How Long To Rest Between Sets

Ever wonder how long you need to rest between sets in your Workout?

Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. A lot fitness goers and gym rats ask how long they need to rest between sets while working out. The answer is:
It depends!
Your goals in the weight room will dictate your rest periods.

If you are training to increase strength, resting a bit longer is a good idea. Up to 5 minutes for exercises like squats and heavy dumbbell work.

But if you want to burn the most amount of bodyfat and gain lean muscle, I recommend resting for very short periods of time.

"The Iron Guru" Vince Gironda used to recommend leaving your hands on the bar between sets -- now THAT is short rest intervals! He would frequently rest only 15-20 seconds between sets. This is similar to the strategy I use in 7 Minute Muscle -- very short rest intervals and very intense training. Smart, short, efficient. That's the way to go. A good place to start is simply reducing your rest intervals by 10 seconds. No matter what workout you're using, decrease your rest by 10 seconds between sets. You may not be as strong on the last few sets (if you are training traditionally... if you use 7 Minute Muscle your rest is "built-in" and not an issue.) Over time you will work your way back up to the same amount of sets and reps but done in far less time. This means more work output, which means more muscle if your nutrition is good. This is the best way to train most of the time: Limited rest, intense sets, and short workouts. They are the ones that produce results. Go here for more information: Short, effective workouts