Deloading isn’t the same thing as resting, because the exercises you do will still stimulate your muscles, without pushing them to their limits. “Deloading still allows you to maintain some work that will contribute to muscle-building,” Stafford says.
Stafford does suggest making practical choices around deloading, though. For example, if you're going on holiday to a hotel with a gym, program this week as your deload week, so limited equipment doesn’t get in the way of your usual program.