If recovery starts to dip, you pull back the load—cut volume or intensity for a week or two, add a light active‑recovery day, and double‑down on sleep and nutrition. Keep an eye on RPE and heart‑rate variability; if the body’s saying “no thanks,” give it a break before you push again. Trust the signals, not the ego.

Yeah, that pause is a goldmine—take the extra time to scan the program, tweak the next phase, maybe swap in a new drill or change the periodization curve. Don’t let the downtime just sit there, use it to plan smarter, not harder.

Exactly—stick to the long‑term vision, tweak the micro‑steps, keep the big picture in sight, and you’ll shift the whole curve without blowing up the plan.