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zayd687

New member
Hi Guys
What would you consider as a light workout week?. Slowing the reps down?, 12 rep exercises just lifting enough not to failure and reducing your volume?.

just asking as my light weeks are still creating me doms due to always contracting and using TOT technique but not as much strain as a heavy week . i still feel very good compared to a heavy week where im full buggered.

your thoughts and opinions please !
 
There is no light or heavy as the weight is relative to ones strength level.
I think you may mean varying rep ranges.
 
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When you mean a light week, are you talking as part of a periodised plan over time or a deload week to reduce fatigue before heading into another block of training?

In the context of reducing fatigue (now im assuming you actually require a deload at this point), i gernally follow Mike Israetel's recommendations here.
In that we pull back the volume by around 50%, and the intensity back to 75% or so. This can be done by less sets or less reps, either either, and has been very effective both for myself and the few guys i help out online.

Tim.
 
A deload week on the 5/3/1 program is 40%, 50% & 60% of your 1RM for your three "work" sets. And thats just 5 reps each.

For example, with my 1RM, I would be squatting three sets at 80kg, 100kg & 120kg for 5 reps each.

During my training weeks I would be doing a final warm up set with 140kg - 160kg then after the work sets I would drop down to 140 and do 5x5. So, you can see that my deload weeks are MUCH lighter than a normal squat session.

You should walk out of the gym feeling like you have only warmed up.

Don't phuck with the deload. If it's in your program then do it and do it right. Recovery is very important for long term training. Don't be one of those guys that go balls out for 6 months then give it up due to injury and burnout.
 
A light workout for me is using the same weight and rep's as the previous workout as maintenance which I don't do often.
I prefer to take a week off, i workout every two days.

im taking a week off as I prefer to rest rather than do a maintenance.

i do not believe "de-loads" are a great idea for the lifting hobbyist.
 
If I'm fine to lift I lift. If I'm sore, too sick, tired ect. I have the day off. No planned Deloads. If you are feeling fine go for it.
 
Don't phuck with the deload. If it's in your program then do it and do it right. Recovery is very important for long term training. Don't be one of those guys that go balls out for 6 months then give it up due to injury and burnout.

I would have to agree with this.

Recovery is just as important as training.

You don't grow while lifting, you grow while resting, sleeping and recovering.

I am not too sure about a programmed deload, I did 5/3/1 for a while and found the deload week unnecessary a lot of times, but even the program allows for you to skip the deload if you feel up to it.

I will probably go back to 5/3/1 in the future as I enjoyed the program.

I would say deload when you need a deload, ie if you don't feel up a big workout then don't do one, but don't confuse being lazy with being exhausted.
 
I would have to agree with this.

Recovery is just as important as training.

You don't grow while lifting, you grow while resting, sleeping and recovering.

I am not too sure about a programmed deload, I did 5/3/1 for a while and found the deload week unnecessary a lot of times, but even the program allows for you to skip the deload if you feel up to it.

I will probably go back to 5/3/1 in the future as I enjoyed the program.

I would say deload when you need a deload, ie if you don't feel up a big workout then don't do one, but don't confuse being lazy with being exhausted.

I agree you don't grow while lifting but people lift say 4 hours a week out of 168 hours. The average joe gets plenty of rest through the week that planned reloads are unnecessary.

If you feel shitty take a day or so off but I'm not a believer in planned deloads for us average lifters.
 
my training is mostly based on 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps at 60-75% of max (1-2 minutes rest).

light week (deload) for me would 3 sets of 6 reps at 60% (2 min rest); a very easy workout.
 
I'd say everyone is different, try a few methods...
I need to do SOMETHING when I'm deloading. Whether it's just a couple of sets of compound movements done with a light weight for 20-50 reps or singles at 70% or so.
I find when I just take a week off I feel 'locked' up and the first session back is horrible.
 
i feel like that too, when you come back after a week off, its like your first day in the gym , its painful. I understand people tend to think when its de-load time, but i train to the point of really killing that muscle one week , add that with family commitments, work stress etc i feel it tax's your system regardless if you been out of the gym. A stressful couple days of work and that would take me a few days to recover on its own. So i like to train, heavy drop sets then to some finishing exercises about 4-5 exercises per muscle, 1 day on 1 off... the next week i want to go light as I burn out by week 6 in the program.
So somebody said it must feel like a warm up ok i'll take that on board on my light weeks. I think de-loading after you feel burnt out means your body is already in a state of breakdown and you would need a lot of time off to recuperate, always think its like a deep cut on your elbow, it may scab n you feel fine but you keep stretching it, it rips apart then heals a bit, then rips apart, its definitely no good.
 
I agree you don't grow while lifting but people lift say 4 hours a week out of 168 hours. The average joe gets plenty of rest through the week that planned reloads are unnecessary.

If you feel shitty take a day or so off but I'm not a believer in planned deloads for us average lifters.
4 hrs a week?
Closer to 9 for me.

Tim.
 
A deload week on the 5/3/1 program is 40%, 50% & 60% of your 1RM for your three "work" sets. And thats just 5 reps each.
.

I'm doing 531 at the moment so I do this. I program a deload after every 2 531 cycles (6weeks), it actually feels really good to do a deload workout and finish feeling fast and energised rather than fked !!!
 
I'm doing 531 at the moment so I do this. I program a deload after every 2 531 cycles (6weeks), it actually feels really good to do a deload workout and finish feeling fast and energised rather than fked !!!

Yes I think a deload every second or third cycle is probably best on 5/3/1.
 
Same. 4 hours would be nice wouldn't it.
Probably about the same when I'm not working, 7.5-9 hours....drops down to 5 or 6 when I am though. But Baz does have a valid point. A lot of people lifting 4 times a week for an hour or so, if you're in a non physical job, you should be getting plenty of recovery time
 
There's a difference between someone who is just "working out" and a person who is "training" to get stronger and/or bigger for competitions.

Someone who is just "working out" really doesn't hit the wall hard enough to need a regular deload. You can get away with one every 2 months or even more.

A deload is more for someone who is training for a competition and is more than 12 weeks out. I'm talking from the perspective of a powerlifter or strongman competitor. I assume that bodybuilders would be a similar but a little different in the weeks before a comp.
 
Probably about the same when I'm not working, 7.5-9 hours....drops down to 5 or 6 when I am though. But Baz does have a valid point. A lot of people lifting 4 times a week for an hour or so, if you're in a non physical job, you should be getting plenty of recovery time
If you're working a physically taxing job you should be more aware of your recovery needs.
 
Adequate Hydration and sleep are key factors.

whether one works hard digging holes or one works hard behind a desk is moot.
 
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