Deloads

 

A deload is a light week.

 

The reason for a deload is to lower fatigue in order to prevent plateaus.

 

Two or more of these following situations warrant a deload during the fourth week of your workout program: when your reps or resistance or weight that you’re using lessen, you don’t sleep enough, you are suffering from high levels of stress, and/or you experience elevated levels of aches and pain.

 

Continue with your workout program without a deload if none of the above situations apply or only one applies.

 

If you are a beginner, perform a deload when you go two workout sessions in a row without progressing. Perform a deload by doing the same sets and reps, but decrease the resistance or weight by ten percent.

 

If you are an intermediate or advanced, perform a deload by doing two sets of the lowest end of the rep range.

 

If you are an intermediate using compound movements, the deload is the same resistance or weight you did on week 1, but at the lowest end of the rep range and the number of sets is 2/3 so the deload week will be two sets if on regular weeks you were performing 3 sets or 4 sets on an exercise in a workout day and the deload week will be three sets if on regular weeks you were performing 5 sets or 6 sets on an exercise in a workout day.

 

If you are an intermediate using isolation movements, the deload is the same resistance or weight you did on week 1 through week 3, but at the lowest end of the rep range and the number of sets is 2/3 so the deload week will be two sets if on regular weeks you were performing 3 sets or 4 sets on an exercise in a workout day and the deload week will be three sets if on regular weeks you were performing 5 sets or 6 sets on an exercise in a workout day.

 

Determine if a deload is needed after every three week block is over. Suppose on regular weeks you performed 3 sets or 4 sets on an exercise in a workout day, during the deload, perform 2 sets. Suppose you performed 5 sets or 6 sets on an exercise in a workout day on regular weeks, during the deload, perform 3 sets.

 

Do a deload if you implemented three blocks (three cycles each three weeks long totaling nine weeks) without deloading despite the results of what qualifies for a deload.

 

Lengthen the rep range by a rep on either side if you work unsuccessfully to add reps using a narrow repetition range such as 3 reps to 5 reps, 4 reps to 6 reps, 5 reps to 7 reps, and 6 reps to 8 reps. Work with 2 reps to 6 reps, 3 reps to 7 reps, 4 reps to 8 reps, and 5 reps to 9 reps. If you lengthen the rep range by a rep on either side so that you’re performing a rep range of 2 reps to 6 reps, 3 reps to 7 reps, 4 reps to 8 reps, and 5 reps to 9 reps, deloads are required every two cycles (two blocks each three weeks long totaling six weeks) instead of three cycles. The 8 to 12 rep range is lengthened on either side by increments of two reps, becoming a 6 to 14 rep range. The deloads for a rep range of 6 reps to 14 reps are required every two cycles (two blocks each three weeks long totaling six weeks) instead of three cycles.

 

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