A deload is something that many of you might not know even exists.

Deloads are a crucial part of you progressing over time and will help you avoid exhaustion and reduce your risk of injury.

Below i'm going to explain a few things in a little more detail.....

How often should I deload?

Now, if you are brand new to training there is a good chance you won't need to take one for at least a year. This is because you are so new and have so much potential to progress that you won't be hitting your peak for a while.

If you have been training for 1-3 years then I would recommend taking one every 8-12 weeks.

If you have been training 5+ years there is a chance you may need one every 4-6 weeks depending on the intensity of your training.

Although I have given you these timeframes, the overarching answer to all of these would be to deload when you feel like training is taking a hit.

What to do on a deload?

There are a few ways you can deload with your training.

The first being bringing down the intensity of the workouts. For example if your top set of squats were 100kg for 5 reps on your previous week, then you would reduce the weight by up to 50% or reduce your reps by the same amount.

Another way would be to take a full week off training, I wouldn't always recommend doing this though apart from if you are going on holiday and have no access to the gym.

Most of the time a deload will last for 1 week but if you feel like you need longer then definitely take longer. 

There is no one size fits all

It's important to remember that there is no right way to deload. Find the best way for you and go with that.

Summary

If you are serious about getting stronger or growing muscle then deloading is going to be a crucial part of the process.

You can lift all the weight you want, but if you don't provide yourself with adequate rest or recovery when your body needs it you will regress with your training.

Or at the very worst you will cause serious injury.

And that's something we all don't want when it comes to progressing in our training.

If you would like to read a little more in depth about dealods then click on the link!

If you feel like you need further help with your coaching then book a call with us!

We are here to BREAK THE CYCLE!

Hope you have a great day,

Ben Mannion
Head Coach
RikFit Dynamic Coaching
07727919966