I don’t know about you but I’m very happy that this mentality of #teamnodaysoff is a thing of the past. Majority of the fitness industry understand the benefits of having both rest days and recovery days. There is a difference between the two. One thing that I don’t hear a lot about outside of the strength sports are deload weeks. I feel that more people would be at ease and much stronger if they incorporated these weeks into their training regularly.
Lifting heavy and hitting your best PRs on the platform is the highlight of your day. Everyone knows that your gym time is sacred. You are lifting day in and day out, improving your mental and physical health. Eventually, your body starts to feel overworked. From your joints, your muscles and your nervous system, you feel more fatigued than usual. Your nutrition and stress levels are affected. You just feel that you are not recovering well. Motivation is dipping. Lack of appetite increases. You start to hit multiple plateaus. The weights are feel heavier and heavier as the weeks go by. You are doing everything that you can and you are getting more frustrated. At this point, you realise that your rest days and recovery days are not enough. Thus, you schedule a deload week.
What Is A Deload Week
A deload week is a break in your regular training to improve recovery. It is a week to relax and unwind. Easing your mind and giving your body the extra recovery it needs to come back stronger the following week. This should typically be scheduled in advance and repeated roughly every 6-8 weeks. Usually it depends on your training style and training experience.
In my powerlifting offseason, I prefer to schedule my deload weeks every 12 weeks at the end of my training cycle. I have found that at the 6 to 8 weeks mark that my body hasn’t broken down from training to need one. However if I was working at 85% to 90% of my 1RM (1 rep max) for all my lifts, I wouldn’t have lasted 12 weeks to a deload.
How Do You Deload
There are three approaches that you can use for deloading and the approach that you take depends on your short and long term goals.
Reducing the intensity
The first approach that you can take is reducing the intensity. For this type, you are going to keep the volume (sets and reps) that you use the same. You will only use about 40% to 60% of 1RM for all your lifts (including accessories). This is roughly around half of the weight that you have been training with in the last few weeks. It is going to feel a lot lighter and it will also take a lot of pressure off of your muscles, joints and bones.
This approach is best for those who are not competing but still want to maintain a higher level of performance. This is my preferred method whenever I deload because I can give extra focus to my form and technique.
Reducing the volume
The second approach is reducing the volume. For this type, you are going to keep the weight the same but you are going to cut the sets in half. If you were doing an odd number of sets i.e. 5 sets of 10, round it up to the next whole number. I haven’t tried this approach in a very long time. It is something that I do when I’m closer to a competition to keep my performance as high as possible.
Change the form of exercise
The third approach is changing the form of exercise that you are doing. You can swap powerlifting with swimming, or mobility circuit workout or going on hikes. This approach is great for someone who is not competing in any sport or a recreational lifter that does not care about higher levels of performance at this stage.
Why Should You Deload
The concept behind deloading is that it can help your body recover fully and prevent injuries from overtraining. This gives your joints and tendons a break while allowing your body and mind to relax. The same way that your body needs exercise to maintain and improve health, it also needs consistent breaks. By scheduling a deload week in advance, you are preventing your body and mind from reaching the point of exhaustion and mental fatigue.
When Should You Deload
How frequently you deload depends on several factors such as your training style, the number of years you’ve been lifting, your age, your goals etc.
If you are a competitive athlete, an advanced lifter or a recreational lifter, it is recommended that you schedule a deload week every 6-8 weeks. It is not rare to see some lifters schedule it every 4 weeks. It really depends on the factors listed above and how well you know your body.
If you train in 12 week cycles or an intermediate lifter, it is recommended that you schedule a deload week every 12-16 weeks. From my experience, I wouldn’t go over 12 weeks of intensive training without having a week break. I believe that you might be running on fumes for the last 4 weeks.
It doesn’t matter if you are a bodybuilder, a strength athlete, Crossfitter or a recreational lifter, scheduling a deload week into your training is a must. Your overall health is the priority. Overtraining can happen to anyone, regardless of their fitness experience. Taking time to rest both your body and mind can help you avoid them.
What Do You Do After Your Deload Week
What you do after your deload week depends on what your goals are. If you have a coach that creates your programming for you, you will know where your training is going. If you do your own programming, you need to ask yourself some questions and truthfully answer them.
- What are your short- and long-term goals?
- Are you making progress in your current programme?
- Are you enjoying your current programme?
Depending on your answers to these questions, you may return to the weights and continue towards reaching your goals. Or you may tweak your programming and switch things up. One of the things that I have learnt over the years is to enjoy my training. If you are not enjoying it, change it up. A switch of an exercise here or there or the overall goals can make a difference in how the next cycle of training feels.
Final Thoughts
A deload week is an amazing tool to schedule within your regular training programme. If you feel that you are experiencing a lack of motivation, hitting plateaus, and prolonged pain or soreness. In addition to poor physical performance and lack of sleep or appetite, you may need a deload week. You can either take a week off of training and do another activity. Lighten the intensity or the volume to give your body and mind a break.
I hope that this post has prepared you with everything that you need to know about planning a deload week. I also hope that it has given you the confidence to efficiently continue building strength over time. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.
Until next time,
Folakemi
