Deloading can be an important recovery tool for your weight-training goals, and it is often built into your customized workout programs. But what is a deload? Simply put, a deload is a period of recovery during (intra) any weight-training program that usually lasts for one week. The word “deload” doesn’t mean a complete break from the gym. In fact, it’s designed to help you maintain your routine while giving your muscles a chance to heal. Let’s take a closer look at deloading and why it’s so important:
As stated above, deloading is a brief period aimed to boost recovery during your training phase to help you continue to apply progressive overload. Depending on your experience level and the amount of weight you lift relative to your maximums, when you deload might vary a bit. Your first deload may start around the fifth or sixth week of a 12 week strength training program. However, as your training and experience progress, you may need to deload more frequently as you will be using heavier percentages of your maximum while training.
There are a few ways to deload, but the most common method is to reduce your weight by roughly 70-75% keeping same rep count but reducing the total amount of working sets for one week before continuing onto more challenging weights the following week.
If you’re following a pre-designed training program, your deloading period will be scheduled for you. If you’re designing your own workout program, these indicators might be telling you it’s time for a deload:
If you’re dedicated to reaching your workout goals, it’s understandable to want to hit the gym as hard as you can. Taking it easy can feel like you’re wasting your time. But overtraining can easily lead to long-term injuries or overtraining syndrome (OTS), which can cause chronic pain, exhaustion, and lowered immunity.
Fortunately, recovery is also when a muscle grows. Weight-training exercises cause muscular micro-tears, which need time to heal. When the micro-tears heal, your muscles grow. Without giving your body enough time to repair itself in this way, you may actually be slowing down your progress, not to mention risking all the health problems listed above.
Saying goodbye to training for a full week is not always the best answer. Going back to training after several days of recovery may affect your mental focus or even motivation. Unless there’s a serious injury involved, deloading is the ideal solution. It helps maintain the habit and routine of working out while providing a long list of holistic benefits.
Absolutely. Taking it easy for a week may seem like you’re cheating yourself, but in reality, your body needs this time to recuperate. It’s also common to hit PB’s the week after a deload, weights that felt like you were grinding them out all of a sudden can feel smooth connected because you took the time to back off the load but maintained the movement patterns.
Deloading is important for anyone who is serious about progressing. Scheduling a deload week (or following a pre-designed workout program) is an important way to see continued progression.
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