I was just about to finish my 2nd cycle of the 531. All I had left for the week with sets of 5-3-1 were OH press and deads. Unfortunately, I got the flu and couldnt do anything for a week. Should I consider that week off a deload week and just move on to cycle 3 or should I finish the press and dead workouts, move on to the deload week and then start cycle 3?
Either pick up where you left off or repeat 2nd cycle. Not only did you miss a week of workouts, but you were suffering from illness and probably increases stress and lack of sleep to go along with it. If this last week felt like a deload, then you should have never missed training.
This just happened to me as well. What I find works best for me personally is using the first day back in the gym after a week off as a light day to get my CNS and body accustomed to lifting. As you probably have felt as well, I felt sluggish and tired so 1 exercise for each bodypart (3 sets of 12) seemed fitting for the state I was in. Its not too strenuous but heck, at least you’re back in the gym right? After a week of illness, limited sleep, and limited eating, I found that it was next to impossible to start off where i left off. So I used a day to or two to build up to where i left off.