Can you maintain muscle without increasing weight?

Lili_Bunny

I'm new to all of this and just started lifting at all a couple of weeks ago. My question is, do you have to keep progressively lifting heavier weights to maintain muscle? Or will you still maintain even if you just use the same weights every time you lift?

I'm asking because I am lifting at home with dumbells, but I only have up to 30 lbs. (and I'm not even at the point of using those - 20s are the heaviest I use at the moment). If I keep using the dumbells I have, but don't buy more or go to a gym or do anything else to increase weight, will I lose muscle?

After all, I know that when you do cardio you get progressively more efficient and therefore burn less calories. Does something similar happen with weight training, or can I happily keep lifting the same weight and maintain whatever muscle I have?

Ainar

Yes, you can. Adding heavier weights is necessary if you want to progress and keep getting stronger, and add some more muscle mass. If you want just maintain then you don't need to do that.

phjorg1

if you don't use it, you lose it. when you're in deficit, your body will shed all mannor of body tissue, and will shed tissue not in use as a priority. Thus why so many cardio only peeps get the skinny fat look as they lose weight as a lot of the weight being lose is unused type II muscle mass since it's not in use.

So that said, the idea is not as much as the weight you lift, but the underlying theory behind it. As long as you're doing whatever with that weight to challenge your Type II muscles, then your body won't be as likely to ahead them while in deficit. So the answer is it depends. If you find a way to continually challenge yourself so you're able to hit full muscle failure in under a minute or 2, then you're fine. If you're just going through the motions and not really challenging yourself, then you're not fine, even though you are lifting weight.

Lili_Bunny

Thank you for your replies. Although you're both presenting somewhat conflicting opinions, it seems. I'd like to hear from other people too!