All Things Deload Pt.3

At this point, you have read Part 1, so you understand the purpose of the deload and since that was so interesting, you read Part 2 (hyperlink) so you understand what considerations should be understood when it comes to planning the deload. The missing piece of implementation is where the rubber meets the road when we say that “training is as much art, as it is science.”  There will be people in the science camp who will say, “the intensity should drop X% and the volume by Y% and later in the week it should do A and B. The movements shouldn’t change blah blah blah.”  The art camp will counter with, “do what makes you feel good, man.”  Well, I am here to tell you that there is a happy medium to be found between Kim Jong-Un and Willie Nelson. 

There are a multitude of ways to plan the deload. Lifters should experiment with multiple strategies and find one that allows them to come back to training fresh and ready, not beat up and limping forward. That being said, your deload strategy should vary based on time of year (off-season vs. meet prep) and place within a training cycle (light vs. heavy loading).  

No one can, or should prioritize training above life year-round. This is not sustainable from a personal, or physical perspective. Regardless, deloads should be planned and not reactive. Usually, every 3 to 4 weeks is appropriate. In some cases, the deload can be pushed off further, but the question returns to, “is the juice worth the squeeze.”  Off-season the deload should cater to life outside of the weight room. Push hard for 2-3 weeks and then back off. It does not need to get more complicated than that. Here are some simple strategies to use when the weights are lighter (<80% of 1RM):

• Reduce the load and/ or intensity on the main movement only and keep pushing the accessories
• Perform 50-75% of the previous week’s loading for the same sets x reps
• Perform the same load as the previous week for less sets x reps
• Perform 50-75% of the previous week’s loading for less sets x reps
• Reduce the load and/ or intensity on all movements
• Perform 50-75% of the previous week’s loading for the same sets x reps
• Perform the same load as the previous week for less sets x reps
• Perform 50-75% of the previous week’s loading for less sets x reps
• Simply remove the main lift and continue to push the accessories 
• Remove the barbell 
• Sub in DB work or bodyweight work
• Sub in a corrective movement
• Cycle back to “Week 1” of the mini-cycle
• Wk 1/ Wk 2/ Wk 3/ Wk 1/ Wk 4/ Wk 5/ Wk 6/Wk 3…
• Vary the movement and perform “Form Singles.”
• If using a variation of the competition movement as the main movement, simply sub in the competition movement on deload week and practice “Form Singles.” 
• If using the competition movement as the main movement, simply change the bar, or vary the movement slightly (be sure to reduce intensity and volume as well)
• This strategy is great for accommodating past injuries, or reducing wear and tear to beat up areas if you choose an appropriate variation.

Regardless of the strategy you choose, stick to it for a few rotations and see how your body responds to it. Make sure that the choice you make corresponds to your needs. A deload to 50%, as advocated by Brian, may not be appropriate for some, But not for others. It can be argued that a decrease in fitness can be seen if the deload is too severe. Anecdotally this has been observed, but one must see the big picture before deciding on a strategy. The risk of a possible decrease in fitness would easily be overshadowed by injury history, experience level and life outside the weightroom. It should also be noted that the deload prescription in the 10/20/Life book is an example of a deload and not prescribed across the board to everyone.

During a meet prep, things get more intensive and the focus should shift towards the training while mitigating stressors in life (when possible). During meet prep, you should deload with the same frequency as the off-season – before you need to. Consideration should be made towards bridging into heavier percentages in the coming weeks while keeping in mind the specific needs of the lifter. During prep, you will likely be using percentages to guide your training and it is therefore much easier to adjust the volume and intensity in a predictable manner. As opposed to providing strategies to implement for deloads during meet prep, it is more appropriate to provide guidelines for effective deloads that you should aim to adhere to:

• Decrease the volume and intensity, but not too much. 
• This will be individual
• The intensity of the deload should flow with the intensity of the training 
• Do not introduce more than 1-2 variations to the competition lift
• Changing bars
• Box, or blocks
• Removing/ Adding equipment
• Altering stance
• Altering bar placement
• Accommodate for orthopaedic wear and tear
• Get away from low bar squatting
• Remove knee wraps
• Get out of the suit/ shirt
• Consider reducing ROM through some modality on the bench press
• Pull from blocks
• Any decrease in difficulty resultant from a variation to the movement should be compensated for in the loading
• If you make a lift easier, you should use more weight, but not too much
• Any increase in difficulty resultant from a variation to the movement should be compensated for in the loading
• If you make a lift harder, you should use less weight, but not too little
• Reduce time spent in the weight room and maximize time spent decaying fatigue and managing stress

Very simple guidelines to follow that accomplish the goals of a deload week. We allow for fatigue decay while maintaining fitness and allowing some nagging issues some time to rebound. If done right, the deload should set you up for even more productive training in the weeks to follow. If you do too little, you will feel sluggish and detrained and if you do too much, you will feel beat up and tired. You need to find what works best for you, or hire a coach who will work with you to find the appropriate combination.

Here is an example of an Off-Season Squat Cycle:

Here is an Example of a Meet Prep Cycle: