Need tips on Deloading?

[SDHW]

I have been going at the intermediate 5x5 for a while now. This is my second run at it. I have done very well on it. However I have recently added strongman training to my routine. I do events once a week. This has added to my volume of training and I think its time to deload for a few weeks. My weights are starting to drop and im feeling fatigued.

My questions are. How should I set up my 3x3 deload. I know its 3 sets of 3 reps. but how many warm ups? and what weight should I use. The advanced version has you setting new records. Im not sure that’s what I should be doing? If and can do that and still deload then hell I im up for it. Here is last week’s numbers on the last set


Squat 535lb
Bench 435lb
Row 315lb
Dead 500lb
Push press 265lb

what numbers should I start with for my 3x3?

I know the advanced version has the deload all spelled out for you. However I am going to deload while using the intermediate.

 

[Kabeetz]

You can deload by keeping the rep scheme 5x5 but by decrease your sets by as little as 10% in week one, or even more like 15%... therefor it would take you 4-6 weeks to get back to your current weights.

If you want to run triples instead.. there is no trick... you're still trying to go for your max set on the last set, but it would be a 3rep max instead of a five. But that would also be just as taxing on you as a 5x5 (I would imagine you should still do 5 sets when working triples?)

Definitely wait for someone more experienced to chime in... good luck with your strongman training, you're pushing some serious weights bro.

 

[SDHW]

You can deload by keeping the rep scheme 5x5 but by decrease your sets by as little as 10% in week one, or even more like 15%... therefor it would take you 4-6 weeks to get back to your current weights.

If you want to run triples instead.. there is no trick... you're still trying to go for your max set on the last set, but it would be a 3rep max instead of a five. But that would also be just as taxing on you as a 5x5 (I would imagine you should still do 5 sets when working triples?)

Definitely wait for someone more experienced to chime in... good luck with your strongman training, you're pushing some serious weights bro.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[blut wump]

There's no hard and fast rule to deloading. You simply back off and allow recuperation to be a priority. You also need to decide whether you want to take a full deload, which can take around a month, or just back up enough to allow some basic recovery, enough to allow you to jump right back in again.

The real essence of a deload is that you are taking a break. Many guys will take a week or more off from the gym and then return rested and ready to push themselves again. The downside to that approach is that you lose conditioning and backslide a lot during the layoff. You then spend another two or three weeks getting back to where you were. With a deload, you try to give yourself the break but not lose anything while doing it.

I know I'm starting to waffle a bit but that's because there are no hard and fast rules besides to cut back.

You could stick with the same weights but do triples instead of fives and also drop the Wednesday squat. The Inter version is designed not to get you loaded anyway so that might be enough to do the job. How much strongman work you do has to be considered, though, and you should back off on that, too, while deloading.

Before long (probably two weeks, maybe less) you'll feel your vitality back and the aches disappear and feel the need for more volume.

 

[coolcolj]

just drop volume, intensity, and even frequency or all three

the 60% rule

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

So if I was benching 100lbs 5x5 (2500lbs of movement), would the 60% rule be

100lbs 3x5 or
100lbs 5x3 or
60lbs 5x5 or
80lbs 3x6

all of the above?

 

[coolcolj]

So if I was benching 100lbs 5x5 (2500lbs of movement), would the 60% rule be

100lbs 3x5 or
100lbs 5x3 or
60lbs 5x5 or
80lbs 3x6

all of the above?

60lbs 3x5

 

[blut wump]

I'd probably go for 100x3x3, myself, but 60x3x5 is good, too, as would dropping a day, etc., etc.

Maybe a good rule is to apply 60% two or three times depending on degree of loading.

 

[SDHW]

Thanks for all the tips.

it was a bit confusing because I was looking at the pure deload on the advanced version and they still push new PR's with the deload. or the last weeks weight are used, and if you get all 9 reps you can move up. However. should I still ramp up the weight with the 3x3?

also if say I squat 535, it might look like this


set 1 378x3
set 2 445x3
set 3 535x3

I know im going to have to warm up to get to 378 for my first set. Doesnt this defete the purpose of deloading? I will still have to do 2-3 warm up set to get up to 378lb for my first set. wouldnt this be a 5x3?

