What really happens when you train and eat at maintenance?

[R1187]

I've heard people claim that if you never bulk, and never cut, but always eat at exactly maintenance (or close to it), that your body composition will never really change. The apparent reasoning would be that the body would have no need to expend fat for energy, yet cannot build new muscle due to no available energy surplus.

I don't know the science that well, but this does seem flawed.

Take an average person with an average build who doesn't lift. Let's say they weigh 170lbs. Have them start training very hard and very seriously 4x a week, but adjust their diet so they never lose nor never gain weight.

If this person keeps doing this for a long period of time, isn't a recomp inevitable?

There's no way their body composition wouldn't change, is there?

 

[hvactech]

ive never believed the maintenance hype, i seem to be able to increase lean mass even at low calories

 

[sergroc129]

ive never believed the maintenance hype, i seem to be able to increase lean mass even at low calories

Same here ... I believe start low cal and work up till u find that calorie number that helps u gain more muscle without too much fat ...

 

[Sean1332]

I think it's impossible to truelly eat at maitenance. You're always going to be shy above or below.

 

[Jiigzz]

Its not that you cannot increase lean mass at maintenance, it is that you'll struggle to get any bigger mass wise. You can certainly lose fat and build muscle at maintenance, but your weight will not change substantially provided you increase calories as you increase lean mass to account for the BMR change.