Deload
A week (or short period) of reduced load — fewer sets and/or lower intensity — to shed accumulated fatigue and let the body supercompensate. It is not wasted time: it is when the adaptation you trained for in the hard weeks actually shows up. Common rule of thumb: for every 4 to 6 weeks of work, one deload.
In practice
A practical deload week: keep the exercises, cut the sets to about half and leave one or two reps in reserve on each set. You come out fresher, not weaker — and loads often climb the very next week.
How to use it in a plan
Schedule the deload at the end of the mesocycle, typically every 4 to 6 weeks of work, or when sleep, motivation and loads all start dropping together. Planning it up front stops you reaching burnout before you take it.
FAQ
Will a deload cost me gains?
No. One lighter week does not undo weeks of work — muscle holds far longer than seven days. What you lose is fatigue, and that is what lets the adaptation show.
Deload or a full week off?
Reducing load usually recovers better than stopping entirely, because it keeps the movement pattern and the habit. A full break is more for injuries or calendar gaps.