My guess is that with a deload scheduled every 4th week, you can get by with just deloading the main lifts. If you were doing something where you went 8-12 weeks straight without a deload then perhaps it would make more sense to take it even easier on the deload.

To quote from Wendler's book, Beyond 5/3/1:

"The point of the deload is to not have to take it when you need it, but rather use it as a tool to NEVER need it. This seems to be pretty common sense to me. It is similar to preventative medicine, but since that has failed miserably in the United States, so has the deload. There are a number of ways to do the deload and to keep things more interesting, I have listed five options. Choose any of these five. Or, you can choose not to do it and find out the hard way.

He then lists 5 different variants on what to use for reps and percentages. Further on he says:

"Deloads are done by how you feel and are up to you. A deload week is simply doing the main lifts for 3 sets of 5 reps at 70% with little to no assistance work. you will not do the 5x10 training during deload."

That was in reference to his strength program he listed in the book. Instead of 5 sets you do 3 and the percentage was less.

It's never spelled out specifically what you should do exactly since everyone is different and the intensity of their training may be different.

Personally, i'd say on a deload week, deload everything. For assistance work, instead of 5 sets bring it down to 3. Instead of 75% 1RM bring it down to 50%. If you currently are only doing say 3 sets of assistance bring it down to 1 or 2. Cut back everything. Give the body some down time from constantly trying to repair itself.

Personally I deload every 4 weeks and never feel i need it. I tried a 6 week cycle and i felt i needed it so i went back to 4. However, my body gets abused a lot and i do not get enough sleep or downtime. Unfortunately that's just the way it has to be for me. In Wendler's newest book he has recommended the deload schedule to every 6 weeks which appears to be optimal for people who do get the rest and downtime.

*edit* - i spallz gud.

As Steve eluded to... deloads should be viewed as preventative, not reactive. I think you're pretty well set on the rest.

As Steve eluded to... deloads should be viewed as preventative, not reactive. I think you're pretty well set on the rest.

Thanks.

When I first stated power lifting, I was very conservative on the weight I used. I just wanted to master form and not worry about how much it was. I literally started squatting the bar. So, on most my lifts, I started ridiculously small, but it was good for me because it's taught me patience with all this. So, when the weight was so light, I thought deloading was so stupid. It didn't make sense and I didn't feel like I needed it. But, now, the weight is a bit heavy, and I def can feel the benefit of lightening up for a week.

Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

I think that's a progression a lot of people go through - I know I did.

I'm taking a break from 5/3/1 for while. But when I did it, I typically cut my assistance work down to 3 sets, vs. 5 sets. So I still got a little work in, but it was definitely less taxing than during the "work" weeks.