Drop sets in bodybuilding: effective training for muscle growth

One of the best intense techniques ever used in bodybuilding to stimulate muscle growth is drop sets.

A drop set is a special technique that consists of performing an approach to an exercise almost to failure, after which the weight is reduced in weight, and the exercise continues with this already reduced load. This method was developed by Henry Atkinson, editor of Body Culture magazine in 1947. Since then, this explosive technique has been called everything: strip sets, triple drop sets, descending sets, etc.

The purpose of drop sets is to increase muscle size. They don’t add strength, nor do they increase power or speed, but if the goal is to gain pure mass, this is the ideal way.

How to build muscle is the most important question in bodybuilding. In order for training and recovery to be as effective as possible, you need to know the theory. Study an interesting article on how to build muscles on our website.

What is the essence of the drop set method?

First, let's figure out what drop sets are. The essence of the principle is that the athlete does 3-4 approaches / 6-10 repetitions (more is possible with the finishing one) of any strength exercise with maximum load. “Positive muscle failure” occurs, and it seems that it is impossible to continue the exercise. Without rest, the working weight of the projectile immediately decreases by 20-25% in 2-3 seconds (help from partners will be required). Next, the exercise is performed until absolute muscle failure.

Important! Dropsets in training should be dosed. Simply put, they are used for shocking training (for example, once a month) or for stagnation in muscle growth (also 1-2 times a month). Otherwise, the athlete faces stress, overtraining and prolonged recovery.

Article on the topic: Supersets in bodybuilding.

Advantages of dropset training in bodybuilding and its disadvantages

Advantages of the method:

• Allows lagging muscles to progress.
• Increases muscle strength.
• Accelerates muscle growth in volume.
• Gives some kind of shock, moving the muscles from a dead point.

Flaws:

• Dropset techniques are only suitable for trained athletes. Beginners will not be able to perform shock loading with high-quality equipment.
• The drop set technique cannot be applied to every exercise, and in certain exercises the method will be impractical and useless.

The mechanism of the impact of drop sets on the body

Muscle failure is a kind of illusion of final muscle exhaustion. The truth is that after failure occurs, a large amount of energy is still stored in the muscle tissue fibers. You just need to slightly lose the working weight, and you will easily conquer new approaches.

The muscle fibers are designed in such a way that they cannot contract by 50%, but only at full capacity, or not contract at all. Therefore, even in a muscle that contracts to its limit, there is a certain percentage of “dormant” fibers. They simply “did not receive the nerve impulses” that the brain sent to this area. It is important to stick to the required number of repetitions of 8-10. This is how the greatest muscle hypertrophy is achieved.

When talking about drop sets, the question arises: do they make muscles grow faster? We answer: with this method of training, maximum stress and microscopic damage to the muscle are achieved. This activates reverse recovery processes. They are the ones who cause the muscle to grow and increase in volume. Here is the answer to the question of why drop-set is needed: it is aimed at awakening “dormant” reserve muscle fibers. This is subject to training using this method 1-2 times a month for each muscle group, and only if you are already an experienced athlete and not a beginner in the gym.

Main types of drop sets

There are several types of drop-set.

• Classic - performing an exercise, then reducing the weight by about 20%, and continuing to work until failure.
• Triple and quadruple - the beginning is the same, only in the triple, 3 approaches are performed with a 2-fold reduction in weight, and in the quadruple, 4 approaches are performed with 3 reductions between them.
• Reverse - in this case, the burden does not decrease, as usual, but increases. The exercise is done 10-12 times (not to failure), 20% of the weight is added and repeated 8 more times. Then 20% is added again and the exercise is completed with 4-6 repetitions.

• Progression - the equipment is selected so that in 1 approach the strength is enough for 12 repetitions at a normal pace. The 2nd set uses a reduced load to do 8 reps, then does a second lowered load to do 6 times, and does a set of 4 with the weight dropped a third time.
• Sets are performed in turn without rest for the antagonist muscles, and the load is reduced by 20-30% each time. For example: an athlete lifts a 25 kg barbell for biceps, without a break he moves on to the French press. Afterwards, the weight of the projectile is reduced by 7.5 kg, and in the same style he performs repetitions on the triceps and biceps. Afterwards, another reduction in working weight occurs by 7.5 kg, and the cycle is repeated.

What it is?

The phrase is translated from English drop - reset, set - install, accept. This is a method of strength training in bodybuilding, when the weight of the weight decreases as the exercise is performed and fatigue accumulates. An example of such a workout is shown in the video below.

Let me give you an example: you lift a thirty-kilogram barbell for your biceps. After 10 repetitions, the muscles got tired and failure occurred. Put down the barbell, take a 20 kg projectile and continue lifting the biceps to the limit, after which you will feel the arm muscles burning.

Additional types of drop sets

• Using dumbbells. This method is most convenient near a rack with dumbbells for quickly changing the load. 12-10-8 kg - change in severity level. Often used in arm and shoulder training.
• On the simulators. If you compare them with a barbell, then pulling out and strengthening the pin yourself, adjusting the load, is as easy as shelling pears. This procedure in leg training, for example, can be carried out without even getting up from the simulator.
• Compressed - intense and complex due to the small weight loss from 5 to 20%. Used for small muscle groups in isolation exercises.
• Wide. A large weight drop (25% or more) allows you to perform a high number of repetitions. Used on large muscle groups - legs, back, chest.
• 50 %. "The Halving Method." A projectile is selected with which it is possible to do 6 repetitions, after which the weight is reduced once by 2 times, and the final 20 repetitions are carried out.
• Powerful drop sets for mass. Favorite type of training for the first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott. A powerful weight is selected for 6 repetitions, which allows you to build muscle and not lose strength. Next, the level of burden is reduced by 10-15%, and performed 6 more times, again reducing by 10% and finishing with 6 repetitions. In this case, you will need the help of a partner, since the exercise is very difficult and it is not a fact that you will be able to perform these 6 repetitions yourself every time.

