@@aleksandrkorvin Realistically you don't need to work out your abs. Yes you can improve how deep the cuts are but truthfully, if you don't have abs, you're too fat.
@@fifis101 the additional benefits to core strength make it worth it. It’s probably not worth aesthetically, but it’s certainly worthwhile functionally!
i unintentionally deloaded last week because I wasn’t feeling well so I took a week off and I expected the first workout back to be awful but it was the strongest lift Ive ever had for the body parts I was working
I unintentionally deloaded last week too. I usually worked out in the night. But our country is struggling, there's an energy crisis going, extended electricity cuts in the nights. 😂 Deload baby!
@user0178 thank you. But, well, still experiencing a power cut. Have to wait for another 5 hrs. 😑 Everything will be well "if" Russia starts ww3. Everyone dies, our country's problems are solved. Edit: forgot to say about the inflation too. And imports from smartphones to laptops to vehicles are banned. But I am a simple person, I don't care. I have less wants.
Problem with this is some people can really slow down their rep tempo and increase ROM (if they aren’t doing full ROM already). Although the weights may be lower, the level of fatigue may be unintentionally high, and that is counter to the point of a deload.
One cannot underestimate the importance of a deload week. Was plateaued at 315 squat for almost a month, never could get past it. Decided to deload for a week just fixing my form at 225. Squatting more volume and generally increasing my depth and mobility. Went into the gym on my leg day fully recovered and fueled up and hit a 350 Squat like nothing.
I had the same as a beginner with my bench. Got to 70kg in about two months, then I was stuck at 70kg for over a month, took a deload week, could finally push 75kg for as many reps as I could do 70 before.
@@pablo4451 I pray you are getting the calories and rest needed. No Protein/Calories to fuel ya means it does not matter how much you lift. You ain't gonna gain.
I've been weightlifting for 5 years now and been doing deloads for 1 year and a half and it works wonders. This is such a sustainable way of training. Once I hit my max, I end up on a plateau after a while at it, with a nervous system fatigue seeping through, so I deload, focus back on my mind-muscle connexion and technique, reload slowly and usually hit another PR. I've also noticed that I have a better muscle definition since training this way and that I am less likely to get injured.
@@luciusnguyen2449 from 1 to 3 weeks. But i increase the weight back progressively and slowly so thats why it can take more than a week. My deloads are mostly active, but i usually take 2 to 3 weeks off weightlifting every year also and it counts as a deload phase.
@@sarah-anneperry6932 Ok, I used to think that deload should last 1 week (hence, deload week) but I recently takes 2 weeks deload because 1 simply is not enough to recover 😂
@@sarah-anneperry6932 do you have an exmaple. Like say your normal bench press is 100 lbs. So 1 week you stop lifting. Then work your way back up from 75 lbs to 100?
“Work smarter, not harder” is so true, as I think most people focus almost entirely on the latter. I’ve found an active deload week can be extremely helpful to include periodically as needed, as it helps to come back stronger & better able to break thru any sticking points. 💪
@@muscularclassrepresentativ5663 Totally agree, & in those cases a deload certainly isn’t appropriate as most people don’t work hard enough to need or benefit from it. For those of us who do though, it’s a very helpful tool to use periodically as appropriate. 💪
A month back I hit Deadlift PR of 100 kgs that I struggled with and then the gyms closed...so I just did pushups and basic stuff with very low intensity so it was basically a deload...I hit a 115 KG PR today and it was much easier than the 100 I pulled after training for a couple of weeks. update... Soooooo, i think...yes the pr and all is good but after going through all the comments and watching the video a couple times more, i think it really was just me getting that beginner progress and not cuz of the deload...nvm we'll get that deload in a few years n pull something cool
Was training with a non optimal split - Jeff makes the best push, pull, legs split. Wants to maingain -Jeff makes the main gaining video Contemplates deloading- Jeff makes the video confirming I need to Deload. I never comment but just wanted to say perfect videos at perfect times. Could not be more thankful for this channel
Thanks for mentioning that deload is not just for the body but for the mind too. Mental health is an underrated component of the lifting journey. Heavy sets require immense mental strength. There are times when my head just isn't there due to mental stress from life, and that's when I also put in deload days.
Yeah Dr. Mike has mentioned about if you really find yourself feeling tired and finding excuses to not train, there's a decent change you're overtrained and should try a small de-load to see if it helps.
I like how you feel out your subscribers b4 recording a video. Asking survey questions weeks prior about deloads in order to gather information about what the community needs is the methodology influencers should use… thanks Jeff
I've noticed this myself! Whenever I take like a week or two weeks off because I'm abroad on holiday or whatever, I expect the first workout to be terrible, but it's almost always even BETTER than the workouts I get after periods of months without any longer rest periods. I feel rested and motivated again and the difference is massive for me
Try different: Days - Off, light, med, and heavy Weeks - med and heavy, with occasional light, off on somewhat rare occasion Months med and heavy Never the same droned regimen
The timing is perfect, I had a 2 week "Deload" period accidentally and although I'm not lifting it has worked wonders on my performance. I'm going to start implementing them on my training
Pro arm wrestler Devon Larratt trains in blocks of say 10 weeks building up to a plateau and then backing off and resting before building up to a new plateau. He says this is the best way he's found for training his body and it's not surprising. As you increase stress and demand on the body it will eventually become depleted and need to recharge like a battery.
I accidentally deloaded last year when I went on vacation ate a lot of food for a week and probably worked out once that week. Next week, I broke through a plateau I was struggling with. That’s when I also realized I wasn’t eating enough as well lmao.
Always love your videos Jeff, from the time it must have took to research, to the clean edits, and story flow. I always end up learning something new. Grade A+ content!
Jeff, this is the best advice I've heard in all the years I trained since I'm 60 years old and, I'm not a bodybuilder. However, I lifted weight since I was 16, just like you said: I've not used a full Deload, rather I came down with weight or done less sets, depending on how my body responded? I had to recently have my thyroid removed due to cancer, I still weight trained and, sometimes I switch up how many times I trained each body part per week. Im all natural and, I'm having a hard enough time absorbing my basic vitamins, minerals because there is still a problem. However, I recomp my body, still have a 28" waist, went up in my muscle gain by 9 pounds over the last year, I'm 6 foot tall, weigh 207 and I do some deload almost each week, again I base it on how my muscles respond, this is great information! Thank You Jeff! 👍😎👊💪♥️ I only do minor Deload weekly only because my muscles responds much better without losing muscles.
I love this message! Especially for more advanced trainees. Rest is highly underrated! However, as a trainer I find a majority of people fall into the technical beginner or "lazy liftet" category and don't really need one, so I'm glad you made that point!
For years, I've never did deloads. It also turns out that, during those same years, my training was not nearly as intense as I thought it was. It wasn't until I started a formalized strength training program that I learned the need for deloads. I will turn 52 this year and I do a deload every 6 weeks regardless of how I feel. If you are a competitor, you certainly have to be mindful of how you schedule them but, for most of us who are non-competitive lifters, deloads are rarely a bad idea. There is certainly a time where increased stress (stimulus) is the right prescription but using it as a blanket remedy is bad programming.
@@batman-sr2px if you mean before I started using deloads, I used primarily dumbbells and kettlebells, with a variety of different splits. When I started doing strength training (and deloads) it is primarily barbell movements like: Mon: OHP 5x5 DL 3x3 Tues: Bench 5x5 Squat 3x3 Thur: OHP 3x3 DL 2x5 Fri: Bench 3x3 Squat 5x5 During the actual deload, I used to go in and do one or two sets of 50% of last week's three rep working-weights. Now I just stay out of the gym for 5 to 7 days.
