How To Build Muscle With Drop Sets (You're Doing It WRONG!)

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

💪 Important Reminders: 1) Take the physique quiz and build your best body ever: Quiz.SeanNal.com 2) Use coupon KZbin15 to save 15% off your first order of our research-backed, clinically dosed supplements at www.RealScienceAthletics.com 3) Follow over on IG for more helpful fitness tips and strategies: @sean_nalewanyj

[@son_gokuo3044]

Hey Sean I was wondering when will you have the fish oil in stock again? I was going to get some yesterday but it said sold out

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

@@son_gokuo3044 It'll be back this week! Hopefully in the next 2-3 days.

[@son_gokuo3044]

@@Sean_Nalewanyj awesome thank you for letting me know!

[@stevesmith8819]

Lol a man with no muslce mass teaching people how to build muscle, what a delusional clown.

[@zolavib1187]

All your videos are just strait meaningful and useful information. Probably one of the best weight training channels out there

[@cognakthkrathk1027]

just do a drop set on the last set of an exercise if you feel like it

[@Str8Rippin93]

That generally what I do

[@timwillems1985]

Yes! I do the same.

[@claydun1670]

Right. That's how I do it.

[@amineboukhalfa4929]

Do you hit failure in all of the sets ?

[@cognakthkrathk1027]

@@amineboukhalfa4929 no

[@CalebAAvery]

Public embarrassment for our education, you saint 😂😂

[@Nk36745]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DontLookBehindYou1]

And that's one reason we're here and not on another page... Dude checks his ego at the door a lot.

[@positivelynegative9149]

And that music really was on point. 🤣

[@richardtela]

"Whatever it takes for KZbin" will be what I say to myself when I'm pushing myself to failure, going forward... even though I don't create any content for KZbin...

[@mr.e8432]

😆😂😆

[@KingdomHarvestCinema]

I got secondhand embarassment from that clip. People usually assume youre 100% serious😂

[@scycosnake3964]

Drop sets are REALLY good for the side delts I think they work good because its a really good way to push yourself past failure, fail, drop the weight and repeat like 5 times and you sure as hell are giving the muscle a reason to adapt

[@dennis-if3xj]

agreed

[@Zachary_Cordova]

Especially since your delts are made of slow twitch muscles so higher reps is optimal as well which another reason why dropsets work well with it

[@dustingreene5725]

pushing to failure is the king of hypertrophy! So each drop in weight then to failure ensures your muscles are going to grow.

[@DMRCapitalHill]

I agree man 100%

[@thischannelhasanameright1954]

Makes perfect sense, I'm starting to prefer both drop sets and rep-pause sets over conventional sets, less boring and quicker workouts, with more quallity volume, especially with calisthenics and isolation exercises

[@danstafford5977]

You are all mixed up typical Fitness nut!

[@kanewalters8415]

As an older lifter drop sets are a great tool to help me maintain form and minimise stress on my joints while still reaching failure.

[@MamaSwole]

Lmao I love when you looked around all nervous before curling that barbell😂

[@raysp3c]

MamaSwole you’re always top comments 😂

[@MamaSwole]

raysp3c true😂

[@hb-vv9uc]

I watch so many fitness channels and your like everwhere. Lol.

[@chronometa]

@Michael plz stop

[@Jon_zherka_99]

i like u baby

[@guillaumefaure3798]

My mother bought me the Body transformation Blueprint, gotta wait Christmas to read it tho : )

[@MegaSolidninja]

K

[@parkerrish9024]

I’m excited for you! Hope it goes well for you

[@Sean_Nalewanyj]

Awesome man, I’m confident you’ll like it! 💪🏻

[@KHALEDFXYT]

Is your mother a bodybuilder?

[@guillaumefaure3798]

@@KHALEDFXYT haha no I asked it as a christmas present, not even sure she can do a push up lol

[@alexanderespinoza]

I go until failure, wait like 30 seconds, drop the weight, go until failure, wait 30 seconds, drop the weight, and go until failure. I do that 3 times for each exercise. It has worked for me and gets my workout done pretty quickly. At each weight I try to get around 10-5 reps, and it keeps the workout flow going! It definitely helps cut out the "junk reps" and sneaks in more solid ones.

