Skeletal Muscle/Muscle Mass question

funkycamper

I'm curious about something and hope somebody might have an answer for me. I have a digital scale that gives all sorts of data. According to it, my skeletal muscle is below average yet my muscle mass is above average. How is this possible? I don't understand how this works or what I could do to .improve the skeletal muscle numbers. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks in advance

LyndaBSS

If I wanted precise data on those measurements, I would have my physician arrange for testing to be done. Don’t trust your scale for anything like that.

AnnPT77

BIA scales are not very accurate for this sort of thing. At best, if you use them under consistent conditions (of rest, eating, hydration, time of day, etc.), you can approximate a long-term trend. Individual measurements are likely to be misleading taken alone, and absolute measurements unreliable; and it's not going to be great at the kind of distinction you're talking about.

Improving skeletal muscle (in real terms, not necessarily BIA scale estimates of it) is going to be about strength exercise. This is a good thread on the subject:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1