Tuesday 10/09/12

that hard.The attitude of “If I don’t end up leaving a sweat angel on the floor, it’s a pointless workout” really makes my left eye twitch. Most individuals who follow random workouts abhor the fact that there might be an easy week because they think it will negatively affect their training. It’s not just the masses either, I talked to someone who is going to Regionals (you know who you are) and they expressed the same disdain for deloading.A deload is NOT simply a rest day or an “active rest” workout, it is a planned in your programming that is designed to allow muscles to recover from stresses put on them from previous weeks. I like the supercompensation model when I write programming. When deloading, there are many factors which must be considered and ultimately decreased for the sake of proper recovery, including: sets, reps, weights, and rest periods between sets.

By regularly implementing deload weeks into your 4, 8, 12, or 16 week program, you can continuously hit the weights hard 2-3 days in a row with a rest day in between. The deload week also allows your CNS and brain to recollect itself after hard weeks of training, assuring that you will be able to jump back into the program with renewed vigor.

It is important to remember that while a deload is of the upmost importance, don’t let the deload period extend for too long or you WILL begin to experience negative adaptations to your training. A week of proper SMR/lacrosse ball work, adequate rest and food intake, as well as analysis of form and technique will ensure that you are able to stick with a program for the long run, rather than bowing out early due to burnout or injuries.