Supersets, drop sets and rest-pause: building muscle in less time
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Doing the same session as supersets saved 23 minutes with almost the same volume, and meta-analyses find no less muscle growth with supersets or drop sets. What the evidence says about each technique, which to choose for your goal and how to fit them into a 45-minute session.
In 2022, a Norwegian group led by Vidar Andersen (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) asked 29 experienced lifters to do the same full-body session in two ways: 8 exercises with 3 sets to failure, once in the traditional way and once as supersets. The traditional session lasted 23 minutes longer, 66% longer, in exchange for only 4.2% more volume. The supersets felt harder, and even so 18 of the 29 participants preferred them.
Supersets, drop sets and rest-pause are the three classic techniques for training in less time. Here is what the evidence says about each one, when to use them and when it is better to leave them aside.
What each technique is
| Technique | How it is done | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Superset | Two exercises back to back, with little or no rest between them | Bench press followed, without stopping, by a dumbbell row |
| Drop set | Reach failure with a weight, reduce the load and carry on immediately to a new failure | Curl with 14 kg to failure, then with no rest 10 kg to failure and then 6 kg |
| Rest-pause | Reach failure, rest a few seconds and continue with the same weight, several times | Leg extensions to failure, a few seconds' pause and more reps with the same weight |
Supersets: the same volume in less time
The most complete meta-analysis dates from 2025, by Xing Zhang, Jonathon Weakley and Amador García-Ramos (University of Granada): 19 studies with 313 participants. Compared with traditional sets, supersets allowed a similar number of reps and similar volume load in shorter sessions. Long-term adaptations were similar for maximal strength, muscular endurance and hypertrophy.
The price lies in how it feels: more blood lactate, more energy expenditure during the session and higher perceived exertion, although perceived recovery and markers of muscle damage were similar. And not all supersets are the same.
| Type | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Agonist and antagonist | Bench press and row; biceps curl and triceps extension | More reps than with traditional sets |
| Same movement pattern | Bench press and dips; squat and leg press | Less volume load: the second exercise starts tired |
| Distant body parts | Shoulder press and calf raise | Time saved by alternating areas that do not tire each other |
The agonist-antagonist pairing is the most studied: the review by Robbins and colleagues (2010) already described it as an efficient way to develop strength. There is a caveat, though: in Weakley's work (2017), jump performance was still below normal 24 hours after supersets and tri-sets, when after the traditional session it had already recovered. They may call for a little more recovery.
Drop sets: the same muscle in half the time
In 2023, Lena Kristiansen Sødal and Roland van den Tillaar of Nord University pooled the studies comparing drop sets with traditional sets: 6 studies with 142 participants aged 19 to 27. Both methods built muscle, with no significant difference between them. The difference was on the clock: some drop-set formats took between half and a third of the time.
Use them at the end, not at the start. A drop set is, by definition, going to failure several times in a row. It fits the last set of an isolation exercise on a machine or with dumbbells, not a heavy squat. Why failure is not a good idea in every exercise is covered in training to failure.
Rest-pause: more reps with the same weight
The evidence here is thinner. In the trial by Jonato Prestes and colleagues (2019), 18 trained people did 6 weeks of rest-pause or traditional sets (3 sets of 6 reps at 80% of their maximum, with 2 minutes of rest). Strength improved similarly. The rest-pause group gained more muscular endurance on the leg press (27% vs 8%) and more thigh thickness (11% vs 1%). With 9 people per group, it is a promising result rather than a definitive one.
Which technique to choose for your goal
The review by Vegard Iversen and Marius Fimland (2021), of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, sums it up: supersets, drop sets and rest-pause roughly halve training time while maintaining volume, but they are probably better for building muscle than strength, and long-term studies are lacking.
| Technique | Time saved | Best for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antagonist superset | High | Hypertrophy and general strength when short on time | May call for more recovery the next day |
| Same-pattern superset | High | Thoroughly fatiguing a specific muscle | Lowers the volume load of the second exercise |
| Drop set | Very high | Hypertrophy in isolation exercises | Not in heavy multi-joint exercises |
| Rest-pause | High | Hypertrophy and muscular endurance | Evidence still limited |
How to fit them into a 45-minute session
- One heavy compound lift with normal rest: squat or bench press, 3-4 sets, resting as long as you need. Do not save time here: technique and load come first. How long to rest is explained in rest between sets.
- Two antagonist supersets: for example, incline press with cable row, and leg curl with leg extension.
- One drop set at the end: on lateral raises or biceps curls, only on the last set.
If time is your problem, cutting days also works: there is the 2-day gym routine and, for impossible weeks, the 1-day routine. And if you want to know how many weekly sets you really need, read training volume.
When not to use them
- If your priority is maximal strength: according to Iversen, these techniques are probably more useful for muscle than for strength.
- If you are still learning technique: accumulated fatigue worsens your form just when you most need to practise it well.
- If your recovery is stretched: because of the extra fatigue Weakley observed, use them sparingly in demanding weeks or before a competition.
The Progrevia generator only applies these techniques if your level is intermediate or advanced, never in the deload week and on the last isolation exercises of the session: drop sets and rest-pause if you are after hypertrophy, and antagonist supersets if you want to lose fat. If you are a beginner, you will not see them in your routine, and that is deliberate: technique comes first.
- Andersen V, Fimland MS, Iversen VM, et al. A comparison of affective responses between time efficient and traditional resistance training. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;13:912368.
- Zhang X, Weakley J, Li H, Li Z, García-Ramos A. Superset versus traditional resistance training prescriptions: a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring acute and chronic effects on mechanical, metabolic, and perceptual variables. Sports Medicine. 2025;55(4):953-975.
- Weakley JJS, Till K, Read DB, et al. The effects of traditional, superset, and tri-set resistance training structures on perceived intensity and physiological responses. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2017;117(9):1877-1889.
- Robbins DW, Young WB, Behm DG, Payne WR. Agonist-antagonist paired set resistance training: a brief review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2010;24(10):2873-2882.
- Sødal LK, Kristiansen E, Larsen S, van den Tillaar R. Effects of drop sets on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine - Open. 2023;9(1):66.
- Prestes J, Tibana RA, de Araujo Sousa E, et al. Strength and muscular adaptations after 6 weeks of rest-pause vs. traditional multiple-sets resistance training in trained subjects. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019;33(Suppl 1):S113-S121.
- Iversen VM, Norum M, Schoenfeld BJ, Fimland MS. No time to lift? Designing time-efficient training programs for strength and hypertrophy: a narrative review. Sports Medicine. 2021;51(10):2079-2095.
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Frequently asked questions
Do supersets build as much muscle as normal sets?
According to the meta-analysis by Zhang (2025), with 19 studies, long-term adaptations in hypertrophy, strength and endurance were similar, with shorter sessions. They do feel harder, though.
Which supersets are best?
Antagonist supersets, such as bench press with rows. In the 2025 meta-analysis they allowed more reps than traditional sets, whereas same-pattern supersets reduced volume load.
Do drop sets build muscle?
Yes. In the meta-analysis by Sødal (2023), drop sets and traditional sets built muscle with no significant difference, and some formats took between half and a third of the time.
Which exercises are drop sets done on?
On isolation exercises with machines or dumbbells, and on the last set. They involve going to failure several times, so they are not a good idea on a heavy squat or deadlift.
Are these techniques useful for building strength?
Less so. According to the review by Iversen (2021), they are probably more useful for muscle than for strength. If maximal strength is your priority, keep traditional sets with long rests on your main lifts.
Informational content based on the available scientific evidence: it does not replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have an injury or a medical condition, or are pregnant, check with one before changing your training or diet.
