How to Reset Between Programs

Nike Training

Ryan Flaherty, Nike Director of Performance

It does matter how you take your break, though — and it should be just as intentional as your workouts have been. The best way to reset is to give yourself a deload week, says Ryan Flaherty, Nike Director of Performance. Deloading is exactly what it sounds like: reducing the amount of exercise you do, plus zeroing in on activities that help your body bounce back from all the hard work you’ve put in. Far from hurting or stalling your progress, a deload week will ensure that you’re restored and ready to give 100 percent to your next workout program. Here’s exactly how to do it.

1. Dial back to 50 — not 0.
   Deload isn’t synonymous with doing nothing. If you go totally sedentary after a program, you risk losing your physical — and mental — momentum, making it harder to go all-in again when your restful week is over. Instead, get the best possible recovery by cutting your training load in half. For example, if you’ve been hitting three or four intense training sessions each week, bring that down to one or two sessions — you could go back and cherry-pick your favorite workouts from the program. If pulling back this much makes you feel restless, add in low-impact activities like an easy bike ride, a short walk, or browse the mobility section of NTC to find restorative workouts that will help your recovery and keep you moving
   
   
2. Watch what you eat.
   Deloading your training also doesn’t mean derailing your diet! While it might seem like the perfect time to reward yourself with heavy meals, sweets and extra beers, this is actually the time when you need to be sharpest about nutrition. That’s because when you deload, you naturally become more sedentary, so you burn fewer calories. The calories you do take in should come from healthy, nutrient-dense foods to better help your body repair and rebuild. Once you kick off a new workout plan, and you’re training hard again, you’ll have a little more leeway in your diet; that’s when your body will require more energy to burn for fuel — so you have more room for allowances!
3. Focus on recovery
   Think of deloading as a spa week for your body: spend time foam-rolling while you catch up on your favorite shows, take a long, hot bath with Epsom salts, or go to bed an hour early. All of these things will help your muscle fibers repair and regenerate faster. And just as important, you’ll give yourself the head space to mentally reset, too.

During this down time, you’re in a great spot to reevaluate your training goals and decide what’s next. For your training sessions, go back to repeat some of your favorite workouts from your plan, or try a workout or two from different plans to see which one you want to tackle next. You can also go back to your completed plan and focus more on the holistic advice components – nutrition, sleep, recovery – that you didn’t have time to fully nail before.

This way, once your deload week is done, you’re ready to get back at it — refreshed, motivated and stronger than ever.