Consensus statement — 2023 — Recovery · Periodization
Integrating Deloading into Strength and Physique Sports Training Programmes: An International Delphi Consensus Approach
What did the researchers investigate?
Design principles for deloading, from three rounds of a Delphi survey of expert strength and physique coaches.
What did they find?
Consensus was reached across general perceptions, uses, design and implementation of deloading. The proposed definition: a deload is a period of reduced training stress designed to mitigate physiological and psychological fatigue, promote recovery, and enhance preparedness for subsequent training.
What does this mean for training?
A planned lighter week is a recognised way to manage fatigue between blocks of harder training.
How does FitX AI use this evidence?
FitX AI's week 5 is a deload: the weight stays, the sets halve and the effort drops, before the next block starts.
Where FitX AI's own choices go beyond this paper
Deload week. Halving the sets in week 5 is a FitX AI choice; the consensus describes practice and does not prescribe it.
Limitations
Expert opinion and practical experience, not experimental evidence. Deloading itself remains under-researched.