Recover Guides & Lab

Standard Volume Deload = 60% Working Sets × 90% Working Load @ 3–4 RIR

During a standard deload, cut sets by about 40% before cutting bar weight, so the lifts stay familiar while fatigue clears. Meeusen et al. (2013) note that no single marker reliably separates ordinary training fatigue from overreaching, so look at trends across several signals. Fatigue, low mood or flat performance that does not lift after a week or two of easier training is worth raising with a doctor or coach.

• • No single marker reliably separates ordinary training fatigue from overreaching, so signals such as performance, sleep, mood and heart rate are read as trends across several days rather than from one hard workout. [Source]
• • More quality sets generally means more muscle, and this meta-analysis is why your weekly volume grows deliberately rather than all at once. [Source]
• • How your loads, sets and rest periods step up across a training block follows the American College of Sports Medicine's progression model for healthy adults. [Source]
• • Sleep is treated as training, and this expert consensus is why we nudge you towards your own sleep need rather than a one-size-fits-all number. [Source]

General fitness and training estimates only, labelled EST. Not medical advice or a clinical diagnosis.