Following a plan designed by this SEAL and I just hit deload this week. It’s torturing me to take a week super light, focusing on rest, water, cardio but it’s pretty helpful since i ended up having a lot of responsibilities to catch up on
It's crazy how I've been learning this past two days about deloads and how to put them on my programming (have never done it, or at least not on purpose), and you do this video. Thank you!
I really needed this video right now! The past few weeks I've been getting migraine treatment which have actually made my migraines worse. I've tried to train like I usually would, but the migraines really mess with not only my head, but my back and just make me feel totally rubbish. I've cut back on my training intensity and going easier but still doing all of my sessions, and I feel so much better this way. I think today's session actually got rid of my migraine!
Ugh i feel like i hit a plateu and was thinking about taking a few days off. I normally don't. I don't feel physically tired but im starting to think my body does need some days off. This video was uploaded just in time. Thanks Jeff. 😊
If you want to succeed in any sport, be it fighting, bodybuilding or something else, you will definitely have to watch what you eat. Not just train hard or deload as Jeff says. Training is important but there are no real gains without proper diet. I realized that after I started following my first meal plan. I found it on site Next Level Diet iirc. At the beginning it was hard to eat 3300 kcal in a day, but I got used to it. I started noticing real gains and it felt amazing. I wish I'd understood the importance of diet earlier.
I appreciate all that you do Jeff! You really give us natty's something to strive for, and your knowledge in science/biomechanics is greatly appreciated! Thanks again, from Winnipeg 🇨🇦
For those who are not that strict with their program and dont know when to apply deload week I have a little cheat for you. Example: Week 1.: I managed to get 3x3 315 squat with ease, felt light on derack, with RPE around 8 Week 2.: I managed to get 3x5 315 squat, new PR, still felt very light on derack, RPE feels even better around 7 Week 3.: Time to move on to 330 as I managed to do 5 easy reps last week. This week I still managed to get 3x3 330 squat, again a new PR, RPE around 8-9, BUT the derack was much harder and I was never sure if I can do at least 1 rep. even that I managed to do 3 in every set. Now I know that my muscles are capable of performing as I have planned, but my mind and nervous system is tired, not focusing much on technique - time to have a deload next week and focus more on technique, breathing, etc.. And no, the derack is not harder because I added weight, because after deload week it feels much much better. With years of experience I instantly know when I need to take a deload week, based on squat derack and how it feels. It is actually doable even with deadlift and benchpress. Maybe this helps someone, it works for me.
I've been following you for over 3 years. In that time I have competed in a powerlifting meet, gotten my ISSA cert, put in roughly 20-25 pounds of lean mass, and I also relapsed in my recovery for 4 months and didn't train at all. But over that time, I have learned so much from you, and I use info like this all the time when building my programs. Thank you so much Jeff
Saw this in another comment, but this guy's video's are pretty much complete bachelor papers summarised in a very attractive and accessible way. Hats off to you.
I love calling the deload a "technique week". I feel like during my training block i start with the lighter weight and really strict form, but as i push for the bigger numbers it definitely slacks off a bit. So having that "technique week" to refocus on perfect form right before i start the next block at a higher starting weight works really well for my form and safety!
I’ve always been a “work harder to get through plateaus” guy. Fatigue was really demotivating. This will be good to remember when the gym feels like getting beat up!
Sometimes deloads do more for your mentality. Because you stop going to the gym u actually realize how much u miss and appreciate it and u find the motivation to get back on a more structured plan and progression
I just started a 3-week deload phase to address my form and fatigue. This was a partially reactive approach due to noticing my form declining as my PRs have started to increase. I think it's important to constantly be judging your fatigue and form because I notice a lot of guys in the gym whose form completely goes out the window under higher loads. Deloading specifically to address form is a great idea as well.
If you watch Jeffs video, he did not say that the point of deloading is to specifically address form. The benefit of focusing on form is the bonus, with the main purpose being to manage accumulative fatigue.
I just came off of a 10 day deload. Didn't do anything just focused on rest and recovery to let my mind and body recover. My workout feels great now. Deloading is a must.
Dude I jus wanna take my time and say what an absolute beast you're at what you do. Perfectly combining the practical and technical side of bodybuilding and explaining it really really well to your audience like damn bro idk what to say man my minds blown. You inspired me to read and learn more about bodybuilding than I'd have if I didn't find your channel.
I needed this video right now. I've been second guessing whether I "need" a deload, but the timing just makes sense in my program. Thank you for getting rid of my guilt lol.
Dude, you are my education for fitness and weight training. Thank you so much for putting out this information you’re helping more people than you know!
Progressive overload can give me anxiety. Either weight is getting heavier and I start to sacrifice form and mind muscle connection or sets/reps(volume in general) getting real high. Also sometimes going gym feels like a chore (even though i like working out). Mental reset and slowing down a little bit helps in long term. Before using deloads I was like "Why I can't lift more weight" --> Pushing limits --> Fatigue accumulating--> Can't even lift last week's weights --> Why I can't lift more weight... Again and again.
I'm the same way man. You keep grinding until that progress slows, then it stresses you out, causing you to fatigue more and perform worse. It's like a negative feedback loop.
Although mind muscle connection is important I feel like ppl over exaggerate it’s importance. As u progressive overload ofc ur mind muscle connection won’t be the same I mean the weight is heavier. As long as ur form and movement pattern is still good then u should be fine. I totally understand u though. Especially with compounds I feel like I need to get one more rep then I did last week and if I don’t it rlly kills me.
I also feel the same way. Although I may not be intermediate, I felt that progressive overload + all the other life activities made me want/need deloads. And it is actually good for mental clarity and long term addherence. Ever since I started working out, I didn't stayed any more than 2 or 3 weeks without training. Almost 3 years now.
I think of my deload as a way to get blood into the muscle and around connective tissues in order to heal the damage or overuse. I focus on technique, my pauses and then push through and give the lift everything I got. Treat 225 as 350 on squat, 175 as 275 on bench, etc. I try and get in the mindset and focus on the lift, notice where my form is lacking, think about cues and just get the blood into the muscle. It's a refresher to not be battering my muscles and change my mindset.
This is really helpful, I’ve known deload weeks are a good idea and felt at times that maybe I could do with one but just haven’t known exactly how to implement it/what it means in practice
Absolutely true! Every deload I’ve integrated into my training gave my CNS the rest it needs to work optimally especially for strength training. I’ve got a taper week next week before my meet and more likely than not meet day will set even bigger PR’s :)
I plateaued for so long as a later beginner. Used I learned how to use deloads properly, none of my lifts have ever been stagnate. Thank you again, Jeff!
This is exactly what I did after folkstyle season was over. When I got to state my body was so injured and fatigued my performance drastically went down (I also had a concussion two weeks prior and it got reactivated in my match). I took the next two weeks to focus on healing my injuries, perfecting form, mobility, stretching and lightening my cardio. I still am in show choir and lift on my own so it isn’t like I took everything away but took some volume down. Now I prep for Grecco!!!
Great video Jeff. I usually take a full week off for my deloads and just stretch and foam roll. It's a week to enjoy some books or spend more time with friends for me. Makes me excited to go back to the gym as well when the week is over 💪
I've always been worried about laying off the gas for a week because I need consistency to keep my momentum and it's my momentum that keeps me motivated. After seeing this I have a healthier idea of deloading and will give it a go soon.
