Why Deloads Matter — Training Update #7

Deload week has arrived — and honestly, thank the lord for that. Craig explains supercompensation, why fatigue masks fitness, and what's happening in Week 3 of your strength block. IAC Melbourne — Training Update #7.

Deload week has arrived — and honestly, thank the lord for that.

I've felt pretty flat since the weekend's running sessions, which consisted of intervals on Saturday followed by progressive 4km blocks on Sunday:

As soon as I finished, it was straight into carbs and putting the feet up for the rest of the day.

That session wrapped up the first 3-week running block, which gradually built to 43.65 km total volume for the week.

Now comes the important part: backing off. This week's deload drops my running volume to around 30 km, allowing recovery before the next 3-week block begins.

Most people think progress happens during training.

Training is simply the stimulus. The actual adaptation happens during recovery.

If you continue stacking hard training without periods of reduced load, performance eventually plateaus — or worse, starts going backwards.

This is particularly important in endurance training where repetitive loading can quietly accumulate over time.

Fitness is built from the balance between stress and recovery — not just from more work.

I managed to finally get in for some treatment with Danielle last week. You'll be happy to know, she inflicted some pain on me.

Deloads work because of a concept called supercompensation.

After a hard training block, performance temporarily drops because of accumulated fatigue. But if recovery is timed properly, the body adapts and rebounds above its previous baseline.

Without adequate recovery, you stay stuck in fatigue and never fully access the adaptation you trained for in the first place.

This is why good programming alternates periods of stress with periods of recovery — not because training less is "soft", but because it's necessary for long-term progression.

Strength training creates a huge amount of fatigue, particularly through:

Even if motivation stays high, the body doesn't infinitely tolerate heavy loading.

In strength programmes, deloads often involve reduced volume, reduced intensity, fewer total sets, and more recovery between sessions.

And interestingly, many people come out of deload weeks lifting better than before. Why? Because fatigue was masking fitness. Once the fatigue drops away, the strength that was built underneath becomes more visible.

Exactly what a deload should look like: enough movement to maintain rhythm, but not enough to dig the hole deeper.

Week 3 of 6 is nearly complete, and you'll notice the structure is very similar to Week 1. The major difference: lower reps = higher intensity.

With volume reduced, most of you should now be lifting more weight than you were at the beginning of the block.

Performing fewer reps reduces overall fatigue within the set, allowing you to produce more force and move heavier loads. This one's straightforward.

Early strength gains are heavily driven by the nervous system. Over the past few weeks, your brain and nervous system have been learning to:

This is why people often get significantly stronger before they visibly build muscle. Your body becomes better at using the muscle you already have.

Monday's session used two squat variations with very different goals.

The purpose of the box squat is to reduce the stretch reflex by pausing on the box. Normally in a squat, we rely partly on stored elastic energy and momentum out of the bottom position. The box squat removes that assistance.

These followed the box squats and targeted something completely different. The goal here is to maximise knee flexion while keeping the torso upright. This increases quad demand and shifts the squat from hip-dominant to knee-dominant.

And this links directly to something I've noticed coaching many of you.

A lot of people walk into the gym with underdeveloped quads. You often tell me this indirectly:

I see it in squats too. Instead of bending through the knees and loading the quads, many people instinctively shift into a "good morning squat" — hips shoot back, torso folds forward, and the knees avoid doing work.

But as many of you have gotten stronger, I've watched that change.

You're accessing deeper knee bend. You're trusting your quads more. You're moving through the squat far better.

And honestly, those little movement changes are what lights up my soul. Sometimes your progress is obvious on paper. Sometimes it's visible in the way you move. Both matter.

Huge thanks to everyone who ordered merch. Orders were finalised Tuesday and should arrive within the next two weeks. Looking forward to seeing you represent around Caroline Springs.

Hopefully we'll see plenty of you Sunday morning at Brimbank. 8:30am start. Easy pace/walk. Low pressure. Come move, get some fresh air, and build a bit of fitness with us.

Our small group strength sessions run across Ravenhall, Tarneit, and Williamstown. Whether you're returning from injury or building strength for the long term, we programme with purpose.

This article is for general information and educational purposes only. Training loads, session data, and programming principles described are based on individual experience and should be adapted under the guidance of a qualified health or fitness professional.

Back from deload: 18 rounds of hill sprints at Cardiac Hill, under & over threshold sessions, lateral raises into pike handstand holds, and the Q2 workshop with Dr Samina Kausar.

Interval training, Zercher squats, the afternoon caffeine trap, and why electrolyte hydration can transform your recovery. IAC Melbourne weekly update.