What to do once you reach your goal?

VonLuck

I was just wondering, what should you do once you reach your goal and how can you maintain it?

I am currently trying to get my body fat percentage to around 10% and to build decent muscle mass and visible abs. I do full body workouts 3 times a week and cardio 3 times a week. I am eating around 500 calories below maintenance a day to achieve a lower body fat.

Once I get to where I want, what should I do? Should I do the same workout as I am now? Can I cut my workout down to maybe only 3 days a week?

I never see any info on this so I'd be interested to know!

Thanks.

cc87

Focus on reaching your current goals before worrying about other goals. Getting to 10% BF isnt easy and keeping it at 10% is harder

VonLuck

cc87 wrote: »

Getting to 10% BF isnt easy and keeping it at 10% is harder

Thats what I was worried about! I am not too far from my goal at the moment and I'm currently putting in a lot of effort with watching what I eat and exercise. I was hoping once I reached my goal it would ease off a little bit!

The Davestator

A lot of people who are trying to stay at 'maintenance' use the '4 pound rule' - you get to eat alittle bit extra on a certain number of days but once you go up 4 pounds, you've got to go back to strict again. It usually is enough of an incentive not to go over 4 lbs!

chadmustang

Set higher goals and try and improve more. You should always have goals but never be satisfied with simply reaching them and staying there!

1ceman

If and when you reach your set goals you will probably have new goals.

/Repeat

cc87

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

siochain

No idea what age you are, male\female or take part in sports, regardless 10% BF maintenance won't be easy. That will be a challenge in its self.

Set a different type of goals when your reach 10%. Maybe a distance over time or new squat BF or even better both.

This may help vary your training routines to you don’t get board. Either way good luck with it and enjoy.

VonLuck

Well my only real goal was to feel and look healthy! I'm not a huge fan of weight lifting or exercise in general.

You say there is a lot of work in maintaining a 10% body fat. How so? Surely once I reach my goal I can eat more food (to equal maintenance as I won't be cutting anymore), do less cardio (if I watch what I eat I shouldn't need to burn off any extra calories) and do less weights/ab workouts (just enough to keep my current muscle mass).

Am I missing something? Anyone here have any experience at maintaining that type of goal?

cc87

VonLuck wrote: »

Well my only real goal was to feel and look healthy! I'm not a huge fan of weight lifting or exercise in general.

You say there is a lot of work in maintaining a 10% body fat. How so? Surely once I reach my goal I can eat more food (to equal maintenance as I won't be cutting anymore), do less cardio (if I watch what I eat I shouldn't need to burn off any extra calories) and do less weights/ab workouts (just enough to keep my current muscle mass).

Am I missing something? Anyone here have any experience at maintaining that type of goal?

Well by decreasing your workouts, your maintenance calories will also decrease so any calorie deficit you were keeping to while exercising will be irrelevant.