• With a change in grip and leg position. For example, the leg press exercise depends on the position of the legs on the platform. When performing, the number of repetitions does not change, but only the position of the body. You can start with 12 repetitions with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lower the weight and lift your feet even higher onto the platform, leaving them spaced apart. Through the cycle, place your feet together on the bottom of the platform, and finish with a finishing move. Also with the barbell chest press, change your grip with each set - narrower or wider.
• Zero. Rest when reducing weights is close to zero, and conducting such training is unrealistic without assistants.
• Rest-pause. You don’t have to strain yourself too much, since you are given 15 seconds to lose weight, which allows you to gain a lot of energy.

Execution Rules

1. Try to conduct such training with minimal pauses. To quickly throw weights off the barbell, involve other athletes or prepare additional equipment in advance.
2. During execution, reduce the load at least 3 times - otherwise there will be no proper mass-gaining effect.
3. Don't drop set more than one exercise per muscle group per workout.
4. You should not use this method more often than once every 2-3 weeks; after all, this is an extreme load on the muscles, ligaments and nervous system. The body will require a longer recovery time, and doing it too often will lead to overtraining.

How to increase the effectiveness of training

In order for a drop set program to be as effective as possible for an athlete, the following rules should be followed:

• Equipment. Prepare everything you need in advance. For barbells - 5-10 kg plates, or 3-4 pairs of dumbbells, laid out in a row on a rack.

• Short rest. 0-15 sec even with powerful training. The shorter the better.
• Limited number of weight reductions. You can reduce the load as much as you like, but do not forget the concept of “diminishing returns.” This means that there is a certain critical point of reduction in weights, after which further repetitions will be ineffective for the muscles. The optimal number for reducing the mass of a projectile is 2 times, which corresponds to a triple set.
• Maximum load. Simple repetitions of 6-12 times are not sufficient. It is important to achieve muscle failure. If you initially choose light weights, training ceases to be effective. It is important that when repeated 6 times, the seventh should be impossible. This is a refusal.
• Safety precautions. To prevent injury, the technique cannot be used without outside help in cases where it is impossible to release the projectile without risks. For example, it is not recommended to use it in the bench press or squats.

What safety precautions must be taken during training?

The risks of injury during deltoids training are high. This is due to the structure of the shoulder joint, consisting of three beams, its direct involvement when performing presses and deadlifts, as well as rotation through 180 degrees. And if the athlete does not know or ignores the safety rules, then any exercise on the delta becomes a potentially dangerous threat.

You can protect yourself by strictly following all recommendations to reduce the risk of injury:

• Every delt exercise should always begin with a high-quality and good warm-up;
• when starting a working approach, you must definitely do a warm-up set;
• do not take maximum weights and work with a reliable safety net - a partner on the last approaches;

It is not recommended to do exercises that involve movement that is unnatural for the shoulder joint. A striking example is the overhead barbell press. If there is a need for such exercises, you should work only with a limited range of motion.

Drop set for muscle growth on biceps

Let's look at how to properly perform drop sets for biceps. For example, consider the favorite method of training the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger with a barbell.

1. Warm up with light weights to warm up your muscles. Usually this is an empty neck.
2. Load the barbell with 4 weights (5 kg each) on each side. The total weight will be 60 kg.
3. Work with this weight, performing 10-12 repetitions.
4. Remove one pancake from each side one at a time, this will reduce the total weight by 15%.
5. Work with a mass of 50 kg until the first failure, and again remove the plate from both sides.
6. Perform lifts of 40 kg until exhaustion.

The example shows weights for strong, experienced athletes. If you have not yet grown up to such loads, take a small bar and small-sized weights. Although, if you haven’t grown up to such weights, then drop sets are of no use to you)

Principle of operation

According to scientific data, different weights activate different types of muscle fibers. For example:

1. Weights of 90-100% of one repetition maximum (1RM) innervate only fast fibers
2. 60-85% of 1RM – fast and intermediate
3. 55% of 1RM and below are slow

A typical single set uses only one type of muscle fiber.

With the help of drop sets, you can load three types of fibers at once! This results in 100% muscle coverage.

This is a powerful stimulus for hypertrophy, both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic (read more here).

In practice, when using this method the following happens:

1. First stage

In the beginning, you work with heavy weights (activation of fast-twitch fibers), then they get tired and “failure” occurs. To continue working, fast-twitch fibers need a few minutes of rest.

1. Second phase

Then we take a lighter weight and continue the approach without rest. Fast fibers have “turned off”, but intermediate fibers are involved in the work.

1. Third stage

After their reserves are depleted, we reduce the load even more, and the most enduring muscle fibers, the slow ones, come into work.

Drop sets for different muscle groups

Here are videos that will show you in detail the principles of execution for different muscle groups.

"Hammer" for biceps

Leg bending in the simulator

Back workout

Finishing off the shoulders

With hundreds of intense training methods available, using just one drop set technique is enough to achieve noticeable gains in muscle mass. Apply various techniques and you are sure to achieve impressive results. What do you think about the benefits and effectiveness of drop-set? Write your opinion in the comments below.

Conclusion

Drop sets are suitable for experienced bodybuilders to diversify their workouts, overcome stagnation in weight gain and work out lagging muscle groups. High intensity training will allow you to burn excess fat faster and help you lose weight. It is important not to overdo it and not to injure the muscles and tendons with excessively high loads. Exercise and stay healthy.

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