Cut on Deload Week

Nutrition
1

I’m currently doing Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1. I was wondering if I could bulk on the first three weeks and then cut on the fourth deload week every month? The idea is that since the body isn’t stressed that much during deload I won’t gain any significant muscle during this week anyway so I might as well cut of some fat.

I’m aware that a restricted calorie diet wouldn’t heal the body as fast as a bulking diet so I’m basically asking if this is possible or if it would ruin the purpose of the deload weeks?

2

If your overall goal is increased strength and size, then obviously its a good idea to be moderate on calories and carbs. It may be that the removal/reduction of para-workout nutrition deals with this. It may be that you need to adjust a couple of meals during the day.

I don’t think there’s much to be gained by cutting for a week, but certainly CT has written before about ‘control days’ and I see no reason why this couldn’t be applied to a de-load week.

3

[quote]Donni wrote:
I’m currently doing Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1. I was wondering if I could bulk on the first three weeks and then cut on the fourth deload week every month? The idea is that since the body isn’t stressed that much during deload I won’t gain any significant muscle during this week anyway so I might as well cut of some fat.

I’m aware that a restricted calorie diet wouldn’t heal the body as fast as a bulking diet so I’m basically asking if this is possible or if it would ruin the purpose of the deload weeks?[/quote]

yep, it would ruin its purpose, a DELOAD is a break from heavy lifting and when SUPERCOMPENSATION will ocur (you’ll get stronger, bigger), try to go on a 5/3/1 cycle without deloading and then with another with a deload, in wich do you think you’ll get stronger??

And unless you’re on DNP how much could you lose in 1 week?

4

[quote]tuchavito wrote:
yep, it would ruin its purpose, a DELOAD is a break from heavy lifting and when SUPERCOMPENSATION will ocur (you’ll get stronger, bigger)[/quote]

What he said…

5

Not that familiar with 5/3/1, but i’m pretty sure its a 3 x per week program?

Very unlikely you’re going to get any effects of Super Compensation from a regular program.

6

Personally, I INCREASE calorie intake during deloading weeks. I even INCREASE quantities in my peri-workout nutrition protocol.

If I want to gain mass as clean as possible, I do so via carb/calorie cycling and might even incorporate some sort of control day once a week. But still I’d add calories during deloading weeks for maximum supercompensation.