Which workout style makes you stronger?
Rest-pause and drop-set training elicit similar strength and hypertrophy adaptations compared to traditional sets in resistance-trained males.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Three ways to lift weights were tested: rest-pause (short breaks), drop-set (lighter weights after fatigue), and regular lifting. All made thighs bigger in the top and middle parts, but not the bottom. Only rest-pause made people stronger at squatting heavy weights.
Surprising Findings
Rest-pause training improved strength without increasing muscle size.
Everyone assumes bigger muscles = stronger. This study proves strength can come from your nervous system getting more efficient—not from muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to get stronger without adding volume, try rest-pause: do 5 reps, rest 15 seconds, repeat until you hit your target reps (e.g., 15 total).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Three ways to lift weights were tested: rest-pause (short breaks), drop-set (lighter weights after fatigue), and regular lifting. All made thighs bigger in the top and middle parts, but not the bottom. Only rest-pause made people stronger at squatting heavy weights.
Surprising Findings
Rest-pause training improved strength without increasing muscle size.
Everyone assumes bigger muscles = stronger. This study proves strength can come from your nervous system getting more efficient—not from muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to get stronger without adding volume, try rest-pause: do 5 reps, rest 15 seconds, repeat until you hit your target reps (e.g., 15 total).
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2021
Authors
Alysson Enes, R. C. Alves, B. Schoenfeld, Gustavo Oneda, S. Perin, T. B. Trindade, J. Prestes, Tácito P. Souza-Junior
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Claims (10)
If you're already experienced with lifting weights, doing drop sets (lowering the weight after failure) doesn't help you get stronger than doing regular sets, as long as you do the same total amount of work.
The lower part of the thigh doesn't get noticeably bigger after 8 weeks of any of these training styles, even if the upper and middle parts do—meaning muscles don't grow evenly everywhere.
If you do the same total number of reps and sets, fancy techniques like drop sets or rest-pause won’t make your muscles bigger than regular training—your muscles grow the same no matter how you structure the sets.
Rest-pause training might help you lift a little heavier than regular training, but the difference is small, and we can’t be sure it matters much in real life because the study had few participants.
Lifting weights just twice a week for two months is enough to make the upper and middle parts of your thighs bigger—even if you change how you do the sets, as long as you do the same total work.