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Recovery

Deload

A planned period of reduced training intensity and/or volume for recovery.

A deload is a strategic reduction in training stress, typically lasting one week. This allows your body to recover from accumulated fatigue while maintaining your fitness. Deloads can reduce volume (fewer sets), intensity (lighter weights), or both. They are typically programmed every 4-8 weeks or taken reactively when performance declines or fatigue accumulates.

Examples

  • Reducing volume by 50% for one week
  • Using 60% of normal training weights
  • Taking a deload every 6th week

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