Want to Build Lean Muscle? This Maingaining Program for Beginners Will Show You How.

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THE PROVEN PATH to looking jacked: Eat a ton of calories and train hard for a few months (a.k.a. a bulk), then restrict calories for a few more months (a.k.a. a cut).

Busy guys don’t have time (or stomach space!) for that. That’s why a tiny 2023 study is sending ripples through the fitness community. Eric Helms, PhD, a sports scientist at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, divided 21 lifters into three groups (one that ate at a maintenance level of calories, one that ate in a 5 percent calorie surplus, and one that ate in a 15 percent surplus), then tracked how well they built muscle. At the end of eight weeks, naturally, the high-calorie group gained more body mass. But all three groups saw comparable strength and muscle thickness gains (that thickness essentially proves they built muscle).

It all backs a muscle-building approach that often draws skepticism because of how it defies bulk/cut rules. Meet maingaining, which lets you slowly add muscle without compromising athleticism or forcing you to eat a ton. It’s a plan you can stick to for years, always progressing.

Not that maingaining is easy. You’ll eat just 100 to 200 calories above maintenance level, (which you can estimate simply using this tool), meaning limited energy reserves to attack your training. You’ll need to make your hard workouts count, while still stealing muscle-building stimulus in lighter sessions. This program teaches you those basics. After you run through the workout and feel comfortable, you can level up with our in-depth Ultimate Guide to Maingaining program, available exclusively for MH MVP Premium members.

Your Weekly Schedule

You’ll train heavy twice a week, then find time for at least one high-rep session that’ll challenge you without crushing your central nervous system. Once a week, hit 20 minutes of cardio.

PROGRESSION: Every two weeks, on heavy days, add at least a rep to your final set of each move. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set of a move, add weight in your next workout.

• FRIDAY – HIGH-REP (OPTIONAL)

WORKOUT 1

HEAVY WEIGHT SESSION

DIRECTIONS: Warm up with a 1-minute plank, 1 minute of reverse lunges, and 1 minute of jumping jacks, then do the exercises in order. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between each set.

Gorilla Row

8 to 10 reps, 4 sets

Chase power on each rep. But keep shoulders above hips, protecting your lower back.

Single-Arm Push Press

4 to 6 reps, 3 sets per side

Use leg power to drive the bell overhead.

Offset Stance Goblet Squat

8 to 10 reps, 3 sets per side

Keep your back-leg heel off the floor. Lower slowly, then explode to standing.

MOVE TO MASTER

Dumbbell Snatch

6 to 8 reps, 3 sets per side

Focus on keeping the dumbbell close to your body as you pull upward. Imagine jumping on every rep.

1. THE HINGE

Few positions are more powerful than the hinge, which sets you up to train hamstrings and glutes. Your glutes are the engine for your body’s athleticism. Focus on keeping your abs tight, and slightly arch your back.

2. POWER PULL

As you explosively stand, you’ll essentially row the dumbbell upward, as if zipping up a coat. This will light up your back and shoulder muscles.

3. BIG PUNCH

Once the dumbbell reaches shoulder height, punch overhead, building shoulder power and strengthening the length of your spine. Lower to your shoulder and you’re set for the next rep.

WHY YOU NEED IT: Every move must have a purpose when you’re so near maintenance calories, and the snatch checks multiple boxes, building athleticism and challenging every muscle in your body. It also lets you go heavy, key for building muscle—and something you’ll do often in this workout.

Plank Drag

30 seconds on, 30 off, 4 sets

Keep your feet wide, and make sure hips and shoulders stay square for the entire set.

WORKOUT 2

HIGH-REP MUSCLE

DIRECTIONS: Warm up with a 1-minute plank, 1 minute of reverse lunges, and 1 minute of jumping jacks, then do the exercises in order. Rest 90 seconds between sets and supersets.

Bird-Dog Row

8 to 10 reps, 4 sets per side

These are harder than you think! Keep squeezing your glutes as you do each rep (thank us for the stability).

Half-Bench Single-Arm Press

8 to 10 reps, 3 sets per side

Keep one full glute, one shoulder blade, and your entire spine off the bench.

SUPERSET: Do both exercises back-to-back, then rest 60 seconds. Repeat for 3 total sets.

Single-Arm Preacher Curl

8 to 10 reps per side

Squeeze your shoulder blade as you’re lowering the weight. Pause for 1 second at the bottom of each rep.

Skullcrusher

10 to 12 reps

Squeeze your shoulder blades during each rep, and don’t allow your elbows to flare outward.

SUPERSET: Do both exercises back-to-back, then rest 60 seconds. Repeat for 3 total sets.

Half-Kneeling Windmill

6 to 8 reps per side

Too easy? Touch your elbow to the floor on every rep instead of your hand.

Lateral Raise

10 to 12 reps

Squeeze your glutes and exhale as you drive the weight upward on every rep.

Fuel

The Maingaining Diet, By the Numbers

from Men’s Health Nutrition Advisor Dezi Abeyta, RD

13 – Calories per pound of bodyweight you should eat in a day

(For a 180-pound guy, that works out to 2,300 calories a day.) Spread that over breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks and you’re looking at about 450 calories per feed.

1 – Gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight per day

Aim for 30 to 45 grams per feed—plenty to support the muscle protein synthesis that grows lean tissue.

140 – Grams of carbohydrate you’ll want to have near workout time

Aim for 30 to 60 pre-training and 50 to 80 after your workout. Carbs are your fuel; prioritize eating them when you’re about to go hard.

Your Must Eats

Skyr Yogurt – High-protein, low-fat, smooth, and perfect for snacks or shakes.

Oats – Carbs + fiber combo that steadies blood sugar and pairs with any flavor.

Your Ultimate Maingaining Shake

Hits protein, fiber, and smart carbs without blowing calories.

In a blender, smoothie-fy 1 cup 1% milk, ¾ cup skyr yogurt, 1 scoop vanilla whey or soy isolate, 1 cup packed baby spinach, ¾ cup frozen pineapple, 1 kiwi, peeled, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 Tbsp chia seeds (or ground flaxseeds), 6 mint leaves, 1 Tbsp lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Work in ice as needed.

This story was originally published in the Winter 2026 Issue of Men’s Health.

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