As we continue to fine-tune our programming in pursuit of delivering a truly unparalleled strength and conditioning product to the fitness market, it’s about time we refreshed Cardio Week.
Enter: “Deload Week”.
Deload week occurs every 13 weeks to cap off the previous 12 weeks of interval-driven strength and conditioning. Within these 7 days, you can expect a weight- and boxing-free training floor. Primal athleticism, agilities and footwork, bodyweight movements, and cardio are all at play during this uniquely and thoughtfully programmed week. No different than our standard training recommendation, plan to attend 4x sessions to optimally benefit.
Why Deload?
In order for your body and muscles to properly adapt to a stimulus (in this case - strength and conditioning), the stimulus needs to be removed so that your body can better handle it moving forward. So, if you never remove the weights from your training protocol, your body doesn’t have a chance to prepare and adapt to future training loads, and will consequently start to shut down. This is known as overtraining, and is a huge contributor to injury. Your body and muscles simply need time to recover, repair, and adapt to the stressors you place upon it when you train.
If you train with us regularly, your body not only craves a week of deloading, but it will greatly benefit from it. Consider Deload Week an opportunity to prepare your body for the heightened demand of the next 12 week programming cycle. You’ll return to the MADhouse properly adapted to the stimuli from the previous 12 weeks, and likely experience a boost in progress.
Deloading:
- Repairs your muscle (so they can continue to work and grow for you)
- Reduces physiological stress
- Reduces risk of overtraining-related injuries
- Alleviates your central nervous system (which, make no mistake, is taxed after 12 weeks of Protocol M.A.D.)
- Allows you to stay in motion without having to abandon training altogether
- Balances hormonal levels (primarily restoring cortisol and testosterone)
To recap:
Deloading IS essential to a structured, balanced, and effectively-implemented training program.
Deloading ISN’T harder than our standard programming or something to stigmatize, fear, or avoid!
So, MADones? Are you ready to deload? Leave your gloves at home and enjoy the program.
