Drop Sets
Summary:
Drop sets are sets that are taken to failure after the programmed working sets have been completed. Drop sets will be programmed for you with appropriate exercises.
The way you would perform a drop set is to complete your programmed working sets then as soon as you finish the final working set, you drop the weight by an arbitrary amount and try to complete as many reps as possible. You will repeat this process 2-3 times (as indicated on your programme), dropping the weight each time.
Training to failure and incorporating drop sets has been shown in some research to be beneficial. However, this comes with the caveat that it may affect future training sessions. If you are training to failure to regularly, it could cause so much damage that subsequent sessions are affected.
Let’s say you were to perform a drop set on leg extensions and had squats the following day. If you cause too much damage on your quads by drop setting, you could potentially affect the performance of your squats which could arguably be more beneficial for strength and physique/figure development.
If you feel you are able to adequately recover from drop sets then by all means go ahead, but make sure you are tracking the affect it has, is any, on subsequent sessions.
Drop Sets should only be performed at the END of the workout using isolation exercises, some examples being:
- Bicep Curls
- Kickbacks
- Chest Flys
- Calf Raises
- Leg Extensions
- Leg Curls
