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Why I dont deload my lifters

P

PTC

Member
Lots of talk always on deload, as people know, I'm not a fan.

I'll explain my why, but remember much stronger and more famous people than me have lifters deload, but I'm not a sheep and I have my own theories.

We go to the gym to get stronger. As far as I'm concerned, your either getting stronger, or your not. There is no maintining.

Maintaining what? If your total is 550kg, and your competitors is 575kg, and he's training to get stronger, while your maintaining, and he is now on 600kg and your on 550kg still, you've maintained nothing, you've gone backwards.

So you train to get stronger.

Now I fully understand the principal of the plateau. Lets assume a lifter doesnt want to eat a bathtub of rice, but his squat has stagnated. Some believe that you back off by 30% and climb back up again. F u c k that.

Here's what I do, and recently did with Ryan.

Ryan has made some excellent gains. He has pulled 240kg, but his squat was stuck on 135kg, he just couldnt get 140kg.

Did we back off, f u c k no.

We stopped squatting and used trap bar deadlifts instead, for around 4 weeks. He was pulling well over 230kg for 5-10 reps.

Last night was his first squat session in 5 weeks.

He made 140kg, then smoked 150kg, got an easy 160kg before just missing 170kg at the top, fatigue.

Fat Daves squat was 190kg for around 8 weeks, no progress. Did we back off, f u c k no.

He started doing reverse band squatting for 3 weeks going up to 280kg.

He then missed 200kg twice, before smashing it last Friday.

When you plateau, dont get weak and shit, get stronger at another lift that has a high carryover to the lift thats stuck.

MP for BP, box squats for squats, SLDL for DL, simply change the movement and hit a new PB in it, then go back, adjust, and hit a new PB.

Now I dont doubt that someone smarter than me has already been doing this, because it appears like common sense to me. So I'm not claiming ownership like all the gurus do. The only thing I ever invented was the Internet, but I'll leave that for another thread.

One step back 2 steps forward doesnt sit well with me. I could never do a soft workout personally, so I dont ask my clients too either.

I'm not saying this will suit everyone, its just what I do with my guys.

I thought I owed some of you an explanation
 
Eh. I've 'reset' before - just dropped the weight by 10-20kg and worked back up and its worked, hasn't required me to buy anything like a trap bar either.

Each to their own, all I can say is squatting 10kg less and working back up won't see you melting like the wicked witch of the west.
 
I have never thought of deload weeks as a plateau buster - it is to give your body a break when you feel beat up. 'Active recovery' in a sense.
 
Good point fellas.

Oliver, I believe in the mind, that is where weakness lives, not in our muscles. Backing off is retreating, creates a different mind set. I dont like it.

Moons, I'm 100% with you on rest and recovery.

Rest and recover on your couch, get stronger in the gym.

I'll promise never to try and get stronger on my couch if lifters promise not to try and rest in my gym.

A lot of this comes from how I feel about the mind in training
 
I actually meant fully sick bruz. Lol not really, but PTC if I correct myself, your seeing 'amazing results' from what your doing so obviously it works.

And I don't understand the concept of people fluffing around in the gym. When your there your there to train. But I guess you could do box squats with the couch...
 
Does going down on weights but up on the reps / sets help and is that considered "deloading"?

I switched from low rep heavy squats to 20 rep squats and vice versa when I got stuck and that seemed to work.

I don't like the idea of deloading too much. The guys at my club go on a program that is essentially a massive deload in the first few weeks in the cycle. I looked at it and felt like I'd be wasting my time at the gym lifting light & easy, so I got on PPP instead. Maybe that kind of deload works for very advanced lifters but for newbies like me, I feel it'll be a waste of time.
 
Cant get stronger if you're injured or burnt out.

Max is not training at all now because his body is hurting and he went too hard without a break.
 
You're a deload.

Most people jump from one thing to another, deload is just another buzz word.

