Iron Culture

"Should I cut my calories back during deloads?” This incredibly common question pops up all the time online, and there are a few things to consider when answering it. First, the purpose of a deload, technically, is to recover after an overreaching phase. What do we expect after an overreaching phase? Are these expectations compatible with a reduction in calories? Secondly, we need to consider the differences in total energy expenditure between a deload week, and the preceding training, which again, consisted of an overreaching phase. Finally, in this episode, we discuss other cases, for example “deloads” that don’t occur after overreaching, deloads following strength/intensity-based overreaching, tapers, and intro weeks. While the question is simple, the answer has a bit of nuance, so join us to learn these details! 00:00 Intro: addressing the “alliance” with Stronger ByScience 12:07 Eric’s damage control apology and appeal to the Iron Culture HR department 17:05 The effects of deloads on muscle hypertrophy: