Fitness coach shares 10 signs your fitness routine is burning muscle instead of shedding fat: ‘Scale weight drops but…’
Working out regularly is often seen as the sure-shot path to fat loss, but if done the wrong way, it can actually backfire. Instead of torching fat, poor training and nutrition habits may cause your body to burn through muscle – the very thing that drives strength, definition, and metabolism.
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Fitness coach Dillon Swinney points out ten warning signs that reveal your workouts may be costing you muscle instead of helping you burn fat. In an Instagram video posted on August 13, the fitness expert detailed where you might be going wrong in your fitness journey, explaining that sometimes the wrong methods might signal the body to burn muscles instead of fats for energy. He further adds that muscle is what gives you strength, shape and faster metabolism – losing it makes shedding fats even harder.
1. Weaker at the gym
According to Dillon, if you’re getting weaker at the gym, you might be losing muscle instead of burning fats. He states, “If your lifts are going down week to week, you’re not fueling your muscles enough.”
2. Losing weight
Losing weight too quickly is also a sign of muscle loss. Dillon mentions that if you are losing “more than 2 lbs per week consistently, (it) is usually muscle loss, not just fat.”
3. Skipping protein
You can’t expect to lose weight or build muscle just by working out every day – without the right fuel, your body won’t have the energy to burn fat or the nutrients to grow stronger. The fitness coach says, “Missing your daily target means your body starts breaking down muscle for energy.”
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4. Endless cardio
Dillon warns that relying too heavily on cardio without balancing it with strength training can actually backfire – signaling the body to break down muscle instead of preserving it.
5. Soreness
Being sore all the time, without recovering, is a sign of muscle loss. Dillon highlights that recovery requires proteins and carbohydrates, along with adequate rest. Without these, muscles start breaking down.
6. ‘Skinny soft’ body
When your weight on the scale drops, but without much visible changes in your physique, it is a sign of muscle loss. According to Dillon, “Scale weight drops but you’re not looking leaner or tighter – a classic sign of muscle loss.”
7. Huge calorie deficit
When you put your body in an extreme calorie deficit, it starts burning muscle for fuel. This leaves you weaker instead of leaner.
8. Skipping strength training
According to Dillon, skipping strength training puts you at higher risk of muscle loss. Without the stimulus of resistance, your body has no reason to hold onto muscle, and over time it begins to break it down.
9. Constant fatigue
If your energy levels are always low, and you experience constant fatigue, you might be losing muscle mass. Dillon states that muscles are your engine – when you lose muscle, it gets harder to perform physical activities.
10. Inadequate carbs
Carbohydrates are your source of energy, which works as fuel for training intensity. Dillon mentions that without carbs, your body starts burning muscles for energy, making you weaker.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