Hi Jeff, love your work. I am an older lifter (40) and have noticed most tweaks and sprains even with good form. I would love to see a video looking at how age plays a role in progress and also recover. Are these programs universal to 25 year olds vs someone in their 50s and 60s?
Most these programs are for 18 till 30 years olds or people on roids. Here on youtube theres many nice videos about our age range 40 till 60s expecially if youre natural.
@@edwardelric9347 No bro maingain your way to a muscular physique as a natty and don't forget that your genetics are shit and not as good as mine or ChRis BuMstEad
@@edwardelric9347 lmao XD. Tbh he's not that bad in the entertainment part but in terms of knowledge he's kinda sketchy with the maingain( he literally changes the concept everytime he talks about it) and turkesterone
good advice and something to remember. I'm doing Jeff's High Frequency Full Body Program and liking the gains i'm making. this was timely because I have programmed deload week for next week!
5:00 I can imagine a basic hybrid of both methods makes the most sense. Stick to proactive, but when you reach a deload week but still feel great, extend it by one more week. Same vice-versa: if you already start feeling a bit worse/plateau a while before your next deload, take it early. No point in being either 100% strict or 100% spontaneous
Love this video and learned so much. In the past, I’ve accidentally taken deload weeks (due to other life factors interfering with lifting), only to return the next week feeling even stronger but not understanding why. Gonna start scheduling deloads immediately!!
Hey Jeff! I often get a full 8 hours of sleep, but I have tended to sleeping from 4am to 12pm. In the same vein as deloading and recovery, feel like it would be interesting to have a video dedicated to sleep’s impact on progress. So it’d be nice to know if the amount of sleep is all that matters or if sleep timing affects gains, and by how much if so.
He actually goes into this in one of his earlier videos, can’t remember which one though. The answer is yes, though, sleep is incredibly important and does affect gains
It is well known that sleeping in the early hours like 11-6 or 12-7 is much more effective than 8 hours later in the night. But many of us still struggle to achieve that... but still 4-12 is better than 4 -9. Just try your best to sleep early!
It is of course more important to sleep 7-8 hours at least for getting enough rest for your body. If you need more you can take a nap or just add a little bit longer in. When you sleep isn’t as important as long as your sleep isn’t impacted by noisy roommates or busy traffic outside disturbing your sleep.
By order of importance: - Amount of hours (at least 8) - Consistency (sleeping at the same hours) - Sleeping early I'm not an expert but as far as I know, your body adapts to the time you usually sleep. You don't have to force yourself to sleep early. It's like food, you are hungry when your body expects to eat. Like always, consistency is key
I looked up this video because I believe I need a deload but wasn’t sure what to do on deload. I’ve been accumulating more injuries lately so I think it’s time. I think it’s better to do it ahead of time like you said, I just kept procrastinating it. Thanks Jeff!
Wow...great stuff! Thanks! I just started trying something along these lines, that I would appreciate your thoughts on... I am 62 yrs old and trying to adapt to aging, etc. Currently I have been experimenting with cycling my splits (ie. push/pull). For 2 weeks I will work each body part twice per week (4 days total). Then, for the next 2 weeks I will only train 3 days (week 1 - Monday/Friday push; Wednesday pull. Week 2 - Monday/Friday pull; Wednesday push). It seems to be working well.
This is so true, I experienced this after solid consistent training then going to a festival where I walked maybe 50 miles over 4 days. Ate really clean the whole time and got plenty of rest, came back to my pull up max improved by 2 and the total amount I could do in one workout went up as well.
After a couple of months of plateauing, I had to take a "covid time off" for two weeks in Jan. Then when I resumed my workouts I found I actually got a little stronger
One thing I learned at 28 years old after bodybuilding since 15 years old, is the benefit of recovery. It’ll come with experience, but glad to see people speaking scientifically about it.
I found this at the perfect time. Trying out deloads but i found that i wanted to keep going to failure so i added a shit ton of volume to really try and get close to maxed out before my deload. Today is first "technique" day
About 4 months ago just before the holiday my bench plateaued on 135Kgs, after taking almost a month off of the gym due to a vacation going to the US, coming back from there to my country just brought me up to 160KGs in Benching Pressing after just a month taking off from the break. I'm 17 currently.
The timing in this was almost perfect, started my first attempt at a Deload week on Monday it’s Thursday .. will have to make a few adjustments next time
Great video, but in my opinion, general public may never need a deload week. They already have too much things to do in life and tend to skip some workouts due to the circumstances, what is completely fine. And if we look at the general intensity of most people's workout, it will never demand some deload work. What they actually need is to lift heavier, smarter and more frequently. This video is really damn good! I'm just saying that this topic dialogue with only a really, really small percentage of "lifters". And in my life, I saw commonly people who don't need a deload week doing it just because it's on schedule or because they think they need it. Anyway, great video Jeff, as always! You're always helping the gym community, since the major public until the nerd and gym addicted lifter. Keep crushing it!!🚀💪🚀
One thing I've noticed is that if I take a full week off I will get sore from the following workouts. However, I can prevent this by doing a deload workout the day before. Say I'm hitting bench after a week off, I can do light to moderate intensity bench for even just one set the day before and prevent soreness when I go hard the following day.
@@Nuppersson dr Mike is the best. I have made better gains in the past 5-6 months compared to last 5 years of lifting thinking there's something wrong with me by repeatedly injuring myself following famous coaches programs (they do work for the majority of people, but I have poor fatigue tolerance and dr. Mike's principles helped me manage everything.)
I feel like an RPE of 6-8 (4-2 RIR) is not an RPE that is adequate for a deload. According to the expert Omar and Eric Helms had on their podcast on training to failure, you can still make gains at a 4-7 RIR. If you assume that a deload week is not a week in which you try to improve your abilities (other than technique), I don't understand why one would recommend a 6-8 RPE for a deload week. For instance, Mike Israetel would tell you that you should not train at a higer RIR than 5RIR. 6-8 RPE just feels like an RPE for an accumulation week, not a deload one. TLDR: I feel like you have not addressed what we are mainly trying to achieve during deload weeks. Is it to reduce fatigue first so as to be able to express fitness later? Something else?
Jeff, I love your videos and find myself coming to them when I want the cold hard truth about a certain health or fitness fact. You lay down a lot of supporting evidence and it satisfies all of the worries in my head. That’s why I am asking you personally to please make a video on how to increase your vascularity. I’m not a flat guy per say but I’ve noticed a lot of my other buddy’s have really pumped arms and even legs even when they aren’t working out and I only seem to get that when I do workout. Not only that but a lot of new veins are showing throughout my body but they aren’t pumped even when I do workout and only some of them are. I’d really appreciate if you made another one of your great videos over this topic as I can’t find anything online to really help me figure out this problem.
I am starting my first deload this week because I felt like I did not hit my numbers anymore, I am starting this deload right on my 1year of lifting mark,Jeff nippard,Sean nalewanij,sport shredded science and verity schoffield have all help me lift this year, the best advices I have received are: do double dynamic progressive overload and eat more (because I am skinny)
I think it was smart to have Nerd Jeff put 5 or 6 collars on each side of the bar. He's lifting some crazy weight there. Don't wanna wind up in a gym fail video. 💪👍
I’m floating around that beginner-intermediate range and usually re-actively setup a deload because I don’t wanna lose momentum on my gains. However think I should switch to a proactive approach since my recovery time is sometimes a month based on how I feel/motivation.
amazing timing, im feel like im not progressing at all for a couple of weeks now so i decided to deload 2 days ago. Ive already tried to deload my abs. Before i would hit 5 reps of toes to bar, and 2 days later i could only get to 4. So i took a week off to see if it works. 1 week later i got to 9!! I was impressed 👌
I’ve scheduled a deload for in a week’s time, and right now my body feels like it can’t wait. I always want to push for doing a deload week every 8-12 weeks, but I usually start feeling a little crappy by week 5 and then have to tone down the volume a bit in week 6 or 7.
