# Is it possible to increase strength on maintenance calories?



## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

As title says, views please.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Unquestionably.


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

I've done it. If you look at the thread I link a few guys increasing there lifts but bodyweight stays the same.

https://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/topic/298150-post-your-best-lifts/?do=embed


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## Fadi (Dec 14, 2010)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> *Is it possible to increase strength on maintenance calories?*


 Why stop there? I tell you it is possible to gain strength whilst losing few pounds even. Those pounds could come from bit of fat, muscle, and water combined. How is that possible you may ask. It's because strength gains are mainly the results of neural-efficiency and not necessarily due to some gain of few pounds of body mass. In other words (and according to your question), one can very easily gain muscle strength if one trains accordingly. And if one wanted to gain strength whilst losing couple of pounds, that is still possible if the mode of training is shifted more towards the neural-efficiency type over the more muscle building dominant type. In plain and simple English this means dropping the rep range from the 8-10, and down to the 2 and 3 rep range.

So just as one can focus on maximising the gaining of strength and power whilst minimising the gaining of bodyweight (as I did for few years), one can also afford to lose few pounds whilst either maintaining their level of strength, or increasing it, depending on the level they were in before the shift in training took place.

Cheers

Fadi.


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## superdrol (Aug 9, 2012)

I have a theory on this, I believe there is a range for maintenence cals rather than a figure so in my case I stay the same weight from 2500-4000 calories doing push pull legs as an example, I believe the body makes use of nutrients and adapts itself to the environment it's in

it would explain guys who have to go silly low calories to lose weight, and some who can go silly high to gain

to back this up how many times have you heard people say I've had to push way higher than ever before to gain weight and I believe it's because as we train the body adapts to work loads and higher cals yet cutting cals still remain roughly similar

so in relation to your question I think you can eat at the top end of your range for maintenence so for me I was eating 4k cals and getting stronger but not gaining weight last cycle so effectively it would be called maintenence calories but I could have eaten 3k and not gained weight, but would I have gained strength at the same time? Not to the same level I suspect although I didn't try it...


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## ILLBehaviour (Dec 20, 2014)

pretty sure @Pscarb made a post a while back about a study where people gained muscle in a deficit, was using a really high protein diet from what i remember.


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

ILLBehaviour said:


> pretty sure @Pscarb made a post a while back about a study where people gained muscle in a deficit, was using a really high protein diet from what i remember.


 yes that is true buddy it was a very specific diet though

of course, you can gain strength on maintenance calories i would go as far as saying you can gain strength in a deficit depending on how you structure your diet.......

in basic terms, for strength its about the energy you have in your body at the time you train plus any drugs or supplements you may be using


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## Abc987 (Sep 26, 2013)

I've been in a calorie deficit since I came back off my holidays end of august. Weight has gonna from 14.10 to 13.9 this morning and I'm and I'm still gaining strength slowly since I got back.

i have started using a pre of citriline malate and exceed intra which has given a nice boost but defo leaner, stronger but a stone lighter than 7 weeks ago

on 180mg test e cruise also


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## Jakemaguire (Feb 17, 2016)

Like @Fadi65 said yes because of neural efficiency


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> As title says, views please.


 What made you ask out of interest?


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## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

Ultrasonic said:


> What made you ask out of interest?


 Not happy with the progressive overload in terms of load on squats mate. Was started to think look likes I am not eating enough.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> Not happy with the progressive overload in terms of load on squats mate. Was started to think look likes I am not eating enough.


 It's certainly possible that you aren't eating enough but loads of other possible factors too...

(Just because it is possible for some people to gain strength on maintenance calories doesn't mean that you can in your current situation.)


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

Definitely, its not as easy when your not gaining bw but it can be done. The biggest difference for me was not being able to tolerate the increased volume as well as when in a surplus.... incidentally, for me at least squat and bench take the biggest hit in regards to bw....even a minor drop in bw will affect it, whereas my deadlift numbers remain unaffected, or even get better....


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Absolutely possible for the reasons already stated. You may find your ability to tolerate volume becomes somewhat compromised in the way @ausmaz states, but generally provided you keep training in a progressive fashion you should keep gaining strength unless in a very extreme energy deficit.

One other thing of course that happens in an energy deficit is that, as body weight drops, the effective load on exercises where the whole body moves (sometimes called 'closed kinetic chain' exercises) becomes lesser - squats, deadlifts, dips, chins, pullups, pushups are all exercises like this where dropping a few lbs of bodyweight makes the overal load moved lighter so you seem stronger, even though technically you aren't.


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## Jack of blades (Apr 2, 2017)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> As title says, views please.


 I think so. As long as your training the same. Once you have the strength you have it should be in your muscles and nervous system. Although it would be harder to keep your strength on maintainance calories if you gained strength when you were bulking. Definitely not though if your not eating enough calories though


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## Jack of blades (Apr 2, 2017)

Fadi65 said:


> Why stop there? I tell you it is possible to gain strength whilst losing few pounds even. Those pounds could come from bit of fat, muscle, and water combined. How is that possible you may ask. It's because strength gains are mainly the results of neural-efficiency and not necessarily due to some gain of few pounds of body mass. In other words (and according to your question), one can very easily gain muscle strength if one trains accordingly. And if one wanted to gain strength whilst losing couple of pounds, that is still possible if the mode of training is shifted more towards the neural-efficiency type over the more muscle building dominant type. In plain and simple English this means dropping the rep range from the 8-10, and down to the 2 and 3 rep range.
> 
> So just as one can focus on maximising the gaining of strength and power whilst minimising the gaining of bodyweight (as I did for few years), one can also afford to lose few pounds whilst either maintaining their level of strength, or increasing it, depending on the level they were in before the shift in training took place.
> 
> ...


 Yeah I found gaining strength to be different to gaining muscle. Especially 1 rep maxes they seem to be more of a nervous system thing


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