Optimizing Deload Week Principle: Methods and Strategies for Athletic Performance
Triphasic Principle 27
When it comes to athletic training, incorporating rest and recovery is crucial for optimal performance and long-term development. One key component of a well-rounded training program is the “Deload Week,” also known as “Download Week” or “Light Week.” This period is designed to provide athletes with active rest, allowing them to recover while still engaging in lower-intensity training. Here’s a detailed look at the methods used during Deload Week, based on the practices implemented by Coach Dietz.
What is Deload Week?
Deload Week is a phase in a training cycle where the overall intensity and volume of exercise are reduced. The goal is to facilitate recovery while maintaining a level of physical activity that prevents the athlete from becoming deconditioned. This active rest period often involves a combination of modified exercises, new techniques, and recovery-focused protocols to keep athletes engaged while aiding in their physical recovery.
1. Implementing Circuit Training
One of the primary approaches during Deload Week is to use circuit training. This breaks up the monotony of a regular training regimen and offers a variety of movements that keep athletes stimulated. The circuits typically include:
- Contralateral Movements: These exercises, such as cross-crawl patterns, incorporate opposite sides of the body, engaging the nervous system in a way that supports coordination and balance. They help reinforce functional movement patterns while minimizing strain.
- Barefoot Training: Athletes perform the circuits barefoot on quarter-inch-thick weight room flooring pads to enhance proprioception and stimulate the foot’s sensory receptors. This approach helps in improving foot strength and balance.
- Stones for Sensory Feedback: Small stones glued to the pads provide irregular textures underfoot, promoting skin deformation and aiding in proprioceptive feedback.
2. Incorporating Breathing Techniques
Breathing is a key component of the circuits during Deload Week, with a focus on nasal breathing to maintain heart rates between 110 and 120 bpm. Here’s how breathing methods are used:
- Mouth Taping: Athletes tape their mouths shut to encourage nasal breathing, which supports a calm, controlled breathing pattern. The tape serves as a reminder, allowing athletes to focus on diaphragmatic breathing without the risk of complete airway obstruction.
- Breath Holding: Every third exercise in the circuit involves a breath-hold after exhaling completely. Athletes hold their breath until they feel a strong urge to breathe again, which enhances CO2 tolerance and improves respiratory efficiency.
- NeuroBalance Sync Stack: The Neurobalance Sync Stack is an effective method in the use for rapidly returning to homeostasis after each exercise, not just during download weeks, but also during games, training, conditioning, and practice..
3. Use of Isometric Exercises for Hormonal Response
To optimize recovery, isometric exercises are integrated into the training. These exercises involve static muscle contractions that create a significant hormonal response due to the strain and elevated blood pressure. For instance:
- Hormonal Strain: With the Hormonal Strain Method Athletes perform maximum effort holds for 3-5 seconds per one to two body parts, which stimulates hormonal circulation and primes the body for recovery do to the normal response. This, done before a light workout, helps flush hormones around the body to aid recovery. This is particularly beneficial for athletes in peak phases, for power and speed athletes preparing for competition during the peaking phase.
4. Lymphatic Bouncing
An innovative method being explored is lymphatic bouncing, which involves gentle bouncing to promote lymphatic circulation. This helps flush out metabolic waste and supports recovery by enhancing fluid movement throughout the body. The technique is performed using triphasic bars where athletes are lightly supported under their armpits, allowing them to bounce with minimal effort.
5. Introducing New Exercises to Mitigate Soreness
Deload Week also serves as an opportunity to introduce new exercises that may be included in the upcoming training phase. By doing so, the body adapts to the movements, reducing the likelihood of soreness when the training volume increases. Here’s how to implement this strategy:
- Pre-Load Exercises: New exercises that could potentially cause muscle soreness are introduced at a lower intensity during Deload Week. For example, if the next phase involves lunges, those movements can be added at 50-60% of the usual intensity.
- Preventing In-Season Soreness: This approach is especially valuable during in-season training when maintaining performance levels is critical. By introducing these exercises beforehand, athletes are less likely to experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) during competition weeks.
Additional Methods Under Development
Coach Dietz continues to experiment with new techniques aimed at improving recovery, including neurological methods and other recovery modalities. These approaches are still in the testing phase, and details will be shared once they have been thoroughly evaluated for effectiveness.
Conclusion
Deload Week plays a vital role in a comprehensive training program, providing athletes with an opportunity to recover while maintaining a level of activity that supports ongoing progress. By incorporating circuit training, isometric exercises, breathing techniques, lymphatic bouncing, and pre-loading new exercises, coaches can optimize recovery and enhance athletic performance. If you have additional methods or insights, reach out to share your experiences.
Integrate these methods into your training regimen to see improvements in recovery, adaptation, and overall athletic performance and Rehab
Ogasawara, R., Yasuda, T., Sakamaki, M., Ozaki, H., & Abe, T. (2013). Effects of periodic and continuous resistance training on muscle CSA and strength in previously untrained men. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 33(1), 75-80.
Coleman, A., et al. (2023). The first-ever study on deloads. Biolayne. Retrieved from https://biolayne.com/reps/issue-14/the-first-ever-study-on-deloads/
Kuharik, B. (2024). The benefits of adding a ‘deload week’ to your workout plan. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/deload-week
Zourdos, M. C., et al. (2023). Integrating deloading into strength and physique sports training programs: A consensus statement. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10511399/
Breaking Muscle (2023). The science behind deload weeks explained. Retrieved from https://breakingmuscle.com/deload-week/
