By Friday last week I could feel it – that mix of heavy legs and short fuse that means you’ve gone one week too far. I tell clients to deload before they hit that wall. I still forget myself sometimes. So this is the plan I use when I finally listen to my own advice.
Keep the routine, shrink the effort
Don’t throw your whole schedule away. Still show up at your usual training times, just cut what you do in half. Less weight, fewer sets, slower pace. The trick is keeping rhythm while giving your body a break.
Move, don’t train
Walk down to the beach. Walk up Montjuïc if you want something steeper. Leave your watch at home. If you can still hold a normal conversation, you’re in the right zone. If you’re panting, you’ve missed the point.
Mobility first, everything else second
Ten minutes morning, ten at night. Simple stuff: hips, ankles, shoulders. No perfect flow needed. It’s more about moving gently than stretching deeply.
A short strength plan that won’t wreck you
Two sets of:
Squat x 6
Hinge x 6
Push x 6
Pull x 6
Carry x 30 seconds
That’s it. Two days this week. You’ll feel better for doing something but not wrecked from doing too much.
Eat and sleep like you mean it
If you’ve been training hard, you’re probably under-slept and under-fed. Go to bed earlier. Eat real food, not bars or shakes. Drink enough water so you don’t wake up with dry eyes.
Signs you’re ready to ramp back up
You stop waking up sore. Your lifts feel lighter. You actually want to train again. That’s when the deload’s done.
Here’s how the week can look:
Mon – Mobility and a 30-minute walk
Tue – Light strength session
Wed – Easy cycle or long walk
Thu – Mobility + light core
Fri – Repeat Tuesday
Sat – Something fun and outdoors, no stopwatch
Sun – Off, plan next week, stretch a bit
It doesn’t sound like much, but it works. Every time I finish a week like this, I remember why recovery is part of training, not the opposite of it.