To get the most muscle growth from drop sets, you have to push until you can’t do another rep — if you stop short, you might not get the same results.
Scientific Claim
Performing drop sets to concentric muscle failure appears necessary to achieve hypertrophic effects comparable to traditional training, as the only study not using failure (Enes et al.) showed the smallest effect size for drop sets.
Original Statement
“In five of the six studies, the participants continued to concentric muscle failure, whereas Enes, Alves stated that participants performed the sets to or close to muscle failure. Interestingly, this was the only study where the effect size for the drop set group was not larger than the effect size for the traditional training group.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim implies necessity based on a single outlier study. This is speculative and cannot establish causation or necessity. The correct verb strength is association.
More Accurate Statement
“Drop set training performed to concentric muscle failure is associated with greater hypertrophic effects compared to training to near failure, based on the pattern of effect sizes across studies, with Enes et al. being the only study not using failure.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
This study found that drop sets and regular workouts build muscle just as well — so you don’t need to push to failure every time to get big muscles.