I have my exam phase at the moment, so i often don't work out every day if i have to study and just go for a run. On Thursday after taking three days off and trying since beginning of this year i did my first pull up 💪🎉☺️
Currently in my first deload taking a whole week off of training. I had two weeks where I just felt more and more fatigued and my performance suffered greatly, like I was at 70% at best. I just bike instead at moderate pace to keep going
@JohnGoes2Town I did the exact same a couple of months ago and even extended my iron-free stint to 2 weeks. The only workout I had was some low intensity steady state cardio every other day (30 min or so). To my surprise I gained muscle! My shoulders in particular went broader. All in all I've hardly lost any muscle mass as besides my shoulders growing a bit the rest of my muscles stayed the same size. Only thing is that the arms, especially the biceps tend to lose volume quite quickly (usually water weight, nothing to worry about). As soon as you kickstart your gym routine again the volume will increase quite quickly. To me it felt like my nervous system could handle way more volume and deal with heavy weights more comfortably then before. That's why for me the most important cue for having a deload stint is nervous system fatigue and not muscle pain or cramping, as the latter two are usually down to diet (dehydration, lack of electrolytes and/or consuming too little carbs before training) and/or rest( insufficient time between working the same muscle groups). Lastly, make sure to not cut down on your protein intake. Enjoy your deload time! You will mos def come up trumps afterwards!
Jeff, I love your program and I'm doing phase 3.0 right now! Will be doing semi-deload week as scheduled in week 5! I love your programs especially the previous 2 phases of the power building series!! Big fan from LI, NY!!!
When I dealoaded, I did 2/3 of the intensity and half of the volume. No science, no proofs, just felt right. That was after my first 2 month of training. Yea I know, but I got weaker on every lift except legs and thought that was necessary. Did it for a week and then expected to lift 5kg (11 lbs or so) more than before and it was "just" 2,5 kg more than before with even low reps (for me). But what was happening is that my form just got better and I was no longer egolifting. Then I egolifted again, worked on that and here I am
People on the internet tend to brag how they just added 5 pounds to every lift after a deaload. I never experienced that in 20 years. More like you also said, on legs yes, probably, bench just goes down immidiately (but gets back quickly). Still deloads are a necessity to stay away from injury and to recover the cns.
Well explained. There was a point where I just used to take a week off, but like you, I found this ineffective. Now I just deload, cutting frequency in half, working 2 full body sessions a week at a high rep range, lower RIR.
What I’ve found works for me is within a month I have a “technique” week. The next two weeks I do about a RPE of 8.5. And then on the last week I basically die. Repeat. The whole train hard all the time I’ve tried and it sucks when you mentally and physically don’t enjoy the gym and that is what all of this is about.
All I do for my “deloads” is if I’m feeling tired/fatigued/unmotivated etc what I do is back off some of the bigger exercises by 5 or even 10 lbs across the board. I still complete my entire workout like normal tho, all my sets, reps etc and like Jeff said you can really concentrate on your form and feeling it. Workouts like this are also a huge mental break for me and you’ll never lose any strength this way. Just my experience as a lifelong natty 👈🏼
Not much of a deload here. It’s great that it works for you but if someone’s training is putting them in a recovery deficit heading into the ‘deload week’, they’ll likely benefit from more volume and/or intensity decrease than you. Deload isn’t about going as hard as possible even on the deload week. It’s about finding the balance that is best for gains and health. Most people will get more gains and less injuries w a real deload so long as they’re putting forth a proper effort in the primary weeks.
Good information , I have always set up my workout rotations light, medium , hard, >light Fullbody ;every other day cutting my sets by 1/3 based on the day it is working really well so far.
Calling a deload a "technique week" is a really good idea. Aside from deloads, re-cecking you technique is important to do every so often.
especially for those who do olympic lifts
Thats why you can't build your abs ua-cam.com/video/enItzTOu_cQ/v-deo.html
@@aleksandrkorvin Realistically you don't need to work out your abs. Yes you can improve how deep the cuts are but truthfully, if you don't have abs, you're too fat.
@@fifis101 the additional benefits to core strength make it worth it. It’s probably not worth aesthetically, but it’s certainly worthwhile functionally!
After 10+ years of training u probably dont need a week to check ur technique.
I usually prefer the “full week off” deload. As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing this deload for 156 weeks straight.
When r u going to hit that PR?
@@50ulEat3r He hits his PR every single week with that streak number
@@PauloGomezPG there is no real PR in deload, youre working towards a goal or youre not
@Heroin with steez i just didnt appreciate the joke cus its making light of failure
@@50ulEat3r take light of the joke
i unintentionally deloaded last week because I wasn’t feeling well so I took a week off and I expected the first workout back to be awful but it was the strongest lift Ive ever had for the body parts I was working
I unintentionally deloaded last week too. I usually worked out in the night. But our country is struggling, there's an energy crisis going, extended electricity cuts in the nights. 😂 Deload baby!
@user0178 thank you. But, well, still experiencing a power cut. Have to wait for another 5 hrs. 😑
Everything will be well "if" Russia starts ww3. Everyone dies, our country's problems are solved.
Edit: forgot to say about the inflation too. And imports from smartphones to laptops to vehicles are banned. But I am a simple person, I don't care. I have less wants.
True! Experienced this. Recovery and deload are equally important.
@@troll2637 you're in Ukraine?
@@mustafaimran1652 nah, Sri Lanka.
I love the idea of calling it a technique week. It totally changes my mindset when approaching a workout
Every week should be technique week!
@@stenmin1234 New, “smarter” version of skipping leg day 💪
Problem with this is some people can really slow down their rep tempo and increase ROM (if they aren’t doing full ROM already). Although the weights may be lower, the level of fatigue may be unintentionally high, and that is counter to the point of a deload.
@@edfilandrianos even with the extra focus if you're getting that much fatigue still then you're arguably not deloading enough.
@@edfilandrianos depends what you’re trying to deload - nervous system, immune system, local muscle tissue, connective tissue, mental/psychological etc
One cannot underestimate the importance of a deload week. Was plateaued at 315 squat for almost a month, never could get past it. Decided to deload for a week just fixing my form at 225. Squatting more volume and generally increasing my depth and mobility. Went into the gym on my leg day fully recovered and fueled up and hit a 350 Squat like nothing.
I had the same as a beginner with my bench. Got to 70kg in about two months, then I was stuck at 70kg for over a month, took a deload week, could finally push 75kg for as many reps as I could do 70 before.
@@Werkvuur im a beginner and ive been stuck at 65 lb bench x 5-8 for 3 weeks. Should i take deload. My stengrhs been plateu
@@pablo4451 I pray you are getting the calories and rest needed. No Protein/Calories to fuel ya means it does not matter how much you lift. You ain't gonna gain.
A month!?!? Ive been struck on 275 for 4 years
@@brickmaster518time for a deload week
I've been weightlifting for 5 years now and been doing deloads for 1 year and a half and it works wonders. This is such a sustainable way of training. Once I hit my max, I end up on a plateau after a while at it, with a nervous system fatigue seeping through, so I deload, focus back on my mind-muscle connexion and technique, reload slowly and usually hit another PR. I've also noticed that I have a better muscle definition since training this way and that I am less likely to get injured.
How long do your deload often last?
