De-load week in my own training.

In the last few months, I have focused on getting strong and more powerful.

All for rugby. As I’m moving from Fly-Half (10) to Inside Centre (12). It's purely because my team doesn’t have a 12, so I thought I’d give it a bash.

Within my training plan, I’m lifting very heavy 3 times per week.

My plan involves a lot of volumes. A lot!

This is the most amount of weight I have lifted in any of my training programs.

After 18 or so weeks of this training program and being back at rugby training.

I’m starting to feel it…

My body is feeling battered.

I’m feeling sore and tired.

After some thought and consideration, I decided to do a de-load week.

A de-load week is:

A de-load is a period in which you make things easier in the gym by lifting lighter weights or reducing your training volume. De-loads typically last a week and encourage recovery before another period of harder training with heavier loading.

It allows you to recover and come back stronger than before.

I have stripped the weight back from 145kg for 5 reps to 60kg for 5 reps in practice.

Along with stripping the weight back, I have put a greater focus on movement correctly and going through the full range of motion.

You don’t always need to go through a de-load week. But if you feel battered and sore, it is a wise move to go through a de-load.

But I am saying that sometimes it is good to place a greater focus on movement patterns during specific parts of a training program.

Don’t be afraid to strip the weight back and place the focus on something else.