Deloading Guidelines

Deloads are a tool you can use to improve performance by enhancing recovery. It is one of the fastest way to get stronger for the dedicated athlete who needs it.

A deload is a period of time, usually between a training session and a full training week, when you intentionally reduce the amount of work either by volume or intensity or both in order to enhance recovery and become fully adapted towards your next training block(s).

Here are a few deloading guidelines:

1. You have to earn your deloads. If you miss a training session once every few weeks or you miss a training week once every few month when going on a vacation - you don’t need a deload, you need a wake-up call. Deloads are for consistent athletes.

2. Deload the variable most dominant in the program. If it is a high intensity phase - reduce the intensity. If the athlete is a volume freak - reduce the volume.

3. A deload once every 7 weeks works best for most athletes. Every 4 weeks is the maximum, every 12 weeks is the minimum.

4. If the training split calls for different frequencies for certain muscle groups/movements - simply deload every 7th session of the same kind instead.

5. The training sessions must remain short. Don’t add back other exercises to compensate for lack of intensiveness in deload week. You deload mental/psychological aspects as well. Get in and out of the gym quick.

6. If performance dropped after a deload - you deloaded prematurely or for too long.

7. If performance increased - keep deloading the same way. Don’t change it because it worked.

Look at the deload period as a necessary tool which enables you to keep training hard without sacrificing injuries or hitting plateaus too soon. - “You deload so you don’t have to deload”.