It’s when you start getting to ‘the next level’ with lifting. As in, you actually follow a program, record lifts and consistently reach progressive overload. That’s when your body starts to become worn down and in need of a week off.
One of the guys at my gym for example comes in, does a set of shoulder press and then proceeds to practice 6225 different types of curls for reps then wonders why he doesn’t have cannonball biceps. Said person then asked why I needed a week off to deload.
I guess you get people who ‘get it’ and those who don’t!
But for anyone hitting their goals and progressively overloading, deloading is a fantastic thing to do.
Those kind of people also seem to think they know more about exercise science too, or so I’ve typically found. There is always one… or several sadly!
Yeah I get way better gains from just hitting biceps for 3 sets twice a week, especially on top of the other work, which also creates some stimulus, so it’s more than enough, Besides it’s triceps which is where the upper arm mass is going on!
Don’t get me wrong I don’t have the biggest arms (14 1/2 inch), but I have lady size wrists (not pulling the “genetics” card), but like seriously at the joint they’re 6 inches! My wife has larger wrists, That and being 6ft 1 I’ve got the odds forever against me.
But yeah, going back to deloads, there are plenty of Studies now supporting it to some degree, as well as some showing that it take several weeks of complete inactivity to lead to atrophy, so a deload is going to do nothing negative, heck even a whole week off every month or two should theoretically be just fine. I’d rather deload than a week off though, or I just spend the week stressing (which hinders recovery anyway), I know what I’m like and I’d assume most others are probably similar in that respect.
Besides it makes sense to me to keep moving and allow some pump and blood flow to the recovering muscles, but obviously without the usual tissue break down created.
I’ve actually tried to stop calling it a “deload week” in my mind and instead call it a “recovery week” or “supercompensation week”. Deload sounds like I’m losing something “de” meaning without, loss etc. Just another way to create a mindset shift.
I have started this routine and it is great. My body is feeling the new stimuli :). I am also combining it with two strength workouts (5-3-1 torso-legs). However, I am not progressing on my 1MR (barbell press, squat, deadlift)… I have been two months with the same weights.
Do you have any advise for me in order to improve?
Sounds to me like you need more food and more recovery
The way I see it it’s a triangle:
Sufficient progressive overload through destructive stimuli
Sufficient calories and protein intake to recover from said overload
Sufficient sleep to recover from the training, 8 hours minimum
These three things are absolutely essential.
If you stick at it for 2 weeks ensuring all three things above are in check but see no improvement, I’d probably advise a deload week as above
Another thing I’ve started doing for the next couple of months is experimenting with 10 rep maxes rather than 3-5 reps. I’ve climbed from 65kg for 10 to 72.5kg for 10, which suggests to me my central nervous system is having to account for new stimuli.
How many calories are you eating?
Edit: Just has an idea - Perhaps we could rename this “The Huel Fitness Thread” and move it to another category to get more people in? Would you be cool with that?
Unfortunately, I usually sleep 6-7 hours (because my work and studies). This seems to be one of the keys.
One thing is clear: I eat a lot. I should count calories much better… That is one of the reason I decided to move to Huel (in order to control better my calories intake). I think that my calorie intake is around 3000kcal, and now I want to add an extra huel shake with 3 scoop (500kcal).
I have tested some deload weeks, but it did not work in terms of improving.
Due to the previous reason, I also have tried what you have commented. In my case, I’ve climbed from 90-5 rep to 10 rep or even 100kg - 6 rep instead of my 5-3-1 (90, 110, 120). I decline to think that I’ve reached my limits, haha. Maybe it is a matter of motivation… I do not know.
Regarding your last question… sure, no problem. Sorry, I am new here and for sure I’ll make some mistakes :).
Finally, sorry for my written English, I am from Spain :).
Okay so the sleep - No way you can sneak an extra hour? I’ve given up caring for the stigma of going to bed early and go at 9.30pm now, normally wake up at 6am so gives me 8 hours or so. I then study when I wake, get ready, then go to work. Gym when I return, then Huel, then study, then games, then bed. It’s about finding what works for you
Saying “I eat a lot” is quite vague, though. I’ve known girls who say “I eat huge meals you’ve never seen anything like it, dunno how I’m this thin”, but then it turns out they’re eating three cheese crackers, a piece of toast and two eggs. Start tracking and get an idea of what’s in what. It helps you eye up your calories - For example eyeing up 80g pasta or 80g rice.
If the deload didn’t work then I guess that’s a good thing in that you’re not completely frying your body during workouts and affecting your CNS negatively.
Maybe you’re just expecting too much? Your lifts are good - 120kg bench press at 85kg 180cm isn’t bad, that puts you in into Intermediate lifting category.
I always find it easy to become disillusioned when I look at pages with fitness models on Instagram, such as Myprotein and Gymshark. It’s easy to forget that a huge portion of these models are on PEDs. Steroids are rife in the industry.
Many thanks both of you (I am still studying English every day :)).
Your first paragraph describes perfectly what I intend to do (I always try to find a small slot for games). The problem is that many days I wait for my girlfriend, who finish her work day at 22:00, before going bed… The rest of the days I usually go to bed around 10:00pm, and I think that there is a problem with the “inconsistency”. I mean, from my point of view the body needs a routine in order to know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to train hardly. I am trying to figure out this situation. Another reason for drinking huel (saving time of cook and washing dishes).
