I have read/listened to various articles and podcasts where people like Mike Israetel and Lyle McDonald recommend going through a maintenance phase for 2-4 weeks after a mass gaining phase. The logic is that the body gets used to the higher bodyweight and reduces/prevents muscle loss during a cut. Is there any evidence that maintaining weight after a bulk leads to a lower amount of lean body mass lost when cutting?
I am currently gaining weight at the moment, would I better off switching to cutting immediately once I reach my desired bodyweight or when my waist gets too high? Or doing a maintenance phase before cutting?