If you lift the same total weight no matter how you arrange your sets—pyramid, failure, or regular—you’ll get the same results. Fancy methods don’t make you stronger or bigger if you’re already trained.

Scientific Claim

In well-trained men, total training volume is the primary determinant of strength and hypertrophic adaptations, as crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not produce greater gains than traditional resistance training when volume is equated, suggesting that complexity in training structure adds no benefit beyond volume accumulation.

Original Statement

“CP and DS systems do not promote greater gains in strength, muscle hypertrophy and changes in muscle architecture compared to traditional resistance training.”

From study:Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men

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 RCT design with volume control and multiple outcome measures allows definitive conclusions about the irrelevance of training structure when volume is matched.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2017 Feb

When trained guys lifted weights in different ways but did the same total amount of work, they all got just as strong and muscular—so the way you arrange your sets doesn’t matter as much as how much you lift overall.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Crescent pyramid and drop-set systems do not promote greater strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and changes on muscle architecture compared with traditional resistance training in well-trained men

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1007/s00421-016-3529-1

Similar Assertions

If you’re already strong and trained, you don’t need fancy workout tricks like pyramids or going to failure to get the best results—just do the same total work with any method.

86%

When people who already lift weights train with different methods—like starting light and going heavy, or doing sets to failure—all of them get about the same muscle growth if they do the same total amount of work.

79%

The researchers made sure everyone did the exact same total amount of work—same number of reps, same weights—so any differences in results could only be because of how they did the workout, not how much they lifted.

79%

If you do the same total number of reps and sets, fancy techniques like drop sets or rest-pause won’t make your muscles bigger than regular training—your muscles grow the same no matter how you structure the sets.

77%

Going from light to heavy and back to light again in your workouts doesn’t make you stronger or bigger than just doing the same total weight with consistent loads—if you’re already trained.

77%