Several options:
>set new goals. They don't need to be about size/strength, but maybe you wanna learn a sport or be able to do a one-armed pullup, or whatever
>keep lifting, but a bit less, to maintain. Use the time to read books, improve your social life, train for a better job, go travel...
>quit lifting. Slowly lose the body you worked hard to get. Re-start after a year. Or don't and become a normie.

>>35599547
You'll make new goals. They might be to join a sports team, to compete in something, to move bigger weights; there's a lot of things that happen.

You might not have the intention to be a body builder or powerlifter, but might do something with it just for kicks. I went out and did rowing for my university just for kicks.

>>35599572
took the words out of my mouth.

what are your goals right now, opie?

Find your TDEE, eat at a maintenance, still exercise so you don't melt away

>>35599594
>Keep counting calories forever

>>35599547
You are overthinking cause you will probably never reach your goal.
Anyway you can focus on other aspects of your life while having an awesome body and a longer life

>>35599594
i know people who lift like that. and i don't mean to bash anyones goals or anything but why the fuck would you waste your time like that?
do you just go ''oh, i don't want to get any bigger'' and still keep putting in basically the same effort? doesn't that get boring immediately?
there is this guy who hasn't made any progress in the 3 years i've been at his gym. dude practically had to watch me (and numerous others) go from benching a broomstick to 315.
why not move on to a differend sport?

>>35599547
>when you have reached your desired weight/strength
This never happens. Your goal keeps getting pushed as you approach them. You will never be truly satisfied.

>>35599547
Don't worry about it, you will never be too big without roids.

>>35599725

Not OP, but sometimes you want to spend time doing something else. For me, I had to shift my focus when I got into grad school.

As far as OP is concerned, what I would recommend, OP, is that of you're truly satisfied, then start timing your workouts. Instead of seeing how much more weight you can move each time, start cutting back on the rest between sets, and see how fast you can get through a workout.

You'll maintain, and start challenging yourself to save more and more time each time you go.

>>35599642
you can lift like 1-2x a week and maintain all of your muscle with relative ease.

>>35599780
you make it sound like lifting takes unusual amount of time, effort and focus

>>35599780
>Instead of seeing how much more weight you can move each time, start cutting back on the rest between sets, and see how fast you can get through a workout.
That doesn't really make any sense. First of all in order to do so as a means of maintaining your current level of fitness, you would have to always do and keep doing more or less the exact same workout, which is just silly. Second, and more importantly, what you're describing is a completely normal method of progression that everybody should be using occassionally already. It isn't a method to maintain but rather a method to grow bigger and stronger by increasing training density.

Besides, maintenance is boring and will cause you to lose motivation. You will want to always find some area you can improve in e.g. mobility, gymnastic skills, weightlifting, cardiovascular fitness, running or swimming technique, muscular endurance, sustainable bodyfat percentage etc etc etc.

>>35599547
become a weightlifter then

OP here.
So as you may have noticed I'm not a fan of the "KEEP ON FOREVER NEVER LOVE YOURSELF MORE WEIGHTS" mentality of certain people of this board while I agree with the "fitness is not a finite goal" thing.
About lifting for maintainance though, should you just stop overloading and keep doing exercises twice a week ?

Surprised, first thread I start that has actually relevant answers.

>>35599850
>About lifting for maintainance though, should you just stop overloading and keep doing exercises twice a week ?
Sure that'd probably work. But why the hell would you? Does it not give you any satisfaction to improve?

>>35599850
if you want to keep your gains you will have to continue to eat, sleep and train right. so why not go a few inches further every time. there are people who are making gains lifting 2x week so why not try for that? you know how many people are not making any gains while TRYING to make gains?

also, what are your goals? because that will determine how much work will be needed to maintain.
below a certain strength level you might keep your gains despite moving on to a different sport alltogether.

Go power-lifting but stay non competitive. The strength is useful.

That being said to keep the look you have work in heavy singles and doubles.

Use fractional plates. Add 1-2 pounds a month. Over ten years that shit adds up if your looking at the long game.

>>35599898
actually that won't work in the exact way you're suggesting.
you will still have to deload and program every now and then. after a certain point using increasing (or even the same weight) week for week will be a detriment.

>>35599922
>you will still have to deload and program every now and then.

Why
is
that
a
problem
exactly?

>>35599938
i did not say that.

>>35599956
That's irrelevant then. His general idea was sound, he just didn't get the technicalities right.

>>35599898
>to keep the look you have work in heavy singles and doubles.
Naa not really. What makes you say that?

>>35599965
yes. that's what my point was.

>>35599614
As if it's hard. If you can't even do basic math you don't really deserve to have a good body anyway.
Also just learn what portion sizes look like and you can easily get away with estimating all day.

OP you little shit, i know you're reading this.

what are your goals?

because nobody can help you if you're not getting into specifics.

>>35599879 #
Sure, but I failed to find an interesting enough continuation of routine, so I was planning on focusing more on a new activity (thinking about martial arts) and keep lifting on the side to maintain the physique.

>>35600007
seems like a good idea. i know some people who have been doing that. they still make gains in the gym though.

I think you people are putting too much mind into it. Lifting should be something like eating and sleeping, not something you constantly think about and something you could get bored with.

>>35600052
>stop thinking about it, you shouldn't ask yourself if that's really what you want
>doing an activity for one's own pleasure is so 2004

Dude I lift for fun. Lifting is part of my interests and I like to put my interests back in question from time to time.

>>35600132
I just think everyone should lift. Those who enjoy it take it more seriously and don't ask silly questions like the OP.

>>35600163
>You just full 4chan