does muscle really weigh more than fat?

Articeluvsmemphis

gaining muscle isn't as easy at it sounds, you gained 3lbs? it is probably water weight or fat, lol. muscle is denser. it's the 1lb of feathers question, a pound is a pound is a pound

jerrytball

Muscle is more dense, being a cook in the Navy for 20+ years we actually tried a very non scientific theory. We were in the Indian Ocean, yep lots Salt water, thing float easier in Salt too! We took a Lean Oven roast, 8lbs. and a 10 Lb Pot Roast, if you know anything about cooking, pot roast is for stewing due to the fat content so becomes much more tender and oven roast, you bake in the oven...Tossed both in Ocean, Pot Roast stayed on surface, Oven Roast sank...weighed less, but more dense, so to me, Muscle weighs more cause more Dense, IMO! And to take that one step further, we had a certain group call 4999 in the Navy Boot Camp.....due to there muscular build and lack of fat, they sank and stayed at the shallow end, while us softies hovered at the deep end and passed swimming class!

chrishgt4

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Why should you ignore them? If a person is losing fat through a diet, they may be weight-training or something and so gaining muscle at the same time.

Because gaining muscle whilst losing weight is practically impossible. It's pretty much a given that you are going to lose muscle mass whilst losing fat. If you are exceptionally strict and dedicated it is possible to gain VERY small amounts of muscle whilst losing small amounts of fat but as a general rule for the 99.9% cutting fat = losing muscle and the struggle is to maintain as much. Gaining muscle = gaining fat and the struggle is to gain only the minimum amount of fat you have to.

natika33

Yes, by volume fat weights less, but not by a lot at all - a litre of muscle would weigh 1.06kg and a litre of fat is 0.9 so muscle is 18% denser. It isn't an excuse for people who say they weigh more because they have muscle underneath.

This is a great visual and your explanation is also awesome! I was actually wondering today why I still look so flabby despite having only 11 lbs to go to be considered "underweight" and yet I also have quite muscular thighs. I estimate that I have up to 4 lbs of fat left on each thigh (saddlebags) which would leave me only 3lbs heavier than "underweight" once I get that fat off. If indeed, muscle was as dense/heavy as most people seem to exaggerate it to be, I don't think I'd be 119 lbs and still flabby! (I'm 5'4")

Thanks for your explanation. It all makes sense now!

psuLemon

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

chrishgt4

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Well - firstly - it changes from person to person so if you have a lot of fat to lose, then yes, it is possible.

The lower in fat you get the harder it becomes until when you get to circa 10-20% body fat (for a male) it becomes very difficult indeed.

secondly - In this study - it was pointed out that as these athletes worked their legs and not their upper body prior to the study, their upper body would have responded with a greater proportional growth than normal as shown by the fact that virtually no growth game from their legs.

thirdly, the point of this topic was asking if an increase in weight of several pounds in a week could be due to losing fat and gaining muscle which weighs more and would account for the increase in weight.

I would love to be able to gain 2lbs of lean muscle in a week, never mind gain however much the OP would have gained lean muscle for it to balance against fat loss.

doubglass

Yes muscle weighs more than fat. Just ask a skinny person if they can float on their back. Not only that, weight training also increases bone density and moves your weight. (you build up muscle in arms, shoulders, back chest and legs and lose around the waist and butt so you look thinner.

grinch031

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Is it possible? YES. Is it going to happen by accident and be a common reason people on MFP might nott lose weight? NO!

psuLemon

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Well - firstly - it changes from person to person so if you have a lot of fat to lose, then yes, it is possible.

The lower in fat you get the harder it becomes until when you get to circa 10-20% body fat (for a male) it becomes very difficult indeed.

secondly - In this study - it was pointed out that as these athletes worked their legs and not their upper body prior to the study, their upper body would have responded with a greater proportional growth than normal as shown by the fact that virtually no growth game from their legs.

thirdly, the point of this topic was asking if an increase in weight of several pounds in a week could be due to losing fat and gaining muscle which weighs more and would account for the increase in weight.

I would love to be able to gain 2lbs of lean muscle in a week, never mind gain however much the OP would have gained lean muscle for it to balance against fat loss.

Oh, trust me, I know how difficult it is to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time and gets ever harder as you get lower and lower in body fat as I am working to get into the single digits currently. I just wanted to point out the statement was wrong.


And since the majority of the people answered the question, I figured I would chime in and go off topic.

Di3012

Muscle is more dense, being a cook in the Navy for 20+ years we actually tried a very non scientific theory. We were in the Indian Ocean, yep lots Salt water, thing float easier in Salt too! We took a Lean Oven roast, 8lbs. and a 10 Lb Pot Roast, if you know anything about cooking, pot roast is for stewing due to the fat content so becomes much more tender and oven roast, you bake in the oven...Tossed both in Ocean, Pot Roast stayed on surface, Oven Roast sank...weighed less, but more dense, so to me, Muscle weighs more cause more Dense, IMO! And to take that one step further, we had a certain group call 4999 in the Navy Boot Camp.....due to there muscular build and lack of fat, they sank and stayed at the shallow end, while us softies hovered at the deep end and passed swimming class!

