Training Tip of the Week

Importance of the Deload

As an athlete , you love to train day in and day out without very little rest at all. Over time , this does put a lot of stress on our body and can result in negative gains in the future.

What is a Deload?

Reducing the volume or intensity and allow your body to recover.

When to Deload?

After a pretty heavy ( volume or intensity) training block (few weeks to months depending on experience), you may start to feel fatigued, muscles are sore and lack of motivation. Your body is telling you that you need some rest. Not saying that you have to stop training completely.

How to Deload ?

It truely depends on what variable has been the main focus during that training block (volume/intensity ) . Generally if you have a high volume block ( a lot of sets and reps), you would reduce the volume by 40-60 %. So instead of completing the 4 sets of 5 , you would complete 2 of 5 sets. However, you would still use the same weight, that you normally use. On the other hand, If you just completed a high intensity program , the intensity ( % of max load that was being used) would generally drop 30-50 % while completing the same number of sets.

Benefits