The Stability Drop Set takes advantage of two very simple training principles.
First, the more stable an exercise is, the more weight and reps you'll be able to get with it.
Second, the more unstable an exercise is, generally speaking, the more muscle activation you'll get from it.
For our purposes here, the dumbbell bench press is the most unstable version of the bench press. You're going to rep out (with a moderate weight) then immediately go straight to BARBELL bench press, which is a more stable version of the same movement pattern.
And you're going to do both exercises with the exact SAME weight.
One of the biggest issues I have with traditional drop sets is the reduction in weight (which for me, at least, tends to reduce the tension being placed on the muscle). This method avoids that issue while still allowing you to continue a set beyond normal limits of a single exercise.
The dumbbell bench press will get you greater activation of the pec muscles due to the freely-moving nature of the exercise. In this part of the set, you'll want to focus on strict form and a strong contraction in the pecs.
Then you will IMMEDIATELY go straight to the barbell bench press, after setting down your weights.
You can perform both of these exercises at the same station. Pre-set your barbell with the exact same weight that you're using for the dumbbell press. I'm using a pair of 75's and then 150 lbs on the bench press.
Aim for 12-15 reps of the dumbbell press and however many you can get on the barbell bench press is however many you get.
You CAN use heavier weights in general (e.g. going for 3-5 reps on the first exercise), but I find that using lighter loads and focusing on quality of contraction for the first part is most beneficial for this combination and will give you the greatest muscle-building effect.
When you perform the barbell bench press, you don't have to worry about focusing on the contraction....just focus on moving the weight with good form. Because you've pre-exhausted the pecs already, the contraction will happen on its own.
When you've finished with the barbell bench press, you've got two options.
1. You're done with the set. Rest 2 minutes then repeat. I would recommend 2-3 sets of this.
2. If you have access to a Bench Press Machine or a Smith Machine, you can continue with one more stability "drop." Both of those machines will further increase the stability of the movement pattern, allowing you to continue to hammer your chest. The only downside is, this requires you to take up another station...and we all know bench press stations are at a premium in most gyms.
This "stability drop set" technique can very easily be applied to other muscles groups and movement patterns as well. For example, you could do dumbbell curls to barbell curls, dumbbell shoulder press to barbell shoulder press, etc.
Essentialy, you just go from a less stable form of an exercise to a more stable form of an exercise.
Overall, it's a fantastic way to put more tension on a target muscle for even greater muscle growth without having to reduce the weight being used.
Take Stability Drop Set training to another level with Stability Sandwich Sets for chest.
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