Workout Time Calculator
Add your exercises with sets, reps and rest. The calculator shows how long the whole workout takes, where the time goes and what to change so it fits the time you have.
Your workout
15 sets and 156 repetitions in 5 exercises.
| Part | Time | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting | 7 min 48 s | 22% |
| Rest between sets | 14 min | 40% |
| Changing exercises | 8 min | 23% |
| Warm-up | 5 min | 14% |
| Exercise | Sets | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3 × 10 | 4 min 30 s |
| Bench press | 3 × 10 | 4 min 30 s |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10 | 4 min 30 s |
| Shoulder press | 3 × 10 | 4 min 30 s |
| Leg curl | 3 × 12 | 3 min 48 s |
How long a workout takes
The table shows the total time for a routine of 3 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise, by number of exercises and rest between sets.
| Exercises | 45 s rest | 60 s rest | 90 s rest | 2 min rest | 3 min rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 exercises | 18 min | 20 min | 23 min | 26 min | 32 min |
| 4 exercises | 23 min | 25 min | 29 min | 33 min | 41 min |
| 5 exercises | 28 min | 31 min | 36 min | 41 min | 51 min |
| 6 exercises | 33 min | 36 min | 42 min | 48 min | 1 h |
| 8 exercises | 43 min | 47 min | 55 min | 1 h 3 min | 1 h 19 min |
Rest is the biggest part. In a routine of 5 exercises with 90 seconds rest, you lift for 7 min 30 s and rest for 15 min.
Time for one exercise
How long a single exercise takes with 10 repetitions per set, from the first rep to the last:
| Sets | 45 s rest | 60 s rest | 90 s rest | 2 min rest | 3 min rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 sets of 10 | 1 min 45 s | 2 min | 2 min 30 s | 3 min | 4 min |
| 3 sets of 10 | 3 min | 3 min 30 s | 4 min 30 s | 5 min 30 s | 7 min 30 s |
| 4 sets of 10 | 4 min 15 s | 5 min | 6 min 30 s | 8 min | 11 min |
| 5 sets of 10 | 5 min 30 s | 6 min 30 s | 8 min 30 s | 10 min 30 s | 14 min 30 s |
How the time is calculated
time per exercise = sets × reps × seconds per rep + (sets − 1) × rest workout = warm-up + all exercises + (exercises − 1) × changeover + cool-down
Example: 3 sets of 10 squats at 3 seconds per rep with 90 seconds rest: 3 × 10 × 3 = 90 seconds of lifting, plus 2 rests of 90 seconds = 180 seconds. The exercise takes 4 min 30 s.
Five such exercises take 5 × 4 min 30 s = 22 min 30 s. Add 4 changeovers of 2 minutes and a 5-minute warm-up, and the workout takes about 36 min.
The 2 minutes between exercises are our assumption for walking over, adjusting a machine or loading a bar. In a busy gym it takes longer. Change the number to match your gym.
Rest between sets by goal
How long to rest depends on what you train for. These are the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine:
| Goal | Load and repetitions | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Heavy loads, 1 to 6 repetitions | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Muscle growth | Moderate loads, 6 to 12 repetitions | 1 to 2 minutes |
| Muscular endurance | Light to moderate loads, more than 15 repetitions | Less than 90 seconds |
| Power | Light loads moved fast, 3 to 5 sets | 3 to 5 minutes |
The same position stand describes a moderate speed as 1 to 2 seconds to lift and 1 to 2 seconds to lower, which is 2 to 4 seconds per repetition.
How to make a workout shorter
- Supersets: do two exercises back to back and rest once per round. A review of time-efficient training found that supersets, drop sets and rest-pause sets roughly halve training time at the same volume. In the calculator, 6 exercises drop from 42 min to 27 min. The review adds that these methods are probably better for muscle growth than for maximal strength.
- Fewer, bigger exercises: the same review recommends exercises that move several joints, and at least one leg press movement such as squats, one upper-body pull such as pull-ups and one upper-body push such as bench press.