[@morecharacterswithamix9067]

That's pretty solid plan!

[@shabbir.akhtar]

So is that 9 total sets or only 3 sets?

[@Vlad-co6dd]

@@shabbir.akhtar 3

[@yanpaq6405]

@@Vlad-co6dd you sure? Because the op said he's doing that 3 times for each exercices ( that seems a lot for me)

[@aycreator0]

i do the same. how is it working for you?

[@bamboomike4295]

I love these, as it allows me to use the weights I have at home and get a great workout! Also, as a 55 year old lifter, I feel like I can still get a great volume workout, without risking injury, through lifting too heavy! Great content as always Sean!

[@naefaren3515]

Absolutely love how you looked around, noticed the people, and decided to put on some faces to help them understand this is NOT the way to move the weights haha!

[@marvingilbertson8022]

Great information as always! I have followed you for around 5 years and always appreciate your no-nonsense advice 💪

[@SibRevs]

I do drop sets on flat bench. I drop the weight down 10lbs and can only crank out 4-5 reps per drop. Additionally, I decrease the width of my grip incrementally. Ive definitely blown through a couple of plateaus and it feels great.

[@bennconner1195]

I tend to use them as a form of progressive overload if I fail to beat what I did last session. That normally pushes we forward if I hit a plateau.

[@skyekingdom0]

that demo was worth the watch alone

[@squnjalele8327]

Sean you look leaner and amazing than 2 months ago. Not that you've looked bad. One of my favourite fitness influencers. No bs scientific based approach. Respect from South Africa

[@stevendibble5739]

I like drop sets for specific muscles like calves that you really have to hit hard and go to complete failure to see growth👍

[@KroM234]

I'm currently using dropsets on isolation exercices (mostly on arm exercices), but I always go to failure or near failure on my main sets and immediately after I take a significantly lighter volume and try to work really slow with it maximazing the contraction to the point it's bearly sustainable. I set an absurdingly high number of reps that I know I won't reach and only stop when my arms basically fall. For me, and at the moment, it's the best way to achieve optimal contraction on the following main set. Just have better connection that way. Maybe I won't need this further down the line, but right now I love my drop sets.

[@rahuldoes]

Exactly!

[@001Broadway]

3:18 - 3:45 Dude. U r KZbin hall of famer. Straight up. Seriously ❤

[@themangodiaries284]

I love drop sets, out of my workouts I’ll usually do them with two exercises out of maybe 8 and on the last set so I only drop the weight once. Just by adding them sparingly and once at the end changing it up between different muscle groups throughout the week I’ve seen great improvements in as little as two weeks training 4-5 days a week.

[@jeffferguson69]

I’ve been pretty much doing drop sets this whole time lol. Well since the lil shutdown ended in April or may. Well technically I think I do pyramids. I start low work my way up to a high weight that I can do for 6 to 8 reps then work my way back down. I mainly do it to save time and get in out quicker. Only rest I get is putting on or removing plates. I’m on trt btw I’m sure it helps lol

[@nickvoelker7180]

I really enjoy watching Gym Bros drop sets. Bro, calm down, you don't have any ATP left to work with. I'm also really gonna enjoy seeing Sean make an appearance on some gym fail videos for his flawless Gym Bro curls.

[@njfuentesrespecter81]

That’s great commitment to the bit. I would’ve been too embarrassed to actually do it

[@MostlyBrowsing]

3:28 I appreciate you doing this

[@parkerrish9024]

I swear by drop sets. Every time I consistently add them into my routine they produce a lot of quality mass and strength. Always good to have a monkey wrench in the routine

[@scycosnake3964]

Same, with A LOT of drops

[@jeffferguson69]

I like doing pyramids, saves time and I feel the gains are good

[@scycosnake3964]

@@jeffferguson69 I like reverse pyramids

[@douglaspkeatingjr3232]

Same! I’ve gotten quality results from drops.

