Q: I’ve been on the Anabolic Reload workout for two weeks and feel considerably bigger. I was wondering if it’s okay to gradually increase volume with drop sets instead of rest/pause? I get a better pump with drop sets and I saw a study that found drop sets very effective for building mass, so you can volumize for muscle size.
A: We saw that 2017 study as well. It was by one of our favorite researchers, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., and the conclusion was…
Superior muscle gains might be achieved with a single set of DS compared to 3 sets of conventional RT, probably due to higher stress experienced in the DS protocol.
DS = Drop Set and RT = Resistance Training. DS wasn’t compared to Rest/Pause, but we would surmise that the results would be comparable, as the rest is minimal.
The problem with drop sets is that you have to strip plates if you’re using a bar, as in squats, or a plate-loaded machine, such as a leg press. That takes time, and so your drop set becomes a rest/pause.
Drop sets are most effective with weight-stack machines on which you can quickly move the pin for a lighter resistance without rest, or dumbbells–you can simply grab a lighter pair to continue rapping out in order to volumize for muscle size.
In Anabolic Reload we use rest/pause add-ons to gradually increase the volume for each muscle. That’s important because progression triggers hypertrophy.
Obviously, you can’t add poundage to your exercises every workout or even every other workout, so slight volume increases with drop-set or rest/pause add-ons work best for progressive hypertrophic stress, a safe and effective way to volumize for muscle size.
Adding standard full sets would be too much for most trainees and would also significantly increase workout time and over-volumize. So tacking on volume “bites,” as with drop sets or rest/pause, is the solution.
Keep in mind that once you get to three or four drop sets, if you’re using dumbbells you’ll need three or four pairs. You won’t get much love from other gym members with that behavior. Lol.
So one big key to mass: Gradually volumize to get freak-physique muscle size.
Check out the new Anabolic Reload Mass Workout e-book.
For more on the 4X mass method and programs…
Till next time, train hard–and smart–for BIG results.
–Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com