I always had issues with the drop set. I could never get it to work for me. I'd warm up and climb up in weight and then I was left with just one drop set. I don't recommend going to failure each and every workout but once in a while, it is beneficial, at least psychologically, to go to failure and feel that wonderful burning sensation in your muscles.
Drop Set Video Guide
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There is nothing better than feeling a workout, and we all know the metaphor used by Arnold in Pumping Iron, "The pump is like (being) with a woman."
Here is your prescription for an advanced drop set workout. We will use chest as the example workout. Be forewarned, this workout will have your pecs begging for mercy.
- Start with a good compound movement such as incline barbell bench press. Load the bar with a nice warm up weight you can handle for 15-20 reps. I will use 135 as an example, but you can start with whatever weight you have to-95, 115. This will be your "base weight", meaning that it will be the last weight you use on all subsequent sets.
- After completing one set with this weight, move up to a weight you can do 12-15 reps with (185 will be the example). Immediately after doing this set, strip off the 25 pound plate and rep out 135 to failure.
- Then choose a weight you can do for 10-12 reps (225). After completing this set, drop to 185 to failure then drop again to 135 to failure.
- Then do the same method until you can't increase anymore - this is usually around progressive drop set number 5 for me.
The Plan
Here is a sample chest workout utilizing progressive drop sets:
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Failure or Fail That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics. You should always take your post-warm-up sets at least to the point of momentary muscular failure, and frequently past that point. |
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Incline Barbell Bench Press 135 x 15 185 x 12, 135 x fail 225 x 10, 185 x fail, 135 x fail 275 x 8, 225 x fail, 185 x fail, 135 x fail 315 x 5, 275 x fail, 225 x fail, 185 x fail, 135 x fail |
Incline Barbell Bench Press
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Flat Dumbbell Bench Press 60 x 15 90 x 12, 60 x fail 110 x 10, 90 x fail, 60 x fail 125 x 8, 110 x fail, 90 x fail, 60 x fail |
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
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Dips Bodyweight x 15 25 x 12, Bodyweight x fail 50 x 8, 25 x fail, Bodyweight x fail |
Dips.
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Flys 3 x 12 |
Flys.
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By the time you do flys, you will be ready to crawl out of the gym. This is an intense shock method that I do not recommend using too often. Take 1-3 minutes between drop sets.
Give this routine a shot and let me know how you like it. If you're like me and enjoy the feeling of your muscle being engorged with blood with a pump that feels like it will rip through your skin, you'll love this routine.