Drop set: what it is, how to do it and if it works

What a drop set is

In a regular set you do your reps, rest a minute or two and go again. In a drop set, also called a descending set, you reach failure with a weight, lower it right away and keep doing reps until you reach failure again. You can repeat that drop once, twice or three times.

The idea is that when you can no longer move the starting weight, the muscle can still work with a lighter one. That way you add hard reps without the rest between sets. In studies, the most common drop is about 20% to 25% each time (Sødal et al., 2023).

How to do a drop set in 4 steps

Pick an exercise where the weight is easy to change. Machines, cables and dumbbells work best, because lowering the weight takes seconds. The cable tricep pushdown, the leg extension and the dumbbell lateral raise are good choices.
Take the first set to failure. Use a weight you can lift for about 8 to 12 reps with good form. The 1RM calculator helps you estimate it.
Lower the weight by 20% to 30% and keep going. With no rest, or just the seconds it takes to change the weight, do as many reps as you can with the new load.
Repeat the drop 1 to 3 times. One drop is already a drop set. With three, the effort is much higher.

Example: if you do cable pushdowns with 30 kg to failure, 20% less is 24 kg. A second 20% drop leaves 19.2 kg, so you would use the closest plate, around 19 or 20 kg.

Ways to do a drop set in studies
Type	How it works	Study
Single	One set to failure and one drop of 20% to 30%	The easiest to add to any routine
Triple	One 12-rep set to failure and three drops of 20%	Used on cable pushdowns (Fink et al., 2018)
Down to a light weight	From 80% to 65%, 50%, 40% and 30% of 1RM, with no rest	Used on dumbbell curls (Ozaki et al., 2018)

Does it work better than regular sets?

It works as well, not better. A meta-analysis of 6 studies with 142 people found that both ways of training built muscle, with no difference between them (Sødal et al., 2023). A newer one, with 12 studies and 274 people, reached the same conclusion for muscle size, strength and muscular endurance (Havers et al., 2026).

In trained men, 12 weeks of drop sets with the same volume as regular sets grew the thigh muscle by 7.8%, compared with 7.6% with regular sets (Angleri et al., 2017). A review of 23 studies on advanced techniques also found results similar to regular sets when volume and effort were matched (Tsartsapakis et al., 2026).

Some small studies favor the drop set. In 16 men, a single drop set for triceps grew the muscle by 10.0%, compared with 5.1% for three regular sets, although the difference between groups was not significant (Fink et al., 2018). In another, it grew one part of the quadriceps more, but not the rest (Varović et al., 2021). Those results are interesting, not a rule.

Its real advantage: time

If the results are similar, what is the point? Training in less time. In the studies that measured session length, drop sets took half to a third of the time of regular sets (Sødal et al., 2023). A review on short workouts estimates that techniques such as drop sets cut training time roughly in half while keeping the volume (Iversen et al., 2021).

In an 8-week study of people who did not train, a single drop set of curls built as much muscle as three regular sets, with the shortest session time of the three groups (Ozaki et al., 2018). If one day you have 30 minutes instead of an hour, a drop set at the end of each exercise can stand in for a set or two.

When to use it and when not to

On the last set of an exercise. That way your earlier sets use the full weight and the drop set adds work at the end, when being tired no longer matters.
On isolation exercises. The dumbbell curl, cables or machines. On heavy barbell lifts such as the squat, reaching failure and changing plates is harder and less safe.
On some muscles, not all of them. Drop sets feel harder and are more fatiguing than regular sets. That is why they fit best in some training phases or for some muscles, not your whole body every session (Havers et al., 2026).
Not on your max strength sets. Techniques like the drop set are probably better for building muscle than for maximal strength (Iversen et al., 2021). If you want to raise your best lift, use regular sets for it.

Keep in mind that you do not need to reach failure on every set to grow: a meta-analysis found no extra muscle from going to failure compared with stopping a little short (Refalo et al., 2023). The drop set is a tool for when you are short on time, not a must.

Common mistakes

Resting between drops. If you rest for a minute, it is no longer a drop set: it is regular sets with less weight. Have the next weight ready before you start.
Dropping too little weight. With 5% less you barely get one more rep. Drop at least 20% so the set can keep going.
Losing your form at the end. When you are tired it is easy to shorten the movement or swing. When your form breaks, the set is over.
Using drop sets on everything. Adding them to every exercise in every session piles up fatigue and can slow your recovery. One or two per session is usually enough.

To plan the rest of your session, see how many sets and reps to do, how to apply progressive overload and the muscle building routines.

Questions

How many drops are in a drop set?

One to three in most studies, lowering the weight by about 20% to 25% each time (Sødal et al., 2023). If you are new to the technique, a single drop is enough.

Are drop sets better than regular sets for building muscle?

No. Two meta-analyses found similar muscle growth with both (Sødal et al., 2023; Havers et al., 2026). The advantage of the drop set is that it can take less time.

How long do you rest between the drops of a drop set?

As little as possible: just the seconds it takes to change the weight. Between one drop set and the next you do rest, as you would between regular sets. See how long in the guide on rest between sets.

Can beginners do drop sets?

Yes. In a study of people who did not train, a drop set of curls built about as much muscle as three regular sets (Ozaki et al., 2018). Still, it is best to master the form of each exercise first.

Sources

This guide is for information only and does not replace advice from a health professional.