INBA PNBA athlete Michael Boyle says that’s when you should take a download week.
Taking a week off can be beneficial to your training progress. It’s when you decrease the intensity and volume that you do when you exercise. The unloading weeks will help you build muscle and is a form of active recovery. The question is: how often should you do them? International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) natural bodybuilder Michael Boyle shares his experience on when you should reduce the intensity and volume of your training.
Michael Boyle is a two-time British natural bodybuilding champion. And he got a bronze medal in the Masters division of men’s bodybuilding in Natural Olympia 2021 – he plans to win it all!
Boyle shared his perspective on social media about the best time to take a download week. According to Michael Boyle, the right time is:
“There are no rules about when to take a download week. I am finding that it is every 3rd week for me. Listen to your body. Talk to your coach. Find what works for you.”
Boyle acknowledged that he has just reached a new personal best in dead weight after leaving a week of downloading. You can see Boyle deadlifting below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbDEu3-jdKc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Download Week Benefits
Michael Boyle found that taking a week off every three weeks works best for him. Of course, as he himself acknowledges, this may not be the case for everyone. Some people will only want to do this once every 6 to 12 weeks.
Profits
- Gain strength and muscle
- faster recovery
- Improve joint health
- Reduce stress
Listening to your body is a critical factor in determining when it’s the right time to take a download week. For example, if you stalled in the gym, you suffer from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)or are chronically tired, it may be time to reduce your workload and intensity.
Also, the higher your intensity and volume, the more often you’ll want to take a download week. As a natural bodybuilder like Boyle, he will train with high-intensity, high-volume workouts, so he benefits from taking a dump week frequently. On the other hand, a daily gym goer may not need to unload as often because their volume and intensity will be lower than a top natural bodybuilder’s training regimen.
Natural bodybuilders vs. Improved lifters
Natural bodybuilders cannot exploit steroids. Their bodies cannot do as much volume and intensity as consistently as an improved lifter (lifter doping). That’s because drugs like steroids will allow your body to do more than it is capable of on its own. Therefore, steroid users may want to forego them or do them less frequently.
How to implement a download week
You’ll want to reduce the volume (sets, reps, and exercises) you do, combined with doing them at a lower intensity. Unfortunately, there is no way carved in stone to do this. However, we recommend cutting each set down to 1-2 per exercise and using a weight that is 40-60% of what you would normally lift.
Summary
Unloading weeks can help you hit new lifting records and help your body recover. Unfortunately, there is no standard time to add a download week. It is best to listen to your body and do them periodically.
Follow us Instagram, Facebookand Twitter For more training tips from INBA PNBA’s top athletes!
