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Why resting in between exercises matters

Resting in between sets has so much more purpose than just catching your breath. Read on to learn why rest is a crucial part of building strength.

Katie Ekema

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Let’s be real, when you’re in the zone at the gym, it can feel like wasted time to pause between sets. You might be tempted to keep pushing, thinking more movement equals better results. But if you want to lift heavier, last longer in your workouts without burning out halfway through, get stronger, build muscle, and see progress week after week, you have to respect your rest periods.

Resting between exercises isn’t slacking. It’s a crucial part of getting stronger, building muscle, improving endurance, and reducing your risk of injury.

When you skip or shorten your rest too much, a few things start to happen: your form begins to break, you can’t lift as heavy as you’re capable of, your power output drops, fatigue takes over instead of strength, and your risk of strains and overuse injuries increases. 

We’re building strength in every phase

One thing to remember: we are building strength in every single phase, not just during the strength phases.

Even when your reps are higher, you should still be choosing the heaviest weight you can lift with good form for that rep range. The difference between phases isn’t whether we’re building strength, it’s how we’re challenging your body and what adaptation we’re prioritizing.

Rest periods change because the goal of each phase changes.

What’s really happening during your workout

When you lift weights, you're creating tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibers. That’s what signals your body to repair and rebuild, which is how you get stronger and grow muscle. But here’s the key: that rebuilding process doesn’t happen while you’re lifting. It begins during recovery. If you rush through sets without proper rest, your muscles don’t fully replenish energy, your nervous system doesn’t reset, and your next set becomes weaker than it should be. Instead of progressively overloading, you’re just accumulating fatigue.

Fatigue has its place, but it’s not the same thing as productive strength work.

Why rest periods change between phases

Each training phase has a different outcome, so the rest periods need to match the goal.

  • Endurance Phase: 30–60 seconds rest

Higher reps. Shorter rest.

The goal here is muscular stamina and cardiovascular conditioning. We intentionally keep rest shorter to maintain an elevated heart rate and challenge your body to sustain effort for longer periods. Because the weights are lighter and the reps are higher, your muscles are being challenged by duration and fatigue rather than maximal load.

You should still be lifting something that feels challenging by the final few reps. If you can immediately jump into the next movement without even needing a breath to reset, it may simply mean it’s time to increase the weight slightly or check your form.

  • Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth) Phase: 60–90 seconds rest 

Moderate reps. Moderate rest.

This is your muscle-building phase. The goal is to create enough mechanical tension and fatigue to stimulate growth while giving your muscles enough recovery to perform the next set with good form. You’re not fully recovered, but you’re recovered enough to lift heavy again safely and effectively. That balance is what drives muscle growth.

Fun fact: Studies show that resting 3 minutes between sets can lead to up to 93% more muscle growth compared to resting just one minute. That’s a huge return on investment for simply standing around a little longer! 

Too little rest here often leads to swinging weights, rushing reps, and losing proper form, which not only reduces muscle activation but increases injury risk.

  • Strength & Power Phase: 2–3 minutes rest

Low reps. Heavy weight. Longer rest.

When reps are low, it’s because the weight is very high. You’re using a large amount of energy in a short burst and demanding a lot from your nervous system. Longer rest allows your energy systems to recharge so you can produce maximum force again.

If you cut your rest short in a strength phase: the weight will feel heavier than it should, your form may break, your power output drops, and your injury risk increases.

If you’re able to move immediately into the next heavy set without needing that recovery time, it’s usually a sign the weight  might not be challenging enough for a true strength focus.

Rest is work

Think of rest as part of your workout, not a break from it. Just like you wouldn’t skip a set, you shouldn’t skip your rest. Allowing your body to recover between efforts helps you: lift heavier, maintain better form, build more muscle, improve endurance, reduce injury risk, and stay consistent long term. So the next time you’re standing between sets wondering if you should be doing more, remember, you are recharging so you can show up stronger for the next round.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rise, head here to set up a Free Fitness Consultation with one of our coaches.