I got a question about drop sets????

[big ol' boy]

I know that the majority of you all know what a drop set is so I won't insult you with an explanation. My cousin is a senior in high school and his football coach has them doing these. He's got them doing 50% of max in 30 second intervals with a 15 second rest in between. They're doing 6 sets dropping 10 lbs at a time. He said it was a great way to build up muscle vs. lifting small sets with heavy weights. My cousin came to me to ask if there was any truth to this or if the coach was full of ****. I wasn't positive but I know someone on here has to have some knowledge about this. I think it might be a good way to get through a plateau but it seems stupid for lifting in a football program because it seems like they would be too burned out to do anything afterwords. Anybody have any thoughts??

[body]

if there doing 50% of there max in 30 seconds there not using heavy weight.

Is the couch trying to build up muscular endurance?

[fixationdarknes]

You're exactly right. There's nothing more to it than maybe offering a quick changeup to break through a plateau every once in a while.

Football players need strength. Lifting light weight doesn't build strength.

[Miker]

Arnold was a huge proponet of Drop Sets (he called them strip sets).. and there is plenty of stuff on the net describing all sorts of ways to do them.. However, they are not a 'strength' exercise and probably any of the guys here that subscribe to powerlifting type workouts will tell you to stay away from them.. and I think.. for playing football.. having big muscles versus having strength.. you'd want the strength. I would have your cousin look into some powerlifting type workouts.. and there are plenty of dudes here that can guide you on that. As for your coach.. if he is anything like some of the coaches I have run across.. he isn't going to like being told he is wrong. Have fun.

[malkore]

Arnold also didn't do them every workout. They are a great way to blast through a plateu.
However when I do them, I start heavy, like a normal lift, and when I rep out, I drop the weight and rep out again. Starting at 50%...christ that's no way to build strength!

[djreef]

Yea, that's the way I do them - and only at the end of a workout, just to finish off.

DJ

[fixationdarknes]

lol...50% of 1RM? That's like...what I use for my speed sets, if not a bit heavier.

[MixmasterNash]

just to finish off.

Finish off what?

[HILL]

i always do a drop set after ive done 3 main sets for my first compound movement such as bench, il do sets 10/8/6 then drop the weight and do atleast 15 reps

[Wannabelean]

Drop sets are pointless for anything except for breaking through a plateau, IMO. The coach needs to be coached

[djreef]

Mix - the body part I'm working on, or the workout in general. It will usually be my last set for the day.

DJ

[big ol' boy]

Thanks for all the replies. I agree with you guys that it seems pointless for what they are doing. I talked to him about it and he says its to build up their muscle endurance, not to build strength.

[HILL]

that would make sense

[fixationdarknes]

Mix - the body part I'm working on, or the workout in general. It will usually be my last set for the day.

DJ

I know you were talking to Mix, but you don't need to "finish off." Just do your heavy working sets and be done with it, sir.

[fixationdarknes]

Thanks for all the replies. I agree with you guys that it seems pointless for what they are doing. I talked to him about it and he says its to build up their muscle endurance, not to build strength.

Why would a football player want to stress muscle endurance over strength? Pointless.

[BG5150]

Why would a football player want to stress muscle endurance over strength? Pointless.
Maybe to make it through a game, and not get his ass kicked in the fourth quarter... :rolleyes:

[Doobs]

for playing football.. having big muscles versus having strength.. you'd want the strength.
You want both. Especially for high school kids who all need to get bigger. I always did my own thing for football lifts, you just gotta do the research and make sure that what you're doing actually is better than the coach's program.

[fixationdarknes]

Maybe to make it through a game, and not get his ass kicked in the fourth quarter... :rolleyes:

If you want to make it through a game, do sprint intervals and build up endurance and practice football a lot. Lifting isn't going to have much impact on "lasting longer."

[Meat_Head]

Then only purpose that could serve is strength endurence(you need STRENGTH before this is worth doing...) and sacroplasmic hypertrophy(not useful for football players).

