on-track shower shave (beard) dressed for gym by 9a
nails
+100mg caf
gym noon ~ 12:53, 3 hybrid circuits
Back extension 3 x 20 x 155#
Lat pulldown [18, 16] x 150#; 18 x 135#
Leg press 3 x 20 x 310# ; near but not quite at limit
Shoulder press [16, 15] x 82.5#; 16 x 75#
grocery run
mgr special cajun salmon 58g
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Encountered a few days ago the term "deload" phase, typically a week, in bodybuilding strategy.
Dove deeper today to understand where it fits among [stam, hypertrophy, strength] protocols.
- Volume deload: maintain load numbers but reduce overall reps to half (e.g. 5-6 reps per set, not 10-12)
- Weight/intensity deload: maintain rep count and speed, reduce loads by 50-60%
- "Active Recovery": Reduce loads AND rep count; mix in lighter / alternative activities like cardio
- Bodybuilding community favors Volume Deload: minimizes tissue stress, maintains neuro adaptations.
- Burnout warnings recommend deload phase: low motivation, performance stall/regress, lingering soreness
- Novices like me should rotate in a Deload week when body/mind warns, not preplan.
It's common to follow deload protocol on one machine or body region, while maintaining other protocols elsewhere; e.g. deload phase week on shoulder press and lat pulldown in response to lingering soreness, while maintaining endurance or hypertrophy protocol on leg press and back extension. This is called "regional" or "local" deload, as opposed to "systemic" deload (across all target areas / total machine circuit).
- Maintenance or surplus calorie intake, not calorie cutting, during systemic deload phase
- Not that I've been paying much attention to calorie count, nor visibly shedding weight
- If I have to guess, my guess is I'm in average daily calorie balance or marginal surplus
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