"Muscle Weighs More Than Fat"

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Bikini27
Bikini27 Posts: 1,298 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OK, I am sure this has been posted before and has been a pet peeve of many. So, I post this article to help out a little....Fav part? A pound is a pound is a pound.
Enjoy! :flowerforyou:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=8311

Ask the Personal Trainer: Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat?
We resolve the controversy once and for all.
Article By: William R. Sukala, MS, CS
Q:Does muscle really weigh more than fat?



Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat. In addition, because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you're helping your body burn more calories.

But back to your question. If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, then you may feel like the weight training is not helping you move down on the scale. In fact, the number may even go up, but you will look thinner. This is due to an increase in lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat. In other words, even if the scale doesn't change much, you will probably see a difference in how your clothes fit.

On the other hand, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you will also experience an increase in lean body mass and loss of body fat. But the results on the scale will probably be more dramatic.


In this Q&A series, William Sukala, MS, CSCS, answers questions about fitness and exercise. Read more articles from our personal trainer.
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I see these threads all the time.

    Does anyone really think that a pound of fat weighs different than a pound of muscle?

    The expression "muscle weighs more than fat" assumes equal volumes. So if you have the same volume of fat as you do muscle, the muscle is going to weigh more. Similarly, if you have the same weight of each, the volume of muscle will be less.

    Do people not realize that?
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    It's probably something they just never put a whole lot of thought into, and it is used as an explanation for everything. I'm hoping (crosses fingers and toes) that maybe spreading a little more knowledge will help.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Blackout!!!!!!!

    Oh wait... wrong thread >.>
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Oh, this is my #1 pet peeve!

    Better yet was the thread (I can't remember where it was, it was a week or so ago) where the poster had PROOF that muscle weighed more than fat because (wait for it people......).........if you put 1lb of meat in water it will sink but 1lb of fat will float.

    Seriously! I was laughing so hard that I think I got an ab workout in.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    fat-v-muscle.jpg?w=300

    This is all that should ever have to be said on this topic.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.

    Does that mean that muscle might weigh more than fat in Europe because they don't weigh in pounds??
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.

    Does that mean that muscle might weigh more than fat in Europe because they don't weigh in pounds??

    Yes. Also European people will sink faster if you put them in water.
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.

    Does that mean that muscle might weigh more than fat in Europe because they don't weigh in pounds??

    Yes. Also European people will sink faster if you put them in water.

    :laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh: :bigsmile:
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    I just know there's a Monty Python line there, somewhere :tongue:
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Oh, this is my #1 pet peeve!

    Better yet was the thread (I can't remember where it was, it was a week or so ago) where the poster had PROOF that muscle weighed more than fat because (wait for it people......).........if you put 1lb of meat in water it will sink but 1lb of fat will float.

    Seriously! I was laughing so hard that I think I got an ab workout in.

    Wow....I want to go to their school!!
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I just know there's a Monty Python line there, somewhere :tongue:

    A duck!
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
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    I hate when people gain a couple of pounds, vent online about it, and people say "you've been working out - its probably muscle." It takes TIME to put on muscle mass. Sorry you didn't gain a pound of muscle in a week. Especially women!

    Either you are retaining water, or you ate more than you thought you did.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I hate when people gain a couple of pounds, vent online about it, and people say "you've been working out - its probably muscle." It takes TIME to put on muscle mass. Sorry you didn't gain a pound of muscle in a week. Especially women!

    Either you are retaining water, or you ate more than you thought you did.

    Totally agree with that!!!!!!
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
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    Thank you!!! This drives me crazy!

    Pam
    I see these threads all the time.

    Does anyone really think that a pound of fat weighs different than a pound of muscle?

    The expression "muscle weighs more than fat" assumes equal volumes. So if you have the same volume of fat as you do muscle, the muscle is going to weigh more. Similarly, if you have the same weight of each, the volume of muscle will be less.

    Do people not realize that?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I hate when people gain a couple of pounds, vent online about it, and people say "you've been working out - its probably muscle." It takes TIME to put on muscle mass. Sorry you didn't gain a pound of muscle in a week. Especially women!

    Either you are retaining water, or you ate more than you thought you did.

    It's almost certainly water if you are talking only one week. It takes time to put on fat too.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
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    blackadder-headdesk-o.gif


    This is thread number 99,999,999 on this subject. :yawn:
  • lollyish
    lollyish Posts: 75 Member
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    I think the expression means that some people may have more muscle than fat, and if you dont have a lot to lose, you could see the numbers on the scales go up instead of down because you are gaining muscle.
    But this is also a number one pet peeve of mine, muscle does not weigh more, it just takes up less space.
  • ADMOCT
    ADMOCT Posts: 5
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    a pound is a pound is a pound but if you put 1 pound of muscle next to 1 pound of fat, the 1 pound of fat takes up more space than the 1 pound of muscle. therefore when you weight train and build muscle mass you may not necessarily be losing as much on the scale but you will be shrinking in size.
  • Bikini27
    Bikini27 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    blackadder-headdesk-o.gif


    This is thread number 99,999,999 on this subject. :yawn:

    And yet we still have confusion about it....Hmmmm
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat by volume. Its more dense. Meaning if you fill a #10 can of fat and another #10 can of muscle the can of muscle will weigh more.

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