I have many mixed emotions about deloads. On one hand I think they are way overused. On the other hand I know they can be a necessity. That said, they aren't something that needs to be programmed every month forever. They have their time and place.
I find I can usually push pretty hard six weeks before I really need a deload. However, when I am in meet mode I will plan on one every fourth week for at least the last two months leading up to the event. The problem with deloads is that when you really feel like you need one, you are probably too late.
That's not really what this blog is about though. It's about how often I feel a deload can be a wasted trip into the gym. We have all done deloads that are basically just a watered down week of your regular program. Light weight and light volume, BS! It's just so boring.
As a result of the above stated apathy, I like to shake things up a bit. The deload I performed last week was a perfect example of such a microcycle. Since I have been struggling mightily with form as a result of my weight loss, I took the week to work on it. The problem is you can't really work form with light weight in my opinion because form only degrades with heavier weight. Let's face it, if your form degrades with light weight, you're f$%ked anyway.
However, with a deload I certainly don't want to tax my central nervous system with anything too heavy. I have found over the years my body can easily handle 90% lifts with no ill effects. The only problem I see with this in regards to a lot of other lifters is that they base their 90% on what they hope their max is, versus what they are actually capable of.
With using 5/3/1 figuring out a max is really easy. I just plug one of my amrap weeks into a rep calculator and voila, a max single number appears. From there, I just take 90% for my deload numbers.
This week it worked perfectly. I was able to work up to very easy 90% singles for my bench, squat, and deadlift. I really dialed in my form to where I actually felt like I knew what I was doing. After the main exercises on each of those days I took my assistance work and just cut the volume by a third.
The result of this deload left me feeling refreshed, strong, and most importantly, confident. If you choose to follow this approach, just be smart. With how comfortable the 90% lifts felt, I knew I could have easily gone heavier, but then it's really not a deload anymore. Be smart and be patient. Leave it to meet day to Smash F$%king Weights!
