Strength training while eating at maintenance vs. deficit

contingencyplan
contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
What changes in both my body and my performance can I expect to see when continuing with a strength training regimen while eating at maintenance that I wasn't seeing while eating at a deficit?

Replies

  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    Other than a possible increase in energy from more calories you shouldn't see any changes since it's maintenance mode. If you start gaining then it's either added muscle, increased water retention or you're not at your maintenance and going over. I'm planning on staying on a deficit for at least another couple of months until I lean out, once I do I'll be in the same boat.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    perhaps a bit more energy and recovery, but it still may not be enough to get gains if you are past noob gains
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    For me as a female I have continued to have strength gains, especially when I start a new program, and although I'm not growing per se my muscles have continued to change shape and contour.
  • wolfpack77
    wolfpack77 Posts: 655
    You may also see a few pounds of weight gain if you are just coming off a deficit. This is glycogen and water, not muscle. And as others have said, you may see your lifts go up a bit thanks to the extra energy, or in the very least - they will stabilize.
  • epmck11
    epmck11 Posts: 159 Member
    I sometimes wonder this too. It may sound naive, but what would the point of eating at maintenance be if you can't expect any positive changes unless you're completely content with where you are (and who is, honestly?)? I can't imagine a scenario where I would not want to eat at a surplus or deficit.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    From deficit to maintenence, not much.

    If you have been in a deficit or maintenence for a long time and are through the noob gains, moving to a surplus will be crazy. The rate of progress just explodes. I made more progress in my first month of surplus than the three months of defict-maintenece before that combined.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    The reason I asked is because I'm going to be spending the next two months recovering from surgery that's happening August 31 being unable to do any form of exercise at all. And I'm debating how to go about the nutrition end of things when I am able to work out again. Deficit? Or Maintenance? Surplus is more than likely not an option yet.
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