THE ART OF DELOADING: HOW AND WHEN TO GIVE YOUR BODY A BREAK

INTRODUCTION

Imagine a world where training hard and pushing the limits of human performance had no consequences. It would be like a cheat code for strength, speed, and endurance. Essentially, you’d witness world records being broken every day. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality. Constantly pushing human performance without adequate recovery can have an exhaustive number of consequences such as burnout, injuries, and plateaus. 

This is where the application of a strategic break in your training can help to allow your body to adapt and recover effectively. This is known as a “deload” and we’re going to explore how to implement this into your annual training plan. 

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF “DELOADING”  BASED ON? 

Deloading is based on the “Fitness-Fatigue Model” first developed by A.V Hill and further applied by David Banister. He suggests that “preparedness” is determined by the summation of positive (fitness) and negative (fatigue) responses to a stimulus. During the process of training, you will develop both fitness and fatigue. A deload will cause fatigue to reduce whilst fitness improves concurrently. This concept is best described by these graphical representations: 

Before training, we can see that our fitness is lower but our performance will be high due to minimal effects of fatigue. 

After training, we can see that although our fitness has improved, fatigue has risen at the same time leading to reduced performance. 

Once we have recovered, we can see that our fitness remains, but our performance improves because our fatigue is lower. 

TYPES OF DELOADING

The process of Deloading can be divided into 2 categories: Reactive and Proactive. Let’s discuss how and why we would use them. 

Reactive Deloading: 

A reactive deload is based on how an athlete is presenting/feeling. In some situations, deloading every 4 weeks is not necessary. You might question why a deload is required if an athlete is feeling good. Using a reactive deload means that further adaptations can be made without underloading the athlete. Reactive deloading requires good communication between the athlete and coach, a lot of self-awareness and honesty from the athlete. Reactive deloading can be enhanced if you have monitoring systems in place such as Jump Monitoring and Wellness Screens to objectively identify and correlate with subjective fatigue. This approach might fall short because pinpointing exactly where a deload is necessary can be challenging and the signs may not always be so obvious. Some subjective signs of fatigue to look out and prompt you to check in could include: 

Signs of general fatigue: 

  • bags under the eyes

  • visible slowness

  • visibly poorer mood

  • increased warm-up time, 

Signs of physical fatigue: 

  • increased soreness

  • reduced lifting velocity 

  • chronic poor performance

  • weakness

  • sleepiness

Proactive Deloading

The proactive deloading approach involves scheduling a deload weeks in advance. This can be done by incorporating a “Technique Week” in Week 1 of a program. Having a deload Week 1 of a program instead of Week 4 means that the athlete won’t have to deload 2 weeks in a row. Athletes will naturally perform a deloading during this week as they familiarise themselves with the new program. Additionally, we can also deload by scheduling a week where a maximal effort is required the following week. This can be achieved by reducing volume by manipulating sets and reps and reducing intensity. 

EXAMPLES OF WHEN DELOADING IS NECESSARY

After Heavy Training and Competitive Periods

A full season of competition can leave you jacked up and feeling ‘battered’ and lethargic especially if you were a week in week out player. After the season, a good way to deload might be to have a “week off.” A week off might look like some “active recovery” and/or “light training.” 

Just before competitions

Most athletes will often deload in the week leading up to competition or fights to ensure they are feeling fresh and in peak condition. Deloading doesn’t mean just stopping training entirely in this situation; primer sessions can be used to fire up the neuromuscular system and to stop the athlete from feeling too sluggish during these weeks. Tapering, being a crucial part of effective competition preparation, should naturally include a deload period. 

Athletes in Long Term Rehabilitation

Deloading should be planned in long-term athlete rehabilitation programs to mitigate the risk of returning to heavy training too early. Additionally, recovering from long-term injuries can place a great toll on the athlete’s mental capacity. Deloading can be the outlet for them to have a reduced training load and feel like they aren’t being overwhelmed by the fact that they need to return back to their sport as quickly as possible. Depending on whether they are combat athletes or team sport athletes, we may consider when we implement these deloads to get them back to competition as ready as possible. 

Off-Season Periods

When training is more predictable, a planned deload is definitely a worthwhile option. Although the athlete might not be playing, hard training in the gym can be just as taxing on the body. Deloads can allow the athlete to ensure that adaptations can be made by minimising fatigue. 

Menstruation Cycles

Deloading during menstruation cycles should be determined case by case. Some women are heavily affected during the week of menstruation or the week leading up to to menstruation making them feel weak and lethargic during these weeks. In those cases, deloading is definitely justified. However, other women find that they are able to train just as well during menstruation and deloading may not be as appropriate in that instance. 

WHEN YOU DON’T NEED A DELOAD

The main example where a deload isn’t required would be for a beginner athlete in the gym. For those who are within the first 6 months to a year of gym-based training, it’s unlikely that a deload will be required. This is because the intensities used are relatively low compared to their maximal capacity, so over weeks and months, fatigue does not accumulate as it does for someone operating at higher intensities. Athletes who are inconsistent with their training also don’t qualify as adherence should be something that is addressed first. 

CONCLUSION

Overall, deloading is a valuable tool in any training program, but it's important to individualise it based on the athlete’s context and the resources you have available. Understanding when and how to implement deload weeks is essential for maximizing performance gains for your athletes while preventing excessive fatigue. Whether you take a reactive or proactive approach, deloading should be integrated strategically into a training plan to ensure long-term success in the pursuit of athletic high performance. 

Hao Nian