Muscle DOES weigh more than fat!!!!

mikejholmes · July 2013

And that's a good thing.

Now, there are many people who will jump in here and say that a pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of fat == a pound of muscle. This is obviously true.

And there are many, MANY people on here, who will say that it is just nit-picking, and that everyone knows what you meant. You really meant that muscle is more DENSE than fat. A given volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of muscle. So why correct people? It is SO CLEAR, and everyone understands it, right?

Well, actually, no. Everyone I've encountered who says that muscle weighs more than fat actually has it BACKWARDS in their head. They THINK they know what they mean, but they are actually wrong. I'm here to try to help.

So yes, muscle is more dense. Now stop and actually think about what that means.

Or let me put it to you another way -- what if I told you that you could eat what you've always been eating, stay the same weight that you are, but be half the size you are now? If you could still have that occasional ice cream, AND look the way you want in that bikini?

It IS possible! And it's possible because "muscle weighs more than fat"!!

By definition, if you stay the same weight, but gain a bunch of muscle (which is only possible if you lose the equivalent amount of fat), then you will be SMALLER. The same weight of muscle takes up less space than the same weight of fat.

For some reason, people seem to think that if they start lifting, they will stay the same SIZE, but be all muscle, and therefore much heavier. It doesn't work like that. Your weight will only go up or down by the number of calories you eat. This is independent of lifting, and building muscle. HOWEVER, if you change nothing else about your life, but start lifting and building muscle, you will SHRINK in size, as you burn off fat, and build muscle. Honest. Really.

And THAT is why I feel the need to correct people when they say "muscle weighs more than fat". They think they know what they mean, but they somehow have it backwards in their minds.

Now, this does need a bunch of caveats. If you are 4'6, and 350lbs, you need to lose weight. You will still get substantial benefits of starting to lift now, but you need to restrict your calories more than you have been as well. You also can't go from a 44" waist to a 22" waist just by lifting. It's not magic. But it does help. There are also probably a bunch of other caveats worth stating here, but generally, use your head. And feel free to ask questions -- there are many people here who are willing to help.

And thanks to taunto for inspiring me to write this post:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy

GetSoda · July 2013

So... fat weighs more than muscle?

diodelcibo · July 2013

Cool story but how about you put "dense" in the title or stop flogging dead horses.

jimmmer · July 2013

Muscle weighs more than fat per unit volume if both bodies are in the same strength gravitational field and both bodies are travelling at similar non-relativistic velocities.

And that's the final word on the matter.

redheaddee · July 2013

TL; DR: One square foot of muscle would weigh more than one square foot of fat. But one pound of muscle would weigh the same as one pound of fat. Two different measurements. Moral of the story: eat better, lift weights.