In this article, I will explain the benefit of using a full adaptation period when using adaptive de-loading as a strategy for progression. In order to understand how this works, I must first define adaptive de-loading which was defined and discussed in the previous article. This being the case, I will start with a couple of paragraphs from the previous article that explain and define the concept of adaptive de-loading.
De-loading is normally a term that lifters use to describe a temporary phase in which they decrease the load of the poundages they have been lifting. Adaptive de-loading is a different concept because the poundages are not decreased, but it feels as though they are decreasing because the body is experiencing an adaptation in the form of a strength gain.
Adaptive de-loading basically consists of using the same poundage, and the same number of sets and reps for several weeks. As your body adapts over the weeks by gaining strength, the load will feel progressively lighter or easier to lift. Of course, the load isn’t actually decreasing, but as you adapt to the load by gaining strength, it feels as though the load is decreasing, which is why it is called adaptive de-loading.
An Adaptation Period
Adaptive de-loading is based on a period of time in which the weight becomes progressively easier to lift due to a progressive increase in strength. Many lifters think the concept of adaptive de-loading is impossible. This is because they believe the moment the same lifting stress starts to become easier; it stops leading to strength gains. In other words, if you start out by lifting 100 pounds for ten reps, and it helps you to gain a little strength, most lifters believe that you will no longer gain any strength if you continue to use 100 pounds for ten reps. The basic mind-set is that when a lifter gets a little stronger from lifting 100 pounds, he must immediately increase the weight in order to keep gaining strength. I once held this belief, but I don’t believe it anymore.
My current belief is that if you push yourself hard to lift 100 pounds for 10 reps, and you get a little stronger, it is best to keep lifting 100 pounds for 10 reps as long as it helps you to keep getting stronger. There are some beginning lifters who can increase their strength by as much as 20 pounds by simply repeating the same workout with the same amount of weight for the same number of sets and reps. Most can increase by ten pounds if they simply keep repeating the same workout. It feels good to your ego when you immediately add weight in response to a strength gain, but it doesn’t feel good to your body.
The Pattern That Kills Progress
The longer you can gain strength from using the same amount of weight, sets, and reps, the more you are able to avoid the pattern that kills progress. In contrast, if you add weight or reps the moment you gain a little strength, it will likely lead to the pattern that kills progress. This is because your body begins to recognize that strength gains always result in an immediate increase in training stress in the form of added weight or reps. Your body doesn’t gain strength for the purpose of anticipating that it will lead to an increase in training stress and harder workouts. Your body gains strength to reduce stress. It works like this:
Strength Gains are a Stress Reduction Mechanism
The stronger you get, the easier it becomes to lift the same weight. The easier it becomes to lift the same weight, the less stress your body experiences when lifting the weight. When you follow this pattern, it makes sense to your body to gain strength because strength gains will be recognized as a stress reduction mechanism that your body can use to decrease stress instead of increase stress.
Use A Full Adaptation Period
The main point is this, if you have the ability to gain twenty pounds of strength over the next fifteen weeks by lifting the same amount of weight and reps, keep doing it as long as it is growing progressively easier because it means that you are growing progressively stronger. It may be that you can only gain ten pounds of strength, or five pounds of strength from lifting the same amount of sets and reps, but use the same weight and reps as long as you can in order to avoid the pattern that kills progress. If you stick with the same weight and reps for the full amount of time that it leads to strength gains, then you are using the full potential of a full adaptation period. A full adaptation period is the maximum amount of time that you can keep getting stronger from using the same amount of weight and reps.
You will eventually need to increase the weight, but my advice is to avoid increasing the weight until you need to in order to keep getting stronger. The amount of time that an individual can benefit from lifting the same weight and reps is going to vary from lifter to lifter, and from lift to lift
Goal: Convert your last rep into an easier rep
One of the goals of the adaptation period is to convert your last rep to an easier rep which will leave you with more reps in reserve. For example, we will imagine that you can bench press twelve reps when going for max reps to failure. However, when performing sets for the bench press in a workout, I recommend that you stop at ten reps which leaves two reps in reserve. Your goal is to gain enough strength so that your tenth rep feels as easy as your ninth rep felt when you first began with 185 pounds. When this happens, you will also be leaving three reps in reserve instead of two. In doing so, you have a converted your tenth rep difficulty to your ninth rep difficulty, and you have an additional rep in reserve.
If you continue to gain strength, your tenth rep will eventually become as easy as the eighth rep felt when you first began to convert harder reps to easier reps with 185 pounds. You will also be leaving four reps in reserve instead of two. In doing so, you have converted your tenth rep difficulty to your eighth rep difficulty, and you have an additional two reps in reserve.
It is possible that you continue to gain enough strength so that your tenth rep feels as easy as your seventh rep when you first began to convert harder reps into easier reps. You will be leaving five reps in reserve when you reach this level of strength. In doing so, you have converted your tenth rep difficulty down to the difficulty of your seventh rep, and you will have an additional three reps in reserve.
How Much Weight to Add After a Full Adaptation Period
If you reach the point where ten reps with 185 pounds stops becoming easier, you will need to increase the weight by five to fifteen pounds. To be more specific, if you are able to convert by a count of one rep easier and increase the number of reps in reserve by one, then you will probably only add five pounds. If you convert by a count of two reps easier and increase the number of reps in reserve by two, you will probably add ten pounds. If you convert by a count of three reps easier and increase the number of reps in reserve by three, you will probably add fifteen pounds. The bottom line is that it is to your benefit to take advantage of a full adaptation period as it is one way that you can minimize the pattern that kills progress.
Adaptive de-loading through the use of an adaptation period is just one strategy for progression that can be used. There are other methods that lead to strength gains. If you are using one that is working for you at the current time, my suggestion is to stick with it. In contrast, if you are stuck, consider the use of adaptive de-loading in conjunction with an adaptation period. May God bless you with the best of training.