Maintaining muscle mass vs building muscle mass

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fittiephd
fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it easier to maintain muscle mass than it is to build it? It really seems to actually gain lean body mass you don't have much choice but to bulk (at surplus) then cut. Maybe repeat some. Bulking and cutting doesn't sound super appealing to me so I was wondering. Do you have to do it forever? Or can you just eat maintenance and lift heavy afterwards to maintain what you've got? I'm interested in gaining muscle but don't want to have to bulk and cut forever.

Thanks!

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,598 Member
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    I've been about the same size now for over 20 years. I've cut up and then got back up quite a few times, but have retained the majority of muscle I've put on. Now I'm just trying to keep it. So once you reach a good point, it can be kept up, but I do it by adhering to the training methods that I used to put it on in the first place. I still lift heavy as I can handle and usually don't go over reps of 12 (with the exception of legs since very heavy squatting has a tendency to stiffen my back now).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    What he said. Once you have it, it's relatively easy to maintain or get back. Even after an extended time away (years) i was able to regain a large percentage of my mass back while spending most of last year in a major deficit. The strength hasn't all returned, but most of the mass i was looking for has.

    You won't be bulking and cutting forever. Well, that depends on your goals, i guess

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