Decreasing sets explained: one set or many sets?

Drop sets are an effective way to increase muscle fatigue and promote muscle development, although they can be strenuous and not suitable for everyone. Typically, a drop set is treated as a single set, even though multiple drops are involved.

Learn about descending groups

Drop sets are a great training regimen that you can incorporate into your workout routine.

They involve gradually decreasing the amount of weight lifted in successive sets without resting.

The main goal here is to continue exercising past the initial point of muscle fatigue.

However, when I say “set”, this is not an additional set, but an extension of the original working set.

in other words, Decreasing number of sets should always count as one set.

The main reason to perform drop sets is to increase muscular endurance and promote muscle growth.

This is accomplished by completely fatigued muscle fibers.

That being said, while drop sets can build strength, there is evidence that Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical FitnessThis suggests that just doing normal heavy set training can lead to greater strength gains.

Drop sets are suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced trainees, but should be used with caution to avoid overtraining.

Plus, you can apply them to almost any workout to make your workouts more intense and efficient.

Just make sure you maintain correct posture at all times to enjoy the maximum benefits.

The most common way to use descending groups

Personally, I mostly use drop sets for my last set of exercises.

My standard protocol is to do a total of 3 drop sets after the last set while making sure the reps remain the same.

Additionally, I usually reduce the weight by about 10-30% with each subsequent drop set.

Here’s an example of a barbell biceps curl:

Barbell Bicep Curls: Single Drop Set
put	represent	weight
1	8-12	70 pounds
2	8-12	70 pounds
3 + 3 descending set	8-12	70 pounds ➡️50 pounds ➡️40 pounds ➡️30 pounds
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However, the final working group consisting of 3 descending groups can only be counted as one group, rather than a total of 4 groups.

In reality, your “real” sets (for want of a better word) should be performed at maximum weight, intensity, and reps.

Drop sets are simply a way to squeeze extra energy out of muscles when they are fatigued and near failure by performing the same movements but with less weight.

So, the biceps workout above only involves 3 sets, not 6.

“Decreasing per group” method

The drop set per set method, as the name suggests, involves performing drop sets for each set of each exercise throughout your training session.

This will significantly increase the intensity and quantity of exercise.

Basically, you want to fatigue your muscles at different levels of resistance.

This will give your muscles a broad range of stimulation in one session, enhancing muscle endurance and growth.

I would say this is very effective for muscle hypertrophy, but there are some caveats.

First, you must consider your overall intensity, volume, and recovery to avoid overtraining.

Therefore, I recommend that only experienced lifters use the drop set method, especially those trying to break through a plateau.

Then again, use this method if you want to temporarily intensify your training.

So, I would not recommend that beginners try this method, and I would avoid training this way for more than two days a week.

Make sure to allow at least 72 hours between training sessions and train normally for the rest of the week.

Finally, pay attention to your recovery and how you feel in the gym, as there is no point in continuing if you feel permanently exhausted or find that your training suffers.

Barbell Bicep Curls: Drop Sets
stage	represent	weight
Initial settings	8-12	70 pounds
Drop set 1	8-12	50 pounds
Drop Set 2	8-12	30 pounds
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As you can see from the table, I reduced the number of drop sets from 3 to 2.

This workout still only consists of 3 sets instead of 9 total.

Now, you could try the drop set approach of 3 reps per set, but this requires a lot of intensity and volume.

So, this is probably something you can work on, but I would err on the side of caution and use fewer drop sets until your body is more accustomed to this type of training.

This is also a great opportunity for you to check out my article discussing whether you should Perform bicep curls while seated or standing.

Learning points

• Decreasing sets count as one set.
• Drop sets involve lowering the weight on subsequent sets without resting between these “sets.”
• They are a great way to increase muscular endurance and muscle growth.
• The most common way to use drop sets is to incorporate the drop set into the final set for a specific exercise.
• I usually do 3 drop sets after the last set of exercises.
• You can use the “taper set per set” method, where you perform a tapering set after each set. I usually stick to this method for 2 tapering sets.
• Drop sets per set are an advanced training method and should be avoided by beginners.
• Do no more than two drop sets per week and train as normal for the rest of the week.
• Be vigilant about your recovery and make sure your workouts don’t suffer from potential overtraining.

One of the biggest advantages of drop sets is that they increase metabolic stress and promote greater muscle growth. Essentially, you can burn fat while building muscle. This is exactly the point of this event Large muscle group exercise program.