Reply With QuoteI take off a week about every couple of months. I'm still running linear progression but have found it helps. I usually deload by about 10%.
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Frequency of an Deloading week
Regardless of the program you are on do you take a deloading week?
Deload (or Unload) for me is nothing above 80% of normal work set weights for the week. I usually take one every 5-6 weeks but this time I pushed it out to 12 weeks and I'm feeling it.
5-3-1 has one built into it every 4th week. I'm asking more for TM or other programs.
Just wondering if anybody does something similar? How often you take one?
Do you have any indicators (prolonged soreness, sleep, more injury prone, etc.) to let you know you need to take one?
Also, what was your volume & intensity the week before deloading and what volume/intensity do you go back to after the deload?
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I take off a week about every couple of months. I'm still running linear progression but have found it helps. I usually deload by about 10%.
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I am on 531 so I take one every 4th week. Often I feel like I don't need it buy it really does help.
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Interesting. Do you do that because of soreness, sleep, illness, etc? I haven't really missed more than a workout in the last 4-5 months and my body is really feeling it lately.Originally Posted by mcclamic
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I do it because it just lets me recharge both mentally and physically. I try to do some active recovery stuff that won't cause additional stress, like walking or slow cycling on relatively flat ground. I also have a whirlpool tub that I use almost every day that week to help get the kinks out. So far so good since I started last May/June.
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I'll have to give that a shot mcclamic, thanks for the ideas.
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Are you doing 531 straight-up, 531-bbb, or something else?
Have you ever tried to skip the deload week?
+1
Especially the whirlpool after heavy legs.
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After running TM for about six months, I've programmed in a deload week where just squats and deadlifts get bumped to 90%. So far I've done this only twice, as I just started doing it. I was going to do it every four weeks, but I slipped an extra week in because I felt like I could. I don't deload the upper body lifts because they are so light hat they don't hit my system the same way the lower body lifts do. So far it's working great. The week after the deload I repeat what I did the week prior to it.
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I have a hard time with deload weeks. I understand the Physiology behind them but for me at least there is more. I'm sure Like other folks here lifting is my outlet. My way of working out the stress of work, kids, life in general. I always joke the weight room is my "happy place" even if I don't look happy. Deload wlrkouts just don't seem to get that same sort of stress release. I know it's a balance but sometimes I have poor balance.
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Would one consider longer time between workouts a variation to a reload? Sully noted in his log about a two workout a week TM program. Two volume/light/intensity cycles in a three week period. If one were to do that, would a deload phase also be needed. I am similar to agillie in the a workout is a refuge or a "happy place", but work and family make a three a week workout schedule difficult.
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