What is a Deload week?
A week where you reduce the volume of training, typically by half.
Why
It may seem redundant to do only half the amount you usually do in the gym, but it is important to periodically down-regulate the stress training places on the body. As well as helping with muscle recovery it will re-sensitize your muscles to future training. In the long term, you will see benefits from deloading.
Factoring a deload week into your training is good for progression. If your muscles, joints, and bodily systems are consistently operating at an intense level without a chance to recover injuries are likely to occur, so performance and results will decline.
How
One option for a deload week could be halving the volume of your training, so where you normally perform 4 sets with exercises for a session, you only do 2. This would be the format for the week’s training. Another option could be halving the number of sessions you train for a week as well as reducing the load that you are training with to 50-60% of your 1RM.
When
For people who have been training consistently for two or more years a deload week, every 4 to 6 weeks is encouraged. For those who are newer to the training game, a deload week can typically be scheduled every 8 to 12 weeks.