In today’s age of science-based lifters, fitness advocates, and even “bro science” misinformation, choosing a set and rep scheme often seems more complicated than it should be. Fortunately, Mr. Six-year-old Olympian Dorian Yates recently offered his take on how to set up your sets and reps, sharing his hard-earned wisdom on Instagram so you can follow in his lofty footsteps.
“Ditch the sets and supersets… I’m often asked my opinion on the above and if I’ve ever done them,” wrote the British bodybuilding icon, as the class entered the course of Yates’ two million Instagram followers.
First things first: For non-recruited people, the drop set technique requires one to perform the first set, or near failure, and then lower the weight for subsequent sets, by about 10 to 30% each set. With step-down sets, the number of reps can increase as the weight decreases, so if you do 6 to 8 reps in the first set, you can increase to 10 to 12 reps in the second set, and 12 to 15 reps in the third set, and so on. The idea behind drop sets is that they help exhaust the muscles with prolonged effort, leading to greater hypertrophy.
On the other hand, Supersets occur when two different exercises are performed with little rest between them, which improves endurance by working different muscle groups in a short period of time.
What does Dorian Yates say about Drop Sets and Supersets?
“I didn’t feel the need to do them all the time,” explains the buff Brit, who notes that he only used supersets as a way to exhaust his muscles, giving an example of a superset that includes pullovers and pulldowns. “But like I said, I didn’t do it often,” Yates added. “My game was to fully focus on the target muscles and give everything in that one set.”
Why Dorian Yates Prefer Straight Sets to Failure
There’s a reason the Olympia icon wasn’t stuck on different rep techniques and set protocols, instead preferring straight sets, and often testing his strength. “If you know in the back of your mind that you have other exercises to follow after that, it can be a bit overwhelming to give the first exercise a try,” he suggested. “With drop sets, I did them occasionally but I’ve actually lifted the dumbbell lateral as far as I can remember,” recalled the bodybuilding legend, who won every Olympia from 1992 to 1997. Dorian Yates also explained that no drop sets or supersets were part of his routine when he filmed his famous “Blood30” training video for Guts & 20.
What Are The Best Exercise Sets For Muscle Growth Scientifically
In terms of peer-reviewed science, the truth is that straight, drop, and supersets are all methods that lead to muscle gains. Although decline sets have been shown to build muscle in less time, there is no significant difference in terms of gains made from period to period. Judge said to go a little further with the front sets, however, because increased fatigue from short rests between exercises can create additional cardiovascular demands that may reduce lifting performance.
There is no doubt that the simplicity of straight sets to failure makes for a less complicated choice, allowing full focus on the set being performed. However, recent research suggests that complete failure is not necessary. Evidence suggests that hypertrophy increases as you approach judgment because heavy repeaters accumulate a higher load volume, fire more motor units and recruit type II muscle fibers. This technique increases the mechanical tension on the muscle, forcing them to return stronger, but this effect may plateau once failure is reached, meaning that strong, concentrated reps close to failure are more important than lifting excessively to diminishing returns.
So, choosing a rep and set scheme can depend on what stage of training you’re in and how much time you have, but Yates insists that straight sets are still the most obvious when looking to failure. “I don’t really do (drop sets or supersets) with clients,” he explained, noting that the total effort given is more important to his game plan than the difficult journey leading up to the results.
To follow Dorian Yates on Instagram, click here.
