Strength programming · Recovery
Deload week planner.
Put deload weeks on the calendar from your start date, cycle length and the volume cut you choose.
Inputs
Result
Enter your numbers.
How often should you deload?
Nobody has a tested answer. A 2023 Delphi consensus of strength and physique coaches (Bell et al., Sports Medicine - Open) defined a deload as "a period of reduced training stress designed to mitigate physiological and psychological fatigue, promote recovery, and enhance preparedness for subsequent training." The panel agreed that volume should decrease during a deload, that intensity may go up or down, that a deload can sit in the first, middle or final week of a mesocycle, and that several can fit in one mesocycle. It gave no figure for how long a deload lasts, how often to take one, or how much to cut. The paper also notes that current understanding is mostly experience-based.
So this planner only does the calendar work. You pick the cycle length and the cut. Worked example. Starting 19 October 2026 with a 5-week cycle, the deload falls on week 5 (2026-11-16 to 2026-11-22), and 4 sets per exercise at a 50% cut becomes 2 sets. Over 15 weeks that is 3 deloads and 12 training weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I deload?
There is no tested answer. A 2023 Delphi consensus of coaches agreed deloads can be placed in the first, middle or final week of a mesocycle and that there can be several, but it gave no fixed frequency.
How long is a deload week?
The consensus paper did not set a length. This tool plans whole weeks because that is how most schedules are written.
How much should I reduce volume in a deload?
The consensus panel agreed volume should go down but gave no percentage. The 50% default here is just a starting number you can change.
Do I lower the weight on a deload too?
Not necessarily. The panel agreed intensity could either increase or decrease during a deload.
Is a deload the same as a taper?
No. In the consensus, a taper is done before a competition to peak, while a deload can happen anywhere to promote recovery and preparedness.
Sources
Checked
- Bell et al. 2023, Sports Med Open: Integrating Deloading into Strength and Physique Sports Training Programmes, an international Delphi consensus
- Full text (open access), design principles and discussion
The definition, the volume-decreases agreement, the first, middle or final week placement, the multiple-deloads point, the intensity statement and the taper distinction are from the paper. It gives no numbers for length, frequency or cut, so those are your inputs. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
Education only, not medical advice or personal coaching. Training carries injury risk: use a spotter or safeties for heavy lifts, stop if you feel sharp pain, and check with a clinician before starting a programme if you have a health condition, are pregnant or are returning from injury.