How to Use Deloads to Your Training Advantage
We’ve all heard the phrases “go hard or go home” and “no pain, no gain”. While these are true up to a certain point, it’s important to give your body time to rest in order to reach its very best.
That’s where deloads come into play.
A deload is a temporary break for the body and mind from hardcore training. Basically, it’s a chance to reduce the stress put on your muscles and allow time for recovery.
When going through a deload phase you should be moving the same amount of weight as you would on a normal week, but decrease the number of reps and sets completed.
New weightlifters should consider deloading every 8 to 10 weeks, while those who have been training for more than three years should do so every month to 6 weeks.
When is the Right Time to Deload?
There are a few factors that come into play as your body’s way of saying it needs time to recover.
If you notice you’re hitting regular plateaus, have a lack of motivation for your workouts, or are suffering from overuse injuries, then it’s probably time to deload.
You may need a full week if you’ve been training really hard, but for some, a couple of days is enough for the body to reset.
Why is Deloading Necessary?
We hear all the time that getting enough sleep and eating enough calories are the best ways to let your body recover.
While the body’s central nervous system will recover from a heavy workout within a few hours and the muscles a few days, tendons, ligaments, and bones can take much longer.
These tissues will experience microfractures and tears when regularly worked hard, which is exactly why a deload week is important. Deloading gives the body a chance to effectively catch up and release residual stress that has built up over weeks of intense workouts.
How to Effectively Deload
As said above, the main aim of deloading is to stress on the body’s joints, tendons, and ligaments while maintaining muscle and keeping the ability to handle weight well.
Workout volume is more likely to cause fatigue than workout intensity, which is why we suggest focusing more on performing fewer sets, rather than decreasing the weight lifted.
Aiming for a 30 to 50% reduction in volume is ideal for most as a general recommendation for a deload week. Also, reduce your weights to around 40 to 50% of your one-rep max if you feel you need to.
Reducing the number of sets you perform and taking 2 to 4 reps from each of these will significantly decrease fatigue.
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