If your workouts revolve around heavy squats, bench presses and deadlifts, your rest periods could be holding you back. According to renowned strength coach Sebastian Oreb, many lifters return to the bar too quickly, compromising the quality of every set that follows.
While resting for one to two minutes between sets is a common recommendation, Oreb says that simply isn't enough once you're lifting serious weight. 'One to two minutes, if you're strong enough, I don't care who you are, that's not adequate recovery. You're not going to be able to get the same quality on the consecutive sets.'
In his own training, Oreb rests for at least five minutes between hard sets. During heavy compound lifts such as the squat, bench press and deadlift, he'll often wait eight minutes or longer before his next attempt. His reasoning is simple: heavy barbell lifts demand high levels of force and technical precision. As fatigue builds, both power output and lifting quality begin to fall.
How Long Should You Rest?
How long you should rest depends largely on your training experience. Oreb says beginners often benefit from three to four minutes between challenging sets of compound lifts. Intermediate lifters may need four to six minutes, while advanced strength athletes regularly rest eight minutes or more during heavy training blocks.
The same approach doesn't apply to every exercise. Oreb explains that machine-based and isolation movements generally require less recovery because they're more stable and technically less demanding. Even so, he still rests for around five to six minutes between many accessory exercises.
Research broadly supports longer rest periods when training for strength. Allowing three to five minutes between heavy sets gives your phosphocreatine stores more time to recover, helping you maintain force output and performance across multiple sets. As the weight on the bar increases, longer recoveries become even more valuable.
What to read next
'A lot of people separate strength and hypertrophy training by saying hypertrophy requires shorter rest periods to create more fatigue and accumulate more volume. But fatigue isn't the goal,' says Oreb.
His point is that consistently producing high-quality sets is more important than rushing through a workout simply to feel tired.
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
