Deload and waning desire

G'day all

So, this week is deload and contrary to what I would expect, my enthusiasm for training is low. Ordinarily id expect that half the volume would be easy (psychologically) and somewhat enjoyable.

Just wondering if anyone else has experiences this? Its the second time in a row this has occurred for me - and the microcycle I just finished I was thoroughly enjoying.

- Callum

Do you do foundation for sport/athletic preparation or anything of the sort? I think the answer there is to kind of just suck it up and as an athlete deal with it and get the training done regardless of enthusiasm ("just do what needs to be done").

but I think if you are a GST hobbyist of sorts, perhaps you should take some time to find a way to renew your enthusiasm. Some introspection, or perhaps some time set aside to motivate you and build enthusiasm again. Youtube videos, visualization, that sort of thing. Even getting involved within some sort of communities interested in GST is a wonderful way to respark your enthusiasm. Maybe hit up the community subforum to find people.

Also, I would ask yourself if you are perhaps exercising too hard and not giving your body the ample recovery time it needs. That sort of thing can drain you, especially with added stresses of work and life.

How intense would you say your last week prior to your deload was? Deloads are designed to give your body a chance to recover from intense training, but if you aren't pushing that hard, then they may seem (and may even be) somewhat pointless and you may feel that you could have kept your momentum going for more weeks (which may actually be the case).

Are you certain that you chose an appropriate level of intensity for your elements?

Alternatively, like Micawberian said above, it could also just be a matter of discipline and staying the course.

I almost always find I am well and truly ready for a deload when it comes up, and the first workout or two that week are a bit of a chore. After that point I find I rapidly fire up, I get my progress kick in, and I can't wait for the challenge the next week.
Sometimes it's a case of ticking the box and keeping on. When your enthusiasm recovers, you will have several extra workouts under your belt.

Wise words from my Sifu; 'when you don't feel like training, it counts double.' Those are exactly the days (provided of course you aren't persevering through injury etc) that are most important because they help you build that pattern of no excuses.

(Edited for phone keyboard messing up my post >.< )

To answer your question Keegan, last week was intense. A few very taxing sessions above what would ordinarily occur. I think Jon has nailed it when coining the phrase 'chore'.

I don't need a 'pick me up', inspirational speech or anything like that - I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same when they hit deload week (which it seems happens to Jon, correct me if I am wrong). 

Perhaps, similar to like when you go on holidays and get sick because you mentally let go of the stress and relax, it is psychologically harder on deload because I'm not viewing it as 'work'. Funny really, I spend three weeks looking forward to deload but when I get into it I feel almost 'guilty', like my training is stalling somehow because I am not 'doing' as much as I have been. 

- Callum

Yeah, I feel the same way, it's totally normal. It's just part of the process.

Remember that consistency is more important than intensity. Enthusiasm comes and goes which makes it a very unreliable training partner, good habits last a lifetime.

I'm a fan of Dan John. He makes the point that the majority of your workouts, you should just "Punch the Clock".

It can be very hard on your endocrine system if you are go all out every workout.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Yea deloads bore me....but they are a necessary part of the process. WIthout them you wouldn't make it. 

Zach Armijo said:

Hmmmm.....I think I have a box of straws around here somewhere.......

As a corpsman (medic) I used to carry these for when Marines started whining.  Excellent medicine. 

Oompa2 said:

I don't need a 'pick me up', inspirational speech or anything like that - I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same when they hit deload week (which it seems happens to Jon, correct me if I am wrong). 

 

This counts as 'whining'? Geeze, tough crowd... 

I don't get the 'box of straws' thing. Imma learn something new.

Bro said:

I don't get the 'box of straws' thing. Imma learn something new.

It's so I could write an Rx for a heaping dose of "suck it the **** up"

Now this is more my style of conversation

Well, that was implied

Mood or not you do what's in front of you. Motivation doesn't enter into it for me any more, too changeable. It's just part of my day

Oompa2 said:

To answer your question Keegan, last week was intense. A few very taxing sessions above what would ordinarily occur. I think Jon has nailed it when coining the phrase 'chore'.

I don't need a 'pick me up', inspirational speech or anything like that - I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same when they hit deload week (which it seems happens to Jon, correct me if I am wrong).

Perhaps, similar to like when you go on holidays and get sick because you mentally let go of the stress and relax, it is psychologically harder on deload because I'm not viewing it as 'work'. Funny really, I spend three weeks looking forward to deload but when I get into it I feel almost 'guilty', like my training is stalling somehow because I am not 'doing' as much as I have been.

- Callum

I hear you, as I enjoy working out and sometimes have felt that "let down" when a deload week rolls around. But for me that just makes me super motivated and basically chomping at the bit by the time the next week rolls around to get back at it.

I have had situations where I am really pushing the intensity envelope or am under lots of life stress though where motivation starts to wane towards the end of my third week. Loss of motivation is actually a common symptom of "over-reaching" or in more extreme cases "over-training".

This may spill over into my deload week, and like Jon said, the first 1 or 2 workouts of my Deload week can still feel like a grind (and more challenging than it should) as the accumulated fatigue has not yet had enough time to dissipate. By the end though I have usually recovered and start to feel motivated to train again. Perhaps that is what is happening to you.

Learning to train while bored, underwhelmed is a vital part of the developmental process. Not everyday is special.

