--- title: "Losing weight without losing muscle: why strength training is the key | Fit Square" url: https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies description: "People who lose weight with cardio and eating less alone often lose not only fat but also muscle mass. That lowers your metabolism and increases the chance of…" lang: en --- Back to blog (https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog) Image: Strength training on EGYM Smart Strength equipment to lose fat and preserve muscle at Fit Square in Almere. (https://pqxapqovuktacuffcofb.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies-cover.webp) # Losing weight without losing muscle: why strength training is the key August 1, 2026 5 min read By Joost Nagelmaeker ## Why the scale misleads you Say you lose five kilos in two months. Sounds good — but what did you actually lose? If part of it is muscle mass, you have not done yourself any favours in the long run. Muscle is your biggest calorie burner: the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism, even at rest. The scale sees no difference between a kilo of fat and a kilo of muscle. That is why measuring your body composition is more valuable than weighing alone. ## The problem with "just eat less and do lots of cardio" The classic weight-loss approach often leads to this pattern: you lose weight but lose muscle mass alongside fat; less muscle mass means a lower metabolism; your body needs fewer and fewer calories, so weight loss stalls; and as soon as you eat normally again, you gain quickly — often more than you lost. This is the yo-yo effect, and the cause is almost always loss of muscle mass. ## How strength training makes the difference Strength training gives your body a reason to hold on to muscle mass, even when you are in a calorie deficit. You burn fat but keep your muscle — and with it your metabolism. The result: you lose weight more easily, sustain it better and look leaner. At Fit Square you train for 30 minutes on eight EGYM machines (this is how we approach weight loss in Almere (https://fitsquare.nl/afvallen-almere)) that work your whole body; the equipment automatically sets the right weight. ## Measuring is knowing: the Body Scan To see whether you are really heading in the right direction, we measure your body composition during the Health Check (https://fitsquare.nl/health-check): how much fat mass and how much muscle mass you have. We repeat that every six weeks. That way you can see, for example, that your weight only drops a little while your body fat percentage falls sharply and your muscle mass rises — exactly the healthy direction. ## Also safe with medication or after surgery Are you losing weight with the support of medication, or have you just recovered from surgery? Then protecting your muscle mass is even more important. Our physiotherapists tailor your training accordingly, so you lose fat safely and stay strong. ## Frequently asked questions Should I stop doing cardio altogether? + No. Cardio is fine and healthy for your heart and fitness. The message is: make strength training the foundation and use cardio as a supplement. How much can I realistically lose? + That differs per person and depends on your starting point and nutrition. More important than a quick drop on the scale is that you lose fat and keep muscle — and that is what we measure for you. Do I also get nutrition advice? + Our physiotherapists can explain the basic principles (enough protein, a slight calorie deficit). For extensive nutritional guidance you are best off working with a dietitian. ## Ready to start training? Book a free intro session and experience EGYM training with personal guidance. Book a free intro session (https://fitsquare.nl/en/free-trial) ## More articles ### Exercising again after an injury or surgery: how to build up safely Your physiotherapy has ended, but you want to get stronger without relapsing. Here is how to build up safely after an injury or surgery with guidance at Fit Square Almere. August 1, 2026 5 min https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/sporten-na-blessure-of-operatie ### What is your Bio-Age? How EGYM determines your biological age Your Bio-Age is your biological age, measured from strength, cardio fitness, flexibility and body composition. Here is how the EGYM Bio-Age measurement works at Fit Square in Almere. August 1, 2026 5 min https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/bio-age-biologische-leeftijd ### Supervised training without a referral: how does it work? At Fit Square in Almere you train under the guidance of physiotherapists without a referral from your GP. Read how that works and how it differs from physiotherapy. August 1, 2026 5 min https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/trainen-zonder-verwijzing We use cookies to improve the website. Read our cookie statement (https://fitsquare.nl/en/cookies) and privacy statement (https://fitsquare.nl/en/privacy) for more information. WhatsApp (https://wa.me/31641445915) ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": [ "HealthClub", "LocalBusiness" ], "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/#organisatie", "name": "Fit Square", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/", "logo": "https://fitsquare.nl/favicon-192.png", "image": "https://fitsquare.nl/hero-egym.webp", "description": "Kracht- en cardiotraining met EGYM Smart Strength apparatuur en fysiotherapeutische begeleiding in Almere.", "telephone": "+31641445915", "email": "info@fitsquare.nl", "parentOrganization": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Orthomotive Fysiotherapie" }, "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Raaltepad 31", "postalCode": "1324 