Denser Muscle Mass

MsCracker

Many years ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth, I use to lift weights regularly. I was told then that I would be heavier because my muscle mass was more dense because I was black. So as I lost weight and gained muscle I would possibly be heavier.

Is there any truth to that or was the trainer at Gold's Gym just spewing rhetoric?

Vipecap

Uhh that's a new level of crazy from the trainer. A cubic inch of muscle on you would weigh the same as a cubic inch of muscle on any other person. I guess the exception is if they had a degenerative muscle disorder like muscular dystrophy but even then I am not sure there would be much change.

MsCracker

Uhh that's a new level of crazy from the trainer. A cubic inch of muscle on you would weigh the same as a cubic inch of muscle on any other person. I guess the exception is if they had a degenerative muscle disorder like muscular dystrophy but even then I am not sure there would be much change.

That's what I was thinking. I also was told that my bones were heavier because I'm "large boned".
I tell you, the things people say!

baisleac

That's what I was thinking. I also was told that my bones were heavier because I'm "large boned".
I tell you, the things people say!

That one has some truth to it.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/87/7/3047

People of African descent tend to have denser bones than average. Those eastern Asian descent tend to have less bone density than average. There is also a lot of variation within an ethnic group as well.

A large boned person tends to have more dense bones as well. The reverse also applies.

Coco_Puff

So why do so many people change the way they look by working out and building muscle and show hardly any weight loss on the scale. A bmi chart even tells them they are overweight when they are more in shape and toned than someone who is flabby, but weighs less. I think the scale is just a way to track your weight, but the number is not the rule. The way you feel and look is the key to sucess. We are not dough for a cookie cutter. We are all different. And that's okay, no one sees the number, they just see a healthy person!