The side muscle of your thigh doesn’t grow any more with drop sets than with regular sets—no matter where you measure it.

Scientific Claim

The vastus lateralis muscle does not exhibit differential hypertrophy in response to drop-set versus traditional resistance training during unilateral leg extensions in recreationally active young men, with no significant differences observed at proximal (30%), mid (50%), or distal (70%) regions.

Original Statement

“No MT differences were detected at any aspect of the VL.”

From study:Drop-Set Training Elicits Differential Increases in Non-Uniform Hypertrophy of the Quadriceps in Leg Extension Exercise

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 precise regional measurements and non-significant results supports definitive language that no difference exists in VL hypertrophy between conditions.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Drop-Set Training Elicits Differential Increases in Non-Uniform Hypertrophy of the Quadriceps in Leg Extension Exercise

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2021 Aug 29

The study found that doing drop-sets vs. regular workouts didn’t make the big thigh muscle (vastus lateralis) grow more in any part — both methods worked the same.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Drop-Set Training Elicits Differential Increases in Non-Uniform Hypertrophy of the Quadriceps in Leg Extension Exercise

Score: 54

DOI: 10.3390/sports9090119

Similar Assertions

Doing leg extensions with drop sets (going to failure, then lowering the weight and going again) makes the front part of your thigh muscle grow more than doing regular sets, but only in the upper and middle parts—not the bottom or the side muscles.

83%

When you train your quads, drop sets don’t make the outer thigh muscle grow more than regular sets — both methods make it grow about the same.

82%

The lower part of your thigh doesn’t grow as much from weight training as the upper and middle parts—even if you train hard and use fancy techniques.

79%

Even if you do a lot of leg workouts, your thigh muscles grow about the same amount whether you do 20 or 50 sets a week—just doing any consistent training makes them bigger.

79%

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.

77%