Am I overusing drop sets?

[Bobdabuilder1]

Hi,

I've got into a routine where I tend to use / abuse drop sets as when I don't it feels like I'm not really working the muscles as well.

For example on Chest / Tricep day I'll start with the rope pushdown and start at 20kg and do as many reps as possible until failure then drop to 15kg and repeat then drop to 10kg and repeat. I'll do 3 sets like this then move on to the Tricep bar pushdown, start at 25kg, move to 20kg then to 15kg and repeat for 3 sets.

I'll then use the chest press machine, pectoral machine and incline chest press machine and repeat a similar format to the above.

I'm planning to finish off with 3 sets of pressups at the end of this day going forward as well.

Sometimes I'll lower the weights a bit on the 2nd or 3rd set.

I'll also follow a similar format for Bicep curls and hammer curls when working the biceps.

When I do this, I feel like I've really worked the muscles which is a feeling I don't really get if I only do standard sets but I notice that hardly anybody else does this.

Is there something majorly wrong with what I'm doing here?

[air2fakie]

Don't see what "feeling you've really worked the muscles well" has to do with anything or why you do all your triceps exercises and then all your chest exercises, but do whatever you feel works best for you.

[Bobdabuilder1]

Don't see what "feeling you've really worked the muscles well" has to do with anything or why you do all your triceps exercises and then all your chest exercises, but do whatever you feel works best for you.

Thanks for your reply.

As somebody without a lot of experience I don't really know what terminology is best to use but the feeling like I've worked the muscles well just means that I can feel the burn / pump afterwards whereas if I don't use drop sets it doesn't feel like I've pumped the muscles as much. I guess I just assume that if I work the muscles harder with drop sets then I should see more gains but the fact that most people don't seem to bother suggests that maybe there's something I'm missing.

I do all these muscles seperately because I honestly thought that was the way it's generally supposed to be done but also because the gym is quite busy and if I leave a particular machine there's a reasonable chance that I may have to wait a while to get back on it. When doing the triceps I do often switch between a drop set of bar push downs then a drop set of rope pushdowns but I'm not even sure if that's better than doing 3 dropsets of each separately?

[BeginnerGainz]

For an intermediate lifter, drop sets should be used sparingly.

For a novice, I don’t program them at all.

[air2fakie]

Like I said it seems unproductive to do a bunch of triceps isos before chest press exercises, and drop sets in general for all your sets/exercises during an entire workout. Feeling your muscles work doesn't mean much if you don't see results in the mirror or lift more weight over time.

You've been around here long enough to know you should be doing a proper program if you don't feel you have enough experience, but if you're happy that's all that matters since it's your body.

[SmashinYoungVag]

Dorian said he didn’t like supersets because human nature he was kinda always thinking about the next exercise. I agree with that and feel it applies to dropsets as well.

There’s times I’ll do them. But supersets and dropsets are two of the most infrequently used techniques by me.

[Bobdabuilder1]

Dorian said he didn’t like supersets because human nature he was kinda always thinking about the next exercise. I agree with that and feel it applies to dropsets as well.

There’s times I’ll do them. But supersets and dropsets are two of the most infrequently used techniques by me.

Thanks for the reply, I'm still a little confused as to why drop sets wouldn't be better than standard sets? It just seems to make sense that you can work the muscle harder if you take yourself to failure 3 times per set than you would if you just do it the once? Is it because instead of doing drop sets I should try to add more tricep exercises in?

For example, should I skip the drop sets on bar and rope pushdown and then do an additional exercise such as overhead tricep extension instead? Maybe I could just do the drop sets for the last set of each exercise instead and still add the additional exercise in?

I don't mean to come across like I'm not listening to your replies, I am, I just want to better understand why it wouldn't be better if possible.

[Bobdabuilder1]

Like I said it seems unproductive to do a bunch of triceps isos before chest press exercises, and drop sets in general for all your sets/exercises during an entire workout. Feeling your muscles work doesn't mean much if you don't see results in the mirror or lift more weight over time.

You've been around here long enough to know you should be doing a proper program if you don't feel you have enough experience, but if you're happy that's all that matters since it's your body.

My join date probably gives a misleading impression of my skill level. I've probably been working out for nearly 2 years but I've generally just been winging it. I do enjoy my routine but I understand that it's probably far from optimal. I'd like to get to a position where it's closer to optimal without reducing the enjoyment that I get from my routine by doing a proper workout routine that involves a lot of exercises that I don't enjoy if possible. I've looked at proper workout routines but TBH as I like to do minimal work on abs and legs, it's hard to find one that I'm comfortable doing.

[SmashinYoungVag]

Thanks for the reply, I'm still a little confused as to why drop sets wouldn't be better than standard sets? It just seems to make sense that you can work the muscle harder if you take yourself to failure 3 times per set than you would if you just do it the once? Is it because instead of doing drop sets I should try to add more tricep exercises in?

For example, should I skip the drop sets on bar and rope pushdown and then do an additional exercise such as overhead tricep extension instead? Maybe I could just do the drop sets for the last set of each exercise instead and still add the additional exercise in?

I don't mean to come across like I'm not listening to your replies, I am, I just want to better understand why it wouldn't be better if possible.

Experiment see what works.

If drop sets are something you like, many people have used them and gotten big. Certain exercises are too taxing for them but see where you like to use them. I’d recommend also trying rest pause sets. Similar to drop sets but I think much more effective.

