Key Points:
- 8‑minute rests add ~30% bench and 24% squat volume.
- Alternating bench–squat keeps the gains but cuts workout time in half.
- Both approaches lower fatigue (RPE) versus 4‑minute rests.
A longer rest interval between sets isn’t laziness. It’s a performance boost.
If you don’t rush between sets, you can do more reps, reduce fatigue, and increase your volume load (your weight lifted multiplied by the number of sets and repetitions).
Over time, that means potentially better strength gains.
The traditional advice is somewhere in the 2-to-5-minute range. But what if being a little more patient, or a little more clever, with your rest time could boost your performance and save time?
New Study: Eight Minutes Rest or Alternating Sets?
A new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared three rest interval strategies to see which is the best for volume load in two classic lifts.1
Thirteen trained men performed five sets each of bench presses and back squats at 85% of their 1RM (one-rep max or the heaviest weight you can lift once).
They came into the study with decent lifting numbers: ~91 kg bench and ~124 kg squat 1RMs, so no newbies.
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The lifters tried three different workout styles in random order at different times:
- 4‑Minute Trial: Traditional straight sets with four‑minute rests.
- 8‑Minute Trial: Same straight sets but with eight‑minute rests.
- Alternating Trial: Bench and squat toggled back‑and‑forth: four minutes between exercises, which gives each muscle group eight minutes before its next set.
The Results
Lifters who rested for 8 minutes between sets were able to get more reps and lift a much greater total volume load on both the bench press and the back squat.
Their bench volume went up by about 30% and squat by 24% compared to the four‑minute approach.
Longer rest lets your muscles recover more, so you can perform better in subsequent sets. Simple.
But the Alternating Trial might be the real winner.
| Metric | 4-min rest | 8-min rest | Alternating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Volume Load | 1,668 kg | 2,164 kg | 1,911 kg |
| Squat Volume Load | 2,337 kg | 2,899 kg | 2,778 kg |
| Session Duration | 41 min | 77 min | 41 min |
When the lifters alternated sets of bench presses and squats, they got most of the performance benefits of a super-long rest interval, but they did it in roughly half the time.
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They also felt less tired and reported a lower Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) in both the 8-minute and the alternating trial.
Practical Recommendations
Longer rest allows your muscles to top up their phosphocreatine stores, so you can recover and go all-out set after set.
However, not everyone has the time to sit around for 8 minutes between every set.
If your main goal is to lift the absolute most weight possible and maximize your volume load, then longer rest periods (up to 8 minutes or more for heavy compound exercises) might be your best bet. Give your muscles the recovery they need to perform their best.
But if you can’t spend hours in the gym and want comparable results, try the alternating method.
- Pick two exercises for different muscle groups (like the bench and squat in the study, or maybe an overhead press and a weighted pull-up).
- Do a set of the first, rest a few minutes, perform a set of the second, rest a few minutes, and repeat.
You’ll get the longer rest and recovery for each muscle group without spending your entire afternoon in the gym.
Of course, traditional straight sets with a couple of minutes’ rest work, too.
Read more: How Long Should You Rest Between Sets?
Lifters have been doing it that way since forever and gotten big and strong. Still, resting for at least 3–5 minutes is a good idea, shown to yield the best long-term strength gains.2
And, according to the latest research, if you’re training purely for hypertrophy (muscle growth), you can get away with only 90 seconds of rest and still get great results.3
Final Rep
Training a different muscle group while the first recovers, you essentially double your rest without doubling your session time.
Resting longer is good, but resting smarter by alternating exercises might help you unlock new gains while giving you more time outside the weight room.
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References
- J Strength Cond Res. 2025 Jul 9. Effects of Rest Interval Configuration Between Sets on Volume Load During Five Sets of Bench Press and Back Squat Exercise.
- Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-77. Rest interval between sets in strength training.
- Front. Sports Act. Living, 14 August 2024. Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy.
