Hanniballickedher
MuscleHead
- Dec 12, 2010
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- 119
Drop Sets For Big Gains
Drop Sets For Big Gains
By Dave Kergaard
Drop Sets One of the most important aspects of successful training is knowing how and when to change your training routines. While I am in the gym on a daily basis I cannot help but notice some of the same people continuing to do some of the same routines for month after month, even year after year. The body adapts very quickly to adversity, so in order to make gains a person working out has to continually make changes in their exercise regiment. You have to do this both in your cardio workout as well as your workout. The important message is that you have to keep your body guessing.
I personally try to change my routine every four to six weeks. Sometimes that change can be a dramatic change or something as subtle as doing the same exercises but changing the rep scheme from 10 to 12 to 15 reps. Currently, I have been training some of my clients and also myself doing what most people would call drop sets. Of all the routines that I have attempted, drop sets seems to be one of the hardest of the exercise programs. The drop sets, when done correctly can actually challenge your body more than most workouts.
Drop Set Bodybuilidng Method To give you an example, I will try to explain what I am currently doing in the gym and how I have been incorporating the drop sets into my program. On Tuesday I train chest and biceps. I begin the chest workout with the Cybex incline machine and load the machine to what I could normally do three sets of ten repetitions. The key to loading any exercise piece of equipment is to put plates on the machine or bar so you can drop plates off quickly. For example, if I normally use two 45’s on each side of the Cybex incline machine I would instead put one 45, one 25, and two 10’s on each side.
After completing ten reps my work out partner will quickly strip a ten off each side enabling me to do another set of ten. Then after that set my work out partner strips another ten off and I quickly do another set of ten. In other words the set actually becomes three sets.
My work out partner and I move to cable flyes for the chest. We usually do three sets of ten, we drop the pin on each stack 10 pounds for the drop set. After the cable flyes we move to the Cybex chest machine and do the very same thing.
After chest, we move to biceps because our triceps have already received a strenuous workout assisting the chest and shoulder muscles. The biceps are fresh so its time to hit them. We usually start on the Cybex curling machine, which is a pin loaded machine. I normally put 110 pounds on the Cybex machine. During the second and third set of the drop sets my partner will lower the pin as I continue to do 10 reps for each of those sets. We will then move to barbell curls and follow the same sequence. Usually we try to finish the biceps by running down the rack with hammer curls using the dumbbells.
You can follow the same type of program for all body parts not only chest and biceps, but also back, triceps, shoulders, and legs. The key to success in doing drop sets is having either a workout partner or trainer that can quickly remove the plates from the machine or bar keeping the time between sets as short as possible. You can do this yourself, but it is not as effective as having someone work with you. The machines that contain stacks can be changed by just pulling and replacing the pin. Changing the pin may easily be done by one individual.
As you look at your current training routine, I would strongly suggest giving drop sets a try. There has been a lot of recent research showing that drop sets can increase an individual’s production of growth hormone during the workout. Done properly the drop set routine can be challenging both anaerobically and aerobically. In other words, not only will your muscles be pumped to their max, but also your lungs will be gasping for air.
Drop Sets For Big Gains
By Dave Kergaard
Drop Sets One of the most important aspects of successful training is knowing how and when to change your training routines. While I am in the gym on a daily basis I cannot help but notice some of the same people continuing to do some of the same routines for month after month, even year after year. The body adapts very quickly to adversity, so in order to make gains a person working out has to continually make changes in their exercise regiment. You have to do this both in your cardio workout as well as your workout. The important message is that you have to keep your body guessing.
I personally try to change my routine every four to six weeks. Sometimes that change can be a dramatic change or something as subtle as doing the same exercises but changing the rep scheme from 10 to 12 to 15 reps. Currently, I have been training some of my clients and also myself doing what most people would call drop sets. Of all the routines that I have attempted, drop sets seems to be one of the hardest of the exercise programs. The drop sets, when done correctly can actually challenge your body more than most workouts.
Drop Set Bodybuilidng Method To give you an example, I will try to explain what I am currently doing in the gym and how I have been incorporating the drop sets into my program. On Tuesday I train chest and biceps. I begin the chest workout with the Cybex incline machine and load the machine to what I could normally do three sets of ten repetitions. The key to loading any exercise piece of equipment is to put plates on the machine or bar so you can drop plates off quickly. For example, if I normally use two 45’s on each side of the Cybex incline machine I would instead put one 45, one 25, and two 10’s on each side.
After completing ten reps my work out partner will quickly strip a ten off each side enabling me to do another set of ten. Then after that set my work out partner strips another ten off and I quickly do another set of ten. In other words the set actually becomes three sets.
My work out partner and I move to cable flyes for the chest. We usually do three sets of ten, we drop the pin on each stack 10 pounds for the drop set. After the cable flyes we move to the Cybex chest machine and do the very same thing.
After chest, we move to biceps because our triceps have already received a strenuous workout assisting the chest and shoulder muscles. The biceps are fresh so its time to hit them. We usually start on the Cybex curling machine, which is a pin loaded machine. I normally put 110 pounds on the Cybex machine. During the second and third set of the drop sets my partner will lower the pin as I continue to do 10 reps for each of those sets. We will then move to barbell curls and follow the same sequence. Usually we try to finish the biceps by running down the rack with hammer curls using the dumbbells.
You can follow the same type of program for all body parts not only chest and biceps, but also back, triceps, shoulders, and legs. The key to success in doing drop sets is having either a workout partner or trainer that can quickly remove the plates from the machine or bar keeping the time between sets as short as possible. You can do this yourself, but it is not as effective as having someone work with you. The machines that contain stacks can be changed by just pulling and replacing the pin. Changing the pin may easily be done by one individual.
As you look at your current training routine, I would strongly suggest giving drop sets a try. There has been a lot of recent research showing that drop sets can increase an individual’s production of growth hormone during the workout. Done properly the drop set routine can be challenging both anaerobically and aerobically. In other words, not only will your muscles be pumped to their max, but also your lungs will be gasping for air.
