To build muscle, you need a 'de-load' week. Here's how a powerlifting doctor strategizes rest for maximum gains.

"Her key to avoiding physical burnout and keeping up gains: Every four to six weeks, she eases up on her training to let her body recover and build back stronger. "You give yourself a break. Come back, lower the weight drastically for a week, and really just let your body soak up all of the stress that you just put it through to let it repair and heal," she told Business Insider."

"Working hard in the gym without seeing results? A short rest may help you break that plateau, according to a doctor who set state and national records in powerlifting. Dr. Shernan Holtan, a hematologist and busy mom of two, has been lifting weights for over a decade. She hits the gym at 5:30 a.m. for an hour of training before heading to her day job as chief of blood and marrow transplant at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center."

Deloading is a planned short reduction in training intensity to allow recovery and stronger returns. Dr. Shernan Holtan, a hematologist and record-setting powerlifter, eases up every four to six weeks by drastically lowering weight for a week so the body repairs and adapts. Deloading can include active recovery or less intense exercise when feeling achy or irritable. Regular deloads help break plateaus, reduce injury risk, and enhance muscle and strength gains for athletes at all levels. Maintaining daily movement while avoiding constant maximal effort supports long-term progress and prevents physical and mental burnout.

Read at Business Insider