Rest between sets is the recovery time between two sets of the same or different exercises within a training session. During this time the muscles and energy stores partly recover, so that sufficiently high performance is possible again in the next set. How long a sensible rest is depends on the training goal and the exercise: for strength and heavy compound lifts, longer rests of about two to three minutes are often cited, while for strength endurance and smaller exercises 30 to 60 seconds are often enough.
Rests that are too short can mean noticeably fewer repetitions are possible in the next set, which changes the training stimulus over time. Rests that are too long, on the other hand, extend the session unnecessarily without a clear additional benefit.
Relevance for training and nutrition
The right rest between sets is part of every good training plan and is usually specified there in concrete terms; more on planning in the section training plans. For nutrition, rest between sets itself plays no direct role, but the total training time invested and the intensity do, as they also influence daily energy needs. Anyone who varies rests deliberately, for example longer rests for heavy compound lifts and shorter ones for smaller exercises, can make a session both effective and predictable in duration.