The Final Week: How to Deload For a CrossFit-Style Competition

Deloading the week before a CrossFit-style competition is one of the most overlooked—but most important—parts of preparation. Done right, it can help you feel fast, explosive, and clear-headed when it matters most. Done wrong, and you might show up feeling flat, heavy, or under-recovered.

This article breaks down exactly how to approach your training during a deload week. It's based on the latest research on tapering and recovery, combined with my over 10 years of hands-on experience coaching athletes through competition prep.

Whether you’re stepping on the floor solo or with a team, here’s how to maximize your final week. This post was inspired by my own prep for a competition this weekend, along with the work I’ve been doing to help my team peak for competition day.

When to Start the Deload

Start Monday (5 days out).

For me and my team, competition day is on Saturday. Therefore, we started our deload on Monday (5 days out). That gives us a solid 5-day taper with room to hit a couple touches of intensity early, and full recovery by Saturday.

How to Structure the Deload Week

Monday (5 Days Out) – Heavy & Fast

• Keep intensity high, volume low.

• Hit 1–2 short metcons at 80–90% effort.

• Include a heavy lift at ~85–90% for 1–2 reps to prime the CNS.

• The session should feel crisp and explosive, not fatiguing.

• Example: 1 heavy clean & jerk single + 7-min comp-style piece.
  

Tuesday (4 Days Out) – Maintain Intensity, Control Volume

• Still a high-intensity day, but short and focused.

• One short metcon (5–8 min) at ~85–90%, ideally lower-skill or non-taxing.

• You can lift moderately heavy here (~75–85%) if it’s fast and controlled.

• Skill + barbell EMOMs work great.

• Goal: Keep the system sharp without lingering fatigue.
  

Wednesday (3 Days Out) – Final Tune-Up

• Last chance to get a light stimulus.

• One short and snappy piece (4–6 minutes max) — high effort, low volume.

• Avoid heavy lifting or anything overly technical.

• Goal: Move fast, breathe a little, and leave energized.
  

Thursday (2 Days Out) – Active Recovery

• Low-intensity zone 2 (20–40 minutes) + mobility and activation.

• Row, bike, or ski @ 60–70% + band work, drills, and breathing work.

• This session should help you feel better when it’s over.

• Nothing that spikes HR or creates fatigue.

Friday (1 Day Out) – Stay Loose

• Optional 10–15 minute priming session in the afternoon.

• Light barbell cycling, sled work, bodyweight flow, or machine intervals.

• Goal: Break a sweat, get a little pump, and walk away feeling fast.

• Follow it up with your carb-rich dinner and early lights out (more details on this below).

What Does the Research Say?

• Volume should drop 30–50% starting 5–7 days before comp.

• Intensity should  stay high early in the week, especially for experienced athletes, then taper.

• Neuromuscular recovery from heavy lifts and CNS stress can take 3–5 days—so final heavy touches on Monday or Tuesday, max.

• Studies on CrossFit-style athletes (e.g. Dexheimer et al., 2019) suggest maintaining intensity with reduced volume provides better performance carryover than going too easy all week.

In short: Keep moving, drop volume, and touch intensity early in the week to stay primed.

Neuromuscular Recovery & CNS Fatigue: 3–5 Days

Heavy lifting and high-intensity metcons do more than just break down muscle — they tax your central nervous system (CNS) too.

When you lift near-max loads (85%+ of 1RM) or do intense sprint-style workouts, the nervous system takes a hit. This affects:

• Motor unit recruitment (your ability to fire muscles explosively)

• Coordination and reaction speed

• Muscle contractile force

• Perceived effort (everything feels harder)

Research (e.g., Seitz et al., 2014, Grgic et al., 2018) shows it takes about 3 to 5 days for full CNS recovery after high-intensity efforts — especially heavy compound lifts like squats, cleans, or snatches.

This is longer than muscular recovery, which is often back within 1–2 days.

So if you go heavy on Wednesday or later, your CNS might still be lagging by Saturday — you’d feel “flat” or sluggish during fast transitions or explosive work.

That’s why most high-level athletes do their final heavy touches on Monday or Tuesday. You stay sharp without carrying fatigue into game day.

Dexheimer et al. (2019): CrossFit-Style Tapering Research

This was one of the first papers to look specifically at CrossFit athletes and how to taper for peak performance.

