Deloading 101

I post a lot of small stuff on Instagram, but ultimately I care more about consolidating that info onto my blog where I can easily reference it for you all far into the future! So, I’ve started to pair my instagram posts with blog posts so you can share and save more easily. Here are a few useful topics I’ve covered lately on Fit with Julia IG.

If you haven’t already, check out my first social media roundup post where I discuss the benefits of unilateral training and share a simple fall recipe.

What is deloading anyways?

Deloading is a term for programming intentionally light weeks of exercise periodically - either in strength or in endurance sport. If you aren’t super familiar with workout programming, I recommend asking a coach you trust if deloading would benefit you. If necessary, they can help you to implement it in your program.

That said, it’s a bit of a buzzword lately so having a better idea of what it means is helpful regardless of whether you plan to program for yourself or not.

The basics - how and why

There are many approaches to deloading (as there are many approaches to all aspects of workout programming), but here are the basics

• Deloading typically involves decreasing your overall workload for 5-7 days every 4, 6, 8, 10, or more weeks.

• The frequency will depend on your needs as an athlete as well as the intensity of your program (more intense —> more frequent deload weeks).

• These weeks should be looked at as PART of your program, not a break from your program. They’rea intended to promote recovery, so it’s important to stay consistent with your other healthy habits and recovery tactics. Don’t count a week long vacation where you’re going out drinking, sleeping less, and eating less nutrient dense food as your “deload week".

We can decrease the volume or workload in a number of ways

1. Maintain the same intensity or load (the amount of weight we lift for a given move), but decrease the number of reps performed per workout

2. Reduce the load (weight used) and maintain the same number of reps.

3. Decrease both volume and intensity.

Example: barbell squats

Let’s take squats for example. If you (or a client) is performing 4 squats for 5 sets at 200 lb, a deload week for squats might look like one of the following

Maintaining intensity/decreasing repetitions

Perform 2 squats per set for 5 sets at 200 lb

Maintaining repetitions /decreasing intensity (weight lifted)

Perform 4 squats at 110 lb (about 50% of this persons estimated one rep maximum). You can use this calculator to estimate your own, or schedule a session to test your max lifts.

Decreasing both volume and intensity

Perform 2 squats at 110 lb - ideal if you or your client are feeling particularly fatigued or if a more moderate approach was not sufficient.

In summary

The strategy you choose should be the one that feels the most enjoyable as recovering from mental fatigue is just as important as recovering from physical fatigue. If fatigue is extreme or a week deload does not result in feeling recovered and rejuvenated, consider a more complete training break.

On the other hand, if your overall training volume is relatively light or inconsistent, you may not need to think much about deload weeks. The strength training world mentions deloading so much that you’d think we all need one ASAP. In reality it’s an advanced strategy for athletes that train consistently at a pretty high intensity month after month.