Same Muscle Growth, Half the Time?
Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite theoretical advantages like increased metabolic stress and time under tension, drop sets didn’t outperform traditional training in muscle growth.
Fitness gurus have long claimed drop sets are superior due to higher metabolic stress—this study proves the theory doesn’t translate to bigger muscles.
Practical Takeaways
Use drop sets for isolation exercises (e.g., leg extensions, lateral raises) to cut session time by 50–70% while maintaining muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite theoretical advantages like increased metabolic stress and time under tension, drop sets didn’t outperform traditional training in muscle growth.
Fitness gurus have long claimed drop sets are superior due to higher metabolic stress—this study proves the theory doesn’t translate to bigger muscles.
Practical Takeaways
Use drop sets for isolation exercises (e.g., leg extensions, lateral raises) to cut session time by 50–70% while maintaining muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
Sports Medicine - Open
Year
2023
Authors
Lena Kristiansen Sødal, E. Kristiansen, Stian Larsen, R. van den Tillaar
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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.
Performing resistance exercises to momentary muscular failure with maximal concentric velocity and controlled eccentric phase induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
Drop set training, involving multiple load reductions without rest until momentary failure, produces skeletal muscle hypertrophy equivalent to traditional resistance training with multiple sets.
A higher proportion of repetitions performed within two reps of muscular failure enhances hypertrophic stimulus efficiency, producing equivalent muscle growth with fewer total repetitions.
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.