What are drop sets and why are they needed?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer

Drop sets are one of the techniques used in bodybuilding that is widely employed to achieve muscle failure. The English word "drop" translates to "to drop." The name is quite self-explanatory. So:

A drop set is a set in which the weight of the resistance is decreased during the exercise.

This means that during the set, the plates are dropped from the barbell (if you're using a barbell). Hence the name "drop set."

For example, when performing:

After the tenth repetition, you are unable to continue the set. At that moment, assistants immediately remove 5 kg, and you now have 30 kg on the bar. You can do another 4-6 repetitions. Then another 5 kg is removed, and you can perform another 5-8 repetitions with an empty bar. And all of this occurs without any breaks within the same set. I think the essence is clear.

In general, it’s better and more effective to do drop sets with assistants. This allows you to complete the set without breaks. But if there are no assistants, you can still do it yourself. However, in that case, you will have to pause the set to remove the plates yourself. And if it’s a squat or bench press exercise, doing this by yourself can be quite inconvenient.

I believe you understand what drop sets are. Now, let’s find out why they are needed.

Why are Drop Sets Needed?

1. Increase Muscle Mass

It’s no secret that for your muscles to grow in volume, the load must be unfamiliar. In other words, it should be something that shocks the muscles. The more an athlete trains, the harder it is for them to shock the muscles because their body becomes increasingly trained and resistant to loads.

This is where drop sets help provide maximum load to the muscles. When you perform 10 repetitions with a weight of 40 kg and can’t do any more repetitions, it doesn’t mean you have no strength left. It means you no longer have strength at 40 kg! But you still have a bit of strength for a lighter weight. And this small reserve is what drop sets help to exhaust completely, thereby shocking your muscles.

2. Increase Strength Endurance

If you complete 30 or more repetitions in total during a set (I've gone up to 55), you will additionally develop strength endurance. This endurance will be helpful in daily life as well as during workouts. This means your muscles will be able to perform strength-related work for a longer time.

The principle is that under such stress, muscles start to store more glycogen and creatine phosphate. The more glycogen and creatine in the muscles, the longer they can work.

3. Increase Strength

If drop sets are performed with maximal weights and a small number of repetitions, this variant develops muscle strength. For example, if you can only squat 150 kg once, you set 150 kg on the bar and perform 1 repetition. Immediately after, assistants remove 5 kg, and you perform another repetition, but with 140 kg. Then, 130, 120, 110 kg. In total, you’ll have done 5 repetitions, all with weights that are quite heavy for you. This method will build your strength.

Tips for Using Drop Sets

1. Not suitable for beginners. It's not that it doesn’t fit; it’s just that at the initial stage, there’s no need for drop sets. And you can risk injury due to unfamiliarity. Train for at least six months, and then you can start trying them.

2. If you’re going to do drop sets, do only one working set. Warm up with 1-2 sets of light weights, then do one drop set, and that’s it for the exercise. The reason is that such sets exhaust your muscles to the limit. There's no need for additional sets. Exceptions can be made only for strength drop sets, but even then, it’s only sometimes and for very experienced athletes.

3. Doing drop sets makes sense if your muscles have rested well before the workout. The task here is to shock your muscles. And if they are fatigued, they will refuse to work before the load exceeds the threshold of stress (unfamiliar).

4. Don’t overdo it. You shouldn’t train solely with drop sets. Remember that muscles take quite a long time to recover after such loads. Therefore, alternate drop sets with regular sets in different workouts to give your muscles time to rest.

5. The more weight you drop, the harder the drop set will be. Personally, I use about 3-4 drop-offs. I wouldn’t recommend using less than three, as in that case, a drop set won't differ much from a regular set.

Overall, drop sets are a good technique for gaining both strength and mass. It's best to do them with the help of assistants, as then their effectiveness will be maximized. You can use drop sets in any exercises where you are using additional weights. The step (the number of kg to drop at one time) is something each person can decide for themselves. You can say it’s a matter of taste. Good luck!