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Thread: Deloading After A Layoff

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2022
    Posts
    30

    Default Deloading After A Layoff

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    I just recently got back from a ski trip. My last workout was on January 3rd, and due to circumstances, my next workout can't happen until January 16th, which translates to a 13-day layoff. Also, since I was doing cardio in the form of skiing for 6 hours a day and not eating the 4000-5000 calories I usually would at home, my bodyweight dropped to about 231 as of this morning.

    Here are my PRs/stats from before I left on January 3rd:
    6'3, 19 y/o, 237 lbs
    Squat: 365 x 5 x 3
    Bench: 195 x 5 x 3
    Deadlift: 400 x 5
    Press: 135 x 5 x 3

    I've been running the program with pause squats on Wednesday with 80% of Monday's weight. Cleans are replaced with 3 sets to failure on banded chin-ups. Progressing the squat and deadlift with 5lb jumps, the bench and press with 2.5lb jumps.

    My plan is to take 10% off the bar on all lifts and to progress with higher jumps in weight each day. The bench and press will use 5lb jumps, and the squat and deadlift will use 10lb jumps. I'll continue the program this way until I get back around to my PR weights, and then I'll return to my normal increments. Is this a good idea given my situation? Or should I follow the "conservative, yet heavy single" method as stated in this article: Coming Back After a Layoff | Andy Baker

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Garage of GainzZz
    Posts
    3,297

    Default

    You’re 19 years old; taking two weeks off to go skiing is not like having the flu when you’re 45. 10% should be fine.

    You can clean AND chin.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    348

    Default

    Its always better in my opinion to start a little more conservative for the first couple workouts and you can always increase with larger jumps after that to get back to your last work sets. A 10% deload sounds about right for this case.

    After a two week layoff I find that it takes a week or so to get back to squatting / pressing / benching my previous weights. I have, however, set many deadlift PRs after a 2 week layoff, I think due to the lift not needing much practice, and the accumulated fatigue of a training cycle decreasing.

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