Drop sets are an effective way to promote muscle fatigue and facilitate muscle building, although they can be strenuous and are not ideal for every individual. Typically, a drop set is counted as a single set even though it involves multiple weight drops.
Understanding drop sets
Drop sets are a fantastic training protocol to incorporate into your training routines.
This involves gradually reducing the weight you lift in successive sets without taking a break.
The main thing is to continue training beyond the initial muscle fatigue.
However, when I say “sets”, these are not additional sets, but an extension of the original working set.
In other words, Drop sets should always be counted as a single set.
The main reason for performing drop sets is to increase muscle endurance and promote muscle growth.
This is achieved by complete fatigue of the muscle fibers.
Although drop sets can increase strength, there is evidence published in the journal Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical FitnessThis shows that simply performing regular heavy sets leads to greater strength improvements.
Drop sets are suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders, but should be used carefully to avoid overtraining.
In addition, you can apply them to almost any exercise, increasing training intensity and efficiency.
Just make sure you maintain proper form throughout to get the most benefit.
The most common way to use drop sets
Personally, I’ve primarily used drop sets in the last set of an exercise.
My standard protocol would be a total of 3 drop sets after the last work set while ensuring reps remain the same.
Additionally, I will typically reduce the weight by about 10-30% with each subsequent drop set.
Here’s an example using barbell bicep curls:
| Barbell Bicep Curls: The Single Drop Set Method | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sentence | Representative | Weight |
| 1 | 8-12 | 70 pounds |
| 2 | 8-12 | 70 pounds |
| 3 + 3 drop sets | 8-12 | 70 pounds ➡️ 50 pounds ➡️ 40 pounds ➡️ 30 pounds |
| Presented by mybodyweightexercises.com | ||
However, the final working set containing 3 drop sets should only be counted as ONE SET and not as 4 total sets.
Realistically, your “real” sets (for lack of a better word) should be done at maximum weight, maximum intensity, and maximum reps.
Drop sets are simply a way to get a little more out of muscles that are fatigued and on the verge of failure by incorporating the same movement but with reduced weight.
So the above biceps workout is only 3 sets and not 6 sets.
The “Every Set Drop Set” method
The drop set method for each set is exactly as it sounds: you perform a drop set for every single set of every exercise during your routine.
This significantly increases the intensity and volume of your training.
Basically it’s about getting your muscles to fatigue at different levels of resistance.
This improves muscle endurance and growth by exposing your muscles to a variety of stimuli in a single session.
I would say this is extremely effective for muscle hypertrophy, although with a few caveats.
First, you need to consider your overall training intensity, training volume, and recovery ability to avoid overtraining.
Therefore, I would recommend that the drop set method be used on each set only by experienced lifters, especially those trying to break out of a plateau.
Use this method if you want to temporarily intensify your training.
Therefore, I would not recommend beginners to try this method, and I would also avoid training this way more than two days a week.
Make sure there are at least 72 hours between these two sessions and train normally the rest of the week.
Finally, pay attention to your recovery and how you feel in the gym, because there’s no point in continuing if you constantly feel exhausted or feel like your workouts are waning.
| Barbell Bicep Curls: The Every-Set-Drop-Set Method | ||
|---|---|---|
| phase | Representative | Weight |
| First sentence | 8-12 | 70 pounds |
| Drop set 1 | 8-12 | 50 pounds |
| Drop set 2 | 8-12 | 30 pounds |
| Presented by mybodyweightexercises.com | ||
As you can see from the table, I reduced the number of drop sets from 3 to 2.
This training still only consists of 3 working sets and not a total of 9 sets.
Now you can try the “every set” method with 3 drop sets per set, but that is a huge amount of intensity and volume.
So you may be able to work your way up to that, but I would err on the side of caution and use fewer drop sets until your body gets more used to this type of training.
This is also a great opportunity for you to read my article discussing whether you should do this Perform bicep curls while sitting or standing.
Key learning points
- A drop set is counted as one set.
- Drop sets involve reducing the weight on subsequent sets without resting between those “sets.”
- They are a great way to improve muscle endurance and growth.
- The most common way to use drop sets is to incorporate a drop set into the last set of a given exercise.
- Generally, I would do three drop sets after the last set of an exercise.
- You can use the drop set every set method, which runs a drop set after every single set. With this method I usually stick with 2 drop sets.
- Drop sets on every set are an advanced training method and should be avoided by beginners.
- Do “drop sets every set” no more than twice a week and train normally the rest of the week.
- Pay attention to your recovery and ensure that your training is not compromised by possible overtraining.
One of the biggest benefits of drop sets is that they increase metabolic stress and promote greater muscle growth. Essentially, you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Which exactly is the focus of the Massthetic Muscle training program.
Hello, I’m Partha, owner and founder of My Bodyweight Exercises. I am a Level 3 Personal Trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the Register of Exercise Professionals in the UK. I have been going to the gym regularly since 2000 and coaching clients since 2012. My goal is to help you achieve your body composition goals.
