The approach of reducing resistance during sets was described in the late 1940s by Henry Atkins, editor of Body Culture magazine, who called it the multi-poundage system.
[1] While performing a biceps curl, the person lifting the weight would start with a 25 pound dumbbell and do as many repetitions as possible without significantly compromising form.
The amount or percentage of weight reduced at each step is also one aspect of the method with much variety.
Drop sets have been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy (growth) better than the traditional three-set training.
[6] Drop set usage can increase the hypertrophic response to resistance training.