Mechanical Advantage Drop Sets

Today im going to show you a little overload technique called mechanical advantage drop sets.  I like to use these with women or as a strip set or drop set with guys at the end of a workout to  destroy the target muscles.

Before we start though for those that don’t know what a drop set is  a drop set is when you perform a set of a given exercise to the point of fatigue or failure, and then change a variable in a way which allows you to continue performing the set. Basically with the mechanical advantage drop set technique you are starting in a mechanically disadvantaged position or weakest position for your first exercise then putting yourself in to stronger and stronger positions as you fail.  This also allows you to not drop the weight.   Most drop sets involve dropping the weight.  This doesn’t.  For example today we will look at shoulders and chest or pushing muscles :

After performing 2-3 warm up sets in the overhead press start with :

A1) 85 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A2) 45 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A3) flat dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 90 sec rest

Perform again 2 more times

A1) 85 deg db press

A2) 45 deg dumbbell press

A3) flat db press

Pressing overhead is a mechanically disadvantaged position in relation to 45 degree pressing.  And 45 degree pressing is a mechanically disadvantaged position in relation to flat pressing.  So as the drop set goes on you put yourself in a stronger and stronger position or mechanically advantaged position allowing you to use the same weight.  Make sense?  Good

Say you did a chest and shoulder session and you wanted to apply a overload technique at the end of it or were just looking for something fun to do (training is supposed to be fun right?) this would be a good finisher.

A1) 85 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A2) 45 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A3) flat dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 90sec rest

Perform again 2 more times

A Chest and Back workout using only this method might look like this : 

A1) 85 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A2) 45 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A3) flat dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 90sec rest

Perform again 2 more times

B1) ultra wide pronated grip lat pulldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

B2) supinated grip lat Pulldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

B3) semi supinated grip lat pulldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

Rest 90s.  Perform again 2 more times

Or if you really like be punished and want to maximise fat loss you might do this : 

A1) 85 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A2) 45 deg dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A3) flat dumbbell press – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A4) ultra wide pronated grip lat puldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A5) medium width supinated grip lat Pulldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 10sec rest

A6) narrow semi supinated grip lat pulldown – 10 reps – 3010 tempo – 120-180sec rest

Perform again 2 more times

Try it.  They’re fun!  Wait until you do it on leg day!

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