Everyones tolerance to pain differs, what we have to do is work as hard as you can on the day.
The two key factors for successful results from exercise is, individual potential and quality of coaching.
 
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I use deloads more so to stop the on-set of over-training/CNS a break leading up to a comp or leading up to a max-effort attempt after a training cycle..

Changing exercises up that have a carry-over to another exercise is a great idea - much like they do a westside...does not really have much to do with deloading at all - if an athlete needs a break they need a break as NPR said if you dont let up sometimes it will catch up to you and you will end up burnt out/over-trained or injured...thats a simple fact.

Changing exercises up and doing a variation of the exercise to break through a flat spot or work on weakness as I said is a great idea...but if you need a break, u need a break.
 
NPR said:
Cant get stronger if you're injured or burnt out.

Max is not training at all now because his body is hurting and he went too hard without a break.
Click to expand...


Another guy who doesnt know what he's talking about.

Max missed 2 sessions because he wanted to play indoor soccer, which he did last Wednesday.

So Max missed Wednesday and Friday, his training partners werent training Saturday.

He started again on Monday and trained last night as well, foregoing soccer.

So Max did WHAT I AM TELLING EVERYONE TO DO, WHEN YOU WANT A REST, HAVE A REST, DONT WALK INTO MY GYM FOR A REST.

Great example Nick, bet you didnt think you were supporting my argument when you wrote that.

I will reiterate for those with poor comprehension skills.

When you need a break, have a break.

If your going to train, f u c k i n g train.

That's as simple as the message can be. I dont want you having a rest in my gym.

Tiny dancer, high reps are a fantastic way to switch up training, I have used the 20 rep program quite often for lifters. We even did 10 x 10 for 4 weeks at PTC last month.

The lifters who lift at PTC exclusively, and actually do as I ask every session, rather than visit to lift, know exactly what I do.

Fat Dave has added around 60kg to his total since May, simply by listening. I know he's 15kg heavier, and your all welcome to try and replicate that effort.

Dave NEVER deloads, we simply switch things around
 
Max told me he was taking a few weeks break, because his back and shoulder were giving him greif. He didn't train saturday when I was there. But Alen and Mus did.

Fat dave has added 60kg to his total since May by adding 15kg of f u c king bodyweight! He was going backwards for months before that, you wrote about it yourself.

I think I've trained there for long enough to know what you do. It worked pretty well for me too.
 
I had a massive crash earlier in the year, symptons were very obvious. I didnt even have any nerves left to carry a conversation, no appetite, no motivation, depression ect
Full week off, not only lifting, but for the mind also. stopped worrying about macro nutrient ratios, ate what i wanted and enjoyed it

then back a week later continuing what i had been doing, no probs
 
Alen got there AFTER 1.00pm

Max only missed 2 sessions, has trained the last 2

Dave stagnated because of conflicting ideas in his head. No more bodybuilding, just strength, look at the results.

Dave really was struggling, thats why I said dont worry about diet. He simply wants to get strong.

Max is a child, dont listen to him, I'm the mature one
 
PTC said:
Alen got there AFTER 1.00pm

Max only missed 2 sessions, has trained the last 2

Dave stagnated because of conflicting ideas in his head. No more bodybuilding, just strength, look at the results.

Dave really was struggling, thats why I said dont worry about diet. He simply wants to get strong.

Max is a child, dont listen to him, I'm the mature one
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Oh sorry I thought you said his training partners didn't train saturday? I must have misread it.

You obviously said Max didn't train saturday because his training partners arrived later than usual, this upset Max's delicate disposition and his plans for the remainder of the afternoon. Leaving him with no choice but to tell nick fanciful stories about taking time off training and a variety of bodily ailments.

Little bugger!
 
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I'm the mature one
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Are you sure about that?

I get what you are saying, either rest or work, don't half ass in between. It would be interesting to compare the two strategies long term. But do you schedule in some rest time for your lifters? Or is it rest once you feel burnt out?
 
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