Drop sets don’t make you stronger than regular sets if you’re lifting moderate weights — but we don’t know if they’d work better or worse if you lifted really heavy weights.
Scientific Claim
Drop set training does not produce greater strength gains than traditional training in young males when using loads ≤80% 1RM, and its efficacy for heavy-load protocols (≥90% 1RM) remains unknown.
Original Statement
“It should be noted, however, that the TRAD protocol in all studies meeting inclusion criteria involved moderate to lower loads (≤80% 1RM). Research indicates a dose-response relationship between strength gains and magnitude of load, with heavier loads consistently showing greater improvements in dynamic strength. Thus, further research is required to determine how strength gains may be affected with the use of heavy loads (≥90% 1RM) in both DS and TRAD.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The claim correctly limits the causal conclusion to the studied load range (≤80% 1RM) and explicitly acknowledges the unknown for heavier loads. This is a precise, evidence-based boundary, not an overstatement.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Unknown Title
This study found that drop sets and regular workouts build strength about the same in young men using moderate weights, and it didn’t test very heavy weights at all.