You might work your muscles on a regular basis, but you still need to understand the nature of muscularity in order to help preserve it. When exercised regularly with progressive overload , mixed with proper nutrition and recovery, muscle has the ability to grow , known as hypertrophy.

Studies suggest that resistance training is beneficial for maintaining muscle and strength, which is especially important for older populations.

More than anything, the distinction between growth and maintenance is about how you dose your workout stimulus and nutrition. Muscle loss is the reduction in the size of muscle fibers and can be a result of aging, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, or medical maladies.

While muscular atrophy in healthy individuals is generally a byproduct of inactivity, it can also be an unfortunate side effect of specific medical conditions like sarcopenia or cachexia. Furthermore, research has shown that muscle loss is strongly associated with greater risks of certain chronic diseases and is a reliable indicator in all-cause mortality rates.

While it may seem like an inescapable fate, you can get out in front of muscle loss with physical training and a high-protein diet. Building muscle is hard, but luckily, maintaining it can be easy — if you go about it properly. A training program focused on maintenance can look different than one for bodybuilding or strict weight loss.

Whether your program of choice includes calisthenics, resistance training, or both, training the proper amount combined with the proper nutrition can help you maintain your chest or quad gains. Studies suggest that to maintain muscle, resistance training just one to two times per week may be enough.

Three sets of 10 repetitions is a science-backed benchmark for general muscle maintenance. More advanced trainees who have been in the gym longer will probably need more work in general to maintain their gains, since they did more serious work to get them.

When finding your maintenance volume, err on the side of more at first and trim down as needed over time. Walking into the gym without a plan is a mistake.

If you were trying to build muscle, progression in weight or reps would be a big focus — however, focusing on maintenance might not necessitate as much volume or frequency. Fortunately, the same workout structure you use while bulking up or cutting down generally serves fine as a program for muscle maintenance, as long as you keep tabs on your overall workload.

Here are a couple of popular ways to organize your training during a maintenance phase:. A basic body part split is straightforward — you train each muscle or muscle group on a specific day in the week. This program structure splits upper body and lower body into two separate days.

This can be beneficial for lifters who may need more overall volume to maintain their muscle, or who want to get some extra technical practice even during maintenance phases.

This program splits pushing exercises, such as push-ups and shoulder presses , pulling exercises, such as pull-ups and rows , and legs, such as squats and lunges , across three different days. Aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. Many factors influence your body composition , including exercise, nutrition, genetics, sleep, stress, and medical history.

Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. To grow muscles, you need to make more muscle proteins than your body breaks down. Though this sounds simple enough, the process of growing muscles is dependent on exercise, nutrition, and anabolic hormones.

The purpose of strength training is to damage muscle fibers, creating a type of injury. Your body responds by adding more protein fibers to repair the injury, which ultimately increases muscle mass and strength. Though muscle repair happens quickly, muscle growth takes weeks or months.

How long it takes for you to build muscle depends on many factors, including genetics, sex, workout, and nutrition. More energy, flexibility, and strength are some of the early signs of muscle growth.

Over time, your clothes may fit differently and you may see more muscle tone. Greenemeir L. Unnatural Selection: Muscles, Genes and Genetic Cheats. Scientific American.

de Freitas MC, Gerosa-Neto J, Zanchi NE, Lira FS, Rossi FE. Role of metabolic stress for enhancing muscle adaptations: Practical applications. World J Methodol. Published Jun American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand.

Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Schott N, Johnen B, Holfelder B. Effects of free weights and machine training on muscular strength in high-functioning older adults.

Exp Gerontol. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Klemm S. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Better Health Channel.

Resistance training - health benefits. Dattilo M, Antunes HK, Medeiros A, et al. Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. Vitale KC, Owens R, Hopkins SR, Malhotra A.

Sleep hygiene for optimizing recovery in athletes: Review and recommendations. Int J Sports Med. Poornima KN, Karthick N, Sitalakshmi R. Study of the effect of stress on skeletal muscle function in geriatrics.

J Clin Diagn Res. Alsharif S, Ellis E. Resistance train to prevent muscle loss. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise.

Kwon YS, Kravitz L. University of New Mexico. How do muscles grow? By Jill Corleone, RD Jill is a registered dietitian who's been learning and writing about nutrition for more than 20 years.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Here's how to maintain the muscle you worked so hard to build during your next workout hiatus.

But don't force yourself to do more than your body can handle — days off are crucial too. Wondering how to maintain muscle while recovering from an injury? Consider exercising the rest of your non-injured body, if that's possible.

Yes, exercising one part of your body can help you keep muscle in other parts — seriously. Just be sure to watch for any muscle imbalances if you train one side or muscle more than the others. You've probably seen creatine supplements at your local supplement store, but it's also found in red meat.

Creatine provides fuel for muscles and has been shown to be a solid option for how to maintain muscle strength and size when you're injured, says Jeffrey R. Stout, Ph. If you don't eat meat, you might opt for those supplements. Research shows that maintaining or increasing protein intake may help preserve muscle during a prolonged workout break since protein provides the body with amino acids, the building blocks of muscle.

How much protein do you need to maintain muscle? Less activity should mean fewer carbohydrates: "When your body's active, carbohydrates are used for energy along with fat ," says Bachus. When you're inactive, excess carbs are stored as fat.

But remember, it's no biggie to gain a bit of fat. Try consuming approximately 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates at each meal and snack, suggests Bachus.

Try these high-protein, low-carb foods nutritionists love. If you know you're going on vacation or foresee a jam-packed schedule next week, push yourself more this week — if you can.

Applies to Chocolate and Vanilla flavours. Maintaining muscle mass as we age. Get plenty of protein. Spread out your protein intake. Stay active. Share this article. Send to a friend. You might also like Fitting in a fitness plan Exercise and healthy nutrition go hand in hand.

