How long should a 5x5 workout take?

“I thought this would take 45 minutes. It’s been an hour and fifteen and I still have rows left.”

If this sounds familiar, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just lifting heavier than you used to. Understanding how long a 5x5 workout should take - and why that number changes as you follow the progression system - helps you plan your sessions and train more effectively.

The short answer: 45 to 75 minutes

A typical 5x5 workout takes somewhere between 45 and 75 minutes from your first warm-up set to your last working rep. That range is wide because the single biggest factor is how heavy you’re lifting, which directly determines how long you need to rest between sets.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Weeks 1-4 (light weights): 35-45 minutes. Everything moves quickly because rest periods are short. You’re learning technique and the weights don’t tax your recovery systems.

Months 2-3 (moderate weights): 50-65 minutes. Squats start requiring real rest. You’re spending more time between sets because you need it.

Months 4+ (heavy weights): 60-75 minutes. Full rest periods between heavy squats and the second exercise. Every set requires mental and physical preparation.

If you’re brand new to 5x5, enjoy those short early sessions. They won’t last.

Where the time actually goes

Let’s break down a Workout A (squat, bench press, barbell row) to see exactly where your minutes are spent.

Warm-up: 10 minutes

Before touching the barbell, you need a general warm-up. Five minutes of light movement - walking, rowing machine, bodyweight squats - gets blood flowing and joints moving. Then 5 minutes of mobility work for the areas you’re about to load.

This isn’t optional. Cold muscles under a heavy barbell is how injuries happen.

Squats (warm-up sets + 5x5): 20-30 minutes

Squats eat the most time because they’re the most demanding exercise and because you need warm-up sets before your working weight.

Warm-up sets (5-8 minutes):

• Empty bar x 10 reps
• 40% of working weight x 5
• 60% of working weight x 3
• 80% of working weight x 2
• Rest 30-60 seconds between warm-up sets

Working sets (15-22 minutes):

• 5 sets of 5 reps with appropriate rest between each
• Light weights: 90 seconds rest = ~12 minutes total
• Heavy weights: 4-5 minutes rest = ~22 minutes total

Squats alone can take half your workout when the weight gets serious.

Bench press or overhead press (warm-up + 5x5): 15-20 minutes

Warm-up sets (3-5 minutes):

• Fewer warm-up sets needed since you’re already warmed up from squats
• Empty bar x 8, one or two ramp-up sets

Working sets (10-15 minutes):

• 5 sets of 5 reps
• Rest 2-4 minutes depending on difficulty

Upper body lifts are less systemically fatiguing than squats, so rest periods tend to be shorter.

Barbell row or deadlift: 10-15 minutes

For barbell rows (5x5):

• Brief warm-up: 1-2 sets
• Working sets: 5 sets of 5 with 2-3 minutes rest
• Rows are the least demanding of the three exercises

For deadlift (1x5):

• Warm-up sets: 3-4 sets building to working weight
• One working set of 5 reps
• Deadlift day is faster because you only do one working set

Total breakdown

Component	Light weights	Heavy weights
General warm-up	10 min	10 min
Squats	15 min	30 min
Second exercise	12 min	20 min
Third exercise	8 min	15 min
Total	45 min	75 min

The difference between a beginner workout and a heavy workout is almost entirely rest time.

Why workouts get longer (and why that’s fine)

Your first week, you might squat the empty bar. Ninety seconds between sets is plenty. Your heart rate barely goes up and your muscles recover almost instantly.

Three months in, you’re squatting 80+ kg. Your cardiovascular system is hammered after each set. Your muscles are working near their current capacity. Your central nervous system needs time to reset. Ninety seconds isn’t enough - you’ll fail rep 4 of your next set because you started too soon.

This is the fundamental reason workouts get longer: heavier weights demand more recovery between sets.

Research consistently shows that 3-5 minutes of rest between heavy compound sets produces better strength gains than shorter rest. A 2016 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found that strength outcomes were significantly better with longer rest periods, while muscle growth was similar regardless of rest length - as long as you completed all your reps.

The takeaway: resting longer makes you stronger. Your workout getting longer is a sign of progress, not a problem.

How to keep workouts efficient

Longer workouts are normal, but there’s a difference between “efficient 70 minutes” and “unfocused 100 minutes.” Here’s how to stay on the shorter end without sacrificing performance.

Time your rest strictly

The number one time leak in the gym is untimed rest. “Three minutes” turns into five when you check your phone, refill your water, and chat with someone. A timer keeps you honest.

Set it the moment you rack the bar. When it goes off, get under the bar. The Lift5x5 app starts a rest timer automatically when you log a completed set, so you never have to think about it.

Overlap warm-up sets

While resting between squat working sets, you can set up the bench. After your last squat set, your bench warm-up can begin almost immediately since those muscles are fresh.

