August 4, 2021

How you can use unloading phases to build muscle and strength faster Part 2

Wie Du Entladephasen verwenden kannst, um schneller Muskeln und Kraft aufzubauen Teil 2

Now that we have clarified what a discharging phase is and what purpose it serves in the first part of this article, in this second part of this article I will go into more detail about what a correctly executed discharging phase should look like and answer a few more questions about discharging.

How to discharge correctly

To unload correctly, you need to understand the primary goal of unloading and what you need to change in your training to achieve your goal.

The primary goal of unloading is to reduce systemic and local (joints, tendons and ligaments) fatigue and stress while maintaining your ability to move weights with optimal technique.

Although there is little direct research on this topic, most existing research and field reports show that volume - not intensity - is the primary driver of fatigue.

This means that the number of hard sets you perform per week depletes your body more than the amount of weight you move during those sets (5).

The first part of effective unloading is therefore to perform fewer sets than usual.

Based on my experience with countless clients and conversations with other trainers, scientists and athletes, reducing the weekly number of sets by 30 to 50% seems to be ideal for most exercisers.

This means that during unloading you only perform about half to two-thirds of the sets you normally do during your hard training.

When it comes to intensity, many people recommend that you should reduce your training weights to around 40 to 50% of your maximum weight for one repetition during the unload. I used to do this too, but I've since switched to what I consider to be a better approach.

Today I don't reduce the weights at all and instead use the same weights I normally use during my hard training. So I only reduce the volume, but not the intensity.

Why this change?

Well, a primary disadvantage of reducing intensity during the unload is that when you resume normal training, the weights will feel unfamiliar and your performance will suffer. The first week after unloading will therefore be sub-optimal.

Fortunately, it doesn't take much - just a few heavy sets a week - to maintain your technical perfection with heavy weights, even if the sets aren't as difficult as they normally would be (6).

This brings me to a key pitfall when unloading with heavy weights: You must avoid training to muscle failure.

The reason for this is simple: performing a set to the point of muscle failure causes disproportionately more fatigue than submaximal training and therefore training to muscle failure should not be performed during unloading (7).

An easy way to ensure that you are not pushing your body too hard during unloading is to simply perform 2 to 4 repetitions less per set compared to your normal heavy training. Personally, I choose the middle ground and reduce my reps per set by 3.

So if I performed 3 sets of 6 reps during my last heavy training session, I only perform 2 sets of deadlifts of 3 reps during the unload (a 33% reduction in volume and 3 less reps per set).

So to summarize, a well planned unload includes the following:

Using the same weights as your normal training sessions
Reducing the number of sets by 30 to 50% compared to your normal training sessions
Reducing the number of repetitions per set by 2 to 4 compared to your normal training.

By reducing the number of sets and repetitions you reduce the stress on your body and by using the same weights you maintain your technical perfection.

Here is an example of an unloading week as I do it myself:

Training session 1: Unload Push

Barbell bench press: One warm-up set and 2 sets of 3 reps with the same weight as the last heavy training session
7Dumbbell incline bench press: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session
Dumbbell bench press: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session

Training session 2: Unload pull

Barbell deadlift: One warm-up set and 2 sets of 3 reps with the same weight as the last heavy training session
Barbell rowing: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session
Lat pulldown with wide grip: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session

Training session 3: Unload legs

Barbell squats: One warm-up set and 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session
Leg presses: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session
Lying leg curls: 2 sets of 3 repetitions with the same weight as the last heavy training session

Make sure that you always have at least one day off between these training sessions. I like to do them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Summary: To unload correctly, you should use the same weights as your heavy workouts, but perform 30 to 50% fewer sets per week and 2 to 4 fewer reps per set.

Will you lose gains during unloading?

Many exercisers believe that any break from their typical training program will immediately result in significant losses in strength and muscle mass, but this is simply not true.

You can stop training for up to 6 weeks before your strength really starts to decline and it takes a month before you start to lose muscle - and significantly longer than that before your body development starts to show significant changes.

Of course, this is assuming that you are not in a calorie deficit, as you will start to lose strength and muscle faster in such a scenario. Furthermore, you should remember that you will continue to move heavy weights during a properly executed unloading week - just not quite as much or as intensely as you normally would.

My point here is this: If you follow the advice given in this article, then the likelihood of you losing strength or muscle during the unload is more or less nil.

Instead, you will probably make even better gains in strength and muscle mass over time for all the reasons discussed above.

To summarize: If you unload correctly, not only will you not lose strength or muscle mass, you will actually build strength and muscle faster over time.

Shouldn't you just take a week off from training instead?

Maybe.

To find out, you should try an unloading week and document how you felt when you started training hard again and how the first week of training went. Then do the same with a training-free week instead of an unloading week.

Compare the two and choose the one that suits you and your body best.

