Chapter 1: Introduction to Muscle and Strength Maintenance

In a perfect scenario, you would engage in weightlifting sessions 3 to 5 times a week throughout the year. However, life often throws obstacles your way, such as family obligations, work commitments, personal issues, or extended travel, making it tough to stick to a regular training schedule. When this happens, you are faced with two choices: either halt your training and deal with the inevitable muscle and strength decline, or engage in the minimal training required to preserve your current fitness levels.

Clearly, the first option is not wise. Therefore, you should opt for the latter, training just enough to maintain your body composition and strength. But how much training is actually necessary?

A study conducted by Barry et al. (2021) explored this question and examined various research findings on the minimal training required for muscle and strength preservation.

Chapter 2: What the Research Shows

Their review indicated that for the general population, including individuals like you and me, only a small amount of training is required to sustain muscle size and strength.

You might be skeptical, but it turns out that just one to two training sessions per week can effectively maintain both muscle and strength. This observation aligns with my experiences and those of my clients: training volume and frequency can be reduced by as much as two-thirds while still preserving muscle and strength.

However, there is an essential consideration—training intensity must remain high. This doesn’t imply lifting the heaviest weights possible; rather, it means pushing your sets to near failure, ensuring that you are close to your limits (while still maintaining proper form). This key point was also underscored in the study:

Chapter 3: Practical Tips for Maintaining Muscle and Strength

In times when life feels overwhelming and you need to cut back on your usual training routine, remember that one to two sessions per week (depending on your age) are enough to maintain your muscle and strength, provided that you keep up the intensity (both in terms of load and effort).

It should go without saying, but it’s worth reiterating: if you try to lose weight while only training once or twice a week, or if you skimp on your protein intake, you will likely lose the muscle and strength you have worked hard to gain.

If you would like assistance in creating a sustainable fat loss plan, I invite you to explore my 1x1 Coaching Program.

This video discusses the necessary volume of training to maintain muscle and strength effectively.

Explore the minimal amount of training required to build muscle and how to implement it into your routine.