How often do you "de-load", or take time away from training?

[Goosey]

That sounds like a pretty good way to go about it tbh

Thanks tuna fish.

its working well for me, I look forward to the hard workouts doing the maintenance also give me time to maintain my form of exercise

 

[D1cko]

I need to think more like this, Being more consistent and stop trying to go flat out every session and get injured often.

 

[Jungnaut]

Yeah me too. It just doesn't feel right to walk out of the gym with plenty of gas left in the tank lol.

 

[Puggy]

Probably 'rest' a little too often. However, my lifestyle combined with my fragile nature leads me to tire and feel like shit very quickly, therefore rest is the only way to fix it.
Hopefully, I'll be able to put in a few consistent months of training now school has finished.

 

[Jungnaut]

Umm...probably not as often as I should haha.

Although I have clients do deload workouts, I physically struggle to go to the gym and just go through the motions with light weights. For active recovery, I do other beneficial but less boring stuff.

I very much think this idea of never deloading is a bit strange though. How do you know if you are improving if you are constantly in a fatigued state? http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/2013/09/27/fatigue-explained/

Wow reading that juggernaut article was so much win my head is about to explode! Mike Israelite is a very smart dude.

So as far as optimum deload is concerned "Intensity can actually stay up in the usual range during this week, as it’s not a huge contributor to fatigue if volume is kept in check, and also helps conserve the gains made in earlier training. However, in order to heal completely (especially from microtears), intensity must be brought down at some point as well, and dropping it by 50% for the last half of the deload week may be a good start."

Does this mean I can deload by training the same the first half of the week and then dropping the weight by half for the rest of the week but resist the urge to increase volume?

 

[Karak]

unintentionally, about 4-6months ill take ~2weeks off or heavily reduced. I travel for work and sometimes just cant be fkkkd.

If not, ill end up having a holiday in that time frame anyway.

 

[python]

I like to train by feel and use a bit of common sense, if I'm having a bit of a flat day where my strength feels down I can either have a shit workout trying to push weight that I shouldn't be that day or still get an awesome session in by lightening things up a little and either upping the reps or sets, shortening rest periods, super sets, change up the exercises or a combo of all etc, these workouts can be fun and quite taxing in there own right cos you still go hard and usually come my next workout I'll be pumped to smash out some good weights again.
Call it what you want, de-loading, maintenance, recovery, whatever, the main thing is you get your ass in the gym and get the job done whether it's heavy or lighter load, to me this is progress in itself, you can't and shouldn't always push to your limit but you can and should still push hard.



As far as time off, I do like to have a full week off every 10-12 weeks, I spend this week eating well and not doing much excercise apart from a good dog walk which I do every day anyway, maybe hit the bag for a few rounds, a few push up and pull ups, that sort of thing. I always have 2-3 weeks rest over Xmas and New Years so I can enjoy the festive season and have a few drinks even which I don't really do through the rest of the year. I do still do 2-3 quick full body compound work outs per week as well as walking the dog to stop the joints going rusty, once it's all over I'm straight back into pushing hard.

 

[taurus]

I used to have the attitude that a 'deload week' meant you were a fucken soft cock & couldnt keep up.

With all the coaches Ive had over the years, especially in rugby (including current Wallaby coach, Michael Cheika) and to a smaller degree in Judo, this was the norm. If your leg wasnt hanging off or if you could walk, you could train, just like everyone else.

its ok when youre in the 20s and early 30's, but after a couple of back surgeries, I now know that a week off every now & then doesnt mean youre soft, its actually a smart thing to do..

 

[ink81]

1 Week deload every 12 week program cycle just before competition. Must do.

 

[El Testicle]

I believe the whole concept of de-loading is fallacious, untrue even.

I believe in the concept of follatio.

 

[Bazza20]

I believe the whole concept of de-loading is fallacious, untrue even.

I agree for us non professional athletes with jobs, other hobbies, families what ever else. We are de loading every day as it is.

 

[jzpowahz]

I agree for us non professional athletes with jobs, other hobbies, families what ever else. We are de loading every day as it is.

Depends on the situation. I don't have any kids but work a fair bit and I can still easily get in enough training to require a deload.

My proposed deadlift every second day a few months ago was enough even.