Deload Week
Also known as: Recovery Week, Unloading Week, Tapering Week
A planned reduction in training volume, intensity, or both — typically lasting 4-7 days — designed to let accumulated fatigue dissipate so subsequent training produces supercompensation rather than further fatigue.
Formula
Common deload patterns:
- Volume deload: 50-60% of normal weekly sets, intensity unchanged
- Intensity deload: same sets, weight reduced 20-30%
- Combined deload: 60-70% volume × 80-90% intensityExample
Normal week: 16 sets of squats at RPE 8. Volume deload: 9 sets at RPE 8. Intensity deload: 16 sets at RPE 6 (lighter weight). Most coaches favour volume deloads for general training; intensity deloads suit peaking blocks.
How Afitpilot Uses This
Deload weeks are part of Afitpilot's periodisation framework. Plans generated by the AI insert a deload week every 4-6 weeks of accumulated training, or sooner if the Effort Delta and EWMA load trend both rise for 3+ consecutive weeks. The deload week's load_summary docs show in the chart with no special styling — the dip is the signal.
Deload patterns by training style
| Who / Context | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Powerlifting (block periodisation) | 1 deload week per 4-week block | Volume cut to 40-60% of accumulation week |
| Hypertrophy (Renaissance Periodization) | Deload triggered by MRV breach | When you're past Maximum Recoverable Volume, deload — not on a schedule |
| CrossFit / hybrid | 1 deload week per 6-8 weeks | Reduce intensity but keep movement frequency for skill retention |
| Beginner gym goer | Often unnecessary | Recoverable load is so low that one rest day per week suffices |
| Active aging (60+) | 1 deload week per 3-4 weeks | Recovery slows with age; deload more frequently, not less |
Known Limitations
- •Deload timing is currently calendar-based (every N weeks) rather than driven by individual fatigue markers. A reactive deload (triggered by readiness or effort drift) is on the roadmap but not yet shipped.
- •Athletes often resist deloads — they feel "easy" and athletes worry about losing gains. There's no actual detraining risk in a 5-7 day reduction, but the psychology is real and adherence dips.
- •Beginners (under 6 months training) generally don't need formal deloads — their volume is low enough that day-to-day recovery covers them. Our framework still inserts them, which may be over-cautious for true novices.
- •The optimal deload structure (volume vs. intensity vs. combined) varies by training style and individual recovery profile. We default to volume deloads, which is the safer general choice but not always the optimal one.
Science Context
The deload concept comes out of supercompensation theory (Yakovlev, 1955; Selye general adaptation syndrome). The principle: training produces fatigue and adaptation simultaneously; if fatigue accumulates faster than adaptation, performance regresses. A planned reduction in load lets fatigue dissipate while adaptation continues, producing the characteristic supercompensation bump in subsequent weeks. Modern research (Pritchard 2015 review) supports deloads as effective for advanced athletes but finds little evidence they help beginners. The Renaissance Periodization MEV/MRV model has reframed deloads from "every N weeks" to "when you breach MRV," which is probably the more individualised framing.