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AUDeloads work, you just need to know the rules.
Rule 1: You need to load before you deload. If you are not lifting heavy enough or working hard enough, you have not earned the need for recovery. In the first 6 to 12 months of training, most lifters do not need a deload.
Rule 2: The best deload strategy is not taking an entire week off. Save the full week off for when life forces it on you, such as illness, travel, or unexpected events.
Rule 3: The most effective approach is to reduce volume, not intensity. Cut your sets in half while maintaining or even slightly increasing load. This method is backed by tapering research on powerlifters and ensures you recover without losing strength.
The reason deloads get a bad name is that many people use them when they are not training hard enough to need one. That does not make deloads useless, it just means they are being applied incorrectly. At the highest level, every serious lifter uses some form of deload before competition, and then they go and set records.
Check out this seven minute video where I provide an in-depth explanation of my deloading strategy and how to apply it to your own training. Save this post for reference.
#deload
@australianstrengthcoach