@@luciusnguyen2449 from 1 to 3 weeks. But i increase the weight back progressively and slowly so thats why it can take more than a week. My deloads are mostly active, but i usually take 2 to 3 weeks off weightlifting every year also and it counts as a deload phase.
@@sarah-anneperry6932 Ok, I used to think that deload should last 1 week (hence, deload week) but I recently takes 2 weeks deload because 1 simply is not enough to recover 😂
@@luciusnguyen2449 yeah i don't have the data on that, but i train intuitively and sometimes my body needs more than a week also, so i listen hihi!
@@sarah-anneperry6932 do you have an exmaple. Like say your normal bench press is 100 lbs. So 1 week you stop lifting. Then work your way back up from 75 lbs to 100?
“Work smarter, not harder” is so true, as I think most people focus almost entirely on the latter. I’ve found an active deload week can be extremely helpful to include periodically as needed, as it helps to come back stronger & better able to break thru any sticking points. 💪
Bro does adding Creatine in boiling water reduces its effectiveness?
To be fair, most normies also don't train nearly hard enough. But yes, few bodybuilders deload often enough
Agree, I need a deload period
@anysimmers 😂 Glad we got rid of that spammer in the comments. Always have to report nonsense like that when you see it.
@@muscularclassrepresentativ5663 Totally agree, & in those cases a deload certainly isn’t appropriate as most people don’t work hard enough to need or benefit from it. For those of us who do though, it’s a very helpful tool to use periodically as appropriate. 💪
A month back I hit Deadlift PR of 100 kgs that I struggled with and then the gyms closed...so I just did pushups and basic stuff with very low intensity so it was basically a deload...I hit a 115 KG PR today and it was much easier than the 100 I pulled after training for a couple of weeks.
update...
Soooooo, i think...yes the pr and all is good but after going through all the comments and watching the video a couple times more, i think it really was just me getting that beginner progress and not cuz of the deload...nvm we'll get that deload in a few years n pull something cool
@@seumusmaclean6862 and are you Eddie hall? Bit of respect for someone who may be a beginner
lol me too i hit a 140kg pr just at 2nd month of my gym with perfect form
Gotta take a month off every month to deload and confuse the muscle right babe
Pr’s every month
@@seumusmaclean6862 Well I was 65 Kgs and had only been in the gym for a couple of weeks at that point, so yeah I think I did a great job.
@@saurav7184 ignore his comment. Your progress is good. Keep at it 💪🏽
Was training with a non optimal split - Jeff makes the best push, pull, legs split.
Wants to maingain -Jeff makes the main gaining video
Contemplates deloading- Jeff makes the video confirming I need to Deload.
I never comment but just wanted to say perfect videos at perfect times. Could not be more thankful for this channel
Agreed. Been wondering about overtraining & deloads recently - then he makes his last 2 videos
"Maingain". So did you recently finish a bulk?
Thanks for mentioning that deload is not just for the body but for the mind too. Mental health is an underrated component of the lifting journey. Heavy sets require immense mental strength. There are times when my head just isn't there due to mental stress from life, and that's when I also put in deload days.
Yeah Dr. Mike has mentioned about if you really find yourself feeling tired and finding excuses to not train, there's a decent change you're overtrained and should try a small de-load to see if it helps.
I like how you feel out your subscribers b4 recording a video. Asking survey questions weeks prior about deloads in order to gather information about what the community needs is the methodology influencers should use… thanks Jeff
I've noticed this myself! Whenever I take like a week or two weeks off because I'm abroad on holiday or whatever, I expect the first workout to be terrible, but it's almost always even BETTER than the workouts I get after periods of months without any longer rest periods. I feel rested and motivated again and the difference is massive for me
Try different: Days - Off, light, med, and heavy
Weeks - med and heavy, with occasional light, off on somewhat rare occasion
Months med and heavy
Never the same droned regimen
The timing is perfect, I had a 2 week "Deload" period accidentally and although I'm not lifting it has worked wonders on my performance. I'm going to start implementing them on my training
you should search up more workout periodizations to learn more about this
@@Trashcreep thanks for the information, I'll look into it.
Truth is none of us have any idea when our bodies have fully recovered. Any Programe is just the Ideal and the Ideal can never be the Real...
Pro arm wrestler Devon Larratt trains in blocks of say 10 weeks building up to a plateau and then backing off and resting before building up to a new plateau. He says this is the best way he's found for training his body and it's not surprising. As you increase stress and demand on the body it will eventually become depleted and need to recharge like a battery.
I accidentally deloaded last year when I went on vacation ate a lot of food for a week and probably worked out once that week. Next week, I broke through a plateau I was struggling with. That’s when I also realized I wasn’t eating enough as well lmao.
Always love your videos Jeff, from the time it must have took to research, to the clean edits, and story flow. I always end up learning something new. Grade A+ content!
2
But you gotta stay focused...
Jeff, this is the best advice I've heard in all the years I trained since I'm 60 years old and, I'm not a bodybuilder. However, I lifted weight since I was 16, just like you said: I've not used a full Deload, rather I came down with weight or done less sets, depending on how my body responded? I had to recently have my thyroid removed due to cancer, I still weight trained and, sometimes I switch up how many times I trained each body part per week. Im all natural and, I'm having a hard enough time absorbing my basic vitamins, minerals because there is still a problem. However, I recomp my body, still have a 28" waist, went up in my muscle gain by 9 pounds over the last year, I'm 6 foot tall, weigh 207 and I do some deload almost each week, again I base it on how my muscles respond, this is great information! Thank You Jeff! 👍😎👊💪♥️ I only do minor Deload weekly only because my muscles responds much better without losing muscles.
Great vid Jeff! 💯🤝 taking a deload this week myself after watching this.
@Joseph Paez he is
Jeff you’re a true legend. You’ve changed my life and a lot of my friends. Keep being you
Honestly this channel has taught me so much I'm really grateful
I love this message! Especially for more advanced trainees. Rest is highly underrated! However, as a trainer I find a majority of people fall into the technical beginner or "lazy liftet" category and don't really need one, so I'm glad you made that point!
For years, I've never did deloads. It also turns out that, during those same years, my training was not nearly as intense as I thought it was. It wasn't until I started a formalized strength training program that I learned the need for deloads. I will turn 52 this year and I do a deload every 6 weeks regardless of how I feel. If you are a competitor, you certainly have to be mindful of how you schedule them but, for most of us who are non-competitive lifters, deloads are rarely a bad idea.
There is certainly a time where increased stress (stimulus) is the right prescription but using it as a blanket remedy is bad programming.
Congrats on the 405 squat!
what was your workout routine before you did deloads? Like hown often did you trian the body parts. And what did you change during the deload?
@@briddenattech thanks a lot!
@@batman-sr2px if you mean before I started using deloads, I used primarily dumbbells and kettlebells, with a variety of different splits.
When I started doing strength training (and deloads) it is primarily barbell movements like:
Mon:
OHP 5x5
DL 3x3
Tues:
Bench 5x5
Squat 3x3
Thur:
OHP 3x3
DL 2x5
Fri:
Bench 3x3
Squat 5x5
During the actual deload, I used to go in and do one or two sets of 50% of last week's three rep working-weights. Now I just stay out of the gym for 5 to 7 days.
Deloads are actually necessary if you want to keep making progress long term
Following a plan designed by this SEAL and I just hit deload this week. It’s torturing me to take a week super light, focusing on rest, water, cardio but it’s pretty helpful since i ended up having a lot of responsibilities to catch up on
It's crazy how I've been learning this past two days about deloads and how to put them on my programming (have never done it, or at least not on purpose), and you do this video. Thank you!
