Are there any benefits that deloading carries which simple off weeks do not?
You have to try them both and see. Total weeks off have their place, and if you have to take one it is not the end of the world. Works great on vacation. But back off weeks help you hold the groove and the light work actually helps recovery.
Mentally, I absolutely have to go in the gym and do something. So I detest “off weeks”, unless travel makes them absolutely necessary.
Deloading allows you to practice movement patterns which helps maintain strength. It also lets some blood to circulate and aids recovery. Off weeks have their place especially after a cycle of planned overreaching.
They’re essentially the same thing. It depends on several variables. I just read a T-Nation article with Eric Cressey, perhaps foreshadowing his newest deload book, about the different levels of trainees and how they typically respond to deloads, you should search for it.
I think the gist of it was that beginners don’t need to worry about it, intermediates should deload volume and advanced trainees should deload volume and intensity.
So, you need to qualify it with your own circumstances. If you have been training super hard, or are just coming off a meet, you should probably take an off week, deloading both volume and intensity.
Otherwise, I would just stick to deloading volume by 50 percent or so every four weeks. I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to actually “do nothing” though, drag a seld, go for a walk, ride a bike, tread water in the pool, play some pickup hoops or something.
A bit contrary to what Cressey was saying apparently, this is very interesting, about the progressive application of deload method for progressive severity of the stall.
[quote]LiftSmart wrote:
Are there any benefits that deloading carries which simple off weeks do not?[/quote]
I’m more prone to taking a week off than I am to deload, simply because I don’t normally “back off” on my training, especially during meet prep. I don’t take it light on ME days, so it comes to a point where I need to take a break and I’ll take a week off from training to heal and relax. Generally, I’ll come back stronger after the week off than I would if I deloaded.
[quote]dannyrat wrote:
A bit contrary to what Cressey was saying apparently, this is very interesting, about the progressive application of deload method for progressive severity of the stall.
StrongLifts 5×5 workout: Get Stronger by Lifting 3x/Week [/quote]
Good link.
It’s not really a deload, but this is the same principal you can use to cheat the whole “can’t add weight every workout” axiom. For example, you could use the bench and add weight every week until you miss your prescribed number of reps. Then, switch exercises and start all over.
I’ll do off weeks with some GPP maybe.
Going light in the gym doesn’t appeal to me.