How do you transition out of a dieting phase to maintain your results? Do you keep cycling between cutting and bulking? Or can you live at maintenance for a while, and if so, how do you do it effectively?
In this episode, Philip (@witsandweights) shares a proven blueprint to effortlessly transition out of a fat loss phase or an intense cut into a sustainable maintenance phase so you can recover from the deficit as quickly as possible, optimize your performance without going to extremes, and lock in your hard-earned lean physique year-round.
Maintenance is a critical but often overlooked fitness phase, especially when transitioning from a fat-loss period. Even though cuts and bulks are often emphasized for those going after body composition changes, sometimes living at maintenance is the best option to sustain an optimal physique and performance level that has already been achieved. Maintenance allows for metabolic recovery from a calorie deficit. Athletes who rely on a particular strength-to-weight ratio should avoid the extreme changes that come with cuts and bulks, and sustaining an ideal physique year-round provides its form of consistency.
Today, you’ll learn all about:
3:07 What inspired this episode
7:21 What is maintenance, and why is it important?
10:16 Psychological shift to maintenance
16:06 The physiology of maintenance
20:19 Setting calories and macros for maintenance
24:32 Jumping to your maintenance calories
27:41 Weekly adjustments
31:53 Structuring your nutrition around your workout
35:01 Two advanced strategies
38:44 Five common pitfalls during maintenance
49:34 Outro
Episode Resources:
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🎓 Join Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support + accountability (FREE custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN).
👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance.
👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram
