Maintaining your muscle - what does it take?

[starkarevarjedag]

Let's say you get to a point where you are happy with what you lift.
What does it take to maintain that muscle?

Do you still need to maintain high protein intake or can you go back to normal?

Is it enough to lift the weights you want to lift once a week (or split them over 2 sessions)?

[Tiburon]

Let's say you get to a point where you are happy with what you lift.

You need to first examine if you are really "happy" with your progress. Maybe you need to set higher goals and expectations for yourself. My brother used to be "satisfied" with deadlifting 100kg for 5. Then he bulked up and now pulls 200kg easily -- and he laughs at his younger self

[Tiburon]

Is it enough to lift the weights you want to lift once a week (or split them over 2 sessions)?

The problem with such an attitude toward "maintaining" is that real-life will get in the way* and knock you down a few rungs. So you'll inevitably have to come back up at some point.....and the obvious follow-up question is why not just keep going up now?

Rip (and others) have written extensively on this.

*sickness, school, work, kids, family, vacation, injuries, etc