TRAINING PRINCIPLES
Rest between sets
Short rests feel like they're working, but if the next set loses reps, total volume goes down with them.
The short answer
Tailrep's programs use 150-240 seconds on compound lifts and 60-90 seconds on isolation work.
What the research shows
- Singer et al.'s (2024) Bayesian meta-analysis found a small hypertrophy benefit to resting longer than 60 seconds, with no appreciable difference detected beyond 90 seconds.
- That benefit may come down to volume load: rest too little and the next set loses reps, so the week's total drops.
- In Schoenfeld et al.'s (2016) eight-week trial, trained men did better on both strength and size with three-minute rests than with one-minute rests.
How to apply it
- Give heavy compounds like squats and bench 2-3 minutes. Cutting it short costs reps on the next set
- Lateral raises and curls do fine on 60-90 seconds
- Tailrep starts the rest timer when you check off a set. You can set the seconds per exercise
Programs built on this principle
References
Limits of this evidence, Whether 90 seconds or three minutes is better depends on how heavy the lift is and how you recover. There also isn't much research here yet.
Singer A, et al. (2024) Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy
Schoenfeld BJ, et al. (2016) Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men