[Manveet]

A good read on dropsets and high rep sets

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=13;t=11

[big ol' boy]

If his reasoning is for muscle endurance than I kinda see his point. We play 6 man football. Strength is not as important of a factor as speed and endurance. It's a lot faster paced game than 11 man. The field is more opened up and there is a lot more running for every player since every player on the field is an elligable reciever. So technically strength and size isn't as important. I mean they are but stamina and being strong throughout the whole game is more important. So now that I think about it, if drop sets would improve muscle endurance than they aren't such a bad thing.

[Meat_Head]

If his reasoning is for muscle endurance than I kinda see his point. We play 6 man football. Strength is not as important of a factor as speed and endurance. It's a lot faster paced game than 11 man. The field is more opened up and there is a lot more running for every player since every player on the field is an elligable reciever. So technically strength and size isn't as important. I mean they are but stamina and being strong throughout the whole game is more important. So now that I think about it, if drop sets would improve muscle endurance than they aren't such a bad thing.

Its not musclular endurance, its strength endurance. If you bench press 200 and develop a large amount of strength endurance, its not going to help you much on the field. You might be able to eventually do 135 for 15 reps or something like that, but you can still only bench 200. Being able to do 135 for 15 reps instead of 8 is NOT going to help you on the field, in terms of endurance or strength. It would be better to work on strength until you get up to 275 or 300, then MAYBE working on strength endurance some along with regular maximal strength work, as that would enhance your ability to use your strength set after set or play after play.

[Doobs]

I don't think there's that much carryover from lifting to sports. Your best bet is to just get huge any way you can, then worry about the rest on the field.

[bill]

Its probably the best option of getting them to actually work out and stay busy.

[Meat_Head]

I don't think there's that much carryover from lifting to sports. Your best bet is to just get huge any way you can, then worry about the rest on the field.

This is nothing but bull****, no offense to you. You can't play many sports on the college or greater level(at least with any success) without progressive resistance via weightlifting. Tell what you said to someone in the NFL, or even a high school football coach, and they'll let you know you're just plain wrong. A stronger body is a better one when it comes to athletics.

[djreef]

Weight training with regard to injury prevention, alone, refutes that.

DJ

[body]

This is nothing but bull****, no offense to you. You can't play many sports on the college or greater level(at least with any success) without progressive resistance via weightlifting. Tell what you said to someone in the NFL, or even a high school football coach, and they'll let you know you're just plain wrong. A stronger body is a better one when it comes to athletics.

why?

doobs was stating that you goal should be to get bigger and stronger. rather than get good at a specific exercise. haveing a good bench press will not help you on the football field. Having a powerful chest and arms will.

[Meat_Head]

why?


Just stating my opinion, which is more of a fact in this case... :D



doobs was stating that you goal should be to get bigger and stronger. rather than get good at a specific exercise. haveing a good bench press will not help you on the football field. Having a powerful chest and arms will.

"I don't think there's that much carryover from lifting to sports. Your best bet is to just get huge any way you can, then worry about the rest on the field."

He said your goal should be to get huge any way you can, and that's a terrible goal for any athlete except maybe a sumo wrestler. Athlete need to get as big as the can to be functional at their event/position. That size needs to be functional as well, i.e. myofibrillar hypertrophy. A wide receiver doesn't need to get huge any way they can. They need to gain as much strength/lean mass as they can without compromising their speed/agility/performance on the field.

[body]

Just stating my opinion, which is more of a fact in this case... :D



"I don't think there's that much carryover from lifting to sports. Your best bet is to just get huge any way you can, then worry about the rest on the field."

He said your goal should be to get huge any way you can, and that's a terrible goal for any athlete except maybe a sumo wrestler. Athlete need to get as big as the can to be functional at their event/position. That size needs to be functional as well, i.e. myofibrillar hypertrophy. A wide receiver doesn't need to get huge any way they can. They need to gain as much strength/lean mass as they can without compromising their speed/agility/performance on the field.

okay I accept at 2nd reading he may have over simplified it a little. :)

[Doobs]

Alright guys, I'll clarify. Worrying about drop sets, numbers of reps, rest time, etc. is not necessary. Just pick a program that'll help you get bigger. There's no need to work on muscular endurance and stuff like that because when you get on the field, you won't be able to tell the difference between working endurance, max strength or in between. Yeah obviously you need lean mass.