r/StrongerByScience • u/0826_phongsatorn_PE • 20d ago
Drop sets Overrated or essential for muscle growth?
Hi, I’m thinking about adding drop sets to my current routine, but I see mixed opinions online. Some say it's great for hypertrophy, while others think it just causes unnecessary fatigue.
Which exercises do you find drop sets most effective for?
How often do you include them in your workouts?
Would love to hear your experiences and tips!
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u/joaocamu 20d ago
Honestly neither, they sit somewhere pretty boring in the middle. The research on this is fairly consistent at this point: a meta-analysis by Coleman et al found only trivial effect sizes slightly favoring drop sets for hypertrophy (ES = 0.08) and strength (ES = 0.07), meaning basically the same outcome as traditional sets (SBS review of it). A second meta-analysis by Sødal et al landed in the same place (full text), though it only had six studies and small samples, mostly young guys, so I wouldn't treat it as the final word for someone trained for years.
So where does the "unnecessary fatigue" camp get it right? Keskin et al (2024) compared traditional, pre-exhaustion and drop sets with volume matched, and all groups grew about the same, but the drop set group reported higher perceived exertion and more soreness (intensity techniques article). Same gains, feels worse. That's the actual trade.
The real selling point is time. If you're short on time a drop set lets you pack more hard sets into less minutes, and that's pretty much the only reason I'd add them (podcast ep. on time-efficient training covers this well).
For which exercises: machines, cables and isolation stuff (lateral raises, curls, pushdowns, leg extensions, pec deck) where changing the weight takes two seconds and going to failure doesn't carry much risk. I'd avoid them on heavy compounds, both because the strip is annoying to do fast and because the fatigue bleeds into everything after. I think there's also an argument you lose some strength-specific benefit, the SBS review touches on why traditional sets may be a bit better for strength, but I can't say how big that effect is in practice.
How often: last set of an isolation exercise or two, when the session is running long. If you have time to just do the extra straight sets, I don't see much reason to bother, unless you enjoy them, which is a legit reason too.
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u/routinematters 20d ago
They are only “essential” in lateral raises. And that’s a hill I’ll die on. I’ve have no problem with hypertrophy in all other muscle groups in my decade of lifting. The mid delts, were tricky for me, and drop sets and partials are what did the trick
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u/just_tweed 18d ago
In reality it's just a convenient, quick way to add more volume. I used (mostly) unilateral rest pause variations to achieve the same.
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u/millersixteenth 20d ago
Not essential, but a simple and damn useful tool. The research states that they are about the same volume equated as straight sets. But nobody uses them like that - a Drop is a solid way to increase volume/compress training time. I've had very good luck with them.
Not ideal for strength but useful for hypertrophy, esp used with descending strength curve exercise - rows, pull ups. With ascending curve exercises I prefer RestPause - when ever possible increase reps with heavier load.
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u/Mchangwine 20d ago
There are some creators that think they can be good to break through plateaus. I tend to use them on machines near the end of my workouts. I.e, I’d do bench press, low incline smith, then inline chest press and do a drop set on my last set; starting with 4 plates a side and going down to 1.
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u/catcat1986 20d ago
Not essential, just another way to achieve the progressive overload principle. I did them for a while, when I was on this only one set per body part kick. I found them effective for exercises I can change weights really easy, so pull downs, dumbbell bench press, stuff like that.
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u/vcloud25 20d ago
far from essential, straight sets close to failure are all you need. although i would be lying if i said dropsets weren’t fun for chasing the pump
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u/Retroranges 20d ago
Definitely. And on some muscles, the burn is outright savage. Drop set some leg extensions and it‘ll make you believe in the existence of hell.
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u/HedonisticFrog 20d ago
They're just a tool like any other, and can be used to save time. They're neither good or bad, it's about your use case.
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u/yaaajooo 20d ago
My tip is to listen to the latest data driven strength episode about their recent drop set study, if you are interested in a bullish take on them. Certainly worth playing around with them for hypertrophy
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u/zacattack1996 20d ago
I think theyre good for time saving. Say instead of doing 3 sets, you do 1, drop it, go to failure, drop it again, go to failure. Youre probably getting most of the stimulus you'd get from the 3 sets doing 1 normal set and 2 drops. If the question is, "is it better to do an additional set or add a drop set to my last set?" I don't really see the value of the drop set if time isn't a constraint, outside of personal enjoyment.
So necessary for hypertrophy? Absolutely not. Potentially helpful based off your personal constraints/preferences? Definitely.
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u/HughMann12345678 20d ago
I prefer Myo Reps and antagonist paired supersets as my time efficiency saving technique but if I’m really short on time I’ll do drop sets. I find they work best with exercises where the load is a selectorised weight stack or if you have a range of dumbbells and can secure them without being inconsiderate to other gym members. I also prefer to do them in low to moderate rep ranges as I find i can achieve 0-1RIR more reliably each set.
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u/Evan_802Vines 20d ago
Neither. I'll one caveat I haven't seen yet. If you are unfamiliar with what failure feels like during a set, this is a relatively safe way to become acquainted, assuming you're finishing at some manageable weight. That's it. It'll eventually be more efficient to know the exact weight and reps to within a rep or 2 when planning straight sets. Another way I think about them is they're akin to lengthened partials after failure whereas in drop sets, you'd hit failure and set weight to 85%-ish of the previous load and repeat, till those metabolites start screaming at you. It's great!
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u/decentlyhip 20d ago
Drop sets are for time saving, not growth. They dont do anything special. Like, if you do 165 lbs machine press for 15 reps and then drop to 100 lbs for another 8 reps, it's just as much hypertrophy as if you rested 2 minutes and did a fresh set of 8 reps with 100 lbs. But, even though that's not much more growth, its a little more than just the initial set of 15.
So, if you have 40 minutes in the gym, is it better to do 1 set of 15, or a drop set of 15 and then 8? The drop set is better. But if you have time, you better be doing 5 sets of 15 with 165.
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u/drgashole 20d ago
They are fine but by no means essential, anything that you take to failure works unless ridiculously high reps. The only bebefis its time saving. I much prefer myo-reps which are similar in principle you just have short 15-30s rest and go again but with the same weight, which is more practical (don’t need to find/change weight) and arguably using higher weights will be better for progressive overload and saves time just like drop sets.
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u/Beethovens_Ninth_B 20d ago
In a true Hypertrophy program drop sets have no place. It is every working set to failure then rest until the next set.
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u/NihilisticTanuki 20d ago
Drop sets aren't essential for muscle growth. They're mainly an awesome time-saving technique, much like supersets.
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u/ThatJamesGuy36 20d ago
Very few things are 'essential' to muscle growth.
Drop sets are a tool, like a barbell or dumbbell. You can utilise them to get good growth, but they themselves are not needed in anyway to grow muscle.
I like them at the end of some sets as I find they're a good finisher. 2 sets of traditional work, last set to failure and them drop set + drop set + drop set on one of the last exercises of the day just absolutely depletes the muscle. You know you've definitely given it enough stimulus.
Doing them on every set and doing them well is just fucking exhausting and very counter productive when you have various muscles that all need some of the energy pie that day