Do you have a deload/unload week? Or do you take a certain amount of time out of the gym completely?

2015-10-12T19:01:16-04:00

A deload/unload week is one which you scale back on the intensity and/or volume.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2015 7:26 PM

2015-10-12T19:26:49-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member like SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" I take a day off but, not as him, in my case is because my wife ask me to stay home at least on Sundays. I usually go heavy right after an APFT, that's when I hit my PRs and go crazy with heavy weights. Then, 2 months or so before the next APFT I start cutting down weights and doing more cardio. This Wednesday I have an APFT, next week probably the H/W, so November comes I'll be trying to break that 185lbs Straight Barbell Curl PR and see if I can get to 200lbs. Couple of months ago a friend of mine came to me and told me, damn Camacho, you can literally curl me.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 13 at 2015 8:44 AM

2015-10-13T08:44:13-04:00

Because I lift heavy most times, I usually have at least one deload week every two months. I use that week to limit intensity to ~60%, stay far from failure, focus on mind-muscle connection, and listen and feel for any issues throughout movements throughout sets. It gives my cartilage a good chance to rebuild and my joints a chance to simply make the most of my Gluc/Chron/MSM.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Oct 13 at 2015 1:10 PM

2015-10-13T13:10:19-04:00

This may sound counter-intuitive, but the body needs time to recover. The older you get, the longer that recovery period. It's just a fact. Second - contrary to popular belief, PT improvement occurs during recovery time. Too much downtime is just as bad as not enough, but at least take a day off - like SUN. The world is full of people who overtrained, got hurt and now are paying an even bigger price. Slow improvement is the key.