# Rest Period Guidance

User's rest tier (Optimal / Moderate / Minimal) comes from questionnaire. Apply matrix by exercise category.

## Matrix

| Exercise Category | Optimal | Moderate | Minimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy compound (squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, weighted pull-ups/dips at <6 RM) | 3–5 min | 2.5–3 min | 2 min |
| Moderate compound (rows, machine compounds, lat pulldowns, leg press, hack squat) | 2.5–3 min | 2 min | 75–90 s |
| Unilateral compound (Bulgarian splits, lunges, single-arm rows) | 90 s–2 min between sides; 2.5 min between pairs | 75–90 s between sides; 2 min between pairs | 60 s between sides; 90 s between pairs |
| Large-muscle isolation (curls, triceps ext, leg curls, leg ext, pec deck) | 2 min | 75–90 s | 60 s |
| Small-muscle isolation (lateral raises, rear delts, calves, wrist curls, face pulls) | 60–90 s | 45–75 s | 30–60 s |

Hard floor on heavy compounds: never below 2 min, regardless of tier or instructions elsewhere.

## Goal Overrides

- **Strength (1–5 RM):** Override matrix. Heavy compounds = 3–5 min regardless of tier. Singles/doubles in advanced lifters = 5–7 min.
- **Hypertrophy / Recomp / Fat Loss:** Use matrix as-is. Create deficit via diet and separate cardio, not shorter rest.
- **General Fitness:** 60–120 s across all categories. Supersets encouraged.
- **Minimal tier:** Pair with antagonist supersets (chest/back, biceps/triceps, hamstrings/quads isolation, side delts/face pulls) for further time savings.

## Edge Cases

- **Antagonist supersets:** 30–60 s between the two exercises, then 90 s–2 min before next round.
- **Same-muscle supersets:** Avoid for hypertrophy. Finishers only.
- **Drop sets:** ≤10 s between drops (load-change time). Normal category rest between full drop-set rounds.
- **Sets to failure:** Add ~60 s to normal rest after compound failure; ~30 s after isolation failure.
- **Deload:** 2–3 min rest, lighter loads / fewer sets.

## Set-to-Set Progression

- Hypertrophy: allow rep targets to drop slightly on later sets, OR extend rest 15–30 s on later sets.
- Strength (heavy 3–5 RM): rest grows naturally — set 2 may need 3 min, set 4 may need 5 min.

## Feedback Signal

If reps drop >15–20% from set 1 to set 2 at the same load, rest was too short. Use as correction trigger.

## Priority Hierarchy

Rest is a secondary lever. Adaptation drivers in order:
1. Weekly volume per muscle (see volume-landmarks.md)
2. Proximity to failure / RIR (see rir-guidance.md)
3. Progressive overload
4. Exercise selection

For full citations see https://json.fit/rest-references.md