Use It or Lose It: The Rule of Two

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The topic of detraining is an interesting one. Strength and conditioning coaches often program in deload weeks, which I believe have their place. But within training programs, qualities such as strength training are often reduced or removed completely and replaced with other qualities such as endurance or power. This is the concept behind linear periodization.

One of the questions I’m often asked is how fast do you lose strength, power, speed, hypertrophy, and conditioning when you stop training? I don’t often provide research and graphs in my articles. I’m all about results. But in this case, I thought it appropriate to share some potentially very useful research results on the subject of detraining.

The graph shows the detraining effects of eliminating heavy resistance training (squatting) from elite weightlifters’ programs. The squat strength decreased by almost 20 percent in a four-week period, which is almost 5 percent per week. This is fairly substantial and I’m sure you’ll agree.

I assume that within the group of athletes used in this study there was a degree of variance in the results. However, anything near those detraining results should be avoided. It’s also unclear whether the losses were seen at the start of the four-week block or at the end because the measurements were only taken weekly. However, what you can say as a coach is that you need to be minimizing the absence of strength training. I suggest you don’t leave out strength training for more than two weeks if you want to maintain what you have spent time developing. So there goes your linear periodization model!

I think it’s safe to assume that the loss in strength would be less for beginner trainees as there would be less to lose in the first place, so the cycles could be slightly adjusted here. But then again, I personally would concentrate my time on building strength so the beginners wouldn’t have long lay off periods. The key to athletic development is consistency!

The next graph compares the resistance training experience level of males. The findings are interesting in that physically active males actually gained strength through a two-week deload period. The strength trained males reduced their force producing ability without any strength training. This doesn’t surprise me because strength trained athletes will need a more regular stimulus to maintain and develop strength. Novice and intermediate trainees will benefit more from regular deloads. However, looking at the results of this study, the gains made by the novice trainees evened out after seven weeks, which perhaps suggests that six- to seven-week periods are appropriate for strength training cycles followed by a deload for recovery.

The strength trained subjects would benefit from regular strength training. The use of conjugate periodization models could be used here where variation of exercise is preferred over deloading. The physically active females responded in much the same way as the strength trained males. It’s hard to say why this is the case. It could be the result of subject variability or maybe they were well-trained in other modalities, which had a carry over.

The next two graphs examine the effects of detraining on muscular hypertrophy and the changes in muscular hypertrophy following cessation of strength/hypertrophy training (respectively). It’s pretty clear that hypertrophy is reduced significantly after one month. So again, this has implications for sports such as rugby where hypertrophy is important. It also corresponds with the reductions in strength observed with the strength trained athletes, as strength and hypertrophy are positively correlated. So how do you address this in training?

For me, this is where your programming has to be intelligent. You can train for hypertrophy and strength at the same time by using supersets and incorporating a heavy load followed immediately by a similar exercise with moderate loads such as back squats to dumbbell sumo squats. Or you can switch to an undulating model of periodization where you go from strength to hypertrophy sets and rep ranges on a daily basis, allowing you to train for both qualities. I’ve used both of these models successfully over the years with my rugby guys. They work well in-season at specific times. You don’t want to take hypertrophy work out of the program for more than a couple weeks if it’s an important quality.

The final graph shows the effects of reduced training on VO2 Max.

The results show that bed rest of 40 days reduced VO2 Max by around 30 percent, which is a very significant decrease—enough to make a fighter gas in the final round or a rugby player miss some crucial tackles. I’m sure you’ll agree.

Much has been written about training for strength and endurance simultaneously. I often combine the qualities with my athletes. Due to logistics, this is often on the same day and sometimes in the same session. I wouldn’t always choose to do this, but I’ve had phases where I’ve used this program and have seen significant increases in both strength and endurance.

If you begin the session with the strength/power work and finish with endurance work, it’s still possible for advanced trainees to make gains depending on the way the rest of the week looks. So it is achievable. However, I would certainly split these components up given a choice. In an ideal world, I would train these qualities on separate days and follow a concurrent strength training model with a short to long approach to the conditioning side of the program (popularized by the late Charlie Francis). Essentially, I’d begin with acceleration work and move to speed work. Finally, I’d add in endurance in the time I had. This way you get to focus on speed, strength, and power, resulting in enhanced gains before moving into endurance where there will undoubtedly be some compromises in the adaptations made.

Anyway, just some thoughts on detraining. Essentially, it’s a two-week rule that needs to be hammered home. If you want to maintain the qualities that you’ve developed, they need to be revisited at minimum every two weeks. When your athletes are ready for it, consider switching to a conjugate model of periodization. But remember, your model needs to fit the sport and the athletes you work with and should be considered carefully.

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