The 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
This study is like a fair race where each runner tries three different ways to train their legs, but they all do the same total amount of work. The results show that none of the new ways made their legs stronger or bigger than the old way. So we can say, for these runners, the new ways didn’t help more.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Whether you lift heavy, then light, or go to failure, if you do the same total amount of work, your muscles grow and get stronger the same way.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 554 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—this means you don’t need complex routines; just focus on doing enough total work to see results.
- 2Muscles grew 7.6% bigger, leg press strength went up 25%, and leg extension strength up 17%—no matter which method was used.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2017
Authors
Vitor Angleri, C. Ugrinowitsch, C. Libardi
Related Content
Claims (10)
Drop set training produces equivalent muscle hypertrophy in significantly less training time compared to traditional resistance training, resulting in greater hypertrophy per unit of time.
Whether you lift weights using a pyramid, go to failure, or stick to a standard routine, if you do the same total amount of work, your leg strength improves by about the same amount—around 25%—after 12 weeks.
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.
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.
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.
No matter if you use a pyramid, go to failure, or stick to a normal routine, your muscle fibers don’t change their angle or how they’re packed together any more with one method than another—when you do the same total work.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.