Going heavy is the way to continually make strength gains and get more fit. We are continually trying to push ourselves to get better and better every time we walk into the gym because continually trying to progress in part of being human. Eventually though, our bodies start to feel the strain and toll of continually going heavy. An old coach of mine used to tell me to "Fight the Fatigue" but when it comes to heavy training that isn't always the smart choice. Sure there are days when we are just being lazy and don't feel like moving but then there are the dreaded days of true fatigue.
Recognizing the signs of true fatigue is the first step to extended long term gains. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to stop lifting just because you feel tired. What I am saying is get in the gym and instead of going at 100% maximal load, a lighter session might be your best choice. Power lifters and strength athletes particularly use a technique called deloading to perpetuate their strength progression. Deloading is cycling weeks of heavy training with a week of active recovery training, using around 50 to 60 percent of your maximal load. It's just heavy enough to get a good workout but light enough to allow you to recover.
Personally I have found that cycling your deloads every fifth to sixth week of a training cycle is best. Depending on how many days of training you're using, even backing down the number of days training is sometimes needed. For instance if you're training 6 days, tapering back to 4, just hitting the major muscles and then coming back hard on your next split would be beneficial. Recovery is just as important as training, so push heavy weight, be smart, and make perpetual progress.
Jack Lazarus
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