Is Your Workout Pace Slowing Muscle Gains?

Walk into most gyms and you'll see people on their phones distracted between sets. It's clear that these people are well-rested between sets.

But not everyone is like this. Some people are antsy, looking to get into their next set as quickly as possible. Under the assumption that they are looking to build as much muscle as possible, this may not be the best approach.

Many people have the wrong mindset when it comes to their workouts. They think about getting through their workouts rather than getting the most out of their workouts. When you're doing one exercise you're already thinking about the next one, gazing around the gym looking for open benches and machines.

The key to hypertrophy is choosing the right exercise to target the muscle, and taking it relatively close to failure. If your rest periods are too short, you'll start your next set already fatigued. Under these conditions, you are not operating at your best capacity.

Research generally supports rest periods of 2–3 minutes between sets for hypertrophy-focused training, and up to 3–5 minutes for heavy compound lifts like squats and deadlifts.

There's a cultural glorification of the short, brutal workout. Forty-five minutes, no wasted time, in and out. There's nothing wrong with efficiency, but efficiency shouldn't come at the cost of effectiveness.

Some people may be pressed for time, but if we're being honest, two minutes isn't that long. If the tradeoff is fewer sets overall, but all the sets are quality rather than rushed, isn't that a better use of your time?

There's a difference between looking busy and getting actual work accomplished. Slow down, rest fully, and let each set count. Your muscles don't care how fast you got through the workout. They only respond to the work that was actually done.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 3:59 PM.