Feb 10, 20202 min read

666: The Heavy Metal Dropset Variation

Do you want to spice up some of your secondary/assistance/exercises that happen after the 'main movements'?

First of all, let me just say that this isn't "one trick to boost your gains" or any kind of method that is going to induce more muscle growth.

Below are some simple ideas to make training brutally fun in a relatively safe way.

The dropset variations below do make you work hard, so be ready!

It also helps that they all include the most metal number of all time: 666

Some would say 3 memes might have been stretching that joke a little far. THOSE PEOPLE ARE WRONG!

What is a drop set?

Josh Bryant, writing for bodybuilding.com in 2012 had this to say:

A dropset is defined as continuing an exercise at a lower weight once you've reached muscle failure at a higher weight. For the sake of convenience, dropsets are often performed on machines, since reducing the weight requires nothing more than moving a pin. Dropsets can also be performed with dumbbells, barbells and, conceivably, many other forms of strength training, from sandbags to Atlas stones.

Dropsets are part of the famous Weider System that Joe Weider developed in the 1980s, but their origin dates back even further. Henry Atkins, editor of Body Culture magazine, created the technique in 1947, calling it the "multi-poundage system." Since then, this ornery approach has gone by a lot of names, including descending sets, strip sets, the stripping method, triple-drops, down the rack, and running the rack.

I don't use dropsets with barbells or exercises I see as complex or risky often unless my client has a strongman competition coming up with an event similar to a dropset.

I prefer machines, cables and occasionally dumbbells.

Benefits Of Dropsets

Increase training volume

Increase training density

Builds pain tolerance

Fun!

Negatives

Hurt like fuck

Potentially increases injury risk when used incorrectly

May limit volume later in the session if used too early in the session

When To Use Dropsets

When the muscles/movements you are training aren't injured/painful

After a decent night sleep

Towards the end of a session so it doesn't lower the amount of volume you can handle

For machine work or lower risk free-weight exercises that won't kill you if you reach failure

When not to use dropsets

When the muscles/movements are injured or the movement is painful

At the start of a session (usually)

Big compound exercises like squats and deadlifts unless you need to

When sleep-deprived AF

When dehydrated

THE 666 DROPSET VARIATION

My favorite 666 dropset exercises:

Laying/seated leg curl

Tricep extension variations

Cable Curls

Lateral Raises (dumbbell usually)

Have a play with these and see how they work for you. Variation is very important if we are going to keep training fun for life. This brutality shouldn't be called fun, but for some reason, these dropset variations just are. Or maybe it's just fun to give them to other people?

Research into this question will be ongoing!

By Chris Kershaw

666: The Heavy Metal Dropset Variation

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