I guess im just getting lost in how to adjust my weight and volume so that I can deload as quickly as possible so i can jump back in.

 

[SDHW]

bump for more info

 

[Guinness5.0]

Don't count the warmups. They won't add anything of consequence to your workload.

If you feel beat up from what you are doing, my .02 (and it's really worth .02 since I don't have ANY experience training the way you do) would be to drop the events for a week and hit only the big lifts for triples at weights that you would normally do for 5's or 6's. Try that for a week or two and if you feel refreshed adn ready to go, the deload has served its purpose.

 

[perp69]

Like some of these guys said their are a number ways you can deload. For instance lately I have been doing a week of speed training and that usually does the job for me. Then when I start up the 3x3 I use the last week weights for 5x5. With the extra strongman stuff you may need longer or need to drop that stuff all together.

Perp

 

[blut wump]

As G5 said, a 5x3 when most of the sets are below your 5RM isn't going to load you. I know it's hard to think of the lower, ramping sets as warmup sets, and it doesn't matter if you do, just compare the workload with getting up there for a 5x5. You could even make the higher ramping sets into doubles.

The DF 5x5 has two different deload options. One of them segues into working towards new 3RM and 3x3RM lifting and the other is the pure deload. The pure deload, IIRC, has all the exercises set at a flat 3x3 and you do aim to keep increasing the weight if you make all 9 reps.

However, consider that you start the pure deload lifting only 3x3 at your 5x5 max. Clearly there's room to move up on this as the loading lifts. More than that, though, you only lift 2x per week. Some of us have run a hybrid of the two methods where we've done the pure deload and then jumped back into the intensity phase.

Note also that the pure deload option is intended to be run for only a couple of weeks. By the third week you're itching for more volume.

Deloading is a personal thing. You need to find your own recipe and anything anyone types here is just a framework and guideline for you to shuffle around.

 

[coolcolj]

deloading should feel easy

if you are overreached you will be weaker, so your 1RM is actually lower now.
and anything over 70% can build strnegth so it will break your body down. to recover best to stay in the 50-60% area and do a couple sets of 5.

 

[SDHW]

Here is what happened last week. I decided to get only two workouts in. I dropped Friday’s workout plus my event training on Sunday.

My last workout I tried to use the same numbers from my previous weeks 5x5, basically I did the same workout just using 3 reps for the last 3 sets.

here are my numbers

Deadlift
2 warm ups
315x3
405x3
495x1 <-barely even got it up. did 5 reps last week!!!

Push
2 warm ups
205x3
235x3
265x3
felt okay with this one, felt a little heavy

then I did
dips 3x10
bi's/tr's 3x10

before anyone says anything, I dropped the Wednesday squat due to lower quad tendon issues.

so basically what im going to do, or I should say is TRY to do, is cut volume IE: drop to 3 sets of 3 reps, while trying to keep intensity high. Correct? do this for another 2 weeks, and hopefully I will be able to jump back into the regular workout.

 

[coolcolj]

I would go both lighter and lower volume

your trying to recover and heal up, not peak. Peaking would keep intensity high but volume and frequency lower

anything over 70% will still tear you down,

 

[SDHW]

I would go both lighter and lower volume

your trying to recover and heal up, not peak. Peaking would keep intensity high but volume and frequency lower

anything over 70% will still tear you down,

okay, I will try that this week,

What should my weight be when I get back to the normal training? should I take a % of my last 5x5?

just to make sure I got this, if I take 70% of my weights,

squat 545lb = 381lbs
Bench 435lb = 305
Dead 500lb = 350
push 265lb = 185
row 315lbs = 220

so these would be my last set of 3, after I did my two warm ups, and then two ramping set correct? I would like to keep pushing the same weight but only do 3x3? I just dont want to have to put my old 5x5 numbers into week 4 and re ramp up to them. it would be 2-3 weeks deload, then 4 more weeks to get back where I was.

 

[coolcolj]

You can just go back up to where you where quicker than 4 weeks, just depends on how comfortable you are with the heavier loads.

but yeah you can keep doing 3x3 and peak it right out before you change things out