Deload Week?

[Spleen]

6'3, 20, 230lbs

Squat: 385 x 3 x 2
Bench: 215 x 3 x 2
Deadlift: 425 x 2 x 2
Press: 140 x 1 x 7
Strict Press: 135 x 5 x 5

Been training for a little under a year and a half. Eating 4000-5000 calories a day with at least 250g of protein. Sleeping well, resting 5-7 minutes between sets of 5, 7-10 minutes between heavy triples, doubles and singles.

I've been running this version of the Texas Method for about a month and a half now:

Monday
Deadlift 1x5, new 5RM
Bench 5x5 @ 90% 5RM
Squat 5x5 @ 85% 5RM

Wednesday
Strict Press 5x5
Chin-Up 3xFailure
Squat 5x2 @ 90% Monday's weight

Friday
Bench 5x1, new 5RM
Squat 5x1, new 5RM
Press 1x7 @ 2-5 lbs more than Wednesday's weight

Instead of a 5RM every week, I'm cycling between reps and sets as described in PPST (ex: 5x1, then 3x2 the next week, 2x2, 1x5, 1x3, etc.)

I understand that I may not be "doing the program," but this has been working quite well for me. Doing my upper body lifts first (with the exception of deadlift being first on volume day, which has also been helpful), has done wonders for my strength and size gains. However, that's not what I'm here to discuss.

I'm here because I believe I need a deload week. I've been extremely consistent for the past 4 months or so, nearly never missing a workout and making steady progress. It's gotten to the point where I feel burnt out both mentally and physically. I've had a pretty bad shoulder mobility imbalance for as long as I can remember, and it's recently been turning into a source of very sharp bursts of pain which started about a week and a half ago. I went to do my usual volume day today and my shoulder just gave out completely before I could complete my first bench set of 5 at 200lbs. I've also been feeling as though I live at the gym, and with the end of my sophomore year of college just 2 weeks away, I think a lighter week would do my mind and social life some good.

My plan is to keep my program and weights the same, but lower the volume. Strict press on Wednesday would be 2-3 sets of 5, with Friday's intensity day maybe being a heavy top single or something of that nature.

So, is a deload week right for me? And if it is, is this a good way of going about it?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd edition – The Aasgaard Company

[heinz83]

If your Friday press is 140 and your Wednesday strict press is 135 then you are overdoing your strict press. That should be 75% to 85% of the intensity day weight. If your Monday bench is 200 and your Friday intensity bench is 215, then again you're volume day is too heavy. You can reset your volume day, but I wouldn't reduce volume, I would lower the weights with a reset, or by reducing the weight jumps. (2.5 lb jumps on volume and 5 lb jumps on intensity is viable). Lots to read in PPST. Also, it is not the end of the world if you decide to deload volume and intensity, or if you decide you need a week off, then deload. You are 20 years old after all.

[Matt James]

Honestly, if you really need a break you could just take a week off and come back at the same loading as your last completed week. But that's probably not going to fix your shoulder. Do you have a diagnosis? If bench is irritating it, first thing to do would be to consider adjusting the loading downward on the volume day and maybe see if close grip bench gives you any relief.

As far as the press, I don't follow the logic behind your current programming. Singles on Friday at only 5lbs more than your 5x5 seems like a waste of time. Your proposed change makes even less sense. One heavy single won't drive adaptation, especially at this weight, and cutting sets from your volume day won't have an appreciable effect on your overall stress.

You might try pulling on Wednesday and chins on Friday. I have some thoughts about the upper body lifts but it really depends on what is going on with your shoulder and what you can tolerate.

[Cole Gorton]

You can take a week off, or you can shave a few sets off your program for the next few weeks, or you can decrease the load by 10% (reload). All of those I would do before just taking time off. But in the grand scheme of your training career, none of this matters