Enjoy the gains my guy 🙌
@Joseph Paez 5'5 or 165cm
I really needed this video right now!
The past few weeks I've been getting migraine treatment which have actually made my migraines worse. I've tried to train like I usually would, but the migraines really mess with not only my head, but my back and just make me feel totally rubbish. I've cut back on my training intensity and going easier but still doing all of my sessions, and I feel so much better this way. I think today's session actually got rid of my migraine!
your training intensity should be focused on making your man happy on a daily basis. that should be your goal in life dear.
Ugh i feel like i hit a plateu and was thinking about taking a few days off. I normally don't. I don't feel physically tired but im starting to think my body does need some days off. This video was uploaded just in time. Thanks Jeff. 😊
If you want to succeed in any sport, be it fighting, bodybuilding or something else, you will definitely have to watch what you eat. Not just train hard or deload as Jeff says. Training is important but there are no real gains without proper diet. I realized that after I started following my first meal plan. I found it on site Next Level Diet iirc. At the beginning it was hard to eat 3300 kcal in a day, but I got used to it. I started noticing real gains and it felt amazing. I wish I'd understood the importance of diet earlier.
I appreciate all that you do Jeff! You really give us natty's something to strive for, and your knowledge in science/biomechanics is greatly appreciated! Thanks again, from Winnipeg 🇨🇦
For those who are not that strict with their program and dont know when to apply deload week I have a little cheat for you. Example:
Week 1.:
I managed to get 3x3 315 squat with ease, felt light on derack, with RPE around 8
Week 2.:
I managed to get 3x5 315 squat, new PR, still felt very light on derack, RPE feels even better around 7
Week 3.:
Time to move on to 330 as I managed to do 5 easy reps last week. This week I still managed to get 3x3 330 squat, again a new PR, RPE around 8-9, BUT the derack was much harder and I was never sure if I can do at least 1 rep. even that I managed to do 3 in every set.
Now I know that my muscles are capable of performing as I have planned, but my mind and nervous system is tired, not focusing much on technique - time to have a deload next week and focus more on technique, breathing, etc.. And no, the derack is not harder because I added weight, because after deload week it feels much much better.
With years of experience I instantly know when I need to take a deload week, based on squat derack and how it feels. It is actually doable even with deadlift and benchpress. Maybe this helps someone, it works for me.
I've been following you for over 3 years. In that time I have competed in a powerlifting meet, gotten my ISSA cert, put in roughly 20-25 pounds of lean mass, and I also relapsed in my recovery for 4 months and didn't train at all. But over that time, I have learned so much from you, and I use info like this all the time when building my programs. Thank you so much Jeff
Saw this in another comment, but this guy's video's are pretty much complete bachelor papers summarised in a very attractive and accessible way. Hats off to you.
I love calling the deload a "technique week". I feel like during my training block i start with the lighter weight and really strict form, but as i push for the bigger numbers it definitely slacks off a bit. So having that "technique week" to refocus on perfect form right before i start the next block at a higher starting weight works really well for my form and safety!
I’ve always been a “work harder to get through plateaus” guy. Fatigue was really demotivating. This will be good to remember when the gym feels like getting beat up!
Sometimes deloads do more for your mentality. Because you stop going to the gym u actually realize how much u miss and appreciate it and u find the motivation to get back on a more structured plan and progression
The last few videos are lowkey aiming at Greg’s neck, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
I just started a 3-week deload phase to address my form and fatigue. This was a partially reactive approach due to noticing my form declining as my PRs have started to increase. I think it's important to constantly be judging your fatigue and form because I notice a lot of guys in the gym whose form completely goes out the window under higher loads. Deloading specifically to address form is a great idea as well.
form will never be perfect going heavy. just watch heavy lifters who break records all of them don't have perfect form.
If you watch Jeffs video, he did not say that the point of deloading is to specifically address form. The benefit of focusing on form is the bonus, with the main purpose being to manage accumulative fatigue.
3 weeks is way too long
@@justvibing2497 That depends entirely on the person and the fatigue and the type of deload.
@@jason2014 I didn't say the point was specifically to address form either so I'm not sure what this comment is even for.
I just came off of a 10 day deload. Didn't do anything just focused on rest and recovery to let my mind and body recover. My workout feels great now. Deloading is a must.
Dude I jus wanna take my time and say what an absolute beast you're at what you do. Perfectly combining the practical and technical side of bodybuilding and explaining it really really well to your audience like damn bro idk what to say man my minds blown. You inspired me to read and learn more about bodybuilding than I'd have if I didn't find your channel.
I needed this video right now. I've been second guessing whether I "need" a deload, but the timing just makes sense in my program. Thank you for getting rid of my guilt lol.
Dude, you are my education for fitness and weight training. Thank you so much for putting out this information you’re helping more people than you know!
Progressive overload can give me anxiety. Either weight is getting heavier and I start to sacrifice form and mind muscle connection or sets/reps(volume in general) getting real high. Also sometimes going gym feels like a chore (even though i like working out). Mental reset and slowing down a little bit helps in long term.
Before using deloads I was like "Why I can't lift more weight" --> Pushing limits --> Fatigue accumulating--> Can't even lift last week's weights --> Why I can't lift more weight... Again and again.
I'm the same way man. You keep grinding until that progress slows, then it stresses you out, causing you to fatigue more and perform worse. It's like a negative feedback loop.
Although mind muscle connection is important I feel like ppl over exaggerate it’s importance. As u progressive overload ofc ur mind muscle connection won’t be the same I mean the weight is heavier. As long as ur form and movement pattern is still good then u should be fine. I totally understand u though. Especially with compounds I feel like I need to get one more rep then I did last week and if I don’t it rlly kills me.
also make sure you're eating correctly. I was hitting an early plateau due to not eating enough carbs/fat
I also feel the same way. Although I may not be intermediate, I felt that progressive overload + all the other life activities made me want/need deloads. And it is actually good for mental clarity and long term addherence.
Ever since I started working out, I didn't stayed any more than 2 or 3 weeks without training. Almost 3 years now.
Didn’t know Jeff edited his own videos that’s crazy considering how busy he seems, thank you for all your hard work🙏
You should consider checking out his Instagram he occasionally post editing stuff on stories before releasing new vids
It’s not hard to do.
@@joshwilliams6517l, just looked at your profile, all of your comments are so negative. Hope everything is alright at home
I was literally searching for deload videos yesterday. Perfect timing for an upload! Thanks Jeff!
I think of my deload as a way to get blood into the muscle and around connective tissues in order to heal the damage or overuse. I focus on technique, my pauses and then push through and give the lift everything I got. Treat 225 as 350 on squat, 175 as 275 on bench, etc. I try and get in the mindset and focus on the lift, notice where my form is lacking, think about cues and just get the blood into the muscle. It's a refresher to not be battering my muscles and change my mindset.
This is really helpful, I’ve known deload weeks are a good idea and felt at times that maybe I could do with one but just haven’t known exactly how to implement it/what it means in practice
I much prefer the terms "light week" and "technique week" to "deload week".
Yeah, especially when your goal is bodybuilding. People forget that deloads are tools for powerlifters that are aiming to peak at a meet.
Absolutely true! Every deload I’ve integrated into my training gave my CNS the rest it needs to work optimally especially for strength training. I’ve got a taper week next week before my meet and more likely than not meet day will set even bigger PR’s :)
I plateaued for so long as a later beginner. Used I learned how to use deloads properly, none of my lifts have ever been stagnate. Thank you again, Jeff!
