When people who already lift weights do drop sets or rest-pause sets instead of regular sets—while doing the same total amount of work—they don’t get bigger thigh muscles any faster or more than with normal training.

Scientific Claim

In resistance-trained males, drop-set and rest-pause training do not produce superior increases in thigh muscle thickness compared to traditional resistance training when total training volume is matched over 8 weeks.

Original Statement

“There were no between-group interactions for MT. Our findings suggest that RP promotes slightly superior strength-related improvements compared with TRT, but hypertrophic adaptations are similar between conditions.”

From study:Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared to traditional sets in resistance-trained males.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

probability

Can suggest probability/likelihood

Assessment Explanation

Randomized design supports causal claims, and 'do not produce superior increases' accurately reflects the absence of between-group differences without overstating equivalence.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared to traditional sets in resistance-trained males.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2021 Nov

When people lifted weights using different methods—like dropping weights or taking short breaks—all groups ended up with the same muscle growth in their thighs, as long as they did the same total amount of work.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared to traditional sets in resistance-trained males.

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2021-0278

Similar Assertions

Whether you use rest-pause, drop sets, or regular sets, as long as you do the same total amount of work, your thigh muscles grow about the same size after 8 weeks of training.

95%

No matter which way you train—rest-pause, drop sets, or regular sets—if you do the same total amount of work for 8 weeks, your upper and middle thighs grow about the same.

92%

If you do your workouts with either drop sets, rest-pause, or regular sets — but do the same total amount of work — your muscles grow about the same size in your thighs.

92%

If you lift weights twice a week for 8 weeks and do the same total amount of work, your upper and middle thighs will get thicker — no matter what fancy technique you use.

92%

When people do the same total amount of lifting work, whether they use rest-pause, drop-sets, or regular sets, their upper and middle thighs grow about the same.

91%