Key takeaways from the study:

• Subjects: 15 trained CrossFit athletes

• Intervention: 1-week taper after a high-volume training cycle

• Groups:

  • High-intensity/low-volume taper

  • Low-intensity/low-volume taper

Results:
The high-intensity/low-volume group outperformed the low-intensity group in post-taper benchmarks like:

• Peak power output

• 1RM strength

• Anaerobic capacity
  
  

Study Conclusion:
Dropping volume but maintaining relative intensity (i.e., still lifting heavy or going fast in short bursts) was more effective than backing off completely.

This aligns with the broader endurance and strength tapering literature:
Maintain “event-specific intensity” and avoid “shutting it down” too early.

The Why:

• Keeping high neural drive is critical, especially if you’re an experienced athlete and recover well.

• What we don’t want is accumulated fatigue, which typically comes from volume, not intensity.

• Research supports 2–3 high-intensity sessions early in the taper week, as long as they're low in total reps or duration.

What That Means for You

• Go heavy Monday and/or Tuesday — a single, crisp lift or EMOM.

• Hit fast WODs early in the week — something short and spicy (6–8 mins, low volume).

• Avoid heavy lifts or max effort WODs later than Wednesday.

• Don’t “coast” the whole week — you’ll lose sharpness and timing.

Movement Selection: Stick to Competition-Specific Work

One important point that often gets overlooked during a deload week is exercise selection. When you know the competition workouts in advance — which you usually will — your training should reflect that. This is not the time to hit random GPP or experiment with unfamiliar movements.

Instead, prioritize the exact types of movements you'll see on the floor. If you know you'll be doing heavy cleans, synchro burpees, or wall balls, then you should be touching those specific patterns during the week — in low volume, with focus on sharpness and confidence.

This follows the principle of specificity, which becomes even more important the closer you get to competition. Your nervous system, movement patterns, and pacing strategies adapt best when you're practicing the exact type of stress you’ll face on game day.

This helps you:

• Stay neurologically dialed in on what matters

• Reinforce pacing and transitions in comp-style WODs

• Reduce risk of soreness or injury from non-specific movements

Keep it specific, keep it sharp, and save the variety for after the comp.

Bonus: A Note About Friday’s Session (1 Day Out)

What you do on Friday matters. A short, smart session can make the difference between showing up feeling flat or feeling fast. Here’s why you should train on Friday:

1. Max Out Glycogen Storage
After a light session, your muscles become ultra-efficient at soaking up carbs. Your Friday night meal goes straight into muscle fuel stores, not fat.

2. Fire Up the CNS
You stay sharp neurologically without draining energy. Faster reaction time, quicker foot speed, better barbell timing.

3. Stay Loose, Not Stiff
A short pump session boosts blood flow and opens up your joints. Less tightness in hips, shoulders, and back on comp day.

4. Reduce Nerves
You’re not sitting around overthinking — you’re moving, sweating, and building confidence. You sleep better, feel more focused, and walk in calm but ready.

What happens if you don't train on Friday:

1. Poorer Glycogen Uptake
No stimulus = weaker carb storage. You don’t “top off” fuel reserves the same way.

2. CNS Gets Cold
No movement = slow reactions and dull explosiveness. Warming up feels harder and slower.

3. Risk of Stiffness
You may feel tight or locked up in key joints. Awkward first reps or slow transitions.

4. More Anxiety, Less Flow
Nothing to ground your mind or body. You show up nervous, not confident.

When + What

Time: 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Duration: 15–20 minutes
Focus:

• Light lifting (barbell or DB flow)

• Bodyweight + sled or bike pump

• 1–2 rounds of easy circuits

• Zero fatigue, just blood flow
  
  

After your Friday session: Carb-rich dinner (rice, sweet potato, fruit) + hydration + sleep

Remember

The goal on Friday (or 1 day out) is not to train. The goal is to prepare and wake up feeling full, fast, and locked in — not stiff, flat, or foggy.

Final Thoughts

Deloading the right way isn’t just about doing less — it’s about doing what matters. Keep your body moving, top off fuel, and avoid anything that creates extra stress or inflammation.

Whether you’re competing alongside me or prepping for your next event, I hope this helps you dial in your peak week. Let’s go.

— Coach Damect