Building muscle mass does not happen overnight. In fact, it takes a great deal of planning and effort both in and out of the weight room. To make your muscles grow you must adopt a hypertrophy training workout program in which you overload the muscles to cause an increase in the muscle fiber size. Performing drop sets is an ideal method to create hypertrophy of the muscle fibers.
Muscle Growth
To build muscle mass, it is necessary to train using moderate to heavy loads at a moderate to high volume. Loads should be in the 67 to 85 percent one repetition maximum range so that failure in each set occurs between six to 12 repetitions, according to Phil Davies, CSCS. When the muscles are overloaded to exhaustion, chemical reactions occur resulting in muscle growth. Using heavier weight with less repetitions develops muscular strength, not hypertrophy. Whereas, using lighter weight and higher repetitions develops muscular endurance.
Drop Sets
Drops set occur immediately after completing a normal straight set of an exercise with a load between 67 and 85 percent of your one rep max, and failing on the straight set between six and 12 reps. After failing, immediately decrease the load and continue to do as many reps until failure. This can be repeated three or four times, by dropping the weight anywhere from 5 to 10 percent each time, and only resting long enough to change out the weight.
Why It Works
By stripping off weight and continuing the set, you cumulatively recruit more "reserve" muscle fibers, according to Bodybuilding. This method recruits more muscle fibers than normally would be recruited in a standard straight set, because each time you drop the weight and force your muscles to continue to perform, deep-down muscle fibers are stimulated. When the small muscle fibers are forced to work, they will grow and become stronger and more efficient.
Example
Drop sets are usually performed on the last set of your exercise or towards the end of your workout. Drop sets can be performed by "stripping" the weight off a barbell between sets, gradually decreasing the weight of dumbbells or by dropping the weight on the weight stack on weightlifting machines. An example for dumbbell biceps curls would look like this: first set using 25-lb. dumbbells and failing at six to 10 reps, drop weight to 20 lbs. and failing between six to 10 reps, drop weight to 15 lbs. and failing between six to 10 reps, drop the weight one final time to 10 lbs. and complete reps until failure.
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