1 – Your protein is too low
The most common reason. If you are not hitting your protein every day your body breaks down muscle to survive the training load.
2 – Your overall calories are too low
High protein means nothing if your total calories are too far in deficit. Your body burns muscle for fuel when it is starving.
3 – You are skipping post training meals
The window after training is when your body needs protein most. Skip it and muscle loss follows.
4 – You are doing too much cardio with too little food
Long runs, skipping, bike sessions. All of it burns through fuel. If you are not eating to match the volume you are eating into muscle.
5 – You are not eating enough on rest days
Muscle repair doesn’t stop on rest days. Eating almost nothing sets your deficit too deep and costs you muscle you can’t afford to lose.
6 – You are cutting calories too aggressively
A deficit of 200-300 calories loses fat. A deficit of 800-1000 loses muscle. The number matters.
7 – Your carbs are too low
Carbs spare muscle. When they drop too low your body turns to muscle for fuel during training.
8 – You are training twice a day with once a day eating
Two sessions need two recovery windows. If your eating doesn’t match your training volume muscle loss follows.
9 – You are not sleeping enough
Growth hormone releases during deep sleep. Cut sleep and you cut the main hormone keeping your muscle on.
10 – You are neglecting strength work
Strength training tells your body to hold onto muscle in a deficit. Without it your body has no reason to keep it.
11 – You are chronically stressed and cortisol is high
Hard training, poor nutrition, high stress. Cortisol breaks down muscle. Eating enough keeps it in check.
12 – You have been training too long without a deload
Extended hard training with no recovery will break the body down faster than it rebuilds. Muscle loss follows.
Muscle loss is a signal.
Eat more. Eat smarter. Keep what you have built.
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