What is a Deload?
A deload is a planned phase in your training cycle – typically lasting about a week – during which training volume and intensity are intentionally reduced. The goal is to reduce accumulated physiological fatigue that builds up over several weeks of intense training. Unlike a complete break, movement is maintained – but with a deliberately reduced training stimulus.
In the MyFitCoach app, deloads are automatically scheduled every five training weeks. However, you can also adjust them manually if your subjective fatigue levels (e.g., due to illness, lack of sleep, or stress) indicate that a different timing makes more sense.
Why Are Deloads Necessary – Physiological Background
Intense strength training causes both acute and cumulative fatigue, which – over time – can negatively impact your ability to make progress. The three main mechanisms are:
Muscle fiber damage
→ Microtrauma and structural stress to muscle fibers, especially during eccentric contractions.Excitation-contraction coupling failure
→ Impaired signal transmission to initiate muscle contraction; often triggered by calcium ion buildup in type II fibers.Central nervous system (CNS) fatigue
→ Reduced recruitment of high-threshold motor units, limiting your ability to fully activate muscle fibers.
These factors prevent the effective buildup of mechanical tension – the primary driver of hypertrophy – even if training continues. As a result, adaptive stimulus is significantly reduced.
Training Without Deloads – Why It Leads to Less Progress Long-Term
Without regular deloads, invisible but performance-limiting fatigue can accumulate and gradually manifest as:
stalled progress
dips in performance
reduced motivation
higher injury risk
A critical detail: during high-fatigue phases, perceived muscle growth can be misleading – caused by swelling (e.g., inflammation or water retention) rather than structural hypertrophy. Only during a deload phase does it become clear how effective the previous block really was.
Which Training Variables Increase Post-Workout Fatigue the Most?
According to current research (Beardsley et al., 2023), the following training parameters significantly promote fatigue accumulation – making regular deloads even more relevant:
High rep ranges with lighter loads
Training close to failure
Eccentric movements in stretched positions
High training volume and frequency
Large range of motion (ROM)
These factors all encourage excessive calcium ion accumulation, the main trigger for the fatigue mechanisms outlined above.
How MyFitCoach Intelligently Integrates Deloads
MyFitCoach uses an automated system that implements a deload every five training weeks. During this phase:
RIR (Reps in Reserve) values are set to at least 4+
Training volume is reduced
Recovery is actively supported
If you feel recovered sooner (or later), you can adjust the timing manually in your training profile. A deload can also be an effective re-entry strategy after a break.
How to Customize Your Deloads
By default, deloads occur every five training weeks in MyFitCoach. But if you need a reduction phase sooner or later – e.g., after illness, high stress, or an intense block – you can easily adjust the deload interval:
Go to the "Training" tab in the app
Tap the "Training" button at the top
Select "Deloads"
Adjust your next deload week as needed
💡 Note: These refer to training weeks, not calendar weeks.
This allows you to align deloads with your actual recovery needs – without disrupting progress or structure.
Sometimes, Less Is More
Deloads are not a “break for the weak” – they’re a strategic tool for advanced lifters. If you want to become stronger, injury-free, and more muscular over the long term, you need not only training stimulus – but also planned recovery phases that allow for supercompensation and adaptation.
A smart training plan knows when rest is more productive than stress – and that’s exactly what deloads provide.
If you have questions about deloads or training periodization, our support team is always happy to help:
📩 support@myfitcoach.de
Sources
Sources
Helms, E. R., Valdez, A., & Morgan, A. (2019). The Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid 2nd Edition.
Bartholomew, J. B., et al. (2008). Strength gains after resistance training: the effect of stressful, negative life events. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(4), 1215–1221.
Alhola, P., & Polo-Kantola, P. (2007). Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 3(5), 553–567.
Dattilo, M., et al. (2011). Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 77(2), 220–222.
Chaput, J.-P., & Tremblay, A. (2012). Adequate sleep to improve the treatment of obesity. CMAJ, 184(18), 1975–1976.
Nedeltcheva, A. V., et al. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of Internal Medicine, 153(7), 435–441.
Beardsley, C. (2023). Strength & Conditioning Research. www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com