Hey guys quick question for you. Do you deload when you can no longer beat your rep PR or when you can no longer lift the weight for the minimum rep number. Thanks I will listen off the the air.
I deload when I feel wore down over the course of a weeks worth of sessions. Sometimes that’s every 4th week. Sometimes that’s 3-4 cycles. There are so many factors (outside of the gym) that affect energy, strength, etc… that I think deload has to be auto-regulated.
Deloads are programmed in so you won’t need to do them - and auto regulation works for select lifters. It’s clear if you’ve been training for more than 2 weeks that leaving a lifter to make his own decisions is not optimal for most. We are not good at making decisions.
Auto regulation works best when it is pre-programmed in training. 6 weeks of training and then deload is a good place to start - as explained in the Beyond book.
Just to add it depends on your personal recovery, how often you train, and how hard you train. You should be training hard (otherwise what’s the point?). I find 6 weeks and then deload is about perfect if training 4 days per week. I deload less frequently when only training 3 days per week.
One last thing. I started making much better gains when I switched to 5/3/1 and started deload BEFORE it was needed. In the past I never had deloaded. Just like starting too light, progressing slowly, and setting PRs I think deloading before it is absolutely necessary is a big reason 5/3/1 works so well for so many people.
So on my all out set. 5+,3+.1+ I can hit those but in order to hit a PR I might need to hit 8 reps. However I might only actually hit 4 or 5. Should I take a step backwards, maybe drop my TM 10% then build back up or should I continue increasing weight until I can’t hit the minimum?
So you’re actually asking when to reset your TMs?
Couldn’t agree more. The deload was hard for me to swallow, at first, because I felt like I was slacking and wasting valuable Training time. Over time I came to appreciate it very much though and learned that not only does it not hurt me, it actually helps. Personally, I deload every fourth week still. I tried the six week cycle and it was a bit much for me.
[quote]Saeufer wrote:
Couldn’t agree more. The deload was hard for me to swallow, at first, because I felt like I was slacking and wasting valuable Training time. Over time I came to appreciate it very much though and learned that not only does it not hurt me, it actually helps. Personally, I deload every fourth week still. I tried the six week cycle and it was a bit much for me.
[/quote]
I hear you. It is hard to make yourself deload at first, but once you see the progress you wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along.
[quote]Nebtiger wrote:
So on my all out set. 5+,3+.1+ I can hit those but in order to hit a PR I might need to hit 8 reps. However I might only actually hit 4 or 5. Should I take a step backwards, maybe drop my TM 10% then build back up or should I continue increasing weight until I can’t hit the minimum?[/quote]
I wouldn’t reset until I was only exceeding the 5+, 3+, 1+ by only 1 or 2.
If you are still hitting 4 or 5 on that last week (1+)? Then no, I’d stick with it for another cycle and see how it goes. Sometimes, it’s just a stress thing causing it. My 2c.
OP- If you haven’t done so, get the Beyond 5/3/1 ebook. It goes over several deload templates that can be used to fit a variety of situations. For example, for my squat and deadlift deload days, I used the template that allowed me to work up to a heavy single, but still not wreck my CNS and my body. For my military and bench presses, I used the template that allowed me to still get in some moderate reps, but not get close to failure or fatigue. And this deload was after 6 weeks of rep PRs and Jokers, too–I really felt I needed the deload, but also felt that the one outlined in the original program was not enough work.
So, get the book, deload as prescribed, and use the deload template that you feel appropriate.
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
I deload when I feel wore down over the course of a weeks worth of sessions. Sometimes that’s every 4th week. Sometimes that’s 3-4 cycles. There are so many factors (outside of the gym) that affect energy, strength, etc… that I think deload has to be auto-regulated. [/quote]
This. I don’t believe in programming deloads.
Yeah I deload every 4th week for me it is really more about when to reset my max’s. I don’t think I worded my initial question correctly.