Deloading - What it is and why you should do it.
Today we're featuring a post from Girls Gone Strong written by Molly Galbraith: "Deconstructing the De-Load".
In it she breaks down what a deload is and the importance of cycling them into your training. When you are training hard its important that your recovery (nutrition, sleep, mobilizing) is also aggressive and sometimes your body just needs time to fully recover. These deload periods are integral in building long-term health and strength gains, reducing injury and shouldn't be skipped.
Galbraith says:
"If you’re not sure whether to de-load or not, below are common indicators that it’s probably time for a de-load:
- Experiencing more muscle soreness than normal.
- Taking longer than normal for the soreness to subside.
- Experiencing a lack of motivation to lift/train.
- Major change in appetite (usually a decrease).
- Decrease in leanness despite not changing nutrition program/exercise regimen.
- Decrease in overall strength/performance in the gym or in other workouts for several workouts in a row.
- Bouts of mild depression, fatigue, and or malaise.
Keep in mind that the list above is not exhaustive. And unless you know your body really well, it’s probably best to plan a de-load every 5-8 weeks and not to wait until you are completely destroyed to give yourself a break."
Check out her post for more information on what types of deloads are commonly seen. Our programming incorporates deloading and if you pay attention, you will see that some weeks or days are light and/or short compared to what you expect. A good training program will integrate periods of deloading and active rest days. But if you are still finding you suffer from problems from the list above, consider taking a more aggressive deload and take a few days out of the gym to allow yourself full recovery and assess your nutrition and mental and physical stress. Deloading is not weakness, its part of the pathway to strength.