Drop Set Training
What is it?
A drop set is the simple technique where you perform a set of any exercise to failure or just short of failure, then drop some weight and continue for more repetitions with the reduced weight. This high intensity training technique is used solely for muscle mass.
How Drop Sets Work: Breaking Down Muscle Fibers… Deep Down!
Let’s suppose you’re doing bicep curls with 40kg for a set of 8-12 reps. The 10th rep is difficult. The 11th rep is extremely hard, even with a little cheating. The 12th rep takes an all out supreme effort. Gun to the head – you still couldn’t do a 13th rep. You’ve hit honest failure. But if you strip some weight off the bar – about fifteen to twenty percent or so, you can keep going. Even though you may reach a point of momentary muscular failure after 8-12 reps in a conventional straight set, you haven’t reached absolute failure; you’ve only reached failure with that weight. You see, in a single straight set performed to failure, you don’t activate every fiber in a muscle group. You only recruit the number of fibers necessary to lift a particular weight for the desired number of repetitions.
By stripping off weight and continuing the set, you recruit more and more “reserve” muscle fibers. Drop sets hit the “stubborn” muscle fibers “deep down,” causing growth that normally couldn’t be achieved by stopping after a single set of six to twelve.
How To Maximize Drop Set Efficiency
1. Keep Rest Intervals To A Minimum
Usually, the time between weight drops ranges from zero to ten seconds. Even if you’re doing heavy power drop sets, the rest between sets should still be relatively brief. In general, the briefer the time between the weight change, the more intense and effective your drop set will be.
2. Set Up Equipment In Advance
To move quickly from one exercise to the next, you should have all your equipment set up and ready before starting the first exercise. Instead of putting big plates on a barbell or machine, load it up with 2.5’s and 5′s, ready to be stripped. If you’re doing triple drops with dumbbells, line up all three pairs beforehand.
3. Train When The Gym Isn’t Crowded So You Have A Dumbbell Rack To Yourself
Drop setting isn’t practical in a crowded gym, nor is it proper gym etiquette to hog three or four sets of dumbbells all to yourself for 15 minutes. If you’re planning to use down the rack drop sets, try to schedule your workout for a time when the gym isn’t crowded and be courteous to others.
4. Use Two Weight Drops (three different weights) Most Of The Time
You can really go “crazy” with drop sets and reduce the weight as many times as you want. However, there seems to be a point of diminishing returns after two or three weight reductions. The most common drop set method is a triple drop, where you use three weights and two weight reductions.
5. Stay In The Six To Twelve Rep Range Most Of The Time
Six to twelve is the most productive rep range for bodybuilding purposes and this rule should generally not change in a drop set. If you want to work on maintaining or even building strength, go with four to six reps. If you want pure hypertrophy, keep your reps around eight to twelve. For a skin-splitting pump, occasionally go up to 15-20 reps, especially on your last drop.
6. Begin With A Six To Twelve Rep Max
It’s not enough to keep the reps in the six to twelve range. It’s got to be a six to twelve rep MAX, not just six to twelve reps. If you start with a weight that’s too light, you’ll achieve little more than muscle pumping and flushing with the drop set technique. A true six rep max means that you can’t do a seventh rep. You should reach failure or close to it with each weight before stripping off weight.
7. Use Drop Sets Sparingly
Drop sets are intense and they require caution and common sense. If you used them all the time, you would quickly burn out and overtrain. One great way to use drop sets is the 3:1 method: you perform three straight sets of an exercise, followed by one drop set.
Conclusion
If you want to put on some serious muscle mass and feel the skin tearing pumps that come from drop sets then what are you waiting for?
Okay, okay here it is:
Full Body Drop Set Workout:
Squats 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 80% 10 Rep MAX, 50% 10 Rep MAX
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Wide Grip Seated Row 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Upright Row 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 8 Rep MAX, 6 Rep MAX, 4 Rep MAX
E-Z Bar Curl 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 8 Rep MAX, 6 Rep MAX, 4 Rep MAX
A drop set is the simple technique where you perform a set of any exercise to failure or just short of failure, then drop some weight and continue for more repetitions with the reduced weight. This high intensity training technique is used solely for muscle mass.
