Deloads: What the Evidence Shows

Overview

A deload is a short period of reduced training stress. Lifters use it to shed fatigue and come back ready to push. This lecture covers the first supervised trial of a deload in trained lifters, an international expert consensus, and a large survey of how competitive strength and physique athletes actually deload.

Does a scheduled week off add growth?

Thirty-nine trained men and women ran a 9-week high-volume program.^[1] One group stopped training completely for 1 week at the midpoint, a hypothesized "re-sensitizing" break. The other group trained straight through.

• Muscle and endurance: lower-body growth, local endurance and power did not differ between groups.
• Strength: the group that trained through made greater gains in both isometric and dynamic lower-body strength.

A planned week off did not boost hypertrophy and cost a little strength.

What expert coaches agree on

A three-round Delphi study of expert strength and physique coaches built consensus on how deloading fits into a program.^[2] Thirty-four coaches started and 21 completed the final round. Their consensus definition: "a period of reduced training stress designed to mitigate physiological and psychological fatigue, promote recovery, and enhance preparedness for subsequent training."