Summer is a time of the year where there is usually more social events and holidays planned, meaning it can be difficult to stay on track with your fitness goals. You often hear about how to get 'shredded for summer' but once we actually get to that goal it can be difficult to understand how to maintain the physique that you have put the hard work in to achieve. In this blog we will discuss how you can stay in the best shape of your life while still enjoying the summer months.
High protein intake
When trying to maintain a physique, your nutrition is going to be just as important as it was while in a dieting phase. By keeping your protein intake high, it will help to hold onto the muscle tissue that you have built over the past months and years. Keeping your protein intake high will also lead to you feeling less hungry meaning you are less likely to snack, reducing the likelihood of you eating in calorie surplus.
Find your maintenance calories
Similarly to when losing weight you have to be in a calorie deficit, to maintain weight you have to find your maintenance calories. If you are coming out of a dieting phase, you can slowly increase your calories and keep an eye on your scale weight to see when you are at the stage where you are no longer losing or gaining weight. When you get to this point this is when you have found out what your maintenance calories are. By eating your maintenance calories on a daily basis while keeping your protein high, you will be maintaining your muscle and strength built over time.
Consider TDEE
TDEE stands for total daily energy expenditure and this is important to consider when trying to stay lean. Keeping a high TDEE will mean that your overall maintenance calories will be higher. This is important if you have lots of social events and holidays coming up as it will reduce the likelihood of you going into a calorie surplus. One way to easily increase your TDEE is by keeping step count high. In the summer months it is easier to get more steps in therefore you should aim for 10,000-15,000 per day.
Training Frequency
Your training frequency is another important factor to consider when maintaining your physique. To maintain a physique you should be looking to train 3-5 times a week. If you can only make it to the gym 3x a week, 3 full body sessions will provide you with enough volume to maintain and maybe even build more muscle tissue.
Use of supplements
With summer being a busy time, the use of supplements can be convenient and efficient for anyone who is strict on time. If you are struggling with hitting your protein intake, adding whey protein shakes or protein bars can be an easy way to hit them goals. If you are looking for a refreshing and easy to digest summer protein source, try the Fruity Whey Isolate from Warrior.