This is exactly what I did after folkstyle season was over. When I got to state my body was so injured and fatigued my performance drastically went down (I also had a concussion two weeks prior and it got reactivated in my match). I took the next two weeks to focus on healing my injuries, perfecting form, mobility, stretching and lightening my cardio. I still am in show choir and lift on my own so it isn’t like I took everything away but took some volume down. Now I prep for Grecco!!!
Great video Jeff. I usually take a full week off for my deloads and just stretch and foam roll. It's a week to enjoy some books or spend more time with friends for me. Makes me excited to go back to the gym as well when the week is over 💪
I've always been worried about laying off the gas for a week because I need consistency to keep my momentum and it's my momentum that keeps me motivated. After seeing this I have a healthier idea of deloading and will give it a go soon.
Hi Jeff, love your work. I am an older lifter (40) and have noticed most tweaks and sprains even with good form. I would love to see a video looking at how age plays a role in progress and also recover. Are these programs universal to 25 year olds vs someone in their 50s and 60s?
Most these programs are for 18 till 30 years olds or people on roids. Here on youtube theres many nice videos about our age range 40 till 60s expecially if youre natural.
Absolutely loved this man! Especially the pros and cons of a reactive deload. Another great insight and full of practical wisdom.
From all the knowledge I’ve learned from Jeff and Derek over the years my brain should not fit in my head
Just listen to Greg lmfao your head will be empty enough to fit all of it in
@@edwardelric9347 💀🤣
@@edwardelric9347 No bro maingain your way to a muscular physique as a natty and don't forget that your genetics are shit and not as good as mine or ChRis BuMstEad
@@KingFloch88 ayooo😂😂😂
@@edwardelric9347 lmao XD. Tbh he's not that bad in the entertainment part but in terms of knowledge he's kinda sketchy with the maingain( he literally changes the concept everytime he talks about it) and turkesterone
good advice and something to remember. I'm doing Jeff's High Frequency Full Body Program and liking the gains i'm making. this was timely because I have programmed deload week for next week!
5:00 I can imagine a basic hybrid of both methods makes the most sense. Stick to proactive, but when you reach a deload week but still feel great, extend it by one more week. Same vice-versa: if you already start feeling a bit worse/plateau a while before your next deload, take it early. No point in being either 100% strict or 100% spontaneous
Agreed. Just listen to what your body is telling you and always try to find the best way to combine training and rest to maximize effective progress.
Love this video and learned so much. In the past, I’ve accidentally taken deload weeks (due to other life factors interfering with lifting), only to return the next week feeling even stronger but not understanding why. Gonna start scheduling deloads immediately!!
Hey Jeff! I often get a full 8 hours of sleep, but I have tended to sleeping from 4am to 12pm. In the same vein as deloading and recovery, feel like it would be interesting to have a video dedicated to sleep’s impact on progress. So it’d be nice to know if the amount of sleep is all that matters or if sleep timing affects gains, and by how much if so.
He actually goes into this in one of his earlier videos, can’t remember which one though. The answer is yes, though, sleep is incredibly important and does affect gains
It is well known that sleeping in the early hours like 11-6 or 12-7 is much more effective than 8 hours later in the night. But many of us still struggle to achieve that... but still 4-12 is better than 4 -9. Just try your best to sleep early!
It is of course more important to sleep 7-8 hours at least for getting enough rest for your body. If you need more you can take a nap or just add a little bit longer in. When you sleep isn’t as important as long as your sleep isn’t impacted by noisy roommates or busy traffic outside disturbing your sleep.
By order of importance:
- Amount of hours (at least 8)
- Consistency (sleeping at the same hours)
- Sleeping early
I'm not an expert but as far as I know, your body adapts to the time you usually sleep. You don't have to force yourself to sleep early.
It's like food, you are hungry when your body expects to eat. Like always, consistency is key
Taking a week every month to tryout new exercises and backing off works great. Helps a lot.
Insane. Literally hours before this got posted I started to deload for the first time in my lifting career, appreciate your vids Jeff!
I looked up this video because I believe I need a deload but wasn’t sure what to do on deload. I’ve been accumulating more injuries lately so I think it’s time. I think it’s better to do it ahead of time like you said, I just kept procrastinating it. Thanks Jeff!
Wow...great stuff! Thanks! I just started trying something along these lines, that I would appreciate your thoughts on...
I am 62 yrs old and trying to adapt to aging, etc. Currently I have been experimenting with cycling my splits (ie. push/pull). For 2 weeks I will work each body part twice per week (4 days total). Then, for the next 2 weeks I will only train 3 days (week 1 - Monday/Friday push; Wednesday pull. Week 2 - Monday/Friday pull; Wednesday push).
It seems to be working well.
Make sure you get some leg workouts in there too! Don't want to be neglecting the things that keep you walking haha.
This is so true, I experienced this after solid consistent training then going to a festival where I walked maybe 50 miles over 4 days. Ate really clean the whole time and got plenty of rest, came back to my pull up max improved by 2 and the total amount I could do in one workout went up as well.
After a couple of months of plateauing, I had to take a "covid time off" for two weeks in Jan. Then when I resumed my workouts I found I actually got a little stronger
@♜ Pinned-by jeff nippard gee thanks Jeff! You’re the best daddy
One thing I learned at 28 years old after bodybuilding since 15 years old, is the benefit of recovery. It’ll come with experience, but glad to see people speaking scientifically about it.
The bro Jeff and nerd Jeff characters get me every time. The body language acting is spot on and hilarious.
New character this week: @6:24 LazyJeff 😄😂
I was JUST listening to the Iron Culture ep about deloads and recovery. This is perfect timing
You can also rotate exercises to lengthen the training cycle, which is something I don't see mentioned very often.
Cough conjugate ftw cough cough
I found this at the perfect time. Trying out deloads but i found that i wanted to keep going to failure so i added a shit ton of volume to really try and get close to maxed out before my deload. Today is first "technique" day
About 4 months ago just before the holiday my bench plateaued on 135Kgs, after taking almost a month off of the gym due to a vacation going to the US, coming back from there to my country just brought me up to 160KGs in Benching Pressing after just a month taking off from the break. I'm 17 currently.
harder than last time and taking a chill pill every once in a while sounds like a balanced good approach. no need for a jab at you know who
This
Oh this explains why I sometimes feel stronger after I didn’t go to the gym for a week
The timing in this was almost perfect, started my first attempt at a Deload week on Monday it’s Thursday .. will have to make a few adjustments next time
Can't wait for people to accuse Jeff of not training hard enough again just for him to have a classy and humble response.
I've never personally found much benefit for Deloads for myself, but certainly it's useful for many ppl.....I definitely used to overtrain though....
"You're already deloading every week"
DAYMMMMMMN shots fired bro 😂
Just in time to help me stick to my planned deload next week.. thank you Father Jeff
Can we appreciate Jeff's excited little hop after he finishes his deadlifts?
Great video, but in my opinion, general public may never need a deload week. They already have too much things to do in life and tend to skip some workouts due to the circumstances, what is completely fine. And if we look at the general intensity of most people's workout, it will never demand some deload work. What they actually need is to lift heavier, smarter and more frequently. This video is really damn good! I'm just saying that this topic dialogue with only a really, really small percentage of "lifters". And in my life, I saw commonly people who don't need a deload week doing it just because it's on schedule or because they think they need it.
