Do You Even Deload?

DELOAD WEEKS:

What they are, when you need one, and how to do it right

Before I worked in fitness, I had a lot of misconceptions about what "smart" training meant and what types of fitness regimens were actually "healthy."

I lived by the phrase #NoDaysOff and I hated having to miss workouts even for fun things. If I traveled, I took equipment with me when possible and prioritized hotel gym (or even parking lot!) workouts.

Turns out, that's not always necessary OR beneficial.

On my most recent trip, I wasn't worried at all about keeping up my training routine. I knew I'd have access to some equipment, just not as much or as heavy as usual, which is perfect for a deload week.


What's a deload week?

It's a week of intentionally reducing training volume or intensity.
Just as it's important to take rest days throughout the week, it's useful for those who are training intensely to take occasional deload weeks to allow the body to recover and repair.


How does it work?

Deloads can be structured in a few different ways. Most commonly, deload week workouts use either lighter weight (50-60% of normal training weight) or fewer sets/reps. This allows us to continue training the movement pattern, just pulling back a bit to prevent overtraining.

If you know you'll be traveling or away from the gym for a few days or a week or so, that's a great time to schedule a deload week since you might have less time and less access to equipment.


Should I do it?

It depends!

• If you're training intensely and frequently, a deload week will be beneficial (and if you're following a structured program, a good one will likely have that built in!)
  
  You might not always feel like you need to deload at that time, but that doesn't mean you should skip it! It's better to take the break before you start to feel run down, achy, weak, unmotivated, and exhausted. If you do get to that point, it's a neon sign telling you to pull back to prevent an overtraining injury.
  

• If your lifts are less intense or you're only lifting 1-2x per week max, you likely aren't creating enough stress on your system to need a deload week.
  

• If your workout routine consists primarily of group fitness classes and you're doing 1-2 challenging classes per day, 5-7 days a week (you know who you are!), you'll likely find yourself feeling tired, sore, and physically burned out at some point...if you don't, you're probably not pushing yourself as hard as you think.
  
  In that case, you could "deload" by spending one week every couple months taking just a few lower-intensity classes or walking. Sometimes that might happen naturally due to scheduling and life, but if you know you've been going without any recovery time for awhile, be intentional about giving your body time to repair.

Will a deload week stall my progress?

NOPE. You'll probably actually feel stronger and more energized afterwards because your mind and body will be fresh and ready to get back to it!