What is a de-load?
A de-load is a structured, purposeful or planned decrease in a component of training. That could be any of the below (and more):
Since nice round numbers are a bit easy to work with, we are going to say that our example program is:
Completed 3 times per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) with 2 minute rest periods
Exercise 1 – 3sets of 5 reps @100kg
Exercise 2 – 3 sets of 5 reps @50kg
Exercise 3 – 3 sets of 5 reps @20kg
- Reduced frequency: Having a period of time where the number of sessions per week is reduced. In this scenario the individual might do the same exercises, with the same weights, but only on Monday and Friday, dropping the Wednesday session.
- Reduced load: Reducing the amount of weight used for a given exercise. This could be used while maintaining the regular sets and reps, or in conjunction with decreased sets and reps. In this scenario the individual might drop to 70% load, thereby doing:
- Exercise 1 3×5 @70kg
- Exercise 2 3×5 @35kg
- Exercise 3, 3×5 @14kg
- Reduced sets/reps: Reducing the number of sets and or reps of an exercise, particularly the ones the individual finds most taxing. This could be used while maintaining the regular weight, or while also decreasing the weight lifted. In this scenario the individual might do:
- Exercise 1 3×3 @100kg, or 1×5 @100kg
- Exercise 2 3×3 @50kg, or 1×5 @50kg
- Exercise 3 3×3 @20kg, or 1×5 @20kg
- Reduced intensity: This can take multiple forms, one option would be instead of performing supersets or circuits to do exercises on their own with just rest in between, it could also mean increased rest periods between circuits. For cardiovascular based workouts it could be reduced speed. This could mean that instead of having 2 minutes recovery between sets, the individual has 3-5 minutes recovery between sets.
- Reduced exercises: This could be done on its own which would overall reduce the duration of the session, or it could be combined with changing from supersets/circuits to doing exercises on their own. In this scenario the individual would drop an exercise from each session, with the recommendation to make it a different exercise per session so that balance in programming remains.
A couple of examples have been given on combining different de-load above, but some, or all of the strategies could be used at the same time. Depending on the reason for the de-load could depend on which option you choose.
What are the benefits or purposes of doing a de-load?
The main benefit or purpose of doing a de-load is to allow for increased recovery capacity. That doesn’t always mean that a de-load should be the first, or only strategy that gets employed when someone isn’t recovering appropriately from their current training. Other factors that need to be looked at and addressed are things including (but not limited to): sleep patterns, nutrition, fluid intake, drug/alcohol use, stress levels, injuries, etc.
If someones lifestyle isn’t conducive to the training response they are trying to elicit, then a de-load will help in the short term, but it won’t address underlying concerns in the long term.
A de-load doesn’t always occur because someone is unable to recover from the current training stimulus that they are experiencing. Athletes will have regular de-loads in their training, especially around peak competition schedules to prevent poor performance and/or injury.
When should I do a de-load, and what option is right for me?
Different people will need to do de-loads at different intervals or for different reasons. Someone who is training for general health and well-being, and doesn’t compete in structured sporting competition or have any significant injury history can potentially push a bit further before needing a de-load. Someone like this could use the following indicators as reason to have a de-load:
- Sleep quality reducing
- Appetite changes
- Strength plateaus
- Increasing aches/pains/niggles
- Enthusiasm for training
A person falling into that category could employ any of the de-load techniques that they find most mentally beneficial, or even potentially look at a review of 
their training to change focus or structure (more on that on another day).
If someone is an athlete that competes on a weekly or very regular basis, e.g. Football, Soccer, Rugby, Basketball, Netball, etc… then building regular de-loads in could be beneficial for injury prevention and/or preventing poor performance. For these types of people there could be planned peak and light weeks, or planned low load sessions within a single week. There could also be weeks where there are reduced sessions completed, especially if there is a game on Sunday one week, then Friday the next and therefore reduced recovery between competition events.
Infrequent athletes, e.g. Powerlifters, Weightlifters, Sprinters, Cyclists, Tennis players, etc… where their competitions might have a short compressed tournament, or a single event once every 3 or 6 months. Athletes like this will usually have planned high volume/high intensity phases of training followed by de-load phases, often where the weight will remain high but the frequency, reps/sets or exercises get reduced. The thought process behind this is that maintaining a high load will allow for an athlete to maintain peak force production which is often closely linked to performance, while reducing the total volume the athlete experiences making it easier to recover from.
Each option for a de-load has it’s own benefits, and as mentioned above, can be used concurrently with multiple de-load options. The key of which to utilise comes down to why you are looking to have a de-load.
Within a session our EPs might notice something that helps them decide that a de-load for that particular session is worth trying. This could be:
- Increase in pain when performing an exercise
- Decrease in movement quality when performing an exercise
- Increase display of fatigue – whether that’s you telling us, or us noticing something physical that indicates fatigue
Why de-load rather than just having a rest?
In some instances a full rest may be beneficial/recommended, this would likely be applied in scenarios where exercise itself is deemed to be detrimental either to a part of the body, or the body as a whole. Some circumstances where rest would be the case are where the body is in a compromised state due to illness, psychological states that prevent a healthy relationship with exercise, recent physical trauma that prevents safe exercise, and more.
In many other situations the benefit of continuing to exercise – even at a reduced capacity – can be beneficial
If you think a de-load is something you need to have in your training, book in a session to discuss what options would be best suited to you.
Written by:
Shawn Connor
Exercise Physiologist, Strength & Conditioning coach
