Deload

A deload is a short, deliberate reduction in training stress, usually about a week, in which volume, intensity, or both are cut back. Unlike simply missing sessions, it is scheduled in advance as part of a plan so that accumulated fatigue can dissipate and the body can absorb the work already done. Athletes often keep moving during a deload but at easier loads or lower training frequency.

Deloads sit within a periodised programme and are frequently placed after several demanding weeks or before a new, harder block. They differ from a taper, which specifically sharpens form in the final run-up to competition, and from a single rest day. Managing these lighter periods is a core coaching skill, because continual overload without recovery stalls progress.