Facing my first Deload week

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  • Cylphin60
    Cylphin60 Posts: 863 Member
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    canadianlbs wrote: »
    Cylphin60 wrote: »
    Do you folks still hit the gym on deload weeks and just keep it light as the author suggests?

    i'm doing 5/3/1 so i just follow the basic template. it means doing straight sets of 5 with the same lifts, but at 'ridiculous' low weights compared with the rest of the time. i do relate to the restlessness during total no-lift, so this is working out better for me. i usually feel like i earned it, even though sometimes i'm not totally sure that i did :wink:
    Ha! I know that one lol. Thanks for the input. I'm almost through my first day and, geeeze I think I'm having withdrawals lol! I haven't taken more than 1 full day off for almost a year. I think I'm going to follow what you folks are doing and hit some sets at 50% or so tomorrow, then another day off and play it by ear from there.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited December 2016
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    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    For those running 5/3/1, you can deload every two cycles instead of every one, as per Wendler in Beyond 5/3/1. Basically, take it by feel. You would still up your upper body TMs by 5, and lower body TMs by 10 after the third week though. You are just turning the whole thing from 4 weeks to 7, and everything else remains the same.

    I don't think Beyond was out back in the day when I ran it. I hated deloading ever 4 weeks. This makes more sense to me.

    A lot of people felt that the 4th week deload was too frequent, sp apparently Jim spent a few cycles toying with different stuff to come up with the 7th week, and noticed no difference in recovery or progression. I'd recommend Beyond to anyone who tried and liked the original 5/3/1, because he came up with a LOT of different ways to program the stuff, based upon individual goals.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    For those running 5/3/1, you can deload every two cycles instead of every one, as per Wendler in Beyond 5/3/1. Basically, take it by feel. You would still up your upper body TMs by 5, and lower body TMs by 10 after the third week though. You are just turning the whole thing from 4 weeks to 7, and everything else remains the same.

    Ah, now I'm tempted to just start my 2nd cycle tomorrow, the weights will still be lower than I was doing with 5x5 and I've dropped virtually all the water weight from last week.
  • davidcliff
    davidcliff Posts: 144 Member
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    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    For those running 5/3/1, you can deload every two cycles instead of every one, as per Wendler in Beyond 5/3/1. Basically, take it by feel. You would still up your upper body TMs by 5, and lower body TMs by 10 after the third week though. You are just turning the whole thing from 4 weeks to 7, and everything else remains the same.

    I don't think Beyond was out back in the day when I ran it. I hated deloading ever 4 weeks. This makes more sense to me.

    A lot of people felt that the 4th week deload was too frequent, sp apparently Jim spent a few cycles toying with different stuff to come up with the 7th week, and noticed no difference in recovery or progression. I'd recommend Beyond to anyone who tried and liked the original 5/3/1, because he came up with a LOT of different ways to program the stuff, based upon individual goals.

    I like the 4th wk deload, I usually hit the pool harder during that week and stretch out those muscles
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    Cylphin60 wrote: »
    I've seen deloading mentioned all over the place, but I always associated it with guys and gals who were crushing it in the gym everyday body building/power lifting. I stumbled across this from Mark's Daily Apple:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-deload-week-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-it-might-help-you-get-stronger/#axzz2hLHPdKHs

    So I was wrong about what a deload is and who should do it, but now I feel like a slacker, and the week has just started what the heck lol.

    Do you folks still hit the gym on deload weeks and just keep it light as the author suggests?

    You may be surprised at how mush better you lift after a deload week. It's usually after those that I hit new PRs.
  • Cylphin60
    Cylphin60 Posts: 863 Member
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    kami3006 wrote: »
    Cylphin60 wrote: »
    I've seen deloading mentioned all over the place, but I always associated it with guys and gals who were crushing it in the gym everyday body building/power lifting. I stumbled across this from Mark's Daily Apple:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-deload-week-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-it-might-help-you-get-stronger/#axzz2hLHPdKHs

    So I was wrong about what a deload is and who should do it, but now I feel like a slacker, and the week has just started what the heck lol.

    Do you folks still hit the gym on deload weeks and just keep it light as the author suggests?

    You may be surprised at how mush better you lift after a deload week. It's usually after those that I hit new PRs.

    Today is my 2nd day, and I did a light circuit, 50% weight with double reps and it felt great. I didn't know what was missing, but this is obviously it. Learn as I go. :)
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    davidcliff wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    For those running 5/3/1, you can deload every two cycles instead of every one, as per Wendler in Beyond 5/3/1. Basically, take it by feel. You would still up your upper body TMs by 5, and lower body TMs by 10 after the third week though. You are just turning the whole thing from 4 weeks to 7, and everything else remains the same.

    I don't think Beyond was out back in the day when I ran it. I hated deloading ever 4 weeks. This makes more sense to me.

    A lot of people felt that the 4th week deload was too frequent, sp apparently Jim spent a few cycles toying with different stuff to come up with the 7th week, and noticed no difference in recovery or progression. I'd recommend Beyond to anyone who tried and liked the original 5/3/1, because he came up with a LOT of different ways to program the stuff, based upon individual goals.

    I like the 4th wk deload, I usually hit the pool harder during that week and stretch out those muscles

    Oh yeah, it definitely works great for some, especially those who are really active outside of training. It's more an optional thing, and I've seen quite a few people alternate between the 4th week and 7th week formats, depending upon how they feel, or whatever they may have going on.
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
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    We'll get through this together lol
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I work in four week blocks and deload every fifth week. I don't go to the gym and I don't do any heavy training on the bike...I just take it easy. If I ride, I keep it at a recovery pace, but I'm more inclined to just go for walks and do some yoga during a deload.

    I pretty much always come back stronger in the weight room and faster on the bike.
  • Cylphin60
    Cylphin60 Posts: 863 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I work in four week blocks and deload every fifth week. I don't go to the gym and I don't do any heavy training on the bike...I just take it easy. If I ride, I keep it at a recovery pace, but I'm more inclined to just go for walks and do some yoga during a deload.

    I pretty much always come back stronger in the weight room and faster on the bike.

    That's what I'm hoping for. I still don't know what I'm really doing regarding how often, but that will come with time I reckon. I wish I had known about it a year ago though. Hey, better a little late than never.

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