Deloading - are you doing it wrong?!

I've been in a training cycle since the end of July. Pushing hard every single week to get stronger, pretty much without a break. It's been about 4 months now.

Surely I should have deloaded at this stage right?

Conventional wisdom says so.

BUT before you judge me... or say I'm full of sh*t... stop and think about the purpose of a deload for a second.

A deload is literally just a chance to give your body a break by reducing volume, and/or intensity. Getting out of that 85-90+% range and just chilling out for a while. Right?

So how do most people do it... Well they call (and I'm "they" in a past life) it a "deload week" and instead of doing 80+% 5x5 like they normally would in training, they cut right back to 60% and bust out a set of 20.

A set of 20 that leaves their eye balls popping, their spit flying and the pants stained.

Your body isn't going to perceive THAT as a rest. Why would it?

So, you're deloading? That's cool.

...but are you?

60% (of say a 200kg squat) x20 = 2,400kg of volume

80% (of a 200kg squat) 3x2 = 960kg of volume

Which is the better option for deloading?

A deload is about reducing stress. Not doubling it, and then some.

Sure 80% is "heavier" but if you look at the total tonnage moved during your training phases - it shouldn't be HEAVIER on "easy" days.

A 20RM set every now and again is a nice challenge, but it's not a deload.

Nor is going in and busting out a 30 set chest workout as a "deload" from your heavy bench training. I don't care that it's lighter... it's not easier.

And easy is really the name of the game with a deload.

One of the most surprising things we've noticed in RevFit over the last test week was that the dudes who have been off for 2-4 weeks for various reasons over the past 2-3 months are SMASHING their old PRs because they're coming in rested, and fresh.

This delayed transmutation and full recovery aspect has been a BIG eye opener to me, and it's made me consider dropping my heavy lifts 2-3 weeks BEFORE test day now, instead of the more traditional drug free powerlifting model of having your heaviest lift a week before.

But back to my "deloads".... Have I?

Yes, and no.

My training cycles always start with high volume and moderate intensity (25-40 reps @ 70-75%) and taper towards 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps around 85-95%.

Towards the end of those micro cycles, I've had a few weeks where I've gone from 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps @ 85-95% on my bench press and deadlift, and dropped back to a single set of 4-5 reps @ about 85-90%, and dropped the assistance work altogether.

Don't get me wrong - that set was HARD. Pretty much max effort. But that was it for the day. And that's a radical reduction in total volume and stress.

Furthermore, that was at the end of a micro cycle which saw me enter the next one at reduced loads before starting to work back up again.

I've had weekends away or times where I've just had to miss training for whatever reason.

No planned deloads, but life as an amateur athlete has a nice way of interrupting things now and again to force a break upon you.

So, do you need to deload every 4 weeks? Probably not.

And if you do, are you doing your deloads wrong? Almost certainly.