Jump to:
- What is a Drop Set?
- What Are the Benefits of Drop Sets
- How Do I Perform a Drop Set?
- A Drop Set Example
- Best Drop Set Workouts to Build Muscle
Ever wondered why bodybuilders use special techniques with bizarre sounding names like negatives, pyramids and drop sets? Well, here's the rub: your body is lazy. It's designed to take the path of least resistance, it likes things the way they are and if it can get it away with it, it will keep them that way. Case in point: muscle growth. If you want to add inches to your arms, you have to give your body a very good reason to put them there, in fact, you have to prove to your body that those inches are an absolute necessity – and this is done by lifting progressively heavier and harder.
We all get the progressively heavier part — bigger dumbbells, more plates on the bar et cetera. But when it comes to making our gym sessions harder — in an intelligent, safe manner — it can be a little more confusing. After all, how can you be sure that you’re training hard enough? And how do we even quantify training hard?
This is where techniques like drop sets come in.
Studies have shown that in order to elicit muscle growth optimally, we need to be getting as close to muscular failure as possible – the point at which you couldn’t perform a single extra rep. In fact, the research suggests that sets that don’t get to within 3-5 reps of this point don’t even move the needle on muscle growth. So, if you’re stopping at 10 reps using a weight you could probably hit 15 with, you’re stopping short of the gains zone and possibly short changing your biceps.
If you find yourself unsure that you’re hitting those vein-popping upper limits of your muscle pumping potential, then using occasional intensifiers — special techniques whose sole purpose it is to take you to failure, and beyond — can give you an insight into how hard you could be training while also catapulting you directly into that coveted growth-zone, and tasking you to stay there. One eye-bulging drop set at time.
What is a Drop Set?
A drop set involves completing your regular set before quickly reducing the weight and continuing on with the lower load. The drop in load allows you to keep on working, increasing fatigue and metabolic stress — one of the main drivers of muscle growth— as well as potentially allowing you to stimulate parts of the muscle that respond better to higher reps, that you might otherwise be missing.
You can perform multiple drop sets in a row, gradually getting lighter until you’re left with nothing but an empty barbell, or reach the bottom of the dumbbell rack, which, if done right, should now feel like the heaviest ‘bells you’ve ever lifted.
While a great way to score more reps in the growth zone, we should make it clear that simply performing more reps at a lighter weight isn’t a one-stop-shop for muscle growth. Progressively heavier weights are still the swoly grail of gains. So, ensure you work up to an appropriately heavy weight first, possibly only deploying a drop set on your final, heaviest set, and using the technique sparingly for only one or two movements in each session.
What Are the Benefits of Drop Sets
Drop sets can be performed without a spotter
Unlike other intensifier techniques, drop sets can generally be executed without a partner or spotter.
Drop sets are safer
Working at a higher intensity – but using lighter weights – can help to mitigate injuries associated with pushing too hard with heavy weights.
Drop sets are simple to perform
Drop sets are incredibly simple to perform on 'pin-loaded' resistance machines, where dropping the weight is as simple as moving a pin.
Drop sets stimulate more muscle growth
Drop sets allow you hit parts of the muscle or muscle-group that respond better to higher reps, without sacrificing the stimulus of heavy weights and therefore build more strength.
Drop sets build muscular endurance
Working at higher reps with minimal rest promotes muscular endurance.
How Do I Perform a Drop Set?
Now you know why you should perform drop sets, and when. But what does a drop set look like in practice? Let's take it to the gym...
You’ve worked up to your heaviest set of bench press, a mixture of 20, 10 and 5 kilogram plates adorn either end of your barbell. You crush a big five, absolutely grinding out the final rep.
Now, immediately rack the bar, hop up and peel some of the weight plates off, almost down to a weight you know you could perform more than 10 reps with. Lay back down, take the bar out of the rack and perform as many reps as possible with the lightened load.
Hop straight up and peel the remaining plates from the bar, almost down to your warm-up weight, maybe just the barbell remains, get back under the bar, take a deep breath — finish with as many reps as possible at a fraction of your starting weight.
A Drop Set Example
Bench Press
6 reps at 100kg
10 reps at 80kg
10 reps at 60kg
15 reps at 20kg
*Minimal rest between sets
Best Drop Set Workouts to Build Muscle
Here's a collection of the best drop set workouts that will help build muscle.
- The 4-move drop set workout that will carve out a bigger chest
- Supersize your legs with this lower-body drop set workout
- This mechanical drop set workout builds a bigger back and biceps in 3 moves
- Test your power with this drop set workout
- The drop set workout for massive back gains
