The Study
Drop set versus traditional strength training protocols equated in volume on muscle thickness in women
This study saw that women who did two kinds of weightlifting got bigger arm muscles, but we don’t know if the groups were picked randomly or if something else caused the change. So we can only say these workouts were linked to bigger muscles—not that they definitely caused it.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two ways of lifting weights made women’s biceps bigger, but neither way was better than the other.
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 538 / 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 — both training styles worked equally well to build muscle without needing longer rest breaks.
- 227 women trained for 12 weeks (2x/week).
- 3Biceps got thicker after training.
- 4Control group (no upper body work) didn't get thicker.
- 5Drop-set and traditional groups gained the same amount.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Retos
Year
2024
Authors
J. Vilaça-Alves, J. Brito, Beatriz Machado, Rui Canário-Lemos, T. Moreira, Filipe Matos, Rafael Peixoto, G. Monteiro, Gabriela Lucas Chaves, Nuno D Garrido, Filipe Casanova, Pablo B. Costa, V. M. Reis
Related Content
Claims (6)
The increased number of hard repetitions (within 2–3 reps of failure) in drop set protocols compensates for the absence of inter-set rest, resulting in equivalent hypertrophic outcomes compared to traditional training with longer rest intervals.
Women who did any kind of upper-body strength training ended up with thicker biceps than women who didn’t train their upper body at all.
Doing bicep curls with two different methods—either lowering the weight gradually or keeping it heavy—both made the upper arm muscles thicker in young women after 12 weeks of training.
After 12 weeks of training with the same total workload, neither method made the biceps noticeably thicker than the other.
After doing bicep curls 24 times over 12 weeks, women’s upper arm muscles got noticeably thicker, no matter which way they did the curls.
When researchers measured the thickness of the upper arm at two specific spots, both spots got thicker after 12 weeks of arm workouts.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.