Deload Week Assistance: Use Less Weight, Do Less Work, or Skip?

Hi all and thanks for reading, this will be quick. During the 531 de load week, is it’s best to back off and do less weight on assistance exercises, Stop it all together for the week or just simply don’t do as much? Thanks

Any of the 3 will work. Personally I avoid it altogether and use my deload week to hit my TM and GTFO. Gotta take a break from the things you love once in awhile so you keep yourself hungry. Not the most hardcore answer out there but you gotta do what you can to keep yourself mentally in the game. If I’m not totally ready for a break by my deload week I just back way off on the amount of assistance, maybe only back and core work.

Thanks

I personally don’t work up to a TM, and do something easy like the following example for squat day on a deload:

Progress through the warm up weights for squat, and do 2-3x5 of FSL. Then do some bodyweight-only work, mobility work, and maybe some conditioning.

I like to be a bit more open-ended on this week, and sometimes will just do bodyweight, sometimes KB work, sometimes light barbell work. My thoughts are to also give myself a mental break from the rigidity of a program, while also giving myself a break from overly heavy work barbell work.

1 Like

Just finish re-reading one of Wendler’s books. Do a true deload weight, less weight and less volume as prescribed by the program. Don’t skip it you can maintain your form and when you are under the barbell do everything the same as if you were about to lift your training max.