Drop sets are a popular resistance-training method for promoting muscle growth. They involve performing an exercise to muscle failure at a given weight, then reducing the weight and immediately continuing to muscle failure again. A recent review and meta-analysis found that drop sets promote muscle hypertrophy as effectively as traditional training but require less time commitment.

Researchers analyzed the findings of six studies investigating the effects of drop-set training on muscle hypertrophy. They found that both drop-set and traditional training groups experienced marked muscle growth after training. The drop-set group showed slightly greater improvement than the traditional group, but the difference between the two groups wasn’t statistically significant. Drop-set training took half to one-third the time of traditional training.

These findings suggest that drop sets are a time-efficient resistance-training strategy for promoting muscle growth. Some of the mechanisms that promote muscle hypertrophy with resistance training include mechanical tension and metabolic stress. Mechanical tension arises from muscle fiber force generation and stretch, while metabolic stress involves the accumulation of exercise-induced metabolites. Drop sets might enhance muscle hypertrophy by causing greater muscle fatigue than traditional sets, potentially activating all motor units and maximizing muscle growth. Learn more about drop sets and other time-efficient strategies for promoting muscle growth in this clip featuring Dr. Brad Schoenfeld.