Hi all,

My question is, do you think a Class III lifter should use many deloads in his training cycle?

I have a unequipped comp coming up and a possible 12 week training cycle would be:

Week 1-3 - Accumulation

Week 4 - Deload

Week 5-7 - Transmutation

Week 8 - Deload

Week 9-11 - Realisation

Week 12 - Deload And Competition

now should I just remove the deloads ( asside from week 12) and just extend the accumulation and/or transmutation phases.

Also as I'm competing raw should I still include equippment in my training? ( such as a loose shirt and knee wraps)

What would be the best way to deload on competition week?

Thank you all for your time,

Chris

Not sure that this will help:  I think you have to find the answer for yourself.  I trained last year largely without planned deloads.  After analyzing my logs, kicking it around, I'm training this year with planned deload weeks.  Too early to be sure, but I think it's a step in the right direction for me.  Might have some tweaking to do on how to best incorporate deloads, but that will get figured out with time.

I'm doing 3 hard weeks, 1 deload week in my accumulation block.

Ah, okay, well I try to use a more unplanned fashion to start with.

In a email I got from Mike T, he stated that lifters up to CMS should spend most of their training time in the 80-85% range, with this in mind, would an extended accumulation period say 5 weeks, with deloads when felt required, be more of an advantage over say a equal split between the transmutation stage and accumulation? And use repXset protocols that keep within the 85% range.

 Also on the last week before competition, what do most of you guys do for deloading?

 Cheers,Chris

To answer your original post... I don't think either way will yield vastly different results for you as long as you manage your stresses properly.

In Bob's case we were noticing a pattern.  He would train for a period of weeks and after about 3 weeks, he noticed feeling beat up and if he continued to push, an injury sometimes resulted.  So we're doing 3 on 1 off to account for his natural tendency.

Once TRAC comes online, this will be a much easier question to answer as well.  When your physiological indications get to a certain point, you know it's time to back off and let things go.  This will allow you to both manage reduced training loads for workouts or schedule entire deload weeks based on physiological response.

Regarding the deload before a contest, I don't even really do them anymore.  My current thinking is this -- I am not trying to lift beyond what I've done in training.  If I go to the meet and I lift how I did in training, then I will have a good day.  And on that same note, if I got stronger throughout the training cycle and displayed that strength without the deload, then why add a deload for the contest?
You know, this is a pretty tough question and one that I haven't totally figured out.  There are obviously many ways to do it.

Another interesting thing I've learned from TRAC is that what reduces CNS potential the most is not lifting maximal weights.  It's avoiding maximal weights for a prolonged period.  Exactly what that period is, I can't tell you.  I know for me, it's about a week.  I need to lift something in the 80%+ range at least once per week or my CNS potential will drop.  This is showing to be true in others as well.

With that in mind, how do you approach deloading?  It just highlights something we all know to be true -- you have to time things right.  Lift heavy in close enough proximity to the contest that you are well prepared, but not so close that you are overtrained.  Tough call.

Really? So the Deloads might actually hinder my competition day lifts?

I'll try to use a more instinctive plan for deloads.

Thanks

You're right -- it is a very individual thing.  And I don't have the definitive answer yet, so we'll see how it goes.  But I can say from my personal experience...

Doing nothing failed
Doing one sorta-workout failed
Doing multiple sorta-workouts was much better, but still posed problems
Continuing to train full bore was a small, but dangerous, improvement

I think the type of deload that is best suited to you will depend on (among other things) classification.  I know for the higher-level guys I train, the last training block before a meet is occupied by lots of practice-meets.  This helps immensely, but the deload can't be "just another training week".  It's too risky.

Mike, think I was a little unclear about what I meant. Here's an example of the time-line and work-out structure I'm talking about.

Last Training Week:

#1 Regular training

#2 Mini-competition

    Work up to max doubles

Week of Meet (assume its on Saturday):

#1 Mini-competition
   
    Work up to max fives

 Do you think this sort of structure is sub-optimal based on your experience?

That's not what I would have you do.  I guess your last training week is okay.  I would stick to singles and go up to about 95%, but what you have is fine.

The week before the meet, I'd do multiple workouts, all 3 contest lifts, low volume, low intensity (<80%) and keep the efforts at 7 or below.  That's a good place to start.