The Study
Effects of drop sets with resistance training on increases in muscle CSA, strength, and endurance: a pilot study
This study tried three different ways of lifting weights on 9 guys and saw what happened. Because they randomly picked which arm got which method, we can guess that one method might have caused the changes — but we’re not super sure because so few people were in the study.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Three groups of guys did different arm workouts for 8 weeks. One group did one heavy set followed by lighter sets without resting. Another did three heavy sets. The third did three light sets. All got stronger and bigger arms, but the one-set-plus-lighter-sets group finished faster.
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 540 / 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 — you can get the same muscle and strength gains in less time by doing one heavy set followed by lighter sets without resting.
- 2All groups grew arm muscles the same.
- 3Heavy and combo groups got stronger.
- 4Light and combo groups got better at doing more reps with light weight.
- 5Combo group trained less time per session.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Sports Sciences
Year
2018
Authors
Hayao Ozaki, A. Kubota, Toshiharu Natsume, J. Loenneke, T. Abe, S. Machida, H. Naito
Related Content
Videos (2)
Claims (9)
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.
Drop set training, involving multiple load reductions without rest until momentary failure, produces skeletal muscle hypertrophy equivalent to traditional resistance training with multiple sets.
Drop set protocols involving a single series with multiple sequential load reductions are more time-efficient for inducing muscle hypertrophy than protocols with multiple discrete drop sets or traditional sets.
Doing a tough set of arm curls followed by lighter sets without resting can make your biceps grow just as much as doing only heavy or only light curls over 8 weeks.
Doing a heavy set of arm curls followed by lighter ones without resting can make you stronger in one-rep max and static strength, just like doing only heavy curls.
Doing one heavy set plus lighter ones without resting takes less time than doing three full sets of heavy or light curls.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.