Reducing muscle while eating at maintenance and continuing lifting

Sued0nim

Possible?

Or is cardio and cutting the only way?

DancingMoosie

Do you want to reduce muscle? I don't really understand why you would eat at maintenance and lift and think the muscle will reduce...
Seems like the best way to reduce muscle would be to drastically cut calories and then not use your muscles, like stay in bed or something. Or cardio and cutting, but you would still probably maintain a little muscle in your legs from using them.
But why????

SonyaCele

Reduce orstop training the muscles you want to reduce. I think you eat whatever amount you want within reason, eventually the unused muscles will change based on your new activity. Why do you want to reduce muscle, are you doing body sculpting ?

Sued0nim

DancingMoosie wrote: »

Do you want to reduce muscle? I don't really understand why you would eat at maintenance and lift and think the muscle will reduce...
Seems like the best way to reduce muscle would be to drastically cut calories and then not use your muscles, like stay in bed or something. Or cardio and cutting, but you would still probably maintain a little muscle in your legs from using them.
But why????

I want to keep lifting because I love it, don't want to cut cos I'm happy with overall BF%

And was pondering whether not going for progressive overload ...eg reducing weights would achieve my personal desired aesthetic

TBH I've been reducing squat weight by 15-20kg to work on ROM and wondered if that would impact on 'look'

SonyaCele wrote: »

Reduce orstop training the muscles you want to reduce. I think you eat whatever amount you want within reason, eventually the unused muscles will change based on your new activity. Why do you want to reduce muscle, are you doing body sculpting ?

Just a personal body aesthetic thing

If it's a choice of stopping lifting though I'm happy enough in my own skin to say no way

jemhh

I just read this a couple of weeks ago. It may (maybe?) be of interest to you.

https://bretcontreras.com/how-much-training-is-necessary-to-maintain-strength-and-muscle/

sijomial

Reduce volume and intensity to detrain.
Doing cardio isn't going to cause muscle atrophy (unless you decide to starve too!).

The rate at which you lose muscle is genetically individual though, mine (sadly!) atrophy very fast when I can't train. Lost 5" off my quads when I was on crutches despite working really hard at rehab.

If you train like the people with the aesthetic you prefer you will eventually look that way too.

psuLemon

Sued0nim wrote: »

DancingMoosie wrote: »

Do you want to reduce muscle? I don't really understand why you would eat at maintenance and lift and think the muscle will reduce...
Seems like the best way to reduce muscle would be to drastically cut calories and then not use your muscles, like stay in bed or something. Or cardio and cutting, but you would still probably maintain a little muscle in your legs from using them.
But why????

I want to keep lifting because I love it, don't want to cut cos I'm happy with overall BF%

And was pondering whether not going for progressive overload ...eg reducing weights would achieve my personal desired aesthetic

TBH I've been reducing squat weight by 15-20kg to work on ROM and wondered if that would impact on 'look'

SonyaCele wrote: »

Reduce orstop training the muscles you want to reduce. I think you eat whatever amount you want within reason, eventually the unused muscles will change based on your new activity. Why do you want to reduce muscle, are you doing body sculpting ?

Just a personal body aesthetic thing

If it's a choice of stopping lifting though I'm happy enough in my own skin to say no way

Are you too defined or something? If so gain a few lbs. Losing muscle would essentially increase body fat %.

jessef593

If you want to keep your body fat percentage as is, just eat at maintenance. There's no need to induce atrophy. That muscle is hard to come by.

Sued0nim

It's not about definition, it's about bulk and my personal aesthetic. I've been fortunate that my body has responded well to training but when flexing, and certainly with post gym pump, I sometimes feel I've gone a little too far. In poses like my av I'm happy with the look

Unfortunately I'm still not strong enough to be able to do a pull up so I do keep training arms and back

I know if I reduced BF I'd get a smaller overall look but balancing out age, facial aesthetic and boobs I simply don't wanna

TBH it was just an idle question based on reducing weight in current training for specific ROM goals and not one I'm overly concerned with .

...if I could take an eraser in RL, and not impact on strength, I'd probably erase a little bicep and some thigh muscle (although I might not - depends on my mood)

richardpkennedy1

You don't really look like you need to lose. What's your height and weight?

Sued0nim

That's a relaxed pose ...I'm 5'8 and around 160

As I say I'm not overly concerned but it's flexed pics pre gym pump (like the last one in my profile) that make me ponder TBH (very much about my, rather than other people's, body aesthetic)

DavPul

"when flexing or with post gym pump" is an incredibly specious reason to reduce muscle as those states are both temporary and voluntary.

Sued0nim

DavPul wrote: »

"when flexing or with post gym pump" is an incredibly specious reason to reduce muscle as those states are both temporary and voluntary.

Specious? Yeah you're probably right TBH

Need to get over myself again

Think I needed to hear that from outside ...thanks for that @DavPul