Even though one method showed a tiny bit more muscle growth, it was so small that it wouldn’t make any noticeable difference in how your arms look or feel.

Scientific Claim

The difference in elbow flexor hypertrophy between traditional training and Tonal 1 drop-set training is statistically significant but falls below the pre-registered threshold for practical relevance (0.14 cm), suggesting the advantage is not meaningful in real-world settings.

Original Statement

“Elbow flexor hypertrophy was significantly greater in TRAD ... however, the contrast between conditions was considered practically equivalent as it did not exceed the preregistered smallest effect size of interest (0.14 cm).”

From study:Investigating the Effect of the Tonal Drop Set Mode On Elbow Flexor Hypertrophy

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 is a direct reporting of the study’s preregistered analysis and interpretation. It is not inferential but descriptive of the authors’ own evaluation, making definitive language appropriate.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Investigating the Effect of the Tonal Drop Set Mode On Elbow Flexor Hypertrophy

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

The study found that traditional lifting made muscles slightly bigger than Tonal’s drop-set method, but the difference was so small that it doesn’t really matter in real life.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Investigating the Effect of the Tonal Drop Set Mode On Elbow Flexor Hypertrophy

Score: 66

DOI: 10.51224/SRXIV.659

Similar Assertions

Even though drop sets don’t build much more muscle overall, they do it faster — you get the same tiny muscle gain in less time, which is great if you’re short on workouts.

86%

Doing regular weightlifting reps with full rest between sets builds a tiny bit more arm muscle than doing drop sets on a smart machine, but the difference is so small it doesn’t really matter in real life.

83%

Both ways of lifting weights — regular sets and drop sets — make your biceps and forearms a little bigger after 10 weeks, by about 2%.

80%

Both methods probably push your muscles to about the same level of fatigue, which is why they end up making your arms grow about the same amount.

79%

After 12 weeks of training with the same total workload, neither method made the biceps noticeably thicker than the other.

74%