Tip Axial Loading – What You Need to Know Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Axial Loading – What You Need to Know You need it but it can also wreck you as you accumulate more years under the bar Here' s how to manage it by Eric Bach December 27, 2018April 20, 2022 Tags Powerlifting & Strength, Tips, Training What s Axial Loading If you're unfamiliar with the term axial loading, the concept is simple. Axial loading is top-down loading – meaning the weight during the lift is moving vertically instead of horizontally. Examples include back squat, cleans, deadlifts, and overhead presses. And as you get older, it'll be wise to reduce the amount of axial loading you perform in the gym. Now, in small doses, axial loading exercise is excellent for men and women. They're big, compound movements that improve bone density, total body strength, muscle mass, and give you the most "bang for your buck" in the gym – which is exactly what you want if you're the aging meathead because the more time you spend in the gym, the greater risk you have of overtraining (1). Plus, the older you get, the less tolerant your body becomes to explosive exercises such as squats, cleans, deadlifts, and overhead presses. If you perform these movements too intensely and too frequently, when other stressors in life are much higher, your CNS will get fried. When your CNS is constantly bombarded with more stressors, your hormonal systems are taxed as well. Try This Don't ditch axial loading, but reduce how often you go balls to the wall. Consider dialing back your training maxes 5-10%, similar to a 5-3-1 program, so you can still perform your favorite lifts without undue stress. If you fail to plan and don't allow yourself enough recovery time in between axial training, you put yourself at risk irritating chronic injuries, burnout, and hard-to-conquer training plateaus. Reference Cadegiani FA et al. Hormonal aspects of overtraining syndrome: a systematic review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2017 Aug 2;9:14. PubMed. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Inside the Muscles Best Back and Biceps Exercises After testing 45 different back and biceps exercises with EMG, here are the ones that came out on top. Arms, Back, Bodybuilding, Training Bret Contreras March 15 Training Tip Face-Away Cable Curl Most lifters seldom train their biceps in the lengthened position. Add this exercise to maximize your arm growth potential. Arms, Bodybuilding, Exercise Coaching, Tips Nick Tumminello September 27 Training No Days Off Not So Fast You might feel accomplished by challenging your body daily, but taking no days off will limit your results and even halt gains. Here's why. Bodybuilding Christian Thibaudeau June 30 Training Tip Pros and Cons of the Bro-Split It's not a bad way to organize your training week, but it has its drawbacks. Check 'em out. Bodybuilding, Tips, Training Charles Staley September 12