In short
A rest timer keeps recovery between sets at the length you planned. Rest length depends on the goal: roughly 3 to 5 minutes for heavy strength work, 1 to 2 minutes for hypertrophy, and 30 to 60 seconds for circuits. In a 2016 trial, trained men resting 3 minutes between sets gained significantly more strength and muscle thickness over 8 weeks than those resting 1 minute.
- Default
- 90 seconds
- Strength, heavy sets
- 3 to 5 minutes
- Hypertrophy
- 60 to 120 seconds
- Circuits and endurance
- 30 to 60 seconds
- Power and speed
- 2 to 5 minutes
How long should you rest?
| Goal | Rest | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strength, heavy sets | 3–5 min | Full recovery so the next set is as heavy |
| Hypertrophy | 60–120 s | Enough to keep reps up, short enough to stay dense |
| Endurance, circuits | 30–60 s | Deliberately incomplete recovery |
| Power, speed | 2–5 min | Quality of movement is the whole point |
The research on longer rest for strength is fairly consistent: cutting rest short costs you reps, and reps at load are what drive the adaptation. Rest is training, not a break from it.
Timing rest without losing the session
Press start as you rack the weight, not once you have got your breath back and checked your phone. That gap is where most of the drift comes from. On a phone, the tab title counts down too, so a glance is enough.
Other lengths, one press away
60 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes and 5 minutes each have their own page — bookmark whichever matches your programme.
Questions about the rest timer
Does resting longer make me weaker?
No. For heavy strength work, longer rest generally produces better results, because you can lift more total load. Short rest is a choice you make for conditioning or for time, not a virtue on its own.
Should I rest the same amount on every exercise?
Usually not. Heavy compound lifts want long rest; accessory and isolation work is fine on 60 to 90 seconds.
How accurate is it?
Accurate to a fraction of a second over an hour. There is no rounding and no accumulated error, because each update recalculates the time left from scratch rather than subtracting from the last figure.
Do I need to sign up?
No. There are no accounts on this site at all, which also means there is nothing to store about you and nothing to delete later.
Sources
- Schoenfeld, B. J. et al. (2016). Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(7), 1805–1812. Publisher record (opens in a new tab)
Related timers
- Workout timerTime sets, circuits and whole sessions.
- Interval timerWork and rest rounds that switch automatically.
- 2 minute timerCounts down 2 minutes and rings.
- 3 minute timerCounts down 3 minutes and rings.
- HIIT timerHigh intensity intervals with audible round changes.
- 1 minute timerCounts down 1 minute and rings.