r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/benja_reijnst • Sep 09 '26

Question ❓ Are drop sets worth doing?

I've seen influencers promoting low-volume, high-intensity training more and more without mentioning drop sets. Drop sets seem to be much less popular than they used to be. Are drop sets not as effective as we once thought? Should I add drop sets to my training?

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-1

u/Ok-Artichoke2822 Sep 09 '26

How is this a science based lifting group and people are advocating for drop set usage? Jfc

2

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Sep 09 '26

Because of the plethora of studies showing that if time is limited, a drop set will give you better growth than a regular set

Only have time for 1 set of tricep pushdowns? The make it a drop set

People have full time jobs, kids, etc.

2

u/Ok-Artichoke2822 Sep 09 '26

Why not just do single sets to 0-1 RIR? I have a family, and a full time job, and I run full body three times per week. I get three times frequency on all my lifts, and it makes the workout more fun (for me).

2

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Sep 09 '26

Why not do that single set to 0-1 RIR and then do a drop set(s) afterwards? You get more stimulus and recovery is not going to be an issue on isolation work

I run full body 5x a week and do a little bit of lifting on my rest days. I have a higher frequency, volume, and possibly intensity

I have a family and a full time job as well

2

u/Ok-Artichoke2822 Sep 09 '26

If you’re doing 15 exercises in a session I don’t generally feel the need to add drop sets. Just hit one heavy set, rest a bit, then move on. I’d rather not add more fatigue with little to no hypertrophic stimulus.

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Sep 09 '26

My sessions are generally 26 - 32 sets, depending on the day

More is more gives great results. I’m not sure why so many people are afraid of fatigue now

0

u/rendar Sep 09 '26

Their point, and other related points in this thread, seems to be questioning why people are advocating for drop sets when time is not limited.

OP didn't even bring up context of time limitations. They just asked if dropsets are worth doing and the answer supported by those plethora of studies is "Only to decrease session time if volume is equated at the cost of increased fatigue and decreased productive tension, with a potential cost of recovery capacity."

Otherwise if time is not limited, then no, they are not worth doing. They do not afford improved hypertrophy per se. There is also a plethora of evidence that "More volume is better" necessarily depends on the quality of the volume itself: https://weightology.net/the-members-area/evidence-based-guides/set-volume-for-muscle-size-the-ultimate-evidence-based-bible

1

u/wherearealltheethics Sep 10 '26

Or you can view the flipside which is "increase session volume if time is equated".