A Deloading Strength Phase is a planned reduction in training stress—meaning you intentionally cut back on total volume (sets × reps × load), and sometimes intensity, to allow your body to recover. Think of it as hitting the “reset button” for your muscles, joints, and nervous system after weeks of heavy lifting. This doesn’t mean you stop training, but instead you train at a lighter workload so your body can repair, adapt, and come back stronger. When you push through hard training phases without breaks, fatigue can accumulate, leading to plateaus, nagging injuries, or burnout. A deload phase is designed to prevent that. Research and coaching practice both support deloads as a smart way to keep long-term strength progress moving forward. How Long Should You Follow the Plan? Typical Duration: Most deload phases last 5–7 days (about 1 training week). Perform this routine 2-3 times for the week that you are deloading. Frequency: Lifters usually deload every 4–8 weeks, depending on training intensity, program design, age, and recovery ability. Adjusting to You: If you’re pushing heavy strength cycles or high-volume hypertrophy training, a 1-week deload every 4–6 weeks works well. If you’re more moderate with training, you may only need to deload every 8–10 weeks. Listen to your body: if you notice persistent soreness, performance drops, or mental fatigue, that’s a sign a deload may be due. Jefit: Embrace the Grind, MICHAEL WOOD, CSCS Jefit