Deload Weeks Are Essential to Build Muscle Fast

A mistake many weight lifters make is that they never DELOAD.

In fact, most of us train for weeks and months at a high intensity and never deload.

What is a Deload?

A deload is a series of exercise sessions (1 week) where you drop the intensity and volume from your weight lifting sessions. In a sense a deload is actually an active rest period.
Factors of Intensity

When you’re in a deload week, you’ll want to lower the intensity of the session. This is what allows your body to recover, regenerate and prepare for the next several weeks of intense training.

Factors you should focus on to lessen Intensity include:

Sets
Reps
Load (weight lifted)
Duration of weightlifting session

Signs You Need to Deload

Increase in resting heart rate
tough time warming up

Aches and pains

Insomnia

Drop in sex drive
Lifts are not improving
gym burnout

Training over 3 months continuously without a deload week

Simple Points to Follow

1. Schedule a deload week every 12 weeks of continuous weight lifting.
2. Do not lift to failure stop 2-3 reps before hitting failure.
3. Cut down the overall volume and sets to your routine for example if your normal routine is 12-14 sets per weight lifting session during deload week scale that back to 6-7 total sets.
5. Make your deload sessions short in duration. Get in and get out of the gym.

Lifting weights has an effect on the body. It breaks it down and makes it weaker! That stress placed on the body creates an adaption of greater strength and more muscle (if the right intensity nutrition and rest are taken).

Now, if the proper “amount” of rest and recovery strategies (good nutrition, stretching, rest, etc.) isn’t utilized, then the lifter/athlete has not fully recovered to the level he or she was at prior to the previous training session. If this is repeated over and over, it could lead to injury and over-training and lack of results when it comes to strength and muscle gains.

But, if there’s an sufficient amount of rest and deloads are scheduled periodically, then the lifter fully recovers to a baseline GREATER than their previous level.

 Personally we do not practice the deload week instead every 4-6 months we take a full week off from the gym no training period!! We find that this works for us.  We noticed after taking a full week off all our aches and pains are gone and we come back stronger than ever. Not to mention the muscle pumps seen during and after the workout  for the first couple of weeks thereafter are much more noticeable. But it’s just all advice go with the option that works best for you.  

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