Even among professional athletes, nobody works out at 100% effort every single week. There are times to rest and recover, often for a week or more, and you and I can apply this principle to our routines, as well. Scaling back your strength training for a short period is called a deload. Here’s how to do one, and how to know when you need it.
What is a deload?
Generally speaking, a deload is a short period of time—maybe a week, but this can vary—in which you do less strength training than usual. That said, people use the word in a few different ways.
For some people, a deload is a complete break from training, like a vacation. You take the whole week off, and that’s all there is to it. For others, a deload is just a little bit lower in intensity than your usual work. You may be doing just as many sets and reps, but the weights aren’t as heavy. Another way to do this type of deload is to reduce volume, so that you do fewer reps and sets, but the weights may be just as heavy as usual.
Which type of deload to use will depend on the type of work you’ve been doing up to this point, the reason for the deload, and your (or your coach’s) training philosophy.
What are the benefits of a deload?
A deload allows your body more recovery than you get in your usual training. Every workout incurs a bit of fatigue, and if you’re training hard for weeks (or months) at a time, you might be so tired that you can no longer perform as well or do as much work. A little bit of fatigue is normal, but in extreme cases, your health may begin to suffer.
You don’t need to wait until everything falls apart to think about taking a deload. There are several ways strength athletes (and recreational lifters like you and me) plan ahead to include deloads in their training. Here are the main ones:
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To prepare for a competition. To do your best, you’ll need to reduce fatigue without getting rusty. Peaking usually involves a reduction in volume (fewer reps and sets) while keeping the weights heavy.
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To introduce new lifts or goals. You’re more likely to get sore if you’re doing something new and intense, so introducing new exercises or new types of training often makes sense during a week of lighter training (in this context, that’s sometimes called a “pivot week.”)
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To recover after a tough training block. Some programs will have a deload week built in; others times, you may choose to take an extra week after a program finishes and before you start the next one.
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As part of a long-term plan to manage fatigue. Even if your training wasn’t particularly tough, you may want to sprinkle in occasional deload weeks just to be sure you’re not getting unnecessarily fatigued.
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In response to perceived stress. Some programs don’t include planned deload weeks, and it’s up to the lifter to decide when they need a break.
When should I take a deload?
There are two schools of thought on deloads. One is to use them as-needed: you train hard for as long as you can, and then take a deload when you start to feel beat-up. The other is that deloads should be planned, so that you never find yourself in the position of wondering if it’s time to take a deload yet.
I wouldn’t say there’s a single right answer; both styles of training have succeeded for the right people. But I will say that it’s hard to know when is the right time to take a deload if you’re doing them as-needed. Some people will want to take a deload as soon as they start to struggle even the tiniest bit, even if their problem isn’t something a deload can fix. Meanwhile, a lot of dedicated athletes will keep training long after they should have taken a break. It may be smarter to plan ahead and take those deloads whenever the calendar says it’s time.
How do I know if I’m doing it right?
If you’re working with a coach, ask them about their big-picture plans for you. The deloads (or lack thereof) should be part of the puzzle, and have a reason for being programmed the way they are.
If you’re running a program that you’ve found on the Internet or in books, take a moment to think about how your program approaches deloads. Some may include deloads, and some may not. If you’re programming for yourself, you can take inspiration from other programs that are out there, but you should also use some common sense and ask yourself how you are feeling.
Deloads are a common tool for fatigue management, but they aren’t the only tool. Your program may adjust volume from week to week, for example, in a way that keeps you feeling fresh. If that’s the case, you may not need a deload at all. Even if you’re preparing for a competition, a deload is a very common way to reduce fatigue and ensure a good performance, but that doesn’t mean you always need to deload before a competition. (It’s common to “train through” a competition that is low priority, for example.)
A deload is really just a training tool, so make sure you’re matching your choices about deloads to what your body needs.