# How to deload

> To deload, keep your usual exercises and training days for one week but cut the sets roughly in half, or drop the weight to about 50 to 70% of normal, and stop every set well short of failure. Then go back to your normal program the following week.

Source: https://templatetrainer.com/guides/how-to-deload/ · Updated 2026-10-12 · Template Trainer

A good deload is simple: keep the same lifts, make the week clearly easier, and finish every session feeling like you could have done a lot more. Below are four ways to do it, with numbers you can use straight away. If you're not sure you need one yet, start with [what a deload is and the signs you need one](https://templatetrainer.com/guides/what-is-a-deload/).

## The ground rules

Whichever method you pick, these hold:

- **Keep your main lifts.** You want to keep practicing the movement patterns, just with less stress.
- **No grinding.** Every rep should move fast and feel easy. Stop each set well short of failure, with at least 3 to 4 reps left in the tank.
- **Keep your schedule.** Train on your usual days if you can. The routine matters.
- **One week is usually enough.** For most people, 5 to 7 days does the job.
- **Eat and sleep as normal.** A deload isn't a diet week. Recovery needs fuel.

This is also how experienced lifters do it. In a 2024 survey of 246 competitive strength and physique athletes, a typical deload lasted about 6 days and reduced sets, reps and effort, while training frequency and exercise choice mostly stayed the same.

## Method 1: Cut the volume (the default)

Keep the weights close to normal and cut the number of sets roughly in half. This is the best choice for most people, because you keep the feel of heavier weights while shedding most of the fatigue.

| | Normal week | Deload week |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Squat | 5 sets of 5 at 100 kg | 2 to 3 sets of 5 at 90 kg |
| Bench press | 4 sets of 8 at 70 kg | 2 sets of 8 at 62.5 kg |
| Accessories | 3 to 4 sets each | 1 to 2 sets each, or skip |

**Use it when:** you're mostly tired from lots of training, or you're running a high-volume program.

## Method 2: Cut the weight

Keep the same sets and reps, but drop the weight to about 50 to 60% of what you normally lift. The sets feel like warm-ups.

**Use it when:** your joints or tendons are the problem. Lighter loads give them the most relief.

## Method 3: Cut both (the light week)

Drop the sets by about a third and the weight by about 10 to 20%. This is the most common style in percentage-based programs. The deload week in 5/3/1, for example, is a few sets at roughly 40 to 60% of your training max.

**Use it when:** you feel worn down all over, or at the end of a hard training block.

## Method 4: The active deload

Swap your usual lifting for easier movement for a week: light machine work, bodyweight [circuits](https://templatetrainer.com/guides/what-is-circuit-training/), walking, cycling, mobility work. Keep it fun and keep the effort low.

**Use it when:** you're mentally fried, travelling, or nursing a niggle that heavy lifts aggravate. It's also a good fit if you're only training a couple of days a week.

## Which method should you pick?

- **Most people:** Method 1. Cut the sets in half and keep the weight about 90% of normal.
- **Achy joints:** Method 2.
- **Finishing a hard block or a peaking phase:** Method 3.
- **Burned out or short on time:** Method 4.

If your program already has a deload built in, use that one. It was designed around the rest of the program.

## Getting back after the deload

The week after a deload, go back to your normal program where you left off. Many people find their first sessions back feel noticeably easier. If you stalled before the deload, the program's usual reset rule may also apply. A common one is to drop the stalled lift by about 10% and build back up, which is often the push that gets you past a plateau. See [progressive overload](https://templatetrainer.com/guides/progressive-overload/) for how to keep progressing from there.

## Example deload week

Here's a full week for someone on a three-day full-body program, using Method 1.

| Day | Normal | Deload |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | Squat 5×5, Bench 5×5, Row 3×8 | Squat 2×5, Bench 2×5, Row 2×8, all at about 90% |
| Wednesday | Deadlift 3×5, Press 5×5, Chin-ups 3×AMRAP | Deadlift 1×5, Press 2×5, Chin-ups 2×5 |
| Friday | Squat 5×5, Bench 5×5, Row 3×8 | Squat 2×5, Bench 2×5, Row 2×8, all at about 90% |

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should a deload last?

Usually one week. If you still feel beaten up at the end of it, take a few more easy days, but if you need two or three weeks regularly, your normal training is probably too hard to recover from.

### Should I do cardio during a deload?

Light cardio is fine and can help you feel better. Keep it easy. A deload isn't the week to start hard interval training.

### Can I deload just one lift?

Yes. If only one lift has stalled while the others are moving, you can reset or lighten that lift and keep training the rest as normal.

### Is it OK to skip a planned deload if I feel great?

Occasionally, yes. But planned deloads exist because people are bad at judging their own fatigue. If you skip one, take the next one on time.

## Sources

- [Rogerson et al. (2024), Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey, Sports Medicine - Open](https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-024-00691-y)
- [Bell et al. (2023), Integrating Deloading into Strength and Physique Sports Training Programmes: An International Delphi Consensus Approach, Sports Medicine - Open](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10511399/)