Drop Sets.

[Jeannie]

I really love to do drop sets or burns when I really want to do something extra. I especially like doing these for legs.

After warming up, of course, I start with the heaviest weight and do it like 10 times, then lower the weight, do it 10 more times, drop the weight again and do 10 more times, and then sometimes I like to drop it for the fourth time and by then hardly any weight feels like a mountain!!!

I love to feel the burn from these. I really love the burn I feel in the quads on a leg extension machine. I ususally jump off the machine after dropping the weight four times and immediately start walking around, to try to walk out the pain. I know I look funny to some of the people, but I can't help it.

But I'm not complaining!!! It hurts SO GOOD!!! lol

Anybody else do these or like them?

Jeannie

Great work Jannie. Let us know how it works.

[AdamJM]

Then turn around and go back up! Ahhh, the pain is divine!

[sammo33]

fun leg workout,
pick three exercises(i always liked extensions,hack squats,and ham curls).
pick a weight you can doo about 12-15 reps on each one.
then you goe through supersetting one after the other except instead of a set # of reps you go to positive failure on each one.
by the last exercise yuor legs are blasted.
go through this two or three times you'll be toast.

[Cooper]

drop sets rule!!!!!!

jeannie pity we dont train at the same gym coz I'm the only guy there who trains this way, they're all too chicken

I usually change routines every 4-5 weeks but my favorite is a routine based around the triple drop set. Dunno if you guys have heard of 'Paul Borreson' (sadly no longer with us) he devised the routine I use. basically its an isolation movement high reps to pre exhaust, then the compound movements with a triple drop.
for example CHEST:
incline flyes 1X 50+, 1 X 6-10, 1X triple drop.
bench press 1X8 - 10, 1 X triple drop
dips 1X as many as you've got!!

sounds easy?? it aint. the whole body is done like this and it really hits the muscle deep.

keep up the drops sets jeannie

[casanova88]

believe it or not that "burn" you're feeling really might not be that good. too much of a burn can be bad. and if ur trying to add muscle i really wouldn't suggest drop sets.

course only u can gauge that

[Cooper]

oh no oh no oh no, dude
I've gained loads of size (for me) using drop sets. If you get the chance to watch 'paul borreson's training video' or any of his seminar videos you'll see the size that can be achieved using his principles. some of the guys he trained were HUGE. The only thing you might not get with it is fuctional strength so I dont suppose you'll see many powerlifters doin them but for BB training it is quality.
you can overdo them, just like anything else, but when done properly its an excellent training technique.......... honest

[casanova88]

really u did? well i've done them, and not seen results. i dunno, but hey, if they worked for u then i guess maybe they arent' too bad.

but i've read from a number of reliable sources that they arent always too effective.

do u do them all the time? or just throw them in here and there - like for a change?

mayber i'll try tossin a few in if they worked for u

[galileo]

I'm gonna have to say drop sets are not that good.

Your body remembers the final load you put on it. If the final load is 20% of what you can lift, your body will adapt to make sure it can lift that 20% efficiently the next time.

When I lift each set until I can't lift no more, then recover, then do it again, I always gains strength.

[Cooper]

whatever works for ya, I'm not gonna attempt to get everyone to train a certain way. Just sayin that drop sets are not a bad way to train. I dont respond well to ALL types of training but that doesnt make them ineffective (just for me).
like I said if your lookin for strength, then drops sets wont help but as part of a mass building routine they are great.
anyone remember the old company 'Chemical Warefare', now Chemical nutrition? all the guys there promoted them heavily. these are guys like John Hodgeson, scott Gledhill, Kerry Kayes all succesful British BodyBuilders.
there are certain ways to do a drop set routine effectivley, I think, the Borreson style works well.

I think you need a plan to use them. thats what I do. 4 weeks of triple drops then switch routines to a more strength type.

my body has never adapted, theres' no set reps I limit the drops to its just total failure which happens 3 times per triple drop. Maybe if ya done the routine for months but I'd never do any routine that long.

I hope I'm not sounding defensive here coz I dont mean to its just I've seen such good results with this style I would hate to see it dismissed as uneffective.

[Jeannie]

Well you know what they say.......different strokes for different folks.

I said drop sets were good for something extra in a routine. It certainly wouldn't be a good idea to do only do drop sets and never anything else.

But if your routine is getting a little stale, it's a good idea to throw some drop sets in. For me it's a way to take the muscle past the point of failure. Once you get to where you CAN'T move the weight anymore, drop it to a lighter weight and then you can usually get a few more reps and then drop it again.

I know people will disagree with me, but for me the burn is ALL GOOD!!!!!

[JGRIFF]

I tried doing drop sets for the first time today and i loved it. I was sweatin like Dan Quayle in a spelling bee, it was nice. I dont think i'll do it all the time, but it was definitely a nice change of pace. As for whether its a good mass builder I wouldnt know yet, but I think i'll definitely throw them in there from time to time.

[Merrida]

Like anything else, utilizing drop sets too often will result in losing their effectiveness.

It's like always doing,....straight sets or always doing circuits or always pyramiding.....

They're good to toss in every now and again to shock your muscle and shake up your routine, but I would not do them on a regular basis.

[SpinQueen]

Can someone please explain to me what a drop set is?

I would love something that would build more muscle.