The ultimate high-intensity technique for building size is drop sets.

What is a drop set?

Drop sets are a technique where you execute a set to failure or just short of failure, then immediately reduce the weight, and continue for more reps.

Why do drop sets work?

Two primary reasons:

  1. They essentially allow you to get at and train more of the overall muscle. In any given set, you are only recruiting a certain amount of muscle fibers. By then dropping the weight down and going lighter, you effectively recruit different muscle fibers.
  2. This type of training pumps more blood into the muscle and stretches the fascia (the thin sheath of connective tissue that surrounds muscle). The fascia can limit muscle volume because the muscle can only grow as much as there is room for it to expand. Think of a plant: the size of its pot restricts how big it can grow. This form of training stretches the fascia, and allows more room to grow. It enlarges the metaphorical “pot” for the “plant,” so it can get bigger.

arnold-drop-setWhy Bodybuilders Love Drop Sets

Bodybuilders love drop sets because they’re geared towards increasing muscle size (hypertrophy). And bodybuilders in particular aim for size, being unique among athletes in this way. Their primary focus is cosmetic improvements versus athletic performance.

Drop sets were a favorite of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and have been a big part of bodybuilding training ever since.

Why Athletes Don’t Love Drop Sets

On the other hand, you won’t see a lot of pro ball players, CrossFitters, military, or other athletes using drop sets, because drop sets are not conducive to strength or power gains. On the contrary, most athletes want strength and power without size. Unnecessary bulk gets in the way of functionality and only slows them down.

Here are the two most popular kinds of drop sets:

Drop Sets With Plates (stripping sets)

When using exercises with a barbell, you strip the plates until you can no longer perform reps (with good form) with the given weight. Although not a necessity, it helps to have a training partner strip the weights for you.

Here’s an example using the bench press exercise:

  • Warm Up: Start with just the bar itself, and do 12 slow and controlled reps.
  • Set 1: Choose a weight you’d fail at 10 reps.
  • Set 2: Strip weight by 10/20lbs @ 10 reps.
  • Set 3: Strip weight by 10/20lbs @ 12 reps.
  • Set 4: Strip weight by 20/50lbs @ 15 reps.
  • Set 5: Strip weight by 20/50lbs @ 15 reps.

Drop Sets With Dumbbells (running the rack)

Once you reach failure with a certain dumbbell weight, pick up a lighter weight and perform as many reps (with good from) with the given weight. Continue for a few more sets until failure.

Here’s an example using bicep dumbbell curls:

  • Warm Up: Start with the lightest dumbbells you can find (within reason), and do 12 slow and controlled reps.
  • Set 1: Choose a weight you’d fail at 10 reps.
  • Set 2: Lower weight by 5/10lbs @ 10 reps.
  • Set 3: Lower weight by 5/10lbs @ 12 reps.
  • Set 4: Lower weight by 5/10lbs @ 15 reps.
  • Set 5: Lower weight by 5/10lbs @ 15 reps.

NOTE: How much you should strip/lower the weight will be determined by how strong you are. Using the above examples, most women should lower the amount of weight more towards the lighter side, and most men towards the heavier side.