To deload, keep training on your usual days but make the week easier: do fewer sets, use lighter weights, or stop further from failure. Most lifters deload for about a week. In a 2024 survey of strength and physique athletes, a typical deload lasted roughly six to seven days and came every five to six weeks.
This is general training information, not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, talk to a qualified professional.
What is a deload in lifting?
A deload is a short, planned stretch of lighter training. A 2023 study that gathered expert strength and physique coaches agreed on this definition: a period of reduced training stress designed to reduce physical and mental fatigue, help recovery, and leave you ready for the next block of training (Bell and colleagues, 2023, Sports Medicine Open).
It is not a week off. You still go to the gym and practice your lifts. You just ask less of your body for a few sessions.
How do you know you need a deload?
Common signs that a lighter week would help:
- Your lifts stall or go backwards for a week or two even though you are sleeping and eating as usual.
- Joints ache more than normal, especially elbows, knees or shoulders.
- Warm ups feel heavy and your usual weights move slower.
- You dread sessions you normally look forward to.
Athletes in the 2024 survey said they deloaded when performance stalled or when soreness and joint aches went up, as well as on a set schedule (Rogerson and colleagues, 2024, Sports Medicine Open).
How often should you deload?
There is no single right answer, and the research on timing is still thin. In the same survey of 246 competitive strength and physique athletes, the average deload lasted about 6.4 days and came about every 5.6 weeks. Most planned their deloads ahead of time, sometimes adjusting when fatigue showed up early.
Many programs build the timing in for you. If yours does not, a lighter week every four to eight weeks is a reasonable place to start, then adjust based on how you feel coming out of it.
What do you change during a deload?
Athletes in the survey mostly kept their training days and exercises the same and cut back in three ways. Pick one or two:
- Fewer sets and reps. Do about half your usual sets, or stop each set a couple of reps early. This is the simplest option.
- Lighter weights. Use noticeably lighter loads than your recent work sets while keeping the same sets and reps.
- Less effort. Leave more reps in the tank on every set. If you use RPE and RIR, keep sets around RPE 6 to 7, which means three or four reps left.
Keep the same lifts so your technique stays sharp. A deload is a good week to film a set or two and check your form, if your gym allows it (see can you film at the gym).
Will you lose strength during a deload?
A single lighter week is meant to help you recover, not set you back. You keep training the same lifts at a lower dose, which is very different from taking time off. Many lifters feel stronger the week after a deload because fatigue has dropped, though how much varies from person to person.
How do deloads fit into popular programs?
- Novice programs such as Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5x5 usually handle stalls with resets, where you drop the weight and build back up, rather than a separate deload week.
- Weekly programs such as the Texas Method and Madcow 5x5 are hard on recovery, so planning your own lighter week every so often helps you keep the weekly records coming.
- Monthly programs such as Jim Wendler's original 5/3/1 include a lighter fourth week in each cycle. Our 5/3/1 Boring But Big review covers the popular version.
Should you deload before a powerlifting meet?
Most meet preparation ends with a taper, which is a related but separate idea: you cut training volume in the last week or two so you show up fresh to lift your heaviest. If you are getting ready for your first competition, see how to find a powerlifting meet and follow the plan your coach or program gives you.
What should you still do at the gym during a deload?
Warm up properly, practice your setup on the main lifts, and use the lighter week to work on weak spots that do not tire you out, like mobility or light accessory exercises. Use chalk as normal so your grip and bar position feel the same as on heavy days. If you need a gym that lets you do that, see which gyms allow chalk or find powerlifting gyms near you on Proof of Chalk.
Common questions
How long should a deload last?
About a week is typical. Athletes in a 2024 survey reported an average of roughly six to seven days.
Should you still go to the gym during a deload?
Yes. A deload means lighter training, not no training. You keep your usual days and lifts but do less work.
Is a deload the same as a rest week?
No. A rest week means no lifting. A deload keeps you lifting at a lower volume, weight or effort so you recover while staying in practice.
How often do powerlifters deload?
It varies by program and person. Competitive athletes in one survey averaged a deload about every five to six weeks, usually planned ahead of time.
Do beginners need to deload?
Beginners who add weight every session usually reset the weight when they stall rather than taking a planned deload. Deloads become more useful as training gets heavier and harder to recover from.