I started my cut 13 weeks ago at 200 lbs and I’m currently around 185 lbs. I’d estimate I’m around 10-12% body fat now. Calories have mostly been around 2900/day with high activity and I’ve kept protein high the whole cut. I lift 5x/week, average around 15k steps/day, and have also been doing some cardio/sprints. I have not done a deload at any point during the cut.
Starting to reach the point where I’m feeling pretty fatigued/run down, so it seems like a good time to deload. I’m curious what people’s thoughts are on deloads vs full rest weeks. I can see value in both, and I know bodybuilding/recovery isn’t really one-size-fits-all, but given that I’m currently cutting, I’m mostly focused on whatever would be most optimal for muscle retention.
Would also just love to hear people’s thoughts on the different schools of thought around this and what’s worked best for them personally.