This doesn’t mean supersetting your working sets - you need full rest for those. But warm-up sets for the next exercise can overlap with rest periods of the current one. This can save 5-10 minutes per session.

Have your equipment ready

Load plates for your next set during rest. Know what weight comes next before you finish the current set. Don’t wander around looking for 1.25 kg plates after your set - find them before your workout starts.

Small things, but they add up.

Stay in the zone

Leave your phone in your bag if it’s a distraction. Use a dedicated timer or app instead. Social media between sets is the fastest way to turn a 60-minute workout into a 90-minute one.

Conversations are fine if they don’t extend your rest beyond what you’ve planned. If someone wants to talk during your rest, that’s great. If they’re still talking when your timer goes off, politely excuse yourself.

Why rushing is counterproductive

Some lifters try to keep workouts short by cutting rest periods. This feels productive but actually sabotages progress.

Here’s the math: if you rest 90 seconds instead of 3 minutes on heavy squats, you might fail on set 4 or 5. That means you didn’t complete 5x5. That means you don’t add weight next session. That means your progression stalls.

You “saved” 7 minutes of rest time but lost a week of progression. That’s a terrible trade.

Adequate rest between heavy sets is not laziness. It’s strategy. Your muscles physically need time to replenish ATP and creatine phosphate - the fuel systems that power short, intense efforts. Cut that short and you fail reps. It’s physiology, not willpower.

If you’re consistently failing sets 4 and 5 but completing sets 1-3, the most likely culprit is insufficient rest. Try adding a minute to your rest periods and see if the problem disappears.

The ideal rest times by difficulty

Not every set needs the same rest. Here’s a practical guide based on how the set felt:

Easy set (could do 2-3 more reps): 90 seconds to 2 minutes. This is typical in your first few weeks and during warm-up sets.

Moderate set (could do 1 more rep): 2-3 minutes. Common during months 2-3 as weights become challenging but not maximal.

Hard set (barely got rep 5): 3-5 minutes. This is where you’ll be once weights are truly heavy. Don’t rush it.

Grind set (rep 5 was a fight): 5 minutes. Sometimes you need the full recovery. This is normal at your working max.

The point isn’t to always rest exactly X minutes. It’s to rest long enough that your next set doesn’t suffer. If that’s 2 minutes, great. If it’s 5 minutes, that’s fine too.

When your workout is taking too long

If you’re consistently spending over 90 minutes on a 5x5 session, something is off. Here’s what to check:

Are you timing your rest? Unstructured rest is the most common reason for long sessions. A timer solves this instantly.

Are you resting more than 5 minutes between sets? Even for very heavy squats, 5 minutes is the upper limit. Beyond that, you’re cooling down and losing your warm-up effect. If you need more than 5 minutes, the weight might be too heavy or your conditioning might need work.

Are you doing too many warm-up sets? Two to four warm-up sets per exercise is enough. If you’re doing six warm-up sets of squats, you’re wasting time and energy.

Are you socializing? There’s nothing wrong with having friends at the gym. But if conversations are adding 20 minutes to your session, consider training at a different time or wearing headphones as a polite “don’t interrupt” signal.

Are you on your phone? Be honest with yourself. A 3-minute rest period with 2 minutes of scrolling is really a 5-minute rest period with poor focus.

A sample timed workout

Here’s what a well-paced Workout A looks like at moderate weights (around month 3):

Time	Activity
0:00	General warm-up (light cardio + mobility)
0:10	Squat warm-up sets (bar, 40%, 60%, 80%)
0:17	Squat working set 1, rest 3 min
0:21	Squat working set 2, rest 3 min
0:25	Squat working set 3, rest 3 min
0:29	Squat working set 4, rest 3 min
0:33	Squat working set 5
0:34	Set up bench, warm-up sets
0:39	Bench working set 1, rest 2.5 min
0:42	Bench working set 2, rest 2.5 min
0:45	Bench working set 3, rest 2.5 min
0:48	Bench working set 4, rest 2.5 min
0:51	Bench working set 5
0:52	Set up row, warm-up sets
0:55	Row working set 1, rest 2 min
0:58	Row working set 2, rest 2 min
1:01	Row working set 3, rest 2 min
1:04	Row working set 4, rest 2 min
1:07	Row working set 5

Total: about 67 minutes. Efficient, properly rested, no wasted time.

The bottom line

A 5x5 workout should take 45-75 minutes. Early on, sessions are shorter. As you get stronger, they get longer. This is normal and expected.

Don’t try to rush your sessions by cutting rest. The extra minutes of recovery between heavy sets are what allow you to keep adding weight every session. A focused 70-minute workout beats a rushed 40-minute one every time.

Plan your training schedule accordingly, use a timer, and let the rest periods do their job. For the full picture on how weight increases and rest periods work together, see the progression guide.

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