muscle weighs more than fat?

korsicash
korsicash Posts: 770 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OKAY before I get poked, kicked, slapped and generally beaten on in the forums I am NOT saying that muscle weighs more than fat.

Where did this myth come from? Why are we lead to believe that a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh a different amount? (see what I did there)

I know when I was VERY skinny as a kid and hardly ate and lifted all the time I was solid and at 115 and a size 2 I was smaller than the lighter girls on the cheering squad BUT weighed more.

Scientists here please explain.

Wise arses also feel free to chime in I am very hard to offend! LOL! Just wondering about this magical thing called muscle. Also read a thread just a moment ago and yeah I am annoyed to have my game face back on be lifting and doing cardio and see the scale jump a stupid amount. So lets hear what you all have to say.

Replies

  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Muscle "weighs more than fat" by volume only, i.e. someone sporting 30lbs of muscle looks leaner than someone sporting 30lbs of fat because the muscle occupies less space - it's denser. Lazy folks just never bother to think about it that way so they just blurt out muscle weighs more than fat because it makes them feel better when they see the scale move up.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Muscle is denser than fat ie a lb of fat occupies more volume than a lb of muscle - IIRC muscle is about 1.06g/ml vs fat at .90 g/ml
  • DesignGuy
    DesignGuy Posts: 457 Member
    Muscle "weighs more than fat" by volume only, i.e. someone sporting 30lbs of muscle looks leaner than someone sporting 30lbs of fat because the muscle occupies less space - it's denser. Lazy folks just never bother to think about it that way so they just blurt out muscle weighs more than fat because it makes them feel better when they see the scale move up.

    Sounds right to me. :)

    Just ate 7 pizzas and gained 3 lbs. Well, muscle does weigh more than fat. hahahaha
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 749 Member
    Muscle "weighs more than fat" by volume only, i.e. someone sporting 30lbs of muscle looks leaner than someone sporting 30lbs of fat because the muscle occupies less space - it's denser. Lazy folks just never bother to think about it that way so they just blurt out muscle weighs more than fat because it makes them feel better when they see the scale move up.

    agree muscle is more dense than fat therefore many people say "muscle weighs more than fat" but because it is denser than fat it is per volume and one can have little amount of fat and little bit of muscle but weigh as much as a person with a lot of fat and very little muscle.

    Muscle = density + volume
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    A pound of muscle takes up a much smaller volume than a pound of fat. So if you're eating at maintenance but working out a lot, you can actually see zero change in the scale but significant changes in measurements - you're burning off fat and building muscle.

    The statement is technically incorrect, but everyone I know understands that this is the implication - for a given volume, muscle weighs more than fat.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    OP, you are thinking of the riddle "what weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?"

    No one is trying to trick you. If you can't wrap your head around the concept of "density" then I'm not sure what to say.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    Muscle "weighs more than fat" by volume only, i.e. someone sporting 30lbs of muscle looks leaner than someone sporting 30lbs of fat because the muscle occupies less space - it's denser. Lazy folks just never bother to think about it that way so they just blurt out muscle weighs more than fat because it makes them feel better when they see the scale move up.

    ^^^^yep what he says...

    what A LOT of people fail to realize is that it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to actually gain muscle while eating a deficit and for us ladies it is a LOT harder to GAIN muscle then men due to lack of testosterone...but yet when somenoe laments that have been working out and oh my GAINED weight the first thing a bunch of people do si say "Oh you are building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat"

    I have lost 30 lbs of fat over the past year and while I have gotten stronger through strength training i am pretty sure I haven't really "gained" muscle...by losing fat my body is leaner and my muscles show more - by strength training and eating ample protien I am making the muscle I do have stronger...but actually GAINING muscle - not so much...
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Muscle = density + volume

    the M stands for Mass
  • korsicash
    korsicash Posts: 770 Member
    I guess I was looking for all the volume answers thank you and that does make a lot more sense, a pound is a pound no matter what you are weighing and that was my point. I get it now as to why the scale can not change and yet the tape measure does....
  • akjmart2002
    akjmart2002 Posts: 263 Member
    People don't understand the difference between weight and density.

    What we should say is "Muscle weighs more than fat, by volume", i.e. is more dense. But folks typically leave out the "by volume" part and therefore this misunderstanding is propagated.

    Also, the average person really isn't very mathematically or logically inclined, in my opinion.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    Muscle = density + volume

    the M stands for Mass

    Density = Mass / Volume
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Muscle = density + volume

    the M stands for Mass

    Density = Mass / Volume

    LOL this too... I missed that

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