[@scycosnake3964]

@@douglaspkeatingjr3232 Drops are just crazy, my delts went from 17” width to 22” naturally in a little over 6 months from side lateral drop sets

[@user-cq6dg6ql9j]

I switched from circuit sets to drop sets after two hip surgeries cost me heavier lifts. It is nice using lower weight to focus on the muscles each exercise intends to use rather than just the amount of reps. I do between 5 to 10 drop sets per exercise. I swear an attractive woman always walks by when I am on my 200th rep struggling to tricep extend 10 lbs because I smoked myself. I like this method more because it saves time, isolates better since form is the most important aspect, and I leave the gym feeling like I got into a fight with a bear. Hopefully it pays off in the long run.

[@durah1559]

She doesn't care.

[@user-cq6dg6ql9j]

@@durah1559 Thank you for your opinion. I can sleep better knowing an asshat chimed in.

[@Emoney559]

They'll never know ,they might look at the light weight and be like wtf he's weak ,whole time your a warrior

[@ATaveras]

I remember when I was 19 and first learned what a drop set was. I went into the gym for leg day the next day and did a drop set for every set of every exercise... boy when I say my legs where sore the next 4 days I literally mean it lmao never again. 😂

[@user-en5vj6vr2u]

Bro just leg extensions make me cry 😩i can’t imagine a whole leg day on drop sets

[@ATaveras]

@@user-en5vj6vr2u lol I know right! I’m about to start incorporating them again

[@anthonycampana1105]

I love Sean’s comical side 😂 shits golden

[@carlosbravo2971]

Hahaha the faces in the bicep curl were godsend and the music is fire.

[@nuvitcoskun4324]

Lol it seemed when barbell curls Sean would do the braveheart and yell "YOOOUUUTUUUUBEEEE"

[@hosampb5593]

amazing as always sean and what makes the video better is that footage of you doing the weird face even after realizing that some people in the gym are watching you

[@raysmetaltracks6782]

Rolling with the outtake!! 👍 "fluff n pump"...

[@ozzy5146]

I luv dropsets. Basically all I do because theyre so efficient. But I mix it up every few weeks because your body adjusts to the same protocol. Fom 3 push dropset exercises first day to 3 pull dropset exercises next day; after a few weeks I switch to full body dropsets of push/pull/legs. Then later, mix in with rest/pause where the weight stays the same. And for all I drop FIVE times, not three. I work out at home so I rest a lot between different drop sets. I also mix in less used exercises to mix things up. What I got from this video is I will try dropsets with only a small drop. I have usually done them with 15% drop, will now try with less.

[@TaxEvasi0n]

Maybe I've been doing dropsets wrong this whole time. I think I learnt off Elliot Hulse to dropset the weight by about 20% each time, which does allow you to get another 8+. Some exercises for example rope hammer curls, I'll dropset after the 4th set and ride down the stack until a weight that does nothing, so there's a LOT of drops there. Bicep day usually takes me about 3-4 days to fully recover (where my bicep insert to my arm doesn't feel bruised under load anymore), and the following week I can tend to make serious progress jumps on my good days. I love dropsets, but I will keep in mind on other exercises to keep closer to failure and not drop so much in weight. Not only do you get muscle fatigue, you can chase that burn and get a deadly pump too!

[@doctoralgy8186]

Thank you sean, you're my #1 training advisor

[@drmitofit2673]

I use short rest 20 seconds or so, keep the weight resistance the same, and reduce the number of reps over 3 sets. Minimizes easy junk reps and maximizes reps in the near to failure zone.

[@MCsmileyB]

Bro Sean hitting them curls 😂😂

[@paulmanders9762]

I do think drop sets could potentially affect muscle hypertrophy in a positive way by recruiting more muscle fibers. Maybe have a look a Hennemans size principle.

[@knighttrider]

Been doing drop sets for 20+ yrs.. they work for me

[@mikedeysher7417]

Thanks for everything Sean

[@VernCrisler]

I agree. I like drop sets but I think they only work if you restrict the range of motion and go to failure or near failure on each restricted drop set. That way you get the benefit of hypertrophy, even without the full range of motion. John Meadows had some good ideas on this.

[@duderinofitness]

I use drop sets for everything but train til failure on each set. Finally started gaining alot

[@OctaBech]

Next timeSean goes to the gym, everyone will be training the way he demoed. Imean, it must be working, he got big muscles. :D

[@shantanusapru]

Excellent video, Sean! Thanks a lot for this!