ET", "addressLocality": "Almere", "addressRegion": "Flevoland", "addressCountry": "NL" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 52.3655469, "longitude": 5.2117252 }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "City", "name": "Almere" }, { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Flevoland" } ], "hasMap": "https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Raaltepad+31,+1324+ET+Almere", "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday", "Sunday" ], "opens": "06:30", "closes": "22:00" } ], "priceRange": "€44,50 - €59,50", "currenciesAccepted": "EUR", "paymentAccepted": "Automatische incasso", "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/fitsquare.nl?igsh=bDNveGM1OWFuNGYx", "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583615260659" ], "employee": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vincent Coppejans", "jobTitle": "Fysiotherapeut & mede-eigenaar" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joost Nagelmaeker", "jobTitle": "Fysiotherapeut & mede-eigenaar" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ivar Slabbekoor", "jobTitle": "Fysiotherapeut" } ], "makesOffer": [ { "@type": "Offer", "name": "Gratis kennismaking", "price": "0", "priceCurrency": "EUR", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/proeftraining" }, { "@type": "Offer", "name": "Lidmaatschap 12 maanden", "price": "49.50", "priceCurrency": "EUR", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/prijzen" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/#website", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/", "name": "Fit Square", "inLanguage": "nl-NL", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/#organisatie" } } ] }, [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies#article", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies", "headline": "Losing weight without losing muscle: why strength training is the key", "description": "People who lose weight with cardio and eating less alone often lose not only fat but also muscle mass. That lowers your metabolism and increases the chance of the yo-yo effect. Strength training makes sure you lose fat and keep your muscle. At Fit Square in Almere the EGYM Body Scan measures your fat mass and muscle mass separately.", "image": [ "https://pqxapqovuktacuffcofb.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies-cover.webp" ], "datePublished": "2026-08-01T05:33:36.856+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-08-27T14:31:09.684935+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Joost Nagelmaeker", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Fit Square", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/fit-square-logo.png" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "workTranslation": { "@type": "BlogPosting", "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies#article", "url": "https://fitsquare.nl/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies", "inLanguage": "nl-NL", "headline": "Afvallen zonder je spieren te verliezen: waarom krachttraining de sleutel is" }, "keywords": "losing weight almere, losing weight without muscle loss, strength training weight loss, egym body scan, body composition measurement almere", "articleBody": "## Why the scale misleads you\n\nSay you lose five kilos in two months. Sounds good — but what did you actually lose? If part of it is muscle mass, you have not done yourself any favours in the long run. Muscle is your biggest calorie burner: the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism, even at rest. The scale sees no difference between a kilo of fat and a kilo of muscle. That is why measuring your body composition is more valuable than weighing alone.\n\n## The problem with \"just eat less and do lots of cardio\"\n\nThe classic weight-loss approach often leads to this pattern: you lose weight but lose muscle mass alongside fat; less muscle mass means a lower metabolism; your body needs fewer and fewer calories, so weight loss stalls; and as soon as you eat normally again, you gain quickly — often more than you lost. This is the yo-yo effect, and the cause is almost always loss of muscle mass.\n\n## How strength training makes the difference\n\nStrength training gives your body a reason to hold on to muscle mass, even when you are in a calorie deficit. You burn fat but keep your muscle — and with it your metabolism. The result: you lose weight more easily, sustain it better and look leaner. At Fit Square you train for 30 minutes on eight EGYM machines ([this is how we approach weight loss in Almere](/afvallen-almere)) that work your whole body; the equipment automatically sets the right weight.\n\n## Measuring is knowing: the Body Scan\n\nTo see whether you are really heading in the right direction, we measure your body composition during the [Health Check](/health-check): how much fat mass and how much muscle mass you have. We repeat that every six weeks. That way you can see, for example, that your weight only drops a little while your body fat percentage falls sharply and your muscle mass rises — exactly the healthy direction.\n\n## Also safe with medication or after surgery\n\nAre you losing weight with the support of medication, or have you just recovered from surgery? Then protecting your muscle mass is even more important. Our physiotherapists tailor your training accordingly, so you lose fat safely and stay strong.", "wordCount": 377 }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://fitsquare.nl/en/blog/afvallen-zonder-spierverlies#faq", "inLanguage": "en-US", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I stop doing cardio altogether?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Cardio is fine and healthy for your heart and fitness. 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