How to Know If You Are Maingaining Correctly

How to Know If You Are Maingaining Correctly

Maingaining-the art of building muscle and losing fat simultaneously-is the holy grail of fitness. It promises the best of both worlds without the extreme hunger of a cut or the unwanted fat gain of a bulk. But it's a precision game. You are maingaining correctly if your strength performance consistently improves, your body measurements trend positively, and your average body weight remains stable within a 1-2% range over four weeks. This process is about recomposition, not just weight maintenance. It works best for those new to lifting or returning after a long break.

The changes are slow and subtle. You will not see dramatic shifts on the scale week to week. Instead, progress is measured in kilograms on the bar and centimeters on a tape measure. If your lifts are going up and your waist is getting smaller, you are succeeding. Most people fail because they lack a reliable system for tracking these subtle changes. This guide provides that system.

Why the Scale Is the Worst Way to Track Progress

Most people fail at maingaining because they obsess over the scale. Your body weight can fluctuate by 1-3% daily. This isn't fat gain or loss; it's noise. Factors like water retention from a high-sodium meal, glycogen storage after a carb-heavy day, stress-induced cortisol, and the physical weight of food in your system can cause the scale to swing wildly. These fluctuations hide the slow, real progress of building muscle and losing fat. Focusing on daily weight changes will lead you to make panicked, unnecessary adjustments to your diet.

The goal is to change your body's composition. Muscle is significantly denser than fat. This means that as you build a kilogram of muscle and lose a kilogram of fat, your body will look leaner and more toned, but the number on the scale might not budge at all. Your training logbook and a simple tape measure are the real arbiters of progress, not the device on your floor. If you are lifting more weight or doing more reps, you are building muscle. This is a non-negotiable sign of progress.

The 3 Pillars of Maingaining Tracking

To get clear, unbiased feedback, you must consistently track three distinct pillars of progress. This system removes the guesswork and tells you definitively if your maingaining phase is working.

Pillar 1: Set Your Calorie and Protein Targets

Your starting point for maintenance calories is your bodyweight in pounds multiplied by 15. For an 80kg (176lb) person, this is 176 x 15 = 2,640 calories per day. This is an estimate. You will adjust it based on how your weekly weight average trends. Set your protein intake to a minimum of 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. For an 80kg person, that is 80 x 1.6 = 128 grams of protein daily. This elevated protein intake is crucial for providing the building blocks for muscle repair and growth, especially when you are not in a significant calorie surplus.

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Pillar 2: The Definitive Guide to Tracking Strength Performance

Your strength in the gym is the single most important indicator of muscle growth. If you are getting stronger, you are building muscle. The mechanism for this is progressive overload, which means your total training volume must increase over time. Volume is calculated as sets x reps x weight. Here’s how to track it properly:

• Log Everything: Use a notebook or app to record every workout. For each exercise, log the date, weight used, sets, and reps completed. For added precision, note your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) or Reps in Reserve (RIR) to gauge how challenging the set was.
• Focus on Key Lifts: Track your performance on 3-5 main compound exercises (like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, and rows). These multi-joint movements are the best drivers of overall muscle growth.
• Embrace Multiple Forms of Progression: Progressive overload isn't just about adding more weight. You can also progress by:
• Increasing Reps: Lifting the same weight for more repetitions.
• Increasing Sets: Adding an extra set to an exercise.
• Improving Form: Performing the same lift with better technique and a greater range of motion.
• Decreasing Rest Time: Completing the same work in less time.

Progress is not always linear. You will have good and bad days. The goal is an upward *trend* over a 4-week period. If your logbook shows you are consistently lifting more weight or doing more reps on your main lifts over a month, you are successfully building muscle.

Pillar 3: Mastering Body Measurements and Progress Photos

While the logbook shows performance, measurements and photos provide the visual proof of recomposition. This is how you confirm that you're losing fat, even when the scale is static.

How to Take Accurate Body Measurements:

1. Use a Flexible Tape Measure: A simple tailor's tape is perfect.
2. Be Consistent: Measure yourself every 4 weeks, in the morning, after using the bathroom, and before eating or drinking.
3. Standardize Locations: Always measure the same spots. Common sites include:

• Waist: At the narrowest point of your torso, or level with your navel.
• Hips: At the widest point of your glutes and hips.
• Chest: Across the nipple line on a relaxed exhale.
• Arms & Thighs: At the midpoint between the joints, either flexed or unflexed (just be consistent).

1. Apply Consistent Tension: Pull the tape snug against the skin, but not so tight that it digs in.

How to Take Effective Progress Photos:

1. Frequency: Take photos every 4 weeks. Any more frequently and changes will be too subtle to notice, leading to discouragement.
2. Control the Variables: Consistency is everything. Use the same:

• Location & Background: A plain, uncluttered wall is best.
• Lighting: Stand in the same spot with the same light source. Indirect natural light from a window is often most flattering and realistic.
• Posing: Take standard front, side, and back shots. Keep your posture and poses identical each time.

When you review, look for changes in your silhouette, increased muscle definition (e.g., in your shoulders or abs), and how your clothes fit. A decreasing waist measurement combined with stable or increasing chest and arm measurements is a classic sign of successful maingaining.

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What Realistic Maingaining Progress Looks Like

Maingaining is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not expect rapid changes. For a beginner, realistic progress is adding about 2.5kg (5 lbs) to your main compound lifts each month. Your weekly average body weight should stay within a 0.5kg (1 lb) range. You might see your waist measurement decrease by 1-2 centimeters per month while other measurements hold steady or slightly increase.

Use your data to make small adjustments. If your weekly weight average is consistently dropping after two weeks and your strength is stalling, increase your daily calories by 100-150. If your weight average is consistently increasing and your waist measurement is going up, decrease your calories by 100-150. The goal is to find the calorie level that allows for steady strength gains with minimal change in body weight.

This approach has limits. It is most effective for beginners who can build muscle and lose fat efficiently. Advanced lifters will find it very slow. For them, dedicated bulking and cutting cycles often produce better results. Be honest about your training level to set the right expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should you maingain?

You can maingain for as long as you are seeing progress in both strength and body measurements. Many people use it for 4-6 months before deciding to switch to a dedicated bulk or cut for faster results.

Should I maingain or do a traditional bulk and cut?

If you are new to lifting or have a higher body fat percentage (over 15% for men, 25% for women), maingaining is a great start. If you are an experienced lifter who is already lean, traditional bulk and cut cycles will likely be more effective for adding significant muscle mass.

Can advanced lifters maingain effectively?

It is possible but extremely slow. An advanced lifter is close to their genetic potential, making it very difficult to build muscle without a significant calorie surplus. Progress may be so slow that it is hard to measure, making a dedicated bulk a more efficient choice for muscle gain.

What should my macros be for maingaining?

After setting protein at 1.6-2.2g per kg of bodyweight, the rest of your calories can be divided between carbohydrates and fats based on your preference and what fuels your training best. A common starting point is to allocate 20-30% of total calories to fats and the remainder to carbs.

Is cardio necessary for maingaining?

Cardio is excellent for cardiovascular health, but it is not a primary tool for maingaining. Your calorie intake should be set for maintenance. Performing excessive cardio can push you into a calorie deficit, effectively turning your maingain into a cut and potentially hindering recovery and strength gains. Stick to 2-3 weekly sessions of low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio for heart health.

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