planned de-load for a split routine 5x5 bench press

[The Sun]

what are your thoughts about taking a planned de-load for bench presses or squats every 5-6 weeks?
I still progress, but I'm thinking 1 step back and 3 steps forward is better than going hard ALL the time and having to deal with a major set back as a bad inflammation or worse, an injury.

I'm doing a split routine of 4 days based on the texas method, just with more accessory lifts.

[LJ5.0]

My $0.02: drop some accessory lifts. Deload when needed, which may be 5-6 weeks, or more, or less.

Might be helpful to post more details in terms of lifts/sets/reps etc.

[Sean Herbison]

I still progress, but I'm thinking 1 step back and 3 steps forward is better than going hard ALL the time and having to deal with a major set back as a bad inflammation or worse, an injury.

Like LJ said, deload when you need to. It's not generally something that's planned ahead of time.

You seem to be under the assumption that lifting hard is asking for an injury, or that a deload week will somehow prevent one. Neither of those are particularly good assumptions. If you really want to avoid injury, don't train hard at all. If you do, accept that you'll eventually get one, deloads or not, and you'll deal with it when the time comes.

[Les Hahn]

Like LJ said, deload when you need to. It's not generally something that's planned ahead of time.

You seem to be under the assumption that lifting hard is asking for an injury, or that a deload week will somehow prevent one. Neither of those are particularly good assumptions. If you really want to avoid injury, don't train hard at all. If you do, accept that you'll eventually get one, deloads or not, and you'll deal with it when the time comes.

He probably doesn't need a full deload (50%) all that often, but taking a lighter day (10% less or so) isn't a bad idea. I actually ran a program where I took a lighter week every 3 weeks. This helps prevent the fatigue from building up. Recently I ran the same thing but didn't take the light day. After 6 weeks or so I was getting really banged up. I had to take an even lighter day, which was closer to a real deload, to get back on track.

So if you want to program deload days, don't make them an actual deload. Just do something that is a little lighter on your intensity day. So say you are working up to a 400 squat normally, you could take 360 on the light day.

[Sean Herbison]

He probably doesn't need a full deload (50%) all that often, but taking a lighter day (10% less or so) isn't a bad idea. I actually ran a program where I took a lighter week every 3 weeks. This helps prevent the fatigue from building up.

Good phrasing. I don't mean to say you should go 100% effort 100% of the time. Just that you don't need to reset your progress on a planned schedule, as that will just slow you down. If you're using "deload" to mean a lighter week or workout, that's a perfectly valid method, which I've used myself with good results.

[dotyl9h]

Only 200 more pages to go. ...God what an ordeal. The funny/clever guys (they think) are right up there with the constantly yammering hudo/kerate/buhjayjay guys for the annoyance award

[Sean Herbison]

That's probably the most confusing necro-post I've seen yet.

[dotyl9h]

Just using the threads that aren't closed to update on my Odyssey of reading the Q&A Forum from Back to Front. For what it's worth I find most of your posts to be pretty informing

[dotyl9h]

I just find the people that feel compelled to constantly post about their martial prowess to be particularly vexing. How do you tell who the martial artist is at a large party? Just wait a few seconds they'll tell you.

[Sean Herbison]

Ah. Got it.