Sunday Edition Article

Anybody that has spent a little time on the prison yard knows that when it comes to strength training, necessity is the mother of invention!  In spite of limited equipment, phenomenal gains are produced.  My junior year of high school I ran a gym on the weekends.  Two huge characters covered with “sleeves” walked into the establishment ready to throw around some pig iron; I was in awe of their big, round chests.

Their session started off with a few compound barbell pressing exercises with tremendously heavy weight, and then it was time for dumbbell incline presses. Unfortunately, the dumbbells at this supposed “hardcore” gym topped out at 120s.The bigger of the two muscled up specimens barked at me to come over and help as he grabbed the 120s and sat back at a steep incline and proceeded to lift the dumbbells to failure, approximately 12 times. He then sat up and said drop the seat a couple holes and proceeded to hit about five more, when he could no longer continue, I dropped the seat and he continued.  As momentary muscular failure resulted, leverage (mechanical advantage) was improved by lessening the incline; this was unlike a traditional drop set or strip set where weight was reduced.  I had just been given a valuable real-life lesson in mechanical advantage drop sets.  In prison, dumbbells were very limited and traditional dumbbell drop sets were not an option, both parties explained.  To produce an adequate stimulus on incline, drop sets were performed in the matter described by increasing mechanical advantage.  This technique further helped me in my quest to put on size and ran contrary to the rants of the  pseudoscientific trainers who seemed to lust after bosu balls. At the time, I did not know how or why it worked.  But,  as a 16-year old kid, I knew that when two jacked cats like this come into the gym and preach about building size, it’s time to shut up, take notes and soak up that information like a sponge.

Traditional Drop Sets

Drop sets have been used by bodybuilders for decades. Traditionally, this means continuing an exercise with lower weight once momentary muscular failure has been reached or the desired number of reps.  Examples on the bench press might be doing a “strip set,” or doing as many reps as possible with three plates on each side of a barbell, racking the weight, taking a weight off and doing the same thing with two plates on each side of the bar and finally repeating this process with one plate on the bar.   The same could be done with dumbbells.  Once failure is reached with a set of dumbbells, grab a lighter pair and continue.  Obviously, machines are the easiest because when you can no longer continue, all you have to do is move the pin up the stack and continue with the lighter weight.  By continuing the set with less weight, you recruit a wider spectrum of muscle fibers.  As muscle fiber fatigue new ones are recruited, this, in turn, can elicit a great muscle hypertrophy response. Gargantuan amounts of mechanical tension result from the initial heavy weight being used and a huge amount of metabolic stress is taking place because of the increased time under tension (TUT) via the drops.  This causes muscle damage, which essentially acts as a catalyst to the three primary mechanisms (identified by Brad Schoenfeld) that drive muscle growth.  Additionally, further growth is elicited because the targeted muscle is be attacked at multiple angles.

Are Drop Sets Cheating?

Typically, a drop set consists of a total of two to three subsets and sets are typically reduced 10-30% per drop, this is not a rule. Let’s take a look at the barbell curl.  Once momentary muscular failure is reached using strict form, a slight swing of the weight to overcome a sticking point can allow the set to continue.  This is the Weider Principle of Cheating (in action.  Like a drop set, this allows the set to continue; without dropping the weight, “cheating” allows the set to carry on. A reduction in weight did not allow the set to continue.  Instead, the set continues by lifting the weight in a stronger position through a violation of  the principle of isolation.  The set continues!

In slight contrast to the Weider Principle of Cheating, lifting the weight in a stronger position is the essence of a mechanical advantage drop set, but it can be done with strict form.  You essentially get the benefits without sacrificing technique.

Author Josh Bryant knows how to build strength, power and muscle size!

Rest Pause Method

The rest pause method is doing as many reps as possible with a weight, resting 15-30 seconds, and then repeating.  Generally, one rest pause set is two to three subsets.  By taking brief rest periods, you are able to squeeze out multiple reps with heavy weights in an extended set.  Let’s say, for instance, you used 80% of your 1-RM on the bench press for a rest pause set. You started off with 80% for eight reps, rested 30 seconds, squeaked out three more, rested 30 seconds and made another three, all of a sudden you have accomplished 14 reps with 80% in a very brief period of time.  Talk about overload!

Integrated Principles

Cheating, drop sets and rest pausing all have their advantages.  Mechanical advantage drop sets use the principles of all three aforementioned methods.  Cheating is when you can longer continue and you use momentum to get past the sticking point.  Mechanical advantage is when you can no longer continue and you improve leverage so you can lift the weight in a stronger position.  With the incline press, you decrease the angle of the incline and on the leg press, you might adjust your feet.  There are countless “cheating” examples to extend the set. Rest pausing is when you can no longer continue and you stop for a short period of time before  continuing with,  maybe, the same weight.  A mechanical drop set may not even require racking the weights, in some instances, it may just be a change of stance or hand placement.  Therefore, he initial movement you could no longer continue changes and you are able to continue. Rest pauses, like mechanical advantage drop sets, do not require a reduction in weight.

Drop sets require a reduction in intensity.  Usually, this happens by dropping weight, but, to optimize results, you sometimes have to think outside the box. Why not leave the same weight on the bar and improve your leverage for a different overload stimulus? Mechanical advantage drop sets are not here to replace the other methods.  They are just one more variable you can cycle.  Think of them as a a new weapon in your muscle hypertrophy arsenal.

Here are a few of the mechanical drop set variations I have used with clients who range from Johnnie Jackson and Branch Warren to Bikini competitors to those who just want a challenge and to a new way to add size.  Remember, compound movements, isolation movements, barbells, dumbbells, machines and body weight can all be used. Here are just a few examples, there are tons more, be creative.  As always, have fun!!