer for squats, presses and rows. Rest too short and the next set loses reps; the reps are what build the muscle.
The phone shows the buttons set for hypertrophy, in 15-second steps.
00:12
Accent colour Premium
1–2 min
Between sets of 8–12 reps
2–3 min
For big compound lifts
3 min
Built more muscle than 1 min in one study of trained men
8 wks
How long that study ran
How rest affects muscle growth
For years the advice was to keep hypertrophy rests short, around a minute, so the muscle stayed "pumped". The research since has moved the other way: what matters most is how much good work you do, and longer rests let you do more of it.
In a 2016 study, trained men did full-body sessions of three sets of 8 to 12 reps, three times a week for eight weeks. One group rested 1 minute between sets, the other 3 minutes. The 3-minute group gained more strength and more muscle. A 2017 review of the wider research concluded that both short and long rests can build muscle, and that longer rests may help when the lifts are heavy.
So 1 to 2 minutes is a sensible default, and quicker isolation moves like curls and raises can sit at the low end. For the big compound lifts, where a short rest costs you reps, take 2 to 3 minutes.
Sources: Schoenfeld et al., Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men, 2016; Grgic et al., European Journal of Sport Science, 2017; ACSM, position stand, 2009.
Set the buttons for hypertrophy
Fifteen-second steps from 01:00 to 02:00 make it easy to rest exactly what you planned.
Adjust presets
Preset 101:00
Preset 201:15
Preset 301:30
Preset 401:45
Preset 502:00
Preset 602:30
Preset 703:00
Reset
- Open Settings, then PresetsChange the first four buttons to 01:00, 01:15, 01:30 and 01:45. The last three already match: 02:00, 02:30, 03:00.
- Short for isolation, long for compoundsCurls and lateral raises on 01:00 to 01:30; squats, presses and rows on 02:00 to 03:00.
- Supersetting? Rest after the pairDo both moves back to back, then tap the rest. The set counter counts pairs.
- Check what you actually restWith Premium, Statistics shows your average rest per set and sets per workout, week by week.
Three hypertrophy sessions to try
Take every working set close to failure, with a rep or two left in the tank.
Leg day, 4 × 8–12
Squats first while you're fresh, then two moves for the back of the legs and one for the calves.
- Moves
- Back squat, Romanian deadlift, leg curl, calf raise
- Rest
- 02:30 on squats and RDLs, 01:30 on curls and calves
Antagonist supersets
Pair moves that work opposite muscles, so one rests while the other works. Same volume, half the waiting.
- Pairs
- Bench and row, overhead press and pull-down, curl and triceps pushdown
- Rest
- 01:30 after each pair, 3 rounds per pair
Questions
How long should I rest between sets for hypertrophy?
1 to 2 minutes for most sets of 8 to 12 reps, and 2 to 3 minutes for heavy compound lifts like squats, presses and rows. Rest until you can match your reps on the next set.
Is 1 minute rest enough to build muscle?
It can be, especially for isolation moves. But in a 2016 study of trained men, three-minute rests built more muscle than one-minute rests, because the longer rest kept more reps in each set. If your reps drop sharply on later sets, rest longer.
Do short rests give a better pump?
They often feel like it, but the pump isn't what builds the muscle. The total amount of hard work across the session matters more, and longer rests usually let you do more of it.
How do I rest during supersets?
Do both exercises back to back with no rest, then rest 1 to 2 minutes after the pair. In the app, tap the rest once the second move is done; the set counter then counts pairs.
More rest guides
Rest exactly as long as you meant to.
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