How long should you rest between sets?
Heavy compounds want 120 to 180 seconds; isolation work, 60 to 90. But before the number there is a question that changes the whole count: does the rest belong to the set that just ended, or to the one you are about to start?
Rest belongs to the next set, not the last one
In Repsy every set carries the rest that comes BEFORE it. That is why the first set of any exercise has zero rest: before set 1 you are walking up to the rack, adjusting the bench, loading plates — not resting. It is also why the last set does not end up with an interval dangling after it, which is exactly what happens when an app treats rest as something that follows a set.
The range by exercise type
This is the same rule Repsy follows when it builds your plan and when it prescribes the next cycle. The more muscle the movement recruits and the more load it puts on your spine, the longer the interval needs to be.
| Exercise type | Rest |
|---|---|
| Heavy compoundSquat, deadlift, bench press, row, overhead press | 120–180s |
| IsolationCurl, triceps extension, lateral raise, leg extension, calf raise | 60–90s |
What the app writes for a 4-set exercise
One entry per set, and the first one is always zero. When nobody picked a value, the rest start at the default.
| Set | Rest |
|---|---|
| S1 | 0s |
| S2 | 90s |
| S3 | 90s |
| S4 | 90s |
S1 = 0s: there is no pre-rest before the first set.
Why there is a floor and a ceiling
Outside the first set, Repsy keeps rest between 20 and 180 seconds. The floor exists because a mistyped value — 5 instead of 90 — would turn into "no rest" in the middle of an exercise. The ceiling exists because past 180 seconds an interval stops being rest and becomes a second workout: your plan has a declared session length, and the interval eats it.
The next cycle uses the rest you actually took
The interval in your plan is a starting point. What Repsy carries into the next cycle is the rest you REALLY took on that exercise — along with the load, the reps and whatever you swapped or skipped. If the plan said 120 seconds and in practice you took 180 on every squat set, it is the 180 that informs the next prescription, not the 120 nobody followed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the first set show zero rest?
Because in Repsy each set stores the rest that comes before it, and before the first set there is no previous set to rest from. You are walking up to the equipment. If the app added an interval there, the workout’s predicted time would be longer than the workout.
Is 90 seconds fine for everything?
It is the value Repsy writes when nobody picked one — a defensible middle ground, not a universal recommendation. Heavy compounds usually want 120 to 180; isolation work does fine on 60 to 90. A generated plan already ships with the band for each exercise type, and you can adjust it set by set.
What if I rest longer than the plan says?
Nothing breaks, and the app will not argue with you. Repsy records the real interval and uses it to calibrate the next cycle’s prescription. Resting longer than planned is information, not an error.
Do time-based exercises like cardio have per-set rest?
No. An exercise measured in time carries no rest list in Repsy — the field is deliberately empty, because the interval there is not a property of the set the way it is in a set of reps.
Does the app time the rest?
Yes. When you finish a set the interval timer starts, and it counts in wall-clock time — if you leave the app or lock the screen, the clock keeps running, because the rest happened either way.
Can I keep the same rest on every set?
You can, and that is the default: apart from the first, they all start out identical. The list is per set because an exercise can call for a longer interval as fatigue builds — but nobody is required to touch it.
The interval is part of the workout
Log the set, let the timer run, and the next cycle comes out of what you actually did — load, reps and rest.