Anyway, great video Jeff, as always! You're always helping the gym community, since the major public until the nerd and gym addicted lifter. Keep crushing it!!🚀💪🚀
One thing I've noticed is that if I take a full week off I will get sore from the following workouts. However, I can prevent this by doing a deload workout the day before. Say I'm hitting bench after a week off, I can do light to moderate intensity bench for even just one set the day before and prevent soreness when I go hard the following day.
Man. You’re honestly the best. I’m so glad I’ve started my UA-cam journey with you.
Check out Renaissance Periodization channel, youre welcome
@@Nuppersson dr Mike is the best. I have made better gains in the past 5-6 months compared to last 5 years of lifting thinking there's something wrong with me by repeatedly injuring myself following famous coaches programs (they do work for the majority of people, but I have poor fatigue tolerance and dr. Mike's principles helped me manage everything.)
@@FlyingUnosaur mike is the goat, all that content for free its insane
I feel like an RPE of 6-8 (4-2 RIR) is not an RPE that is adequate for a deload. According to the expert Omar and Eric Helms had on their podcast on training to failure, you can still make gains at a 4-7 RIR. If you assume that a deload week is not a week in which you try to improve your abilities (other than technique), I don't understand why one would recommend a 6-8 RPE for a deload week. For instance, Mike Israetel would tell you that you should not train at a higer RIR than 5RIR. 6-8 RPE just feels like an RPE for an accumulation week, not a deload one.
TLDR: I feel like you have not addressed what we are mainly trying to achieve during deload weeks. Is it to reduce fatigue first so as to be able to express fitness later? Something else?
Jeff, I love your videos and find myself coming to them when I want the cold hard truth about a certain health or fitness fact. You lay down a lot of supporting evidence and it satisfies all of the worries in my head. That’s why I am asking you personally to please make a video on how to increase your vascularity. I’m not a flat guy per say but I’ve noticed a lot of my other buddy’s have really pumped arms and even legs even when they aren’t working out and I only seem to get that when I do workout. Not only that but a lot of new veins are showing throughout my body but they aren’t pumped even when I do workout and only some of them are. I’d really appreciate if you made another one of your great videos over this topic as I can’t find anything online to really help me figure out this problem.
Jeff has been killing it with the content lately!
I am starting my first deload this week because I felt like I did not hit my numbers anymore, I am starting this deload right on my 1year of lifting mark,Jeff nippard,Sean nalewanij,sport shredded science and verity schoffield have all help me lift this year, the best advices I have received are: do double dynamic progressive overload and eat more (because I am skinny)
I think it was smart to have Nerd Jeff put 5 or 6 collars on each side of the bar. He's lifting some crazy weight there. Don't wanna wind up in a gym fail video. 💪👍
I have been on a deload my whole life! Just a few more years and I will set world records 💪.
I’m floating around that beginner-intermediate range and usually re-actively setup a deload because I don’t wanna lose momentum on my gains. However think I should switch to a proactive approach since my recovery time is sometimes a month based on how I feel/motivation.
amazing timing, im feel like im not progressing at all for a couple of weeks now so i decided to deload 2 days ago.
Ive already tried to deload my abs. Before i would hit 5 reps of toes to bar, and 2 days later i could only get to 4. So i took a week off to see if it works. 1 week later i got to 9!! I was impressed 👌
I’ve scheduled a deload for in a week’s time, and right now my body feels like it can’t wait. I always want to push for doing a deload week every 8-12 weeks, but I usually start feeling a little crappy by week 5 and then have to tone down the volume a bit in week 6 or 7.
Then deload after 4 weeks. Your body is telling you it handles 4 heavy weeks. Listen to your body
Yeah and then over time you’ll probably be able to gradually increase the number of weeks between deloads.
In that case, just listen to your body and do the deloads slightly more often hard training for 8-12 weeks straight can be a bit too much to handle
I have my exam phase at the moment, so i often don't work out every day if i have to study and just go for a run.
On Thursday after taking three days off and trying since beginning of this year i did my first pull up 💪🎉☺️
Currently in my first deload taking a whole week off of training. I had two weeks where I just felt more and more fatigued and my performance suffered greatly, like I was at 70% at best. I just bike instead at moderate pace to keep going
@JohnGoes2Town
I did the exact same a couple of months ago and even extended my iron-free stint to 2 weeks. The only workout I had was some low intensity steady state cardio every other day (30 min or so). To my surprise I gained muscle! My shoulders in particular went broader. All in all I've hardly lost any muscle mass as besides my shoulders growing a bit the rest of my muscles stayed the same size. Only thing is that the arms, especially the biceps tend to lose volume quite quickly (usually water weight, nothing to worry about). As soon as you kickstart your gym routine again the volume will increase quite quickly. To me it felt like my nervous system could handle way more volume and deal with heavy weights more comfortably then before. That's why for me the most important cue for having a deload stint is nervous system fatigue and not muscle pain or cramping, as the latter two are usually down to diet (dehydration, lack of electrolytes and/or consuming too little carbs before training) and/or rest( insufficient time between working the same muscle groups). Lastly, make sure to not cut down on your protein intake. Enjoy your deload time! You will mos def come up trumps afterwards!
Jeff, I love your program and I'm doing phase 3.0 right now! Will be doing semi-deload week as scheduled in week 5! I love your programs especially the previous 2 phases of the power building series!! Big fan from LI, NY!!!
When I dealoaded, I did 2/3 of the intensity and half of the volume. No science, no proofs, just felt right. That was after my first 2 month of training. Yea I know, but I got weaker on every lift except legs and thought that was necessary. Did it for a week and then expected to lift 5kg (11 lbs or so) more than before and it was "just" 2,5 kg more than before with even low reps (for me). But what was happening is that my form just got better and I was no longer egolifting. Then I egolifted again, worked on that and here I am
People on the internet tend to brag how they just added 5 pounds to every lift after a deaload. I never experienced that in 20 years. More like you also said, on legs yes, probably, bench just goes down immidiately (but gets back quickly). Still deloads are a necessity to stay away from injury and to recover the cns.
Needed this after going hard 17 days straight in the gym. Knew it was bad but still did it. Thanks for getting some sense in my jackass Jeff.
I can already hear coach Gregg screaming to buy his cookbook
Well explained. There was a point where I just used to take a week off, but like you, I found this ineffective. Now I just deload, cutting frequency in half, working 2 full body sessions a week at a high rep range, lower RIR.
What I’ve found works for me is within a month I have a “technique” week. The next two weeks I do about a RPE of 8.5. And then on the last week I basically die. Repeat. The whole train hard all the time I’ve tried and it sucks when you mentally and physically don’t enjoy the gym and that is what all of this is about.
I first watched your videos Jeff to learn about lifting, but now I just genuinely enjoy watching your videos. Keep up the great work man!👏
All I do for my “deloads” is if I’m feeling tired/fatigued/unmotivated etc what I do is back off some of the bigger exercises by 5 or even 10 lbs across the board. I still complete my entire workout like normal tho, all my sets, reps etc and like Jeff said you can really concentrate on your form and feeling it. Workouts like this are also a huge mental break for me and you’ll never lose any strength this way. Just my experience as a lifelong natty 👈🏼
Not much of a deload here. It’s great that it works for you but if someone’s training is putting them in a recovery deficit heading into the ‘deload week’, they’ll likely benefit from more volume and/or intensity decrease than you.
Deload isn’t about going as hard as possible even on the deload week. It’s about finding the balance that is best for gains and health. Most people will get more gains and less injuries w a real deload so long as they’re putting forth a proper effort in the primary weeks.
Good information , I have always set up my workout rotations light, medium , hard, >light Fullbody ;every other day cutting my sets by 1/3 based on the day it is working really well so far.