FITNESS MYTHS and EXCUSES YOU CAN'T STAND!!!

I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!

^^ OMG THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY ALL TIME #1 PET PEEVE!!

While I agree that a pound is a pound. It might be a mechanism some tell themselves as they lose weight while lifting to understand that inches lost are better than pounds. Thus being the mass of a pound of feathers is quite larger than the mass of a pound of bricks. So while weight might be the same. I can understand why people would say it weighs more, rather than thinking of the mass.

"I have to do cardio to lose the fat first. If I start lifting now I'll just be building muscle beneath the fat."

I'm doing the cardio first to gain the stamina needed to do more aggressive exercises and lifting. I went from ZERO exercise and ZERO stamina to 30 minutes now on the elliptical. Before I couldn't even walk up the stairs so there was no way I could muster through muscle building exercises. I'm putting strength training into my program a little at a time.

I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!

^^ OMG THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY ALL TIME #1 PET PEEVE!!

While I agree that a pound is a pound. It might be a mechanism some tell themselves as they lose weight while lifting to understand that inches lost are better than pounds. Thus being the mass of a pound of feathers is quite larger than the mass of a pound of bricks. So while weight might be the same. I can understand why people would say it weighs more, rather than thinking of the mass.

*Density.

A pound of feathers and a pound of lead have the same mass. They have different densities.

Weight is a function of mass and gravity. Weight is variable based on position. Mass is not. Density determines the relative size of the objects.

None because no one else's fitness routine is my business.

^

Unless it's some helpful pointers I can follow

I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!

Biggest pet peeve in excuses? "I'm scared" WTF is there to be scared of? Being fit, being thin, living longer?

That's what "weighs more" means. :grumble:


My pet peeve is people who use the 1 pound = 1 pound line! Ok so 1 pound of lead weighs the same as 1 pound of cotton wool. So lead and cotton wool weigh the same? NO

The problem is with the misunderstanding of the scientific meanings + the english language confusing things around "weight".

But really, first year science.

I don't have enough time to exercise because I have kids.

~The YMCA has a child daycare area so what other reason is there?

I'm not picking on you specifically, but there are several people who have made this point. Again, it has to do with priorities. If my kid spends all day in daycare. I don't want to pick him up from daycare to take him somewhere else for more daycare. I want to spend time with him. This also goes to support the woman who said that dinner takes 45 minutes with her teenagers. Perhaps that's the only time that family has to spend together talking about their day and reconnecting, so 45 minutes is really not that long. My son and my family are my priority.

That being said, I work out 6 nights per week after my son's gone to bed. My husband works many nights, so on the rare nights he is home, I feel guilty for working out because it means less time with him, but he understands the sacrifice. When my son is older (he's only 1) I look forward to being able to have my "workouts" be family time spent running around at the park, etc. 60 minutes in the gym is not the only way to get a workout. Chasing your kid around, throwing them up in the air, rolling on the ground and giggling, etc., for an hour probably burns just as many calories and does wonders on the psyche.

ETA: As far as the excuses/myths, they exist because people need to believe they are true. A person has to be truly ready to make a lifestyle change, whether it be quitting smoking, getting healthier, etc. Until they get to that point, they will make excuses. Instead of blasting them for their excuses, how about realizing that they just aren't ready to change, and no amount of belittling or pushing will change their minds. If they constantly ***** that they are too fat, etc. and make up loads of excuses, it is your choice whether or not to remain in that person's life, excuses and all.

I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!

^^ OMG THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY ALL TIME #1 PET PEEVE!!

While I agree that a pound is a pound. It might be a mechanism some tell themselves as they lose weight while lifting to understand that inches lost are better than pounds. Thus being the mass of a pound of feathers is quite larger than the mass of a pound of bricks. So while weight might be the same. I can understand why people would say it weighs more, rather than thinking of the mass.

*Density.

A pound of feathers and a pound of lead have the same mass. They have different densities.

Weight is a function of mass and gravity. Weight is variable based on position. Mass is not. Density determines the relative size of the objects.

Thank you, Density then lol either way that is what I think happens most of the time. My bad on using the wrong wording but hopefully the point was still made, even though I now feel like an ignorant b*stard lol

This whole argument always amuses me. In practical terms, saying muscle weighs more than fat is mostly accurate, because the "equal volume" part is implied. a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat, same as a cubic inch of lead weighs more than a cubic inch of feathers. In practical terms people are thinking of an equal volume.

Imagine 2 arms, same length and bone structure. They have the same measurements. One arm is on a person with 30% body fat, and one arm is on a person with 8% body fat. The 8% arm (the one that contains more muscle) weighs more. This is what allows us, in practical terms, to say that muscle weighs more than fat. Is it accurate in that theoretical universe we learned about in math and physics in high school? no. But is it "right"? sure.

Wasnt trying to make you feel ignorant. I just enjoy the vehement arguments on both sides. BOTH answers are correct.

HaHa no I personally felt ignorant for using mass over density. Maybe I need to bust out some old college books so I quit looking so stupid. LOL But yes, thanks for explaining that better than I could.

"I'll start on .... (insert whatever random b.s. excuse to put off fitness, i.e. Monday/Lent/New Year's/whenever such-and-such happens)."

It isn't going to be any easier if you put it off.

Honestly I get the time and money arguments. The timing isn't always right to make a huge lifestyle change (whether it be fitness, moving, job related, etc). It really only bothers me when I KNOW the person does have both time and money, e.g. they're complaining about their weight 2 hours into happy hour. But really it comes down to this: you can have excuses or you can have results; not both.

^^LOVE THIS^^

I really hope your are just joking. If you are being serious then I have to tell you that this is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. Weight is a function of density. Would you say that gold weighs more than feathers? 1 pound of gold = 1 pound of feathers correct? So why then do we say that gold weighs more than feathers? For the same reason that muscle weighs more than fat. It takes less fat to equal 1 pound then it does fat just like it takes less gold to get to one pound then it does feathers. By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y.

ETA: Um....a pound = a pound. The amount it takes to make the pound is irrelevant

Not when you're talking body image. If a lb of Fat took up 20 sq inches and a lb of muscle took up 8 sq inches. What would you rather have on your body?

I was responding to "By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y."

A pound weighs a pound. 500 pounds weighs 500 pounds.

The amount of space they take up is density, not weight.

Using your skewed logic, every person of the same size would weigh the same because a 1 lb - 1lb.

And yet they don't. *boom* Mind blown.

Duhhh, because of DENSITY.

There is such a thing as big boