Mixed
Deloading (periodic reduction in training demand) is a common practice in strength and physique sports, primarily used for fatigue management and recovery, typically involving a 5-7 day duration every 4-6 weeks.
If you've been training hard for 4-6 weeks and feel fatigued or stalled, schedule a 5-7 day 'deload.' Reduce your total sets by 25-50% and/or train with less intensity (e.g., stop 4-5 reps before failure). This is not 'rest' in the passive sense, but a strategic reduction to manage fatigue and prepare for the next training block.
Deloading refers to a purposeful reduction in training demand with the intention of enhancing preparedness for successive training cycles. ... Deloading was typically prescribed for a duration of 5 to 7 days and programmed every 4 to 6 weeks, although periodicity was highly variable.
Why this rating
Qualitative study of coach perceptions, not a controlled experimental trial measuring physiological outcomes.
Source
“You can't shoot another bullet until you've reloaded the gun”: Coaches' perceptions, practices and experiences of deloading in strength and physique sports
Lee Bell et al. · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · 2022
DOI 10.3389/fspor.2022.1073223
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