Stop With the Muscle Weighs More Than Fat Myth...

245

Replies

  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Congratulations, you're the 1 millionth poster of this pointless topic! How do you feel?

    Are you sick of hearing about it, too?
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    I used a balance beam scale and put one pound of fat one one side and one pound of muscle on the other
    To finally put this myth to rest

    I WAS SHOCKED to find the muscle actually weighed more
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    It's easy to see where the confusion comes from.

    If you take a pound of muscle and a pound of fat, and set them in a bath tub, the pound of fat will float and the pound of muscle will sink. So, obviously, the pound of muscle is heavier.

    And it proves that fat people are WITCHES!!! BURN!!!!

    Witches_zps2ce1d3cd.jpg
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Congratulations, you're the 1 millionth poster of this pointless topic! How do you feel?

    Are you sick of hearing about it, too?

    That is an understatement if I've ever seen one.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat, but 1 pound of fat is larger and more noticiable than 1 pound of muscle. Muscle is a lot more compact and helps burn calories, while fat doesn't.

    It's not a myth that 1 square inch of fat doesn't weighs less than 1 square inch of muscle
    As long as thisch isch the thread where we try to out-pedant-ify each other, one schquare inch of muschle would not have a third dimenschion **fixes glasses** and would thusch have a volume of zhero, and thusch wouldn't weigh anything! he he he he **snort snort knee slap**
  • aNewYear123
    aNewYear123 Posts: 279 Member
    I kind of like the logic. It means I am as light as a feather - after all a pound of me weighs the same as a pound of feathers...
  • SDHudgins1976
    SDHudgins1976 Posts: 140
    So, I am soooo glad that I'm not the only one prone to geek rage.
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
    It's easy to see where the confusion comes from.

    If you take a pound of muscle and a pound of fat, and set them in a bath tub, the pound of fat will float and the pound of muscle will sink. So, obviously, the pound of muscle is heavier.
    So...fat is made from a duck.
    and a duck floats the same as wood, so a duck must be made of wood.
    And if fat floats it too must be mad eof wood....and therefore can be burned! Burn the fat!
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    Can we talk about something new and fresh like cardio vs weight training or thigh gaps?
  • Desdemina
    Desdemina Posts: 150 Member
    You've been on here all of 4 months and *you* are sick of it already?

    Word.

    And people wonder why those who have been here for a while are seen as elitist.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Build a bridge out of it!
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    But how heavy is your purse?
  • serapi
    serapi Posts: 197 Member
    I work with a woman who complains about people who workout and do weight training as apposed to just cardio...she says she doesnt understand why a woman would want to lift weights and gain muscle because when you get older, it turns to fat and flab. lol, really?! Might I add that this woman is pretty overweight...Im glad I dont take my fitness advice from her!!

    Just my own rant to add to yours!

    hmmm....I'm 41, do cardio and weight training and still have the same body as 20 years ago...

    yep...she's right !!!! :tongue:
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Congratulations, you're the 1 millionth poster of this pointless topic! How do you feel?

    Are you sick of hearing about it, too?

    That is an understatement if I've ever seen one.

    just using the OP's words.
    oh the irony
  • serapi
    serapi Posts: 197 Member
    does this also mean that a fat person weighs more than a powerbuilder even if they are the same weight?
  • Cameron_1969
    Cameron_1969 Posts: 2,855 Member
    Yeah.. . but cubic pounds are different than square pounds .
  • BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY
    BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY Posts: 666 Member
    Does a box of copy paper weigh more than a box of fat? What about a box of muscle?
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    does this also mean that a fat person weighs more than a powerbuilder even if they are the same weight?

    No...it just means that the fat person would float and be burned while the powerbuilder got to walk away.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    Ok I'm so sick of hearing this... 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat. A pound of anything is the same as a pound of something else.
    /end rant

    My inner pedant has to add as long as both samples are embedded in the same strength gravitational field.....

    but whatever, I'll allow your slack wording since you were trying hard.......

    I think I love you.
  • lorenzoinlr
    lorenzoinlr Posts: 338 Member
    Well maybe muscle doesn't weigh more than fat but I know for sure a Ford weighs more than a Toyota.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    does this also mean that a fat person weighs more than a powerbuilder even if they are the same weight?

    What about bob the builder?
  • xViccas27
    xViccas27 Posts: 21
    Do you really think that anyone who says "muscle weighs more than fat" is trying to convince you that 1 lb of muscle weighs more than 1 lb of fat? It is a GIVEN that they are speaking in terms of volume.