It's also helpful to plan your off-load weeks or training-free weeks in advance so that they coincide with travel, vacations or other interruptions to your training routine. This will ensure that you don't take more breaks than necessary to maximize your progress.

Unloading vs. autoregulation

Some may say that unloading is not necessary if you learn to listen to your body and plan your training sessions accordingly.

For example, if you plan to use heavy weights but feel you need a lighter day, then don't train as heavy. If you have planned an unload-style training session but feel energized and ready for heavy weights, then you are training hard.

The scientific term for this is autoregulation, and while this is a legitimate training method (8), it's easier said than done.

You need a considerable amount of training experience and you need to be very familiar with your body and mind to let your emotions guide your training. People who successfully autoregulate their training don't do it purely by feel. They use science-based principles, benchmarks and rules that tell them what to do on a given day.

As you can easily imagine, this can get quite complex and nuanced and unless you've already spent a lot of time studying this topic or have an experienced trainer to help you, it becomes practically unfeasible.

While there is no question that autoregulation has its uses and applications and can work for experienced exercisers who are approaching the limits of their genetic potential, this strategy does not work well for less experienced exercisers.

If you've only been training with weights for three years or less, you shouldn't worry about autoregulating your unloading. Instead, follow a well-planned training program that includes regular unloading phases and perform them regardless of how you feel.

Can you do cardio training during the de-loading week?

Sure.

However, you should remember that the goal of an unloading period is to significantly reduce the amount of stress on your joints, ligaments and tendons, as well as your nervous system and muscles. As you might imagine, too much high-intensity cardio training will not help with this.

So do as much light physical activity as you want, but limit HIIT training and similar activities to about one hour per week.

Summary: Stick mainly to low-intensity cardio during unloading.

How should you eat during unloading?

How you should eat during unloading depends on what you are doing with your body.

If you are dieting to lose fat, then you can maintain a calorie deficit during unloading unless you feel you need a diet break too. In this case, you can increase your calorie intake during unloading to your maintenance calorie intake.

If you are in a mass-building phase, you can maintain the calorie surplus or - if you need a break from these amounts of food - reduce your calorie intake to the maintenance calorie amount.

Since the goal of a mass-building phase is to maximize muscle gain, I would not recommend maintaining a calorie deficit during the unloading week. You're not going to lose enough fat for this to really make a difference, so you might as well keep your muscle-building machinery running at full speed.

Summary: If you're dieting to lose fat, then you can either maintain your calorie deficit while you're unloading or increase your calorie intake to your maintenance calorie level. If you are in a muscle-building phase, you can either maintain your calorie surplus or reduce your calorie intake to your maintenance calorie level.

My personal experience with unloading

When I was still training with high repetitions, relatively low weights and a high volume 6 days a week, I had no problems with injuries or symptoms of overtraining, even after months of training without breaks or unloading.

Later in my training history, I transitioned to training with heavy weights with primarily multi-joint exercises and quickly had to realize the stress this type of training put on my body.

After 8 to 10 weeks of training this way - and sometimes earlier if I was in a calorie deficit - I was experiencing frequent aches and pains (usually in the joints), suffering from declining energy levels, while my workouts felt abnormally heavy and hard and my motivation to train waned. Fortunately, the solution to all these problems was simple: a de-loading phase.

When I scheduled a de-load or a week off from training every 8 to 10 weeks, I felt fresh and energized. In the end, I opted exclusively for de-loading phases - primarily because I enjoy my training.

The bottom line on unloading

A de-load phase is a temporary reduction in weekly training stress to give your body and mind a break from hard training.

The two primary reasons for an unloading phase are to reduce the risk of injury and to restore your motivation and ability to train hard.

Many people will not benefit from an off-load period because they are not training hard enough to need additional recovery.

Assuming you are training hard enough, I recommend unloading every 4 to 10 weeks depending on how long you have been training with weights.

As a general rule, people with more training experience should unload more often than people with less training experience, as they usually move heavier weights and do a higher volume.

To unload optimally, you should use the same weights as during your hard training, but perform 30 to 50% fewer sets per week and 2 to 4 repetitions less per set.

Despite what many people think, you will not lose muscle mass or strength during unloading. Ironically, properly planned unloading will actually help you build strength and muscle faster in the long run.

If you want to take a completely training-free week instead of an unloading week, that's fine too. Pay attention to how your body reacts to both, compare the results between the training-free week and the unloading week. Then use what works best for you. You can do cardio during the off-load, but you should stick to low-intensity forms of cardio such as walking.

As for your diet, you can maintain a calorie deficit while unloading during a diet or increase your calorie intake to your maintenance calorie amount if you need a break from your calorie restriction.

If you're in a mass-building phase, you can either maintain your calorie surplus or reduce your calorie intake to your maintenance calorie amount when you need a break from all that food.

References:

Source: https://legionathletics.com/deload-week/

By Michael Matthews

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