Tossed it in the sea???? Good grief, what a waste :frown:

I feel hungry now LOL

psuLemon

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Is it possible? YES. Is it going to happen by accident and be a common reason people on MFP might nott lose weight? NO!

Oh I know this, but I was pointing out your wrong statement. It takes a different dedication to gain muscle and cut body fat but it is possible.

grinch031

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Is it possible? YES. Is it going to happen by accident and be a common reason people on MFP might nott lose weight? NO!

Oh I know this, but I was pointing out your wrong statement. It takes a different dedication to gain muscle and cut body fat but it is possible.

What was wrong about my statement? I made a suggestion that is more often than not going to be valid.

vim_n_vigor

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/busting-the-muscle-weighs-more-than-fat-myth.aspx

Sabresgal63

You do look thinner with muscle and more refined.................but a pound is a pound is a pound:bigsmile:

KyleB65

muscle and fat "weigh" exactly the same. 1lb of fat = 1 lb of muscle

Muscle however is denser than fat so there is a smaller volume of muscle needed to make up the 1 lb.

In addition, muscle uses more calories than fat, so they help your metabolism keep going even when at rest. Fat on the other hand is basically stored energy that does very little. And, too much can harm your body in a number of ways.

better to have muscle than fat!

thekacks

Keep in mind that when you are working out, especially strength training, your body will tend to retain more water. I've been weighing the same during the 5 workout days (30 DS) and then on my two days off I drop 1-2 lbs or more and pee like crazy. After my Monday morning workout.. I'm back to barely peeing and maintaining my weight again (with the loss from the weekend maintaining:) and I tend to drink 8-16 oz more water on the workout days. Just my thoughts.

dreamshadows

. it takes months of training to gain a pound of muscle so you wouldn't see that kind of gain overnight.

That isnt true. You can gain a pound of muscle weight every week. There are exercise regimes out there that show you how to. You can even gain 3 pounds of muscle a week, but that is by using very extreme methods.

i.e. roids

My roid's system plays me music.

d2footballJRC

iv heard afew people over last few day say that they have gained weight even tho they are exercising etc and people have commented saying dont worry its probably muscle your gaining,

well i thought that muscle didnt weigh more than fat it was just more compact so you can weigh the same yet look thinner :indifferent:

now im unsure as iv seen quite afew people in the last week saying muscle is heavier so makes you gain weight :huh:

Depends on how much weight you are talking..

Reg. lifting when you first start lifting and working out you can MAYBE get around a max of 1-2 pounds a month gained of actual muscle. Problem is you are suppose to be eating a deficit which makes that even harder to achieve.

Now say you are supplementing it up and (if a male over 18) taking some natty test boosters like DAA or Testofen. You might have an easier time hitting that 2 pounds a month mark.

Even with Pro Hormones/Steroids you are only going to get around 5-7 pounds a month gained in muscles depending on if it's wet gains or dry gains.

Most likely if you are gaining weight when you start lifting it's going to be water, which your muscles take in to help them repair. Anytime you are gaining back to back, something needs adjusted in your diet/exercise because you shouldn't be gaining week to week like that if we are talking pounds.

jerrytball

Muscle is more dense, being a cook in the Navy for 20+ years we actually tried a very non scientific theory. We were in the Indian Ocean, yep lots Salt water, thing float easier in Salt too! We took a Lean Oven roast, 8lbs. and a 10 Lb Pot Roast, if you know anything about cooking, pot roast is for stewing due to the fat content so becomes much more tender and oven roast, you bake in the oven...Tossed both in Ocean, Pot Roast stayed on surface, Oven Roast sank...weighed less, but more dense, so to me, Muscle weighs more cause more Dense, IMO! And to take that one step further, we had a certain group call 4999 in the Navy Boot Camp.....due to there muscular build and lack of fat, they sank and stayed at the shallow end, while us softies hovered at the deep end and passed swimming class!

Tossed it in the sea???? Good grief, what a waste :frown:

I feel hungry now LOL

Ok it was back when there was no inflation and people had jobs and weren't starving, LOL!!!

d2footballJRC

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Well - firstly - it changes from person to person so if you have a lot of fat to lose, then yes, it is possible.

The lower in fat you get the harder it becomes until when you get to circa 10-20% body fat (for a male) it becomes very difficult indeed.

secondly - In this study - it was pointed out that as these athletes worked their legs and not their upper body prior to the study, their upper body would have responded with a greater proportional growth than normal as shown by the fact that virtually no growth game from their legs.

thirdly, the point of this topic was asking if an increase in weight of several pounds in a week could be due to losing fat and gaining muscle which weighs more and would account for the increase in weight.

I would love to be able to gain 2lbs of lean muscle in a week, never mind gain however much the OP would have gained lean muscle for it to balance against fat loss.

You can't gain a lot of muscle but you can gain LEAN muscle while in deficit. Usually at the 1-2lbs a MONTH rate. Eat proper, keep the protein up and it's very much possible. Granted even on a performance enhancing drug you aren't going to gain 2lbs of lean muscle in a deficit. You have to feed them to grow them.