Drop sets and rest-pause sets: when they're worth it

Drop sets and rest-pause sets are two ways to squeeze more hard reps out of a set you've just finished. Both push a muscle closer to its limit in very little time, which makes them popular for building muscle when time is short. Used sparingly they work; used on everything they just add fatigue.

What is a drop set?

You finish a set, then immediately lower the weight, usually by about 20 to 30%, and do as many good reps as you can with no rest. Machines, cables and dumbbells make this easy because changing the weight takes seconds.

What is a rest-pause set?

You finish a set, rest for 10 to 20 seconds, then do a few more reps with the same weight. Expect about a third of the reps you managed the first time. You can repeat the pause once or twice more.

Do they work?

Studies comparing drop sets with normal sets (for example, Fink and colleagues, 2018) found similar muscle growth in less time. That's the real benefit: they save time. They don't build more muscle than the same amount of hard sets done normally. See how many sets per week to build muscle for how much total work you need.

Exercises that suit them

• Dumbbell lateral raiseSide delts
• Cable curlBiceps
• Cable pushdownTriceps
• Leg extensionQuads
• Lat pulldownLats
• Machine chest pressChest

Pick isolation and machine exercises where failing a rep is safe. Avoid drop sets on heavy squats and deadlifts: technique breaks down when you're that tired, and the fatigue carries into the rest of your week.

How to use them

1. Last set only. Add one drop or rest-pause after the final set of an exercise.
2. One or two exercises a workout, not every exercise.
3. Skip them in a deload week and when you're short on recovery.

Logging them without messing up your plan

Bonus sets shouldn't confuse your progression. In Liftsmith, an optional Add a bonus set? row appears during rest. Drop set picks about 75% of the weight you just lifted, rounded to what your gym has; Rest-pause keeps the weight after a 15-second pause, aiming for about a third of the reps. Bonus sets are tagged, count in your weekly volume, and are left out of the weight and rep targets for next time.