Sometimes there is a certain amount of "I'm doing this to check the block today" but if it gets to be days or weeks of dreading your workouts you probably need some sort of change.

This thread is apropos for my workout today. I built a good base with my gb workouts so once I got into it, I actually did quite well today. Still, it is possible to over-train yourself into a rut especially if you're combining gb with other intense workouts. Not sure your particular situation, but your body should tell you if you're over-training. In the past, when I over-trained, I could tell my body was not recovering for days at a time and I actually got achy almost like I had the flu even though I didn't. Keep us posted.

Unless you really feel like you're over-training, I would recommend working through your workouts if you can do so with good form. Do you feel better after they are over?

Oompa I really recommend you listen to the podcasts where coach talks about people wanting to be entertained while training, or as he calls it 'entertrained'....that's what the general fitness industry is about with fads and gimmicks to keep people mentally interested. 

To get serious results, as coach has with his students that have gone onto the national team and olympics, it's about paying your dues and taking care of business as he calls it.  Personally I welcome the deload weeks as my week 11's are normally torture   And I imagine if everyone is doing their workouts with minimal rest, working their hardest then they should also enjoy deload weeks, it's mentally & physically a breath of fresh air........Learn to enjoy the process

Like an idiot I tried to do a block of F7 3 times a week and by week three (this week) I was completely torn up.  I am looking forward to my deload like it is a Jamaican vacation, and I will be going back to by F4/F3 split thank you very much. 

I find some of my deload sessions hard and wonder how the week before I did double the volume. I am not sure if it is a psychological or physiological thing. But week one of the next cycle I feel great so the deload did what is meant to do.

Mark Collins said:

I find some of my deload sessions hard and wonder how the week before I did double the volume. I am not sure if it is a psychological or physiological thing. But week one of the next cycle I feel great so the deload did what is meant to do.

Experienced the same thing this week with deload on tuck planche...not sure why it felt so much harder than double the volume.

Mark - thanks for the insight, and actually reading my post (and possibly subsequent ones). This is exactly my query (if anyone else feels the same). 

First day of the new microcycle today. F7 in a few hours. I'm sure the results will speak for themselves.

Finished F7 today, first week after deload. Unsurprisingly, I felt good and was very able in remaining focused (mindful of each exercise).

As I mentioned in the original topic, I suspect the 'waning desire' felt during the deload week is more a psychological 'relaxation' after knowing that you have completed the hardest week of a cycle. 

Similar to what Mark and Keegan both stated. I had plenty of sleep and good nutrition in the deload, meaning time is the only remaining factor in dissipating fatigue. What I will point out though is that the remainder of my training regime continued unaffected, albeit also at a deload volume. And, again unsurprisingly, the second run session for the deload week felt excellent - only re-enforcing the 3/1 week periodisation program that coach has developed.

See what the end of the week brings...

********** For information ***********

Prior to Deload Week:

Mon:

FL PE6 (5 x 18), SL PE5 (5 x 6), sPL PE5 (5 x 18s), Mn PE3 (5 x 15), HBP PE3 (5 x 6), RC PE3 (4 x 6) / Weight lifting (Bench, Squats, Heaves, Dips)

Tue:

Interval running. 4 x (4:00 hard / 3:00 rest)

Wed:

Long Circuit - 100 Burpee Heaves, Level 12 on the Multi-stage fitness test (MSFT), 100 Burpee Heaves, Level 12 on the MSFT

Thu: 

Interval running. 4 x (4:00 hard / 3:00 rest), Swimming circuit

Fri: 

SL PE5 (5 x 6), sPL PE5 (5 x 18s), Mn PE3 (5 x 15), HBP PE3 (5 x 6), RC PE3 (4 x 6) / Weight lifting (Deadlifts, weighted romanian lunges, single leg press)

Deload Week:

Mon:

FL PE6 (5 x 10), SL PE5 (5 x 3), sPL PE5 (5 x 10s), Mn PE3 (5 x 15), HBP PE3 (5 x 3), RC PE3 (4 x 3) / Weight lifting (Bench, Squats, Heaves, Dips)

Tue:

Interval running. 2 x (4:00 hard / 3:00 rest), Circuit - 4 x (20 burpee jumps, 40 step ups, 20 squats, 20 squat presses)

Wed:

Circuit - 1:00 x Heaves, 1:00 Squats, 1:00 Push ups, 1:00 burpees, 0:45 x Heaves, 0:45 Squats, 0:45 Push ups, 0:45 burpees, 0:30 x Heaves, 0:30 Squats, 0:30 Push ups, 0:30 burpees, 0:15 x Heaves, 0:15 Squats, 0:15 Push ups, 0:15 burpees - rest 4:00 - 4 x (0:30 x Heaves, 0:30 Squats, 0:30 Push ups, 0:30 burpees)

Thu:

FL PE6 (5 x 10), SL PE5 (5 x 3), sPL PE5 (5 x 10s), Mn PE3 (5 x 15), HBP PE3 (5 x 3), RC PE3 (4 x 3) 

Fri:

Weight lifting (Deadlifts, Arch ups, 3 x sets of Max Cadence Push Ups (3:00 rest between sets)) / Interval running. 2 x (4:00 hard / 3:00 rest)

Pretty much always my experience, yep.

Interesting range of viewpoints in this thread, given that at no time did oompa say that he considered skipping a workout, making arbitrary changes, etc