When it comes to exercise, consistency and repetition is good. You will want to stick with the same routine for a while so that your body can become comfortable with the movements and you can build up strength. However, after a while you might hit a plateau.This means that even though you’re doing the same exercises every day, your body isn’t making improvements. Or, you might just get bored and burned out. That’s when it helps to switch things up with a drop set. Drop sets allow you to get the most out of each workout, even as your body adjusts and gets used to exercise. With this approach, you’ll do one set of an exercise and then immediately reduce the weight by 10-20 percent and complete another set. Because you’re doing the same exercise with a slightly lighter weight, it allows you to push your body even further.
Curious about these sets? Here is everything you need to know about the benefits of drop sets and how to incorporate them into your workout:
Muscle Hypertrophy
The process of building muscle is called hypertrophy. It happens in this way – when you lift weights, your muscle fibers tear slightly. Then it’s the job of your body to repair those fibers and make them stronger. Drop sets are a great way to create even more micro-tears and progress your muscle growth (5).
Increased Metabolism
Metabolism refers to the way your body processes energy and breaks down food. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be (2). Because drop sets help to create muscle growth, they can also help you increase your metabolism.
Burn More Fat
If you want to lose weight and burn fat, drop sets can help. Because they require you to push your body further, they create a higher metabolic demand (4). This means that you’ll burn more calories and fat during your workout than you would with regular sets.
Improved Muscular Endurance
Drop sets can also help to improve your muscular endurance. When you reduce the weight and keep going for another set, it forces your body to work harder. This helps increase the amount of time your muscles can operate at a high level before fatiguing (1).
Efficient Workouts
If you’re short on time and need to get an effective workout in a limited period, drop sets are your best bet. They help you make the most of each exercise and maximize your results with minimal rest periods.
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Increased Intensity
Drop sets are a great way to increase the intensity of your workouts. By reducing the weight, you can do more reps without putting too much strain on your body. This also helps activate more muscle fibers and increases the effectiveness of the exercise.
Better Results
When you add drop sets to your workout it helps push your body to the next level and can help achieve better results in a shorter amount of time. This also makes for a more effective workout so that you don’t have to spend hours in the gym trying to make progress.
Variety
As mentioned before, drop sets can help make your workouts more interesting. This keeps you from becoming bored and helps add some variety to an otherwise mundane routine.
Disadvantages Of Drop Sets
While drop sets can provide many benefits, there are some potential drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Overtraining
The nature of drop sets is such that you’re pushing your body to its limits. This means that you could be at risk for overtraining if you’re not careful. Some tell-tale signs of overtraining include fatigue, irritability, and a decrease in performance.
To prevent this, make sure to take rest days and cycle your workouts. Also, be sure to give your body enough time to recover between sets.
Injury Risk
Another downside of drop sets is that they can increase your risk of injury. Because you’re pushing yourself to the limit, it can place too much stress on certain muscle groups and joints. To reduce your risk of injury, make sure to warm up properly and use proper form (3).
How To Do Drop Sets
Ready to try drop sets for yourself? Here are some tips on how to get started:
- Start with a weight that you can lift for 8-12 reps.
- After the last rep, reduce the weight and continue doing as many reps as you can without compromising form.
- Aim to do 3-4 sets of drop sets.
- Take a 30-60 second rest period between sets.
How Much Weight Should You Drop?
The amount of weight you drop depends on how much energy is left in your muscles after the initial set. It’s best to keep the weight light enough that you’re able to get at least 8-10 reps. The idea is to keep going until your muscles can’t do more.
A good estimate that’s often used is to reduce the weight by about 15-20%. For example, if you started with a weight of 100 lbs., you’d drop it to about 85 lbs. for the next set.
Note that you must be able to do each set with proper form. That means if you can’t do the reps without compromising form, reduce the weight even more.
Which Exercises Should You Do?
Drop sets can be used with a variety of exercises, including bodyweight moves, strength training exercises, and even cardio. You have to be smart in your exercise selection, especially if you’re working out on your own without a spotter.
