What do hot and cold, good and bad, happy and sad have in common? They only exist because of their opposites. One is defined by the other. Believe it or not, this same principle applies to fitness. To understand progress, you need to know what stagnation feels like.
So, what’s the opposite of an upward fitness trajectory? Detraining.
We all wish that fitness could be something we improve every day for the rest of our lives, but the reality is that it doesn’t work that way. Fitness is always changing and it’s influenced by the combination of stimulus (exercise) and recovery.
Even 'maintaining' fitness over the long term is unrealistic, because it’s constantly affected by your workouts, as well as factors like sleep, nutrition, and stress. To mainta0in fitness, you’d need to maintain the exact same routine in every area of your life. That’s just not going to happen.
Detraining: A tool for performance
The goal of any fitness journey, especially one with a specific event or goal in mind, is to peak at just the right moment. Take, for example, a 16-week training build-up for an IRONMAN® triathlon. The goal is to balance fitness and fatigue, ensuring the athlete reaches peak performance on race day.
But when planning a season, I don’t just focus on the timing and approach to peak fitness. I also consider the importance of detraining — those crucial periods when taking a break can actually boost performance.
Before panic sets in, let me explain...
Detraining may sound like a bad thing, but it can actually be a helpful part of your overall performance strategy. Training for a major goal requires weeks (sometimes months) of effort, motivation, discipline, and consistency. But none of us have an endless supply of these resources. We all need to recharge.
Think of your energy levels like a jug of water. Training is like pouring from that jug. If you’re constantly pouring out without replenishing, you’ll eventually run out.
That’s where the off-season comes in. By allowing yourself to rest and recover, you’re filling up that jug again, so you can give your best in the next training cycle.
The benefits of detraining
When you take a proper off-season, you may experience a temporary drop in fitness — around 15-20% reduction in VO₂ max after just four weeks of inactivity. But it’s not just the loss of fitness we need to focus on. During the build-up to a big event, your entire system can become depleted — not just muscles, but also your nervous and hormonal systems. You’re likely mentally drained too, after pushing yourself for so long. And on top of that, you might have neglected other important areas of your life, like family, work, or hobbies.
That’s where detraining comes in. The goal of the off-season is not just to rest your body, but to restore balance in your life. It’s about replenishing your physical and mental energy, so that when it’s time to get back into training, you’re ready to give it your all.
3 ways to make detraining work for you
After 15 years of experimenting with undulating fitness levels, I’ve developed a few strategies to help make detraining work for you:
1. Take the pressure off
Go into your off-season without any specific expectations about how much exercise you 'should' do. Throughout your training season, you’ve probably been following a structured plan, hitting certain sessions with precise durations and intensities.
The off-season is your chance to relax. Wake up each day and listen to your body. Some days, you might feel like doing nothing; other days, you might be ready for something more active. The key is to choose activities that give back to your body and mind, rather than draining them further.
2. Mix it up
Try new activities or switch up your usual routine. Your off-season is the perfect time to explore different forms of movement and fun. For example, I love using my off-season to go hunting with my son, while some athletes I coach enjoy stand-up paddleboarding or going for a beach day with their family.
It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s something that feels restorative, not exhausting. Even light movement, like yoga, golf, or a friendly game of backyard cricket, can help slow down the decline in fitness and release those feel-good endorphins.
3. Find balance
The off-season is also a great time to restore balance in your life. Spend more time with your family, invest in your career, or revisit hobbies that took a backseat during your training season. These activities may seem like a compromise to your fitness, but the balance they bring can actually benefit your performance in the long run.
A harmonious, fulfilling life makes it easier to get back into training with energy and enthusiasm when the time comes.
When you finish a key event or race season, remember that detraining isn’t a setback. It’s an essential part of the process. By giving yourself the time and space to rest and recharge, you’re filling your reservoir so you can draw from it again in the future. The more you focus on recovery and balance, the better prepared you’ll be for your next fitness challenge.
Happy detraining!
