“You can't shoot another bullet until you've reloaded the gun”: Coaches' perceptions, practices and experiences of deloading in strength and physique sports

Abstract

Deloading refers to a purposeful reduction in training demand with the intention of enhancing preparedness for successive training cycles. Whilst deloading is a common training practice in strength and physique sports, little is known about how the necessary reduction in training demand should be accomplished. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine current deloading practices in competitive strength and physique sports. Eighteen strength and physique coaches from a range of sports (weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding) participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences of deloading. The mean duration of coaching experience at ≥ national standard was 10.9 (SD = 3.9) years. Qualitative content analysis identified Three categories: definitions, rationale, and application. Participants conceptualised deloading as a periodic, intentional cycle of reduced training demand designed to facilitate fatigue management, improve recovery, and assist in overall training progression and readiness. There was no single method of deloading; instead, a reduction in training volume (achieved through a reduction in repetitions per set and number of sets per training session) and intensity of effort (increased proximity to failure and/or reduction in relative load) were the most adapted training variables, along with alterations in exercise selection and configuration. Deloading was typically prescribed for a duration of 5 to 7 days and programmed every 4 to 6 weeks, although periodicity was highly variable. Additional findings highlight the underrepresentation of deloading in the published literature, including a lack of a clear operational definition.

Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Most athletes suggested that they felt that they could continue to progress their training without deloading, indicating that they felt that it might not be a necessity day to day. Similarly, our study with the coaches of national and international level strength and physique athletes also revealed that some felt that deloading might not be a prerequisite for progressive training too [21], perhaps highlighting a degree of inter-individual variability in the need to programme deloading for consistent progression to be achieved, or that some coaches and athletes might value deloading more/less than others within training. Interestingly, a recent article highlighted that a one-week period of no training at the midpoint of a 9-week resistance training programme negatively impacted lower body strength -but not hypertrophy, power or local muscular endurance -when compared with continuous training [32], suggesting that the complete cessation of training in this way might be detrimental for maximal strength where neural adaptations and exposure to load are an important antecedent to performance [33].…”

“…The survey was created collaboratively by the research team. Questions were developed pragmatically and guided by previous research [21]. To enhance validity and to ensure all relevant questions were captured, all members of the research team evaluated and provided feedback on the quality, accuracy, and scope of the survey in relation to the aims of the study.…”

“…For the purposes of this research, eligible sports were categorised as strength sports (weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman) and physique sports (bodybuilding in all forms). The choice of sports was determined using previous research on deloading practices in strength and physique sports [21]. To provide su cient clarity regarding deloading but to avoid acquiesce bias, the term "deloading" was broadly de ned as involvement in any training that involved a planned reduction in training stress such as "light weeks" or "recovery weeks".…”

Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey

“…The survey was created collaboratively by the research team. Questions were developed pragmatically and guided by previous research [ 27 ]. To enhance validity and to ensure all relevant questions were captured, all members of the research team evaluated and provided feedback on the quality, accuracy, and scope of the survey in relation to the aims of the study.…”

“…This suggests that terminological confusion might also coexist alongside a lack of data within the literature. Despite this, recent work by our team explored coaches’ perceptions and experiences of deloading within strength and physique sports through qualitative methods, highlighting that coaches strategically utilised deloading to manage fatigue and facilitate longer-term progression [ 27 ]. Interestingly, our results also revealed that practises varied considerably, with periods of reduced volume, intensity of effort, and exercise mode and configuration programmed every 4–6 weeks for a duration of 5–7 days in an individualised manner, adapted to the needs and context of athletes.…”