[@adamqjsmith]

great vid sean

[@blountman747]

Another classic video thanks for explaining

[@Phobos2085]

What I appreciate most about Drop Sets is that I am more consistent in maintaining proper form with the lower weight.

[@ironmark1002]

make a video for straight set vs ramping set. When to use them, how to use them.

[@adamenaz1141]

LOVE YOUR VIDS

[@danstafford5977]

Drop sets are usually done with dumbbells and strip sets are done using a barbell... it's all about muscle fiber types... drop sets are used for fatiguing the endurance muscle fibers... the slow twitch muscle fibers!

[@scycosnake3964]

Im pretty sure that drop sets recruit more muscle fibers, the pump is absolutely nasty and I think they cause more micro tears than straight sets

[@scycosnake3964]

@fire trails Yeah, I would only do 2-3 at the end to really finish it off. The bulk of my sets are pyramid sets

[@notsure1276]

Good info and I was doing it wrong all this time. Thanks.

[@moscogsm]

u earned a subscriber......quality info

[@acea5683]

VERY good info again.

[@bgBlea]

people in stretching room: "so... junk reps do work? look at his physique"

[@dard4642]

"Wow, that guy's got great genetics because he doesn't have a clue what he's doing."

[@bgBlea]

@@dard4642 🤣 that too

[@elimo4803]

Helmet struble does those light weight high pump with 5 deep breaths in between of 5 sets as like start ups.. he says he likes going into the heavier compound lifts with some fatigue and it creates that sharper mind-muscle connection.

[@anuhankio4934]

This was useful information since I have drop sets in my training program at the moment👍

[@enanthate]

I remember some decades ago when I was a kid in the beginning of my journey into the weight lifting area in the gym I used to swim with my dad. There was this crazy tanned guy who would constantly drop the weights as hard as he could into the ground and then make a guttural grunt as loud as he could, and he wasn't even that big, he was bigger than my dad, but didn't had abs like him and his arms were like baloney or something. For the longest time I thought that was a "drop set", and i hated it lol.

[@kingofdjembe]

Nice, I've always done them this way.

[@TigerShark316]

3:27 lol!! You just gotta soldier up and do it like Impractical Jokers!

[@toasterwafflecat9874]

I will slightly critique this. Drop sets combined after straight sets completely shock the muscle but u have to slowly build up your straight set from light to the heaviest, after u hit ur plateau then drop down with no rest plate by plate. It’s a great change in routine if you are looking for shock change

[@nickofehn2287]

really helpful video. thanks!!

[@johngold5772]

That is good video, it's always better to have more tools for building muscle. Would you make a video about "accentuated eccentric training" ?

[@flicksbyjb]

Drop sets were my thing back before I found your no BS vids. Without knowledge I dropped the weight and was in the 3-6 range on the weight bc it felt right. Super interesting to hear you speak on it. A ton of the info you speak on is almost common sense, when you stop searching for a workaround to this fitness life 😂. I love it. You are a Planetary Treasure Brother.

[@AronHallan]

Then im doing right. For example with dumbbells i just move 1 weight down and perform 3 hard reps 4 and 5 already breaking form sometimes can't even make them, side delt Killers.

[@michaelmayers3622]

I do pryimids to max weight then drop weight and go to failure on each workout

[@BurnNoticeGhost2015]

12 reps to failure Drop weight 6 reps to failure Drop weight 3 reps to failure Hold the negative for as long as possible. And your muscle is now officially dead

[@helenk3015]

Sean that video of you curling the barbell had me in stitches bruh😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DARTH-KTULU]

I prefer to do a top set of 5-6 reps with 90% of 1 rep max, then do subsequent back off sets, treated with the same intensity as the top set. 80% for 6-8, 75% for 8-10, 70% for 10-12. Every month I add 5 to 10 lbs to my top set, and 5 to 10 lbs to each back off set after I've hit my rep goal for each percentage. Back off sets are much better than drop sets, in my opinion.

[@rooneyferdinand]

What are your thoughts on doing this... Do one set to failure or close to failure. Typically you'd need 3-5 min to recover to go that hard again. Insetad, you wait for less time and go again but with lighter weight, also going to failure or close to it. Basically dropping the weight in order to decrease rest (not because I think rest is bad, but because I want to finish earlier).

