Deload Weeks: Why You Need to Train Less to Train Harder

This year I’m doing something I’ve never done before in my fitness journey.

Maybe the craziest thing I’ve ever done — crazier than training for a 100-mile race in 3 months.

Now don’t laugh at me.
It might not sound crazy to you.

But if you’re anything like me, you’ll get it:

I’m taking a planned week, every single month, to take it easy in my training.

For someone who doesn’t have a hard time getting to the gym, this takes more discipline than just training hard all the time.

This is commonly referred to as a deload week.

I’ve studied all about it.
I know the benefits.
But I’m still not bought in… yet.

So I’m testing it out:

• One deload week every single month.
• Still going to the gym — but no heavy lifting.
• No high volume.
• No training to failure.

I’ll probably cut both weight and volume in half.

It’ll feel like one long warmup.

It’ll feel painfully easy and unproductive.

But I know it’s what I need.

Here’s a quick disclaimer:

You only need a deload week if you’re training hard.

If you’re skipping gym days, barely pushing yourself, or hitting the gym 2x/week without intensity, then good news:

You don’t need to deload.

You need to train harder — then you need to deload.

I know it’s time for a deload when:

• My motivation to get to the gym is lower.
• I start to feel dread before a workout.
• Weights that should feel light start feeling heavy.

Why You Should Consider Taking a Deload Week

1. Train harder when it counts

When you’re always redlining, your performance suffers.

Pushing too hard for too long leads to overtraining — when your body starts breaking down instead of getting stronger.

Strategic deloads allow you to push harder when it matters most.

2. Reduce overuse injuries

When I ran our physical therapy practice, the biggest issues we saw in active people were overuse injuries:

• CrossFitters: knees, shoulders, low backs.
• Runners: Achilles, plantar fasciitis, IT bands.
• Weekend warriors: shoulders, knees, bulging discs.

If you’re constantly pushing, your joints and connective tissues fight back.
Recovery is as important as the workout.

The harder you push ➔ the harder you need to recover.

3. Give your mind and nervous system a break

Pushing hard demands more than just physical strength — it taxes your nervous system too.

You know how much better workouts feel when you’re dialed in versus sluggish?

You can only push through fatigue for so long before your body pushes back — with sickness, injuries, or burnout.

4. Improve your overall health

Fitness is about more than lifting heavy or running fast.

• Bloodwork
• Hormones
• Sleep
• Stress
• Mood

They all paint a picture of your true health.

During the pandemic, when I pushed my body and business to the limits, I crashed hard with extreme fatigue and high cortisol levels.

Training hard is good.
Training smart is better.

5. Create fitness balance

Deload weeks are a perfect time to:

• Walk more
• Do some mobility work or stretching you’ve been putting off
• Bike lightly
• Do some light runs
• Focus on core or single-limb exercises
• Improve weaknesses you don’t usually have time for

(But quick note: you still need to be recovering. Deloading doesn’t mean setting a new PR in running.)

6. Create life balance

Life is seasonal.
Training should be too.

Maybe you’ve got travel coming up.
Or a big work project.
Or you just want to spend more time with family.

Deload weeks free you up to do that — without guilt.

7. You’re already deloading anyway (you just don’t realize it)

This is the biggest thing I’ve learned.

You’re already deloading.
You can either proactively deload — or reactively deload when you get injured, sick, or burned out.

If you push hard for 6 months and then crash for 6 weeks…
That’s a forced deload.

If you show up to the gym 1-2x/week and just go through the motions…
You’re already deloading poorly.

If you travel and miss a week of workouts…
You’re deloading.

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I’ll be honest.

Most of my hesitation around deloading has been fear:

• What if I lose progress?
• What if I miss faster gains?
• But I enjoy training — what will I do when I’m not pushing it?

But these thoughts aren’t rational.
And they’re definitely not healthy.

If I told you that you could get:

• Better progress
• More life balance
• Feel better across the board

…you’d take it, right?
The thing is: rest is the answer.

If you’re training hard, and the idea of taking a week easy terrifies you…

You might need it more than anyone.

First ask yourself:

• Are you training hard enough to need a deload week?

If not, figure out what’s stopping you.

If yes — and you’re still not deloading — ask yourself why.

Biggest takeaway:

Do you need to train harder or train less this year?
(If the answer is both, you’re really speaking my language.)