Stop With the Muscle Weighs More Than Fat Myth...
wswilliams67
Posts: 938 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. 1 pound of feathers weighs the same as 1 pound of lead. The laws of physics/math still apply in the fitness world.
Now if you talk about volume or size... then yes one thing has more volume than the other. Muscle is much more compact and dense versus fat, so while yes pound for pound they 'weigh' the same, a pound of fat is larger in volume than a pound of muscle.
Another annoying thing I hear... "You are turning the fat into muscle." Umm no you aren't. Stop telling people this. LOL
/end rant
Now if you talk about volume or size... then yes one thing has more volume than the other. Muscle is much more compact and dense versus fat, so while yes pound for pound they 'weigh' the same, a pound of fat is larger in volume than a pound of muscle.
Another annoying thing I hear... "You are turning the fat into muscle." Umm no you aren't. Stop telling people this. LOL
/end rant
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Replies
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feel better now?0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.
denser.
a lb of fat is identically as "heavy" as a lb of muscle.0 -
I'd rather eat a pound of muscle than a pound of fat though.0
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The problem with this statement is with *kitten* who don't understand that it kind of goes without saying people mean BY VOLUME. They're not using 1 lb of fat vs 1 lb of muscle as their argument. They're using by volume. And everything was perfectly fine until trolls like you felt the need to correct people on something they ALREADY KNEW just because you're not happy with how they word it. Deal with it.0
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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. 1 pound of feathers weighs the same as 1 pound of lead. The laws of physics/math still apply in the fitness world.
Now if you talk about volume or size... then yes one thing has more volume than the other. Muscle is much more compact and dense versus fat, so while yes pound for pound they 'weigh' the same, a pound of fat is larger in volume than a pound of muscle.
Another annoying thing I hear... "You are turning the fat into muscle." Umm no you aren't. Stop telling people this. LOL
/end rant
well said OP
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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!0 -
Ah, this again. I am sure you will fix the wording of all who say this in the future so that those of you that can't seem to add the 'by volume' on your own will no longer be confused........0
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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 muscle0 -
Oh good grief. Muscle weigh more than fat by volume. A 6 inch cube of muscle.weighs more than a six inch cube of fat. - or you could say that a pound of muscle is smaller in volume than a pound of fat. Thats why when you gain muscle you can lose inches without losing weight. Thats why serious body builders are so heavy for their size. (heck even body building dabblers get some of that - I'm 5' 1' and once weighed 143 pounds with only 21 percent body fat.)
What's really special is that muscle uses more calories just to sit around than fat does, so if you build muscle your body will burn a bit more even when you are not actively working out. Bonus!0 -
You've been on here all of 4 months and *you* are sick of it already?0
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I am an editor and this annoys my inner pedant too but I keep it to myself because I know I am being ridiculous. In colloquial writing (such as on an internet forum) people will use words and phrases that they wouldn't in formal writing. As long as people understand it doesn't really matter.0
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You've been on here all of 4 months and *you* are sick of it already?
^this0 -
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.0
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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.......0 -
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.......
Haha love this!0 -
If people would just stop taking everything so literal then it wouldn't be that big a deal. Muscle weighs more than fat when measured by volume... so quit yo *****in and move on with your day!0
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TESTIFY!0
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double post... sorry!0
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I think what people are trying to put across is that when you visually look at weight loss you can see the difference but the scale may not see it. Being able to put it into simple (yet untrue) words makes it easier to hear, that's why I think I often see people say that muscle weighs more.
1lb of fat is 1lb of muscle, no denying that.0 -
It's as dumb as the myth of eating back your exercise calories or saying starvation diets don't work0
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You've been on here all of 4 months and *you* are sick of it already?
Word.0 -
I think you may miss the real point you are right a 1 lb is 1 lb.... the point though is that a cell of fat does weigh more then a cell of fat. People are just interpreting this wrong. However, by biology you could weigh 170 lbs and look amaziiiing because you are musclular and slim and then have a nother person same heigh weigh 170 but look bigger in a less attractive way....0
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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.
this0 -
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.
word0 -
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Congratulations, you're the 1 millionth poster of this pointless topic! How do you feel?0
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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.
This.0 -
Also, I think people may mean replacing fat with muscle. you never can lose fat cells once youhave them but you can decrease their size and build up your muscles. It really doesn't matter if people make a mistake with their wording... in the end it really makes no difference haha0
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