    Agreed. Every time I've heard someone say that muscle weighs more than fat, I never heard them say that "Oh, this muscle is a pound and this lump of fat is a pound...but the muscle weighs 20x more". I have, however, heard someone explain that muscle is heavier than fat, thus you can weigh the same yet be slimmer than when it was just fat.

    If you can't understand what you're arguing about, quit arguing.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    While I have nothing valuable to contribute to this thread at this time, I'm very interested in learning more about the topic at hand and needed a convenient way to "bookmark" this page to read later. I believe I have certain knowledge of and experience with this topic such that I expect that I may be able to provide a meaningful contribution to the discussion in the future. This post, while admittedly contributing nothing to the thread, is my way of accomplishing this.

    (On any other website forum (that did not have an ability to track posts such as MFP), I would just post "in", perhaps accompanied by a witty observation about my expectations for the post based on my reading of only OP and perhaps some of page one. However, I have been disciplined for this type of post before. Therefore, I am providing this explanation to avoid any misunderstanding of my intentions in making this post.)
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Steak weighs more than salad.
  • Cameron_1969
    Cameron_1969 Posts: 2,855 Member
    While I have nothing valuable to contribute to this thread at this time, I'm very interested in learning more about the topic at hand and needed a convenient way to "bookmark" this page to read later. I believe I have certain knowledge of and experience with this topic such that I expect that I may be able to provide a meaningful contribution to the discussion in the future. This post, while admittedly contributing nothing to the thread, is my way of accomplishing this.

    (On any other website forum (that did not have an ability to track posts such as MFP), I would just post "in", perhaps accompanied by a witty observation about my expectations for the post based on my reading of only OP and perhaps some of page one. However, I have been disciplined for this type of post before. Therefore, I am providing this explanation to avoid any misunderstanding of my intentions in making this post.)

    You have this saved in some file and you cut and paste it insted of just using 'bump'. . .like everyone else. . don't you?
  • kdz526
    kdz526 Posts: 210 Member
    dear lord, people just mean that muscle has a higher density then fat and comparing the volume of fat vs and equal volume of muscle, muscle would weigh more.
    muscle: 1.06 kg/liter
    fat: .9 kg/L

    1 liter of fat weighs .9kg or 1.98416lb
    1 liter of muscle weighs 1.06 kg or 2.3369lb

    So muscle does weigh more...if your comparing it to fat in the context of volume.

    also means if theres a flood, all the fat people will float away and the muscular people will sink like rocks :)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    While I have nothing valuable to contribute to this thread at this time, I'm very interested in learning more about the topic at hand and needed a convenient way to "bookmark" this page to read later. I believe I have certain knowledge of and experience with this topic such that I expect that I may be able to provide a meaningful contribution to the discussion in the future. This post, while admittedly contributing nothing to the thread, is my way of accomplishing this.

    (On any other website forum (that did not have an ability to track posts such as MFP), I would just post "in", perhaps accompanied by a witty observation about my expectations for the post based on my reading of only OP and perhaps some of page one. However, I have been disciplined for this type of post before. Therefore, I am providing this explanation to avoid any misunderstanding of my intentions in making this post.)



    You have this saved in some file and you cut and paste it insted of just using 'bump'. . .like everyone else. . don't you?

    No, but that is a great idea.

    You, sir, are a genius.


    ETA: And yes, I would love to use "bump" or "in"...but having received a strike for one of those posts several months ago on MFP, I have expanded it to include an explanation to avoid any future disciplinary action (hopefully).
  • mpenner61
    mpenner61 Posts: 13
    Since this is a completely useless thread anyways, let me interject that the gram (or kilogram) is not a unit of weight. It is a unit of mass. The proper metric unit of weight (force) is the Newton.

    BTW, the Imperial unit of mass is the slug.

    See, I can be even more pedantic than just about anyone!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Since this is a completely useless thread anyways, let me interject that the gram (or kilogram) is not a unit of weight. It is a unit of mass. The proper metric unit of weight (force) is the Newton.

    BTW, the Imperial unit of mass is the slug.

    See, I can be even more pedantic than just about anyone!

    And I assume you know that the force of gravity differs over the surface of the earth such that your weight at sea level the equator would be different than your weight in Colorado.
  • jilliew
    jilliew Posts: 255 Member
    Muscle DOES weigh more than fat. That's why it takes more fat to equal a pound than it takes muscle to equal a pound. People say "muscle weighs more than fat" they DON'T say "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat". Those are two completely different statements. A pound is a pound is a pound BUT a pound muscle with be smaller than a pound of fat because the muscle is heavier (weighs more) than the fat. A cup of muscle definitely weighs more than a cup of fat.

    *slow clap*

Categories