- Count sets per week: weekly volume matters more than how often you train. The review recommends at least 4 sets per muscle group per week, with a weight you can lift 6 to 15 times.
- Keep the warm-up specific: the review advises limiting the warm-up to the exercise itself, done with a lighter weight, and stretching only if flexibility is your goal.
- Shorter rests: rest is the biggest part of a workout, so this saves the most time. The recommendations above still call for 3 to 5 minutes after heavy sets. Cut the rest on the lighter exercises first.
How much training per week
The U.S. guidelines do not set a length for a single workout. They count per week: adults need muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days, working all major muscle groups, and 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. The aerobic part can be split up, for example into 30 minutes on 5 days.
Example routines
The routines in the calculator and how long they take with the standard settings:
| Routine | Exercises | Sets | Time | As supersets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full body, 5 exercises | Squat 3×10, Bench press 3×10, Lat pulldown 3×10, Shoulder press 3×10, Leg curl 3×12 | 15 | 35 min | 25 min |
| Short session, 3 exercises | Squat 3×8, Pull-up 3×8, Bench press 3×8 | 9 | 25 min | 19 min |
| 5×5 strength | Squat 5×5, Bench press 5×5, Barbell row 5×5 | 15 | 50 min | 36 min |
| Push day | Bench press 4×8, Overhead press 3×10, Incline dumbbell press 3×10, Lateral raise 3×12, Triceps pushdown 3×12 | 16 | 37 min | 28 min |
| Pull day | Deadlift 3×5, Pull-up 3×8, Barbell row 3×10, Face pull 3×15, Biceps curl 3×12 | 15 | 38 min | 28 min |
| Leg day | Squat 4×8, Romanian deadlift 3×10, Leg press 3×12, Leg curl 3×12, Calf raise 3×15 | 16 | 40 min | 30 min |
Workout Time Calculator: Questions and Answers
- How do I calculate how long a workout takes?For each exercise, multiply sets × reps × seconds per rep and add the rests between sets, which is one fewer than the number of sets. Add the time to change between exercises and the warm-up. Example: 5 exercises of 3 sets of 10 at 3 seconds per rep, 90 seconds rest, 2 minutes between exercises and a 5-minute warm-up come to about 36 min.
- How long should I rest between sets?The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 3 to 5 minutes for heavy strength work in the range of 1 to 6 repetitions, 1 to 2 minutes for muscle growth with 6 to 12 repetitions, and less than 90 seconds for muscular endurance with more than 15 repetitions.
- How many seconds does one rep take?At a moderate speed, lifting takes 1 to 2 seconds and lowering takes 1 to 2 seconds, so one repetition takes 2 to 4 seconds. The calculator starts with 3 seconds. Use a higher number if you pause at the top or bottom or lower the weight slowly.
- How long does a workout with 6 exercises take?With 3 sets of 10 per exercise, about 36 min at 60 seconds rest, 42 min at 90 seconds and 1 h at 3 minutes. That includes a 5-minute warm-up and 2 minutes to change between exercises.
- Is a 30-minute workout enough?It can be. For strength and muscle, the weekly number of sets per muscle group matters more than how often you train, and a review of time-efficient training recommends at least 4 sets per muscle group per week. Three exercises of 3 sets with 2 minutes rest take about 25 min, warm-up included.
- Does the result include warm-up and cool-down?Yes, as far as you enter them. The calculator starts with a 5-minute warm-up and no cool-down. Set both to 0 to see the lifting part alone. Warm-up sets with lighter weight count as extra sets: add them to the exercise.
Sources
- American College of Sports Medicine: Position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2009) – rest between sets by goal, repetition ranges, speed of a repetition
- V. M. Iversen, M. Norum, B. J. Schoenfeld, M. S. Fimland: No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy (Sports Medicine, 2021) – supersets, drop sets and rest-pause, weekly sets, warm-up and stretching
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Adult Activity: An Overview (updated 20 December 2023) – how much activity adults need per week
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