Choose exercises that you can do safely and effectively with minimal risk of injury. Your best bet is machine-based exercises, as they provide a more secure environment to perform drop sets.
This includes cable machines, chest press machines, and leg press machines. Another safe option is single-joint aka isolation exercises. We’re talking exercises like biceps curls, triceps extensions, and lateral raises.
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How Often Should You Do Drop Sets?
Drop sets can be done several times a week, as long as you’re taking rest days and rotating the exercises. That being said, it’s best not to do drop sets every day. Your body needs time to recover and rebuild between sessions, so make sure you’re giving yourself enough rest. A good starting point is 2 times a week.
Who Can Do Drop Sets?
Drop sets are strictly for advanced and intermediate trainees. At these levels, form and technique should already be perfected, and you should have a good understanding for the amount of weight your body can handle.
If you’re just starting out, it’s best to stick with regular sets until you’ve built up your strength and endurance. That being said, even intermediate and advanced trainees should be careful with drop sets. As mentioned before, they can put a lot of stress on your body, so it’s important to keep form in check and listen to your body.
Example Of A Drop Set Workout
Here’s an example of a full-body drop set workout you can try:
Upper Body (Chest, Back, Shoulders)
- Barbell Chest Press: 4 sets of 10 reps, reducing weight each set
- Pull-Ups: 4 sets of 8 reps, reducing weight each set
- Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps, reducing weight each set
- Seated Rows: 4 sets of 10 reps, reducing weight each set
- Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8 reps, reducing weight each set
Lower Body (Legs, Glutes, Calves)
- Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 8 reps, reducing weight each set
- Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 12 reps, reducing weight each set
- Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps, reducing weight each set
- Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets of 8 reps, reducing weight each set
- Leg Press: 3 sets of 10 reps, reducing weight each set
Making The Most Of Drop Sets
Drop sets are a great way to push your muscles to fatigue and build strength and endurance. But, don’t forget these important tips:
- Make sure you have proper form and technique throughout the entire set.
- Start with a weight that’s heavy enough to fatigue your muscles after the initial set.
- Drop the weight by 15-20% for each successive set.
- Aim to do 8-12 reps per set.
- Listen to your body and take breaks as needed.
- Stick with machine-based exercises or single-joint moves if you don’t have a spotter
- Do drop sets 2 times a week.
- Warm up with dynamic stretches before each workout.
- Cool down with static stretches after each session.
- Stay hydrated and fuel up with healthy snacks and meals.
- Prioritize rest and recovery by taking rest days and getting adequate sleep.
By following these tips, you can get the most out of your drop set workouts and make progress towards your fitness goals.
Read More: Two Is Better Than One: Why And How To Design Effective Workout Plans For Couples
Drops Sets Vs Supersets: What’s The Difference?
The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different types of workouts. Drop sets involve reducing the weight after each set, with no rest, while doing the same exercise.
Supersets involve doing two different types of exercises back-to-back with no rest in between. For example, in a drop set you may do bicep curls with progressively lighter weights, while in a superset you may alternate between bicep curls and tricep extensions.
Drop Sets Vs Progressive Overload: What’s The Difference?
Drop sets and progressive overload are two different approaches to strength training. Drop sets involve reducing the weight per set as you progress, while progressive overload involves gradually increasing the weight and reps with each set.
Both methods can be used to improve strength and muscle growth, although drop sets provide a more intense workout in a shorter amount of time.
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Conclusion
Drop sets are an effective and efficient way to increase the intensity of your workouts. They can be used with a variety of exercises and are suitable for advanced and intermediate trainees.
As always, it’s important to use proper form, listen to your body, and give yourself enough rest between sessions. With these tips in mind, you can add drop sets to your workout routine and gain strength and muscle in no time.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
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SOURCES:
- Effects of drop sets with resistance training on increases in muscle CSA, strength, and endurance: a pilot study (2018, nih.gov)
- Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism (2013, nih.gov)
- How to avoid exercise injuries (2020, medlineplus.gov)
- Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories (2022, mayoclinic.org)
- Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods (2019, nih.gov)