Breakfast: Getting a healthy start to the day There are ways to start a busy day off right, even for those with time constraints. Healthy small meals for modern day schedules Packed schedule? As your strength improves and your muscles grow, increase weight load and the number of sets to continue to build.

The time frame is different for each person, but generally within a month you will feel weights becoming lighter. Varying the type of workout you do also helps build muscle. You workout different muscle groups when you switch from free weights to weight machines.

Pearce also suggests using compound movements to progress muscle growth. The more muscles you include in your movements, the greater the benefits. Pearce says her advice varies for each client. If you are a beginner, more basic and bodyweight movements will be included.

When I am working with someone more advanced, there will be more weighted movements as well as more advanced movements. This is not only to see the best results but also to make it more fun and challenging!

Building muscle requires good nutrition and high-quality calories that includes a mix of protein, carbs, and fat. Using supplements to support your workout , such as protein powder and electrolyte tablets, can help you meet your nutrition needs.

In order to grow muscles, you need to maintain a positive protein balance. The International Society of Sports Nutrition ISSN says you need at least 0. While protein is important for building muscle, carbohydrates and fat also plays a role in helping your body achieve its goals.

Carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains serve as a source of energy and essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Fat provides your body with energy and helps with producing the hormones you need to build muscle, according to Pearce. Giving your body time to recover is also important for muscle building. You should let your muscles rest for 48 hours before working them out again.

You also need an adequate amount of sleep to build muscle. A lot of things happen while you sleep, including repairing and building muscle. Not getting enough sleep triggers your body to release catabolic hormones like cortisol, slowing down muscle growth.

Adults need hours of sleep a night. But when working out to build muscle, aim for at least eight hours of sleep, says Pearce. Getting an adequate amount of sleep keeps the anabolic hormone levels elevated, improving muscle recovery and growth.

How you manage stress also affects muscle building. According to Pearce, stress also affects your workouts. She recommends taking it easy on those high stress days and the days you have a hard time getting enough sleep.

When it comes to maintaining muscle mass, you can follow a "use it or lose it" mentality. Like muscle building, fitness and nutrition are vital to maintaining lean body mass. Regular strength training is key to maintaining muscle mass. Like muscle building, you need to stress the muscle to maintain strength.

Yoga and Pilates are also muscle building workouts that help maintain lean body mass and improve flexibility. I promise you will not bulk up in a short period of time.

to name a few! Good nutrition is also important for maintaining muscle, especially high-quality protein. The ISSN says you need 0. Eating balanced meals filled with nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups should help you get enough protein, as well as an adequate amount of carbohydrates and for energy and the other essential nutrients you need to maintain muscle and support overall health.

Finding healthy ways to manage stress is also important for maintaining muscle. A study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that stress decreases muscle strength.

How you manage stress right now may affect your muscle strength later on. You also need to create good sleeping habits. Like stress, accumulating sleep debt increases the release of the catabolic hormones that decrease muscle mass and strength.

Aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. Many factors influence your body composition , including exercise, nutrition, genetics, sleep, stress, and medical history. Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. To grow muscles, you need to make more muscle proteins than your body breaks down.

Though this sounds simple enough, the process of growing muscles is dependent on exercise, nutrition, and anabolic hormones. The purpose of strength training is to damage muscle fibers, creating a type of injury. Your body responds by adding more protein fibers to repair the injury, which ultimately increases muscle mass and strength.

Though muscle repair happens quickly, muscle growth takes weeks or months. Research from points to the importance of reducing body weight without losing lean body mass.

Some supplements may negatively interact with certain medications or conditions. To lose fat and gain or maintain muscle mass, do moderate- to high-intensity cardio for at least minutes per week. Example of cardio exercises include:. Increase the intensity of your workouts to challenge yourself and burn calories.

For your workout to effectively build strength, you must push your muscles to their maximum capacity. This may involve taking a break before proceeding.

Exercise classes, such as yoga, Pilates, or tai chi , are also options. Always start with low weight loads and fewer repetitions.

Gradually work your way up to heavier weights or more repetitions. This will help avoid injury. Strength training helps prevent muscle loss while increasing muscle mass.

Make sure your routine is balanced and targets all the main muscle groups. Give your muscle groups time to recover. You can aim to target each muscle group a maximum of twice per week. To cut fat, you can also incorporate interval training into your workout plan.

Allow for adequate rest and recovery on alternate days. Either take an entire day off, or opt for light-intensity exercise, such as walking, swimming, or dancing. To optimize fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, follow a healthy diet that meets your nutritional and energetic needs.

Replace sugary beverages with drinks such as green tea, coconut water, and fresh vegetable juice. Within 45 minutes of finishing a workout, eat a meal containing protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Boost your energy levels with carbohydrates after a workout. This helps in the recovery process, and may even help speed up that process. Carbohydrates help replace glycogen stores that were used for energy during exercise.

Protein options for gaining lean muscle include:. You can also include healthy fats in your postworkout meals, including:. A certified nutritionist or dietitian can help you align your eating and exercise plan with your overall goals.

Working with a professional may be especially beneficial if your eating plan affects any existing health conditions, or if you have special dietary needs. As you progress, a pro can continue to tailor your program in a way that helps you advance. Together you can help each other succeed.

While you may end up losing a small amount of muscle mass along with excess fat, you can help manage it with a proper eating and exercise plan. To support fat loss, maintain a calorie deficit while eating lots of protein, carbs, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Set attainable, realistic goals. Keep track of your progress over several months.

Challenge yourself to improve your performance and focus on building strength. Stay consistent in your approach, and continue to focus on your progress.