[@tycarr5976]

Claire needs this

[@Dehura]

It takes like 10-20 seconds to drop weight. If i just rest for that 10-20 sec, i could do 3-5 more reps without dropping weight down. 🤔 So there is no point for drop sets? 🤔🤔

[@ANecessaryEnd]

I would love to hear your opinion on cluster sets. I believe people would find it very interesting, especially the aspect of resting between each rep.

[@seanyouknowwho798]

@ 3:27 with the music playing, thought Sean was going to show us a new kind of set....like a “twerk set”. I was in full cringe mode, but thank God he didn’t go there. 🤣 Everything else was great info! Learned something new today, which is always good.

[@MapleAudio]

I usually use drop sets to add more "strength"-focused sets that still have between 8 and 12 reps totally to be in the hypertrophy range. And quick weight changes are important. For example bicep dumbbell curls would look like this: Set 1: 18kg - 1RIR Set 2: 18kg - 1RIR Set 3 - Drop Set: 20kg - until failure (usually 3 - 5 reps) - 16kg - until failure (usually 3 - 5 reps) - maybe 14kg - until failure (usually 2 - 3 reps) With that I land between 8 - 12 reps and add a more strength focused set that still lands in the hypertrophy range. Does anybody know if somehow like that is already used and maybe there has been done some research on this approach?

[@notepad9883]

(1) "Heavy days" and "light days" for a given muscle group certainly make sense for variation and fatigue management; "heavy days" and "light days" period may have extra benefit for systemic fatigue management. Maybe even a "heavy exercise" and a "light" one in the same day for the same muscle is OK. A "heavy set" and a light one in the same exercise seems like pretty iffy optimality. And heavy REPS and light ones *in the same fucking set* just seems downright nuts. I didn't know anyone did that; small increments are the point of drop sets. Do heavy work or light work people; don't enter a whole new training modality right in the middle of your set! I know the pump feels like cumming but please, have some self control! (2) Drop sets are really just a time saving device. This is timely, because a lot of people are dealing with reduced gym hours nowadays. But I don't really see how they are any more appropriate for people of a certain training age, since the only reason to do them in the first place, the only advantage, is their time efficiency. There's nothing they do to optimize for anyone of any training age beyond that. If anything, they may be *more* appropriate for beginners, because one of their most significant disadvantages is difficulty in measuring progress, and beginners have much less need to do so scrupulously. (3) Sean should address antagonist paired sets next! Especially some of the data possibly suggesting benefits to them beyond time management, and data suggesting that one order may be better than another for given muscle groups. And clarify when they are *not* appropriate. (E.g. probably not heavy back squats and heavy RDLs!) *"The pump can be a natural, zesty enterprise. But unfortunately there are some people who engage in it compulsively and without joy. Yes, Mr. Nalewanyj, these unfortunate souls cannot pump in the true sense of the word." --Maude Lebowski*

[@ronaldonogueira74]

I prefer Myo reps over drop sets, no drop in weights and much easier (for me) to feel when failure is about to occur. Myo reps also make it much easier to track your progress.

[@cccpredarmy]

Always try to go to complete failure on my 10th-13th rep. Never could drop the weight only 1 lvl on the machine down to perform another 3 (!!!) reps. Always trained to such "almost failure" that performing another rep is simply not possible, yet I'd be on my 7th-9th rep so I drop the weight about 3 lvls down to get to my 11-12 reps until complete failure. The pump is always amazing when this happens.

[@ll-hw4xn]

For me I use drop sets for the pump. Going heavy first to break down the muscle and then using dropsets with increasing reps to pump maximum blood and get a good pump. I allways thought that is what they are for...

[@DMRCapitalHill]

Dude those drop sets be stimulating crazy growth

[@Alexor715]

And do you wanna pump the muscle or actually grow them?

[@danielcisco]

I do drop sets with the aim to fail within 5-8 reps and only at failure I drop the weight to do another 5-8 reps till failure. The a final 5-8 reps. First round I normally fail at 7 or 8 and at the end I fail at 4 or 5. Works for me if I am thight on time

[@jobber1984]

Mike Mentzer heavy duty training! Something which I wish I learned 15 years ago

[@MisterOcclusion]

Drop sets: I’m doing them wrong. Thanks for the clarity

[@Abdel-Samad]

Great video man, I have a question is "Ultimate Nutrition Prostar 100% whey protein" a good protein powder?

[@anthonygrassi4690]

Subscribed just for 3:40. That's dedication.

[@Boogie7910]

I'm of the mindset that Drop sets increase your close to failure reps where before you only had 1-3 reps that mattered, now you can double the reps that actually matter. Is this not the case?

[@Alexor715]

Many studies on drop sets vs straight sets were done. The results were always the same - there is no significant "gains" difference between them.

[@SUTTy718]

I do drop sets in the last 15 minutes of weight training. Definitely fatigued but now I'm questioning that.

[@ikanmasin]

The fact: lower weights, higher than 12 reps are for muscle endurance. -Does not stimulates hypertrophy -Leading to more calories burn & needs -Causes muscle shrinkage due to body adaptation to use extensive energy (calories). Imagine long distance runners. -Prolong recovery leading to overall disturbance of hypertrophy plans. -etc

[@MrApaHotel]

It is almost like myo reps but with a weight drop instead of a pause. Goal to hit max 5 reps in each drop set.

[@jonmyers4906]

I did drop sets for almost every set. Think I was doing a lot of harm. Don't think I allowed my muscle to heal and then I pulled a muscle in my neck. Now I use them more sparingly. Think maybe I'll only do what I was doing like once a month and let my muscles rest.

[@Nk36745]

Apart from the risk of doing them wrong, what are the downsides of drop sets? You didn't mention any

[@roisyoy4768]

Hey Sean I want to ask if you are seeing this, is it ok if you lose weight one day and gain weight another day, however, you reach your goal weight by the end of the week? For example: Bob weighs 150 pounds, bob wants to gain 1 pound by the end of the week(151 pounds), however, bob gains 1.2 pounds one day, so he loses .5 pounds the next day, but at the end, he has reached his goal weight of 151. Is that ok?

[@mikesand6239]

For purposes of calculating total volume, does a drop set count as one set or multiple? For example, if I did an individual set and then dropped the weight twice, did I do one set or three?

[@rosn62]

There is no exact answer to this. It differs from person to person to their personal choice. Example 1:- Doing constant rep with increasing weight for first 2 sets (say 7.5kg and 10 kg) and in the last 3rd set doing a dropset with 15kg and then eventually reducing the weight from 15kg to 10 kg to 7.5kg to 5kg) until failure. So, the reps may be 10-10-until failure. Example 2 :- Those people who do a dropset of 15kg till failure, then 10kg till failure and then 7.5 kg till failure. So, it differs from person to person. So, do both and find out for urself which one suits better for u . :)

[@drewmandan]

It's the number of reps that are within around 4 reps of muscle failure (hard reps). That's literally it. So say you do 4 normal sets, each one with 2 hard reps at the end. That's 8 hard reps total. On the other hand, you can do 1 normal set followed by 3 drops, where the normal set gives you 2 hard reps, then each drop gives maybe 2-4 more hard reps. That's something like 8-14 hard reps.

[@danstafford5977]

Drop sets are used to increase blood volume into a muscle...hence the flush principal!

[@kip.k]

Probably why rest pause and cluster set type intensity techniques are becoming more common.

[@visheshdeepgautam]

Best Part 3:32 😂😂😂 Your Humor on next level

[@ΗΜΠΑΛΑΣΤΑΔΙΧΤΥΑ]

Can you do a single drop set? For example you hit your 1st set to failure on the chest press machine and without rest you reduce the weight and do the 2nd set(drop set). Just this without more reduce (3rd or 4th set) is enough?

[@jengizmcmahon3710]

Hey Sean, Are chicken thighs acceptable in a fat loss plan or should I predominately stick to leaner cuts of meat?

[@Paul-yk7ds]

Kinda same idea as myo-rep sets, but instead of waiting 10-30 seconds to allow for a few more reps, you're dropping the weight to allow a few more reps. In both cases, they are time-efficient ways to add more volume, maybe especially with isolation exercises toward the end of a workout, yeah?