How long should I rest between sets?

The short version: about 2 to 3 minutes after big exercises like squats, presses and rows, and about 1.5 minutes after smaller ones like curls. Longer rests let you lift more in the next set, and that builds more strength and muscle.

Chango sets the right rest for every exercise and counts it down for you.

Why resting longer isn't lazy

It's tempting to keep rests short. It feels efficient, and you might get out of the gym sooner. But a short rest means you start the next set before your muscles have recovered, so you manage fewer reps or a lighter weight.

Research shows that this adds up. In one study, people who rested 3 minutes between sets gained more strength and muscle than those who rested only 1 minute [1]. A systematic review came to a similar conclusion: rests longer than a minute tend to be better for building muscle [2]. Guidelines recommend 2 to 3 minutes for the big, multi-muscle exercises [3].

Why the rest depends on the exercise

A heavy squat or press uses many muscles and a lot of energy, so it needs more time. A biceps curl uses one small muscle and is ready again sooner.

That's why Chango sets your rest by the exercise: 3 minutes after heavy multi-muscle lifts, 2 minutes after other multi-muscle exercises and 90 seconds after single-muscle ones. Exercises you do one side at a time, like a one-arm row, get 90 seconds, because one side rests while the other works.

Why Chango watches your reps

Sometimes a rest that's usually enough isn't enough today. When your reps drop clearly from one set to the next while the effort stays high, the likely reason is recovery, not strength. Then Chango suggests resting 30 seconds longer for the rest of that exercise. If you take it, the timer stretches; if you don't, nothing changes.

Why you don't need to watch the clock

The rest timer starts by itself when you finish a set. It runs on your screen and on your lock screen, so you can put your phone down, sit, drink some water and look around. When it's time, Chango lets you know, and the next set is ready with its reps and weight.

If you prefer your own rest for some exercise, set it in the exercise's settings and Chango keeps it.

What you'll notice

You'll probably find you can lift more in your later sets than you expected. And over weeks, those extra reps add up on your 3D figure: the muscles you trained glow brighter as you reach your weekly targets, and over a month or a year you see whether you've trained enough, and enough of everything.