“During these final two weeks before your event, you cannot improve your finess, regardless of how much you train. Now the key is to maintain as much of your normal routine as possible, but on a scaled-back level.”
What does it meany by “a scaled-back level”?
If you scale something back you reduce it. So in your example where the amount of training is being discussed, where before they might have done 200 sit-ups, 200 bench presses and a 10km run, now they would do 100 sit-ups, 150 bench-presses and a 4km run.
You can also use scale + down. A company that is running on a deficient might scale down its business: stop spending, sack employees, shut branches etc
Hope that made sense…
I agree with you, jennipa, but I’m curious about your usage of the word deficient. Did you mean deficit?
Amy
Hi,
What about using the word ‘deficient’ for ‘failing’?
I would only use deficient is an adjective, so “running on a deficient” would not be grammatical.
In addition, I conduct Business English courses, and while I’m well aware that companies sometimes create their own special “buzzword English”, I’ve never heard this particular expression before. That’s why I asked.
“Running a deficit” (without “on”), however, would not be an unusual expression and would also make sense in the context.
.
oops!
Big apology, I meant deficit.
xx
Hi jennipa
Sorry, I hadn’t intended to do more than ask if there’d simply been a mix-up of one word. My second post was just a clarification of my thinking because another question had been asked.
I’m looking forward to seeing you often in the forum. 
Amy