Regarding your second paragraph, I am completely agree. Let me explain deeper:
Breakfast (6:30): french omelette (two eggs), toasts, coffee, 5-6 strawberry, 1 banana, 1 whey-protein shake with milk and oat.
Morning (10:00): turkey breast sandwich with orange juice. I am thinking about replacing this meal with a 3 scoop huel
Lunch: I usually eat 300g (approx) of beef, chicken or turkey with rice (125g). The dessert is a yoghourt.
Afternoon snack: Rice with with 2 can of natural tuna. I have replaced this meal by 3 scoop huel shake
(TRAINING) - After my workout I drink a whey-protein with creatine and amino acid.
Dinner: same as lunch approx.
I need to review where I can fit the Huel.
According to my lifts, I humbly believe that they are good, but I would like to go to the next level. Maybe this is my final level and I need to consider it :).
Regarding your last paragraph, I could not agree more. Fortunately, that’s no my case, I have been training for many years and I know how the “chemistry” work in that fitness models (most of them, not all).
I would like to thank you for taking the time to help me with this thread!
Hey, yeah it’s something looked into a while back, I’m not all that convinced it actually does much to be honest, physiologically it’s calories in calories out as we both know, I know some people seem to have success with it but over the space of a week I can’t see how moving those calories around much will do anything, the same applies to IF, which in my eyes only works because its hard to stuff as many calories in such a short space of time etc.
If someone likes cardio without feeling full then great, it’ll likely work very well for them, if someone hates working out feeling hungry then it probably won’t, I’d say that’s a bigger factor tbh.
In a way I guess I’ve done some sort of semi fasted cardio/workouts on my cut, like eaten at 12.30pm and then worked out at 7 or 8pm and eaten after that etc, I certainly still have energy when doing this, and definitely feel less full and bloated over having eaten prior, that or im just a masochist…
Hm very interesting, I’m kind of thinking the same in terms of fat burn etc. Seems ridiculous that it’d be any different from fed cardio. Although, I do wonder whether fasted cardio could be more catabolic?
I’m the same regarding IF - It’s completely bogus that it does anything other than limit the consumption of those with weak willpower. I mean sure it works, but only for the reasons you’ve stated.
I’ve done the run now, I’d certainly say it felt good. I popped a Myprotein “Mythermo” beforehand as I got them for free from MP last week. Pretty good, energy level remained consistent for the full hour and I didn’t find myself watching the clock like I do when I eat within 2 hours before a run.
Sceptical of any resultant “fat burning” potential though, other than the 900 calorie deficit created for today.
The “Mythermo” looks decent, that might be slightly anti catabolic due to the grape seed extract and the theanine, both of which I use for various reasons (supplement obsession!!!), at worst you’ve got a cognitive enhancer/nootropic!
How long have you been cutting continuously? I wonder if there is some sort of metabolic adaptation that’s taking place?
I will say one thing positive about IF and which there seems to be some positive health benefits outside of weight loss, such as potential improvements in Endocrine function, GH secretion, androgen receptor upregulation and so on, I don’t know if these could be simply attributed to fat loss and caloric restriction though.
Yeah, it’s alright. I just wonder if it’s all placebo! It’s extremely expensive, I’d never pay for it out of my own pocket.
I’ve been cutting now for 3 months, but fairly slowly. Started at 85kg now sitting at 80.7kg. I’m still going down, but I can tell it’s just stubborn fat that’s left on my lower abs.
Just not sure if I’ve got the patience.
As you say, I’m more inclined to believe they’re benefits that come with getting into a healthier diet and lifestyle. I’d be surprised if someone eating burgers and chips every day could see benefit from switching said intake to an IF schedule - That’s the only way I can think to control a study?
What I’d be considering is trying a maintenance week when your next on a deload and see if that resets things metabolically, or even eating at maintenance for a few weeks, it’s not going to undo any hard work, at worst it’ll do nothing and at best it might restart some weight loss when a caloric deficit is resumed again.
You might just find that’s simply where your body wants to store its fat and it’ll be the last place to come off, it is with me, it always sits on my love handles and lower abs, even on my current cut its still there, albeit less, but still there, annoyingly!
Going back to IF I think you are right, I’d love to see more controlled studies done eventually, although interestingly just stumbled across this…
Week article, however proves there is a lot we don’t yet know.
It has been a long time since my last reply :(. I had an appendicitis surgery one month ago. The longest month ever… Now, I’m back and willing to recover my body (step by step). Today has been my first day after my surgery so I have felt “frightened”. I have not felt pain but I am so scared to perform a squat or a deadlift without breaking anything inside me… For the time being, I am not lifting too much weight.
Has anyone “suffered” similar experience? Please share with me (us) your case: recovery time, when did you feel exactly as you felt before the surgery and so on.
I’m honestly not sure what the advice around lifting after appendix removal is, I wouldn’t want to advise then find out you split yourself open during a set haha.
Perhaps build up to compounds over another 2 weeks, sticking to accessories for now?
