Why Recovery Weeks Make You Stronger, Not Weaker
But I've only just started..
If you’re following one of our DediKate programmes, a scheduled “deload” week can feel wrong, especially if you’ve only just started building a strength habit. Like you're losing momentum. Like everyone else is pushing through while you take it easy.
Here's the truth:
Deload, reset and active recovery weeks aren't a break from progress. They're part of how progress actually happens, especially for women in perimenopause to post-menopause. Our strength based programmes are informed by the published research of leading experts in women's health and exercise science, and most of the Kate Ivey Fitness team hold Dr. Stacy Sims' Menopause 2.0 certification. Here's what their findings say about why rest weeks matter.
What Is a Deload Week, Anyway?
A deload, reset or active recovery week is a planned period of lower intensity or lower volume training, built in every few weeks so your body can absorb the hard work you've already put in.
It's not a week off. It's often lighter lifting, mobility work, walking, yoga, or simply easier sessions, so your muscles, joints, and nervous system can catch up and adapt.
The Science, Straight from the Experts
Dr. Stacy Sims: recovery is built into the training block, not bolted on
Dr. Stacy Sims is an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who pioneered research into sex-based differences in training. On structuring training around hard blocks and full recovery, she explains:
You do 2 weeks of that stuff, and then you have one week of complete deload. Deload is that full recovery where you are relaxing. You are doing some yoga or some hikes, you might take it leisurely… but you are trying to get the body to absorb that hard training so that it's adapting to it, and then the next two weeks you can focus again.
For women training through perimenopause, she notes this recovery isn't just physical, it also brings a boost in growth hormone and a drop in the systemic inflammation that midlife hormonal changes can amplify.
Dr. Vonda Wright: recovery isn't optional, it's essential
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright has spent her career helping women stay strong and injury-free at every age. Talking about pain, fatigue, and knowing when to push versus when to rest, she puts it plainly:
Pain is not a badge of honour... Recovery is essential.
Her point: pushing through pain doesn't make you tougher, it makes you more likely to end up sidelined. Building in recovery is what lets you keep lifting, walking, and moving for the long run.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: recovery protects the muscle you're working so hard to build
Physician Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine, has built her whole approach around one idea: muscle is the organ of longevity.
The more muscle health you have, the better your trajectory of aging.
Her point: In other words, your muscle is worth protecting. Recovery weeks give your muscles time to repair and adapt, so the strength you’re building now stays with you for the long run.
Dr. Alyssa Olenick: progress doesn't require perfection
Exercise physiologist Dr. Alyssa Olenick specialises in metabolism, hormones, and training for women. Her advice on getting real, sustainable results applies just as much to rest weeks as it does to workouts:
Get it in and get it done no matter what that looks like. Optimal for most of us is never going to be optimal, but we can make a lot of progress just doing these things.
A deload week done imperfectly (a walk instead of a hike, ten minutes of stretching instead of a full yoga class) still counts. It's still the plan working.
How This Shows Up in DediKate
This is exactly why our programmes are built the way they are:
Recovery weeks built in: All of our strength based programmes include planned deload or recovery weeks, so you never have to guess when to ease off. It’s already in your planner.
A plan for lighter weeks: Yoga, Pilates and mobility sessions in the DediKate library mean a recovery week still has structure, without the intensity.
Nutrition guidance from Claire Turnbull: fuelling your recovery properly is as much a part of getting stronger as the workouts themselves.
A team trained in the science: most of the Kate Ivey Fitness team hold Dr. Stacy Sims' Menopause 2.0 certification, so this thinking isn't just referenced in a blog post, it's built into how your planner and workouts are designed.
So next time a lighter week rolls around, don't feel guilty. Lean into it. It's not you losing progress, it's your body doing the work that makes the next block possible.
Final Word
Strength isn't just built in the workout. It's built in the rest after it.
Whichever programme you’re following, from Beginner Strength to Thrive, Lift or Strong Mums, your planner already has recovery built in. So when a lighter week rolls around, trust it. It’s part of the plan.
Not sure where to start? Explore our programmes and find the one that fits where you’re at right now.