How Drop Sets Work: Breaking Down Muscle Fibers… Deep Down!
Let’s suppose you’re doing bicep curls with 40kg for a set of 8-12 reps. The 10th rep is difficult. The 11th rep is extremely hard, even with a little cheating. The 12th rep takes an all out supreme effort. Gun to the head – you still couldn’t do a 13th rep. You’ve hit honest failure. But if you strip some weight off the bar – about fifteen to twenty percent or so, you can keep going. Even though you may reach a point of momentary muscular failure after 8-12 reps in a conventional straight set, you haven’t reached absolute failure; you’ve only reached failure with that weight. You see, in a single straight set performed to failure, you don’t activate every fiber in a muscle group. You only recruit the number of fibers necessary to lift a particular weight for the desired number of repetitions.
By stripping off weight and continuing the set, you recruit more and more “reserve” muscle fibers. Drop sets hit the “stubborn” muscle fibers “deep down,” causing growth that normally couldn’t be achieved by stopping after a single set of six to twelve.
How To Maximize Drop Set Efficiency
1. Keep Rest Intervals To A Minimum
Usually, the time between weight drops ranges from zero to ten seconds. Even if you’re doing heavy power drop sets, the rest between sets should still be relatively brief. In general, the briefer the time between the weight change, the more intense and effective your drop set will be.
2. Set Up Equipment In Advance
To move quickly from one exercise to the next, you should have all your equipment set up and ready before starting the first exercise. Instead of putting big plates on a barbell or machine, load it up with 2.5’s and 5′s, ready to be stripped. If you’re doing triple drops with dumbbells, line up all three pairs beforehand.
3. Train When The Gym Isn’t Crowded So You Have A Dumbbell Rack To Yourself
Drop setting isn’t practical in a crowded gym, nor is it proper gym etiquette to hog three or four sets of dumbbells all to yourself for 15 minutes. If you’re planning to use down the rack drop sets, try to schedule your workout for a time when the gym isn’t crowded and be courteous to others.
4. Use Two Weight Drops (three different weights) Most Of The Time
You can really go “crazy” with drop sets and reduce the weight as many times as you want. However, there seems to be a point of diminishing returns after two or three weight reductions. The most common drop set method is a triple drop, where you use three weights and two weight reductions.
5. Stay In The Six To Twelve Rep Range Most Of The Time
Six to twelve is the most productive rep range for bodybuilding purposes and this rule should generally not change in a drop set. If you want to work on maintaining or even building strength, go with four to six reps. If you want pure hypertrophy, keep your reps around eight to twelve. For a skin-splitting pump, occasionally go up to 15-20 reps, especially on your last drop.
6. Begin With A Six To Twelve Rep Max
It’s not enough to keep the reps in the six to twelve range. It’s got to be a six to twelve rep MAX, not just six to twelve reps. If you start with a weight that’s too light, you’ll achieve little more than muscle pumping and flushing with the drop set technique. A true six rep max means that you can’t do a seventh rep. You should reach failure or close to it with each weight before stripping off weight.
7. Use Drop Sets Sparingly
Drop sets are intense and they require caution and common sense. If you used them all the time, you would quickly burn out and overtrain. One great way to use drop sets is the 3:1 method: you perform three straight sets of an exercise, followed by one drop set.
Conclusion
If you want to put on some serious muscle mass and feel the skin tearing pumps that come from drop sets then what are you waiting for?
Okay, okay here it is:
Full Body Drop Set Workout:
Squats 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 80% 10 Rep MAX, 50% 10 Rep MAX
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Wide Grip Seated Row 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Upright Row 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 85% 10 Rep MAX, 60% 10 Rep MAX
Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 8 Rep MAX, 6 Rep MAX, 4 Rep MAX
E-Z Bar Curl 3 x 8-12 Reps
Dropset; 10 Rep MAX, 8 Rep MAX, 6 Rep MAX, 4 Rep MAX
