# Should you be stronger after a deload?



## NTSC (Jan 17, 2017)

My lifts are the same as before. I heard with a successful deloads most people come back stronger.

Is this usually the case? What are people's experiences?

Cheers


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## swole troll (Apr 15, 2015)

depends on your training leading up to the deload

if you are in a state of overreaching then a deload will result in super compensatory effect where you come back stronger

this is the set up for any powerlifting peaking program


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## NTSC (Jan 17, 2017)

swole troll said:


> depends on your training leading up to the deload
> 
> if you are in a state of overreaching then a deload will result in super compensatory effect where you come back stronger
> 
> this is the set up for any powerlifting peaking program


 Thanks for the reply.

with that in mind, might it mean this deload week was unnessesary?

My idea was to just continue until I hit a plateau. I got to 13 weeks continually getting stronger with my lifts (Each week i'd be able to do an extra rep) but then my total reps remained the same for two weeks. I took this as a sign it might be a good idea to deload, especially considering I'd had 13 weeks at high intensity.


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## swole troll (Apr 15, 2015)

NTSC said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> with that in mind, might it mean this deload week was unnessesary?
> 
> My idea was to just continue until I hit a plateau. I got to 13 weeks continually getting stronger with my lifts (Each week i'd be able to do an extra rep) but then my total reps remained the same for two weeks. I took this as a sign it might be a good idea to deload, especially considering I'd had 13 weeks at high intensity.


 its not JUST about peaking

a deload is used to lower cortisol levels, rest the CNS, connective tissue and respark gym motivation

everyone that is training with progressive overload should be deloading every 8-15 weeks imo


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

If you were doing the same work on successive workouts then you weren't overeaching and so it's not really surprising you haven't got stronger. As above this isn't the only reason to deload though.

A related point here is what you do immediately after a deload. It sounds as if you've just gone back to trying to do exactly what you were doing before it? If that works for you then great but generally deloads are used in conjunction with periodising the overload (either in terms of load, volume, or both).


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## NTSC (Jan 17, 2017)

Ultrasonic said:


> If you were doing the same work on successive workouts then you weren't overeaching and so it's not really surprising you haven't got stronger. As above this isn't the only reason to deload though.
> 
> A related point here is what you do immediately after a deload. It sounds as if you've just gone back to trying to do exactly what you were doing before it? If that works for you then great but generally deloads are used in conjunction with periodising the overload (either in terms of load, volume, or both).


 Well this was my first week back after the deload, and yeah I did just go back to doing the same. I've managed to add more reps than before on some of my big lifts, apart from bench press which was the main one that seemed to have stalled and still is so far (seem to be stuck on 28 total reps at this weight with bench for about a month, but other lifts have gone up).

Perhaps just going back to the same isn't the best idea then. I was unaware that periodisation was used after a deload based on the fact that everyone was saying they often hit PRs on their first week back.

Would it be advisable to switch to lowering the overload for now then or to just continue with the same loads I'm using and see how it goes? I suppose With what you've said I'm concerned now I'll run into a brick wall continuing, but then again two of my lifts are better than they were before the deload.

Cheers


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

In your current position you could just change what you're doing with your bench press but carry on as you are with the other lifts that your progressing on.

For bench you have loads of options. Some would be to add an extra set to increase the volume; use smaller weight increases from where you are; reduce the weight to increase the reps and then increase the weight again; or change your exercise order to bench press first in your workout if you aren't already.

Is size your main priority? If it is then long term I'd suggest you give this approach a try at some point:

https://renaissanceperiodization.com/training-volume-landmarks-muscle-growth/


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## NTSC (Jan 17, 2017)

Ultrasonic said:


> In your current position you could just change what you're doing with your bench press but carry on as you are with the other lifts that your progressing on.
> 
> For bench you have loads of options. Some would be to add an extra set to increase the volume; use smaller weight increases from where you are; reduce the weight to increase the reps and then increase the weight again; or change your exercise order to bench press first in your workout if you aren't already.
> 
> ...


 Right, that would make sense, and yeah my main goal is size.

regarding the the link, is Mikes approach suitable for a beginner? I considered periodised approaches like this to be for the advanced lifter who has a solid foundation of strength - I've been training about 7 months.

cheers


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

NTSC said:


> My lifts are the same as before. I heard with a successful deloads most people come back stronger.
> 
> Is this usually the case? What are people's experiences?
> 
> Cheers


 When you come back after a deload you shouldn't be jumping back to the same weights you used just before the deload - you should be re-starting lighter and building back up. You should be stronger than last time you were at the same stage though, but wouldn't yet 'know' or test your maximal strength, at least not until the next bit of overreaching.

In example, say you were doing a routine where you peaked to some maximal over-reaching at six weeks then took a week to deload and repeated, your numbers might look something like this:

wk1 100kg, wk 2 105kg, wk3 110kg, wk4 115kg, wk5 120kg, wk6 over-reaching 125-130kg, wk 7 deload at 50kg .... reps would decrease a little bit each week as your loads get heavier.

wk1 110kg, wk2 115kg etc

That's a horribly simplified example, and typically it'd be a longer training cycle, but reflects the general pattern of how to build to a deload and how you should be stronger for the next cycle (the 110kg at the start of the new cycle should feel about the same in regards to effort as the 100kg did on the previous cycle).


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