Although I’m not a fan of dropsets. It doesn’t mean they are “bad” By far the number one variable that will affect progress in the gym is effort/intensity. If you’re going balls to the wall with dropsets (with the right exercises) and not doing stupid sh*t you’ll make progress

[Bobdabuilder1]

For an intermediate lifter, drop sets should be used sparingly.

For a novice, I don’t program them at all.

Thanks, would you mind explaining to me why it is that drop sets should be used so sparingly? I realise that I should just listen to what more experienced people say regardless of whether I understand why they are saying it but I would really like to understand why they should hardly be used.

[air2fakie]

My join date probably gives a misleading impression of my skill level. I've probably been working out for nearly 2 years but I've generally just been winging it. I do enjoy my routine but I understand that it's probably far from optimal. I'd like to get to a position where it's closer to optimal without reducing the enjoyment that I get from my routine by doing a proper workout routine that involves a lot of exercises that I don't enjoy if possible. I've looked at proper workout routines but TBH as I like to do minimal work on abs and legs, it's hard to find one that I'm comfortable doing.

I have no doubt about your skill level and that you've been winging it, hence my various comments above. Good luck!

[Bobdabuilder1]

Experiment see what works.

If drop sets are something you like, many people have used them and gotten big. Certain exercises are too taxing for them but see where you like to use them. I’d recommend also trying rest pause sets. Similar to drop sets but I think much more effective.

Although I’m not a fan of dropsets. It doesn’t mean they are “bad” By far the number one variable that will affect progress in the gym is effort/intensity. If you’re going balls to the wall with dropsets (with the right exercises) and not doing stupid sh*t you’ll make progress

OK cheers, that's very helpful. I'll have a look at rest pause sets as well. I'm guessing that doing a mixture of standard sets, drop sets, rest pause sets and supersets would be more effective than just doing drop sets all the time so I'll see if I can mix it up and experiment a little.

[Bobdabuilder1]

For what it's worth, I've just attempted to replicate a photo from a year ago to see what progress I've made. The photo in green shorts was taken on 1st July last year which was roughly 1 year after I started working out, the photo in the blue boxer shorts was taken just now after exercising regularly for about 9/12 months of the last year.

I'm not fishing for compliments here, but would appreciate any honest feedback, I'm genuinely not sure if this would be considered to be reasonably good progress or not? I don't seem to have gotten any bigger but do seem to have become more defined.

[bishdipbrah]

Why the fook do you smoke ya triceps before moving on to chest. You fegs don't even lift on these boards anymore. I'm taking a 2 week break

[Bobdabuilder1]

Why the fook do you smoke ya triceps before moving on to chest. You fegs don't even lift on these boards anymore. I'm taking a 2 week break

Hahaha, I hadn't even thought about it like that. Guess that explains why Air2fakie was saying to mix it up. Have a nice 2 weeks sweetheart

[jaxqen]

Dropsets
I like them, I do them, but only at the end, after the main lifts, and on exercises like: hammer curls, tricep extensions, cable rows, lateral raises. Same I myo-reps.
For main lifts, rest-pause, clusters, ladder sets or just straight sets would be better.

Supersets
They can be good if you don't have a lot of time. Tried them once of lifts like bench press and barbell row and didn't like it. But sometimes I do them on easy stuff like cables for triceps combined with calf raises because the machine is right next to.


OP, do an experiment, please.
Try your usual workout but start with chest. Same effort! See how many extra reps you can do on those chest machines! I'll bet that you would do much more! Then do triceps! Good luck with your progress!

Why the fook do you smoke ya triceps before moving on to chest. You fegs don't even lift on these boards anymore. I'm taking a 2 week break

Your post reminded me of this

[img]https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/********/000/278/559/8ea.jpg[/img]

[Heisman2]

There's relatively little good research on drop sets so it's hard to answer your question definitively. https://www.researchgate.net/publica...le_Hypertrophy

I'd argue if you are using them and you are getting steadily stronger on the first portion of the drop set then they are likely working for you.

That said, if I'm reading correctly you are doing 18 drop sets in one workout, each with 2 drops, followed by 3 sets of push-ups. That does come across as excessive, but again, if you are enjoying it and making progress then I wouldn't change it.

[Bobdabuilder1]

Dropsets
I like them, I do them, but only at the end, after the main lifts, and on exercises like: hammer curls, tricep extensions, cable rows, lateral raises. Same I myo-reps.
For main lifts, rest-pause, clusters, ladder sets or just straight sets would be better.

Supersets
They can be good if you don't have a lot of time. Tried them once of lifts like bench press and barbell row and didn't like it. But sometimes I do them on easy stuff like cables for triceps combined with calf raises because the machine is right next to.


OP, do an experiment, please.
Try your usual workout but start with chest. Same effort! See how many extra reps you can do on those chest machines! I'll bet that you would do much more! Then do triceps! Good luck with your progress!

Lovely, thanks man, I'll give it a go. I never really thought about whether to do chest or triceps first but it makes sense now.

There's relatively little good research on drop sets so it's hard to answer your question definitively.
r on the first portion of the drop set then they are likely working for you.

That said, if I'm reading correctly you are doing 18 drop sets in one workout, each with 2 drops, followed by 3 sets of push-ups. That does come across as excessive, but again, if you are enjoying it and making progress then I wouldn't change it.

Yeah, it probably is excessive to be fair. I started just doing it on the last set of the exercise but I liked doing it so started doing it the last 2 sets and wound up doing it for all 3 sets. Maybe I should scrap it at least for the 1st set and add an extra exercise in instead or something.

Had a little look about and it looks like the little research there is is quite positive so I guess I can still carry on to some extent. Cheers