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Training
Rest times between sets
From 45 seconds to 3 minutes depending on your goal and the type of exercise, 45 s at most after a warm-up set, shared rest in a superset: how Azetta sets your timer, and how to set it yourself.
3 min read Updated October 9, 2026
The principle
The rest between two sets decides what you will be able to lift on the next one. A long rest gives you time to recover the energy for heavy efforts; a short one makes the session denser and more "cardio". Azetta chooses a rest based on your goal and on the type of exercise: a compound movement (squat, press, pull) is more tiring than an isolation exercise (curl, lateral raise) and gets more rest.
The Azetta method
The planned rest
| Goal | Compound | Isolation |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 180 s | 120 s |
| Muscle gain | 150 s | 90 s |
| Endurance, hybrid, sports preparation | 120 s | 75 s |
| Fitness | 75 s | 75 s |
| Body sculpting | 60 s | 60 s |
| Weight loss | 45 s | 45 s |
Two secondary goals adjust these values: strength raises the rest for compound exercises to at least 150 s, weight loss limits the rest for isolation to 60 s. Core work takes the isolation rest, bounded between 30 and 60 s. A one-off "conditioning" session goes down to 45 s (compound) and 30 s (isolation).
Special cases
- After a warm-up set, rest is capped at 45 s.
- Before a drop set, no rest: you go straight on.
- In a superset, the first exercise has no rest and the second takes the longer of the two rests.
Your own values
In the rest settings, you can set one rest for compound exercises and one for isolation (between 15 and 600 s; 120 and 90 s are suggested). They then replace the goal's values on every exercise. The session timer also has a "Custom" mode that applies a single duration everywhere (90 s by default, from 15 to 600 s), and it can be turned off.
Why this choice
- Rests of 2 to 3 minutes let you keep more reps and a higher load on the following sets of heavy exercises; a study in trained men found greater strength and muscle gains with 3 minutes than with 1 minute.
- Reviews on the subject recommend long rests for strength and shorter ones for muscular endurance, which the table reflects.
- Isolation uses less muscle mass and recovers faster: its rest is shorter.
Limits
- The values are guidelines per goal, not a measurement of your actual recovery: if you're not ready, wait a little longer.
- Rest doesn't change with the day's load or the effort you reported.
- Rest time counts in the estimated session length: lengthening it can make you go over your planned duration.
References
- Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
- de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, et al. Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Medicine, 2009;39(9):765-777.