# Decreasing the weight on each set?



## jakery96 (Jul 17, 2013)

Basically what the title says. Would you still gain mass if you decrease weight on each set? For example, When i do bicep curls (I do 4 sets and 8 reps) after the 1st set i struggle to get the 8 reps in on the 2nd set, ill do like 6 reps. So i then decrease the weight to enable me to do the 8 reps on the 3rd set etc... Would I still build mass if I do it like this?


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## Chris4Pez1436114538 (Sep 3, 2007)

This is called drop setting and is a good way to make gains but it is also an intermediate/advanced way to lift mate for exhaustion.


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## Chris4Pez1436114538 (Sep 3, 2007)

But in the way that you have put it all I would do is just lighten the weights your lifting in order to finish your required amounts of sets with good form.


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

I would say yes as i do this alot

Sometimes i work so hard on my first few sets i would only get half the reps on the other sets if i kept the weight the same

Interested in others views on this


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## Heath (Mar 3, 2011)

Sounds like reverse pyramid training.

It all works as long as you are progressing. Lift the same weight each week and look the same each week.


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

I do it every back session with deadlift, first set 220kg, second set 210, third 200, fourth 180


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## 1010AD (May 30, 2009)

Sounds to me like your starting off to heavy if you need to drop the weight. When doing drop sets i would increase the weight coz your dropping the sets as the name suggests. You should find a weight that you find you cart lift on your last set.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

1010AD said:


> Sounds to me like your starting off to heavy if you need to drop the weight. When doing drop sets i would increase the weight coz your dropping the sets as the name suggests. You should find a weight that you find you cart lift on your last set.


No, a drop set is defiantly when you drop the weight... generally straight after you've failed on a heavy set


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

I sometimes think i start off to heavy and work to hard but how can i work to hard?

I think you should put yourself 100% from that first set

A few people have told me dont go all out on first few sets but after a warm i go all out otherwise i think im wasting sets


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Lots of ways you can organise sets, reps and weights. Best way to change your training is to change these variables. I change them every 3 months or so.

My personally favourite way is to build the weight up, where you view every set as a warm up apart from the last one where you go the heaviest and to absolute failure. You just need to lean to be able to focus on putting all your efforts into that one set.

I'm not a fan of going to failure multiple times on the same exercise, I just don't like that feeling of losing power set on set. I still do it though as it helps to train different energy systems.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Past couple of weeks I've been going heavy for 3 sets then dropping right down and doing light weights straight after the last set. Feels nice, don't know if its effective though!


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## 1010AD (May 30, 2009)

2004mark said:


> No, a drop set is defiantly when you drop the weight... generally straight after you've failed on a heavy set


Your right but i respond quite well increasing the weight and dropping the reps not sets as i ment to say


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## Boshlop (Apr 1, 2012)

L11 said:


> Past couple of weeks I've been going heavy for 3 sets then dropping right down and doing light weights straight after the last set. Feels nice, don't know if its effective though!


started doing this for chest, 5 sets then drop, but close enough the same thing, development in the last month in strength and shape has been better then ever, id say it works quite well


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## MrM (Feb 6, 2012)

I tend to do three warm ups with increasing weight then two work sets at a max for 8 reps. After that I drop a few plates and try to do a set of 20 reps.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

jakery96 said:


> Basically what the title says. Would you still gain mass if you decrease weight on each set? For example, When i do bicep curls (I do 4 sets and 8 reps) after the 1st set i struggle to get the 8 reps in on the 2nd set, ill do like 6 reps. So i then decrease the weight to enable me to do the 8 reps on the 3rd set etc... Would I still build mass if I do it like this?


What you are talking about is called Descending Sets - some people are confusing this with Drop Sets I think, which are something different.

Descending Sets are where you do as you describe, use the same number of reps on each set but lower the load used with each sucessive set, i.e.

Set 1 10 reps @ 100kg

rest 90 secs

Set 2 10 reps @ 90kg

rest 90 secs

Set 3 10 reps @ 80kg

Drop Sets however are often performed only as a single set where the weight is reduced as it becomes impossible to lift, i.e.,

100 kg x 14 reps to reach failure (can't do a 15th) so drop the weight to 90kg with no rest, 90kg x 8 (can't do 9th) drop to 80kg and rep out as many as you can before failure (or drop again).

Drop Sets are used to extend a set beyond failure, whereas Descending Sets are a way of keeping reps high by reducing loading on successive sets and usually are taken to close to failure but not right to it or beyond it.

Traditionally Drop Sets are mostly used only as part of a short term phase of training to really blast a particular body part by extending effort beyond failure, but some people do use them as part of regular training. Descending Sets (called Reverse Pyramiding if the reps increase with each set rather than stay static as the load goes down) is a more conventional technique.

Descending sets do work for hypertrophy because they break the muscle down through cumulitive fatigue rather than by going to failure (different method, same result), but are probably not the best choice if strength gain is a goal as well as hypertrophy. IMO they tend to work best when reps are high (10+) rather than low.


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## Speedway (Nov 25, 2011)

For what would this be defined as then? An example of one of the ways I train, not all exercises though.

Incline dumbbell Bench:

28kg x 12

32kg x 10

36kg x 8

38kg x 6

40kg x 4

I always thought this was drop setting, guess I am wrong? Is it even a recognised way?

EDIT: wtf I am talking about, didn't ever think this was a drop set, I was typing one thing and thinking about something else lol, still don't know what's its called though.


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## jakery96 (Jul 17, 2013)

dtlv said:


> What you are talking about is called Descending Sets - some people are confusing this with Drop Sets I think, which are something different.
> 
> Descending Sets are where you do as you describe, use the same number of reps on each set but lower the load used with each sucessive set, i.e.
> 
> ...


Thanks mate, thats good information.


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