Changing Up Your Workout After Achieving Your Weight Loss Goal
Hey Angels and Alphas,
So… you’ve just reached your weight loss goal. What happens now? Well, maintaining these weight loss results is just one part of the equation, and that’s tricky enough in its own right.
And when it comes to changing up your nutrition plan, it’s probably a great idea to start adding some food back slowly that you might have restricted.
And at the same time, experts keep recommending that continuing your exercise routine for overall health is the best way to make sure the calories-in, calories-out equation is still working in your favor.
But as you move into maintenance mode, you don’t have to keep your workouts exactly the same. In fact, doing so will probably end up working against you. Changing things up will actually bring you massive advantages when it comes to maintaining your weight, adding more muscle to your frame, or moving forward toward your next fitness goal.
First, let’s start directing our attention to a new goal that’s not related to weight loss so you can keep yourself motivated. And second, when we start focusing on the types of exercises we actually want to do and enjoy, we’re going to set ourselves up for a lifetime of great fitness experience.
In the article ahead, we’ve outlined 7 science-backed workout tweaks you can apply to your exercise regime that will help you make the switch from weight-loss mode to weight maintenance.
Let’s take a look.
#1 SET A NEW PERFORMANCE GOAL
When you set a new performance goal, you have a new goal to chase and you will have a much easier time since you’ll be piggybacking off your recent success. You might want to try to hit a certain number of bodyweight pullups, pushups, start deadlifting your own bodyweight, or something else.
#2 DIAL DOWN YOUR WORKOUT VOLUME
When switching from weight loss to maintenance, the first step is usually to dial down your training volume. You’ll still spend some time working out, but you might either reduce the number of workouts you do per week or just the reps and sets you perform during your workouts. This will help this phase a little bit more sustainable both physically and mentally.
#3 DIAL DOWN ON YOUR CARDIO
This ties back to our previous point but reducing the number or length of cardio-only workouts you’re doing is the right way to go. Generally speaking, the first thing you want to do when you’re coming out of a calorie deficit is to reduce your cardio to roughly around 2/3 30-minute sessions a week. This change is mostly beneficial for the people who have been logging lots of cardio sessions in order to burn more calories. For those of you who like and enjoy cardio, keep it in there. Remember, your goal here is to make things more sustainable, so whatever works for you is best.
#4 FOCUS MORE ON BUILDING MUSCLE
Focusing on lean muscle gain is the most common post-weight loss goal. We work toward building muscle by lifting heavy starting at the 4 sets, 6-10 rep framework, and we often do a split routine to hit all the vital muscle groups. This means you might have lower body days, upper body days, push days, pull days, and focusing on building strength gradually to increase the amount of muscle you’re putting on.
#5 START TRAINING AROUND A SPECIFIC SPORT
Another way for you to mix things up and keep your workouts focused is to choose a hobby or sport that you really want to get better at. From there, you can actually start building a strength-training program around that sport. For example, golfers need more rotational core power, tennis players need upper body strength and mobility, and so on.
#6 PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ENERGY LEVELS
Moving out of your weight-loss phase means you’ll likely be eating more calories. This can be a plus for the people who love exercising but struggle with maintaining a high energy level… or the people who feel sore after workouts while in a calorie deficit. Most people will likely have more energy and recover better once they start eating more – if energy levels allow it and you’re feeling good after workouts, that might mean you can actually train more than you did when you were trying to lose weight.
#7 FOCUS ON WHAT FEELS GOOD
Some people who are switching from weight loss to maintenance mode might not have a specific workout goal in mind. They’re just happy, and they want to stay healthy and maintain their weight. In this case, you might want to keep it simple and focus on basic strength and mobility. Let your enjoyment of your workouts be what guides you, as well as how you feel before, during, and after your training sessions.
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