A deload week is a planned easier week. It lets your body recover and adapt to the training you have done. Many people skip them because they feel unproductive. That is a mistake.
Why deload
Training causes fatigue. Fitness improves when you recover from it. Weeks of hard training without enough recovery lead to tiredness, poor performance and a higher risk of injury. A deload lets fatigue fall so your fitness can show.
When
- Every three to five weeks of hard training.
- After a race.
- When warning signs appear.
How much to cut
- Reduce total volume — distance, sets, time — by around 30 to 50 percent.
- Keep some intensity: short, sharp efforts.
- Keep the same types of session, just less of them.
Warning signs you need one sooner
- Constant tiredness.
- Poor sleep.
- Performance dropping.
- Persistent soreness.
- Low motivation.
- Niggles that do not go away.
A sample deload week
- Strength: same exercises, fewer sets, lighter weights.
- Running: shorter easy runs, one short session with a few race-pace efforts.
- Stations: light technique work.
After the deload
You should feel fresher and ready to train hard again. Many people find they perform better in the week after a deload.
Related
Periodisation for hybrid racing shows where deloads fit in a longer plan.