Deload weeks: what they are and when to take one
If you train consistently, you'll eventually hit a stretch where everything feels heavy, joints ache and motivation dips. A deload, a planned lighter week, is the usual answer. It's also one of the most misunderstood parts of training.
What is a deload week?
An expert consensus of coaches and researchers defined deloading as a period of reduced training stress designed to reduce physical and psychological fatigue, promote recovery and prepare you for the next block of training (Bell et al., Sports Medicine - Open, 2023). It isn't a week off; you still train, just with less overall stress.
How do you do a deload?
The simplest method is to keep your usual exercises and reduce the number of sets by about a third to a half, while keeping the weight the same or slightly lower and stopping each set well short of failure. Another option is to keep sets the same and drop the weight by 10% to 20%. Either way, you should finish each session feeling better than when you started.
How often should I deload?
There's no fixed rule. Many programs schedule one every four to eight weeks. Others deload when the signs appear. Beginners training two or three times a week with moderate loads often don't need a formal deload for a while, because life naturally provides lighter weeks. The harder and more often you train, the more useful planned deloads become.
What are the signs I need a deload?
Weights that normally move well feel heavy for a week or more, joints and tendons ache, sleep worsens, you're unusually sore, small niggles are accumulating, and you're not looking forward to training. A deload is also sensible during periods of high life stress, poor sleep or illness.
Will I lose strength or muscle during a deload?
Not from a single lighter week. Strength and muscle are maintained with much less training than it takes to build them. Many people come back from a deload lifting better.
What does the research say?
It's limited and mixed. In one study, trained lifters who took a one-week break at the midpoint of a nine-week program gained the same muscle size, power and endurance as those who trained straight through, but made smaller gains in lower-body strength (Coleman et al., PeerJ, 2024). That study used a full week off rather than a lighter week, and ran for only nine weeks. It suggests deloads aren't essential for progress over a short block, and that complete rest may slightly blunt strength gains compared with continuing to train.
Is a deload the same as a week off?
No. A week off means no training. A deload keeps you practising the movements with reduced stress. Both have a place: a full break suits holidays or when you're run down, while a deload keeps your routine and technique ticking over.
Do runners and other athletes deload?
Yes, though it's often called a down week or recovery week. Runners commonly reduce weekly distance by 20% to 30% every third or fourth week. Team sport and combat sport athletes benefit from lighter weeks after competitions or hard training blocks.
Can a deload help a niggling injury?
Often. Tendons and joints that are grumbling from accumulated load frequently settle with a lighter week. If pain returns as soon as normal training resumes, the issue is the program or the tissue's capacity, and it's worth getting assessed.
What should I do with the extra time?
Sleep more, walk, and work on mobility or technique at light loads. It's also a good time to review your program and plan the next block. Resist the urge to fill the gap with extra high-intensity work.
How do I return after a deload?
Go back to your normal loads, or slightly below, in the first session and build from there. You don't need to make up for the lighter week.
What if I feel worse after a deload?
Feeling a bit flat in the first session back is common. If you're still tired, sore or unmotivated after a proper deload, look at sleep, nutrition, stress and overall training load, and see your GP if fatigue persists.
Do beginners need deload weeks?
Usually not in the first few months. Beginners use lighter loads, recover quickly and often miss the odd session anyway. Once you're training hard three or more times a week and progress has slowed, planned lighter weeks become more useful.
Should I deload when I'm sick or on holiday?
An illness or a holiday effectively is a deload. You don't need to schedule another one straight after; just ease back in over the first week.
How can an osteopath help?
If aches are building up and lighter weeks aren't solving it, we assess what's irritated, treat it, and help you adjust your training so the load matches what your body can currently handle.
See our training hub and our post on how to structure a training week. Book an assessment at our Berwick clinic. A 60-minute initial consultation is $149, with no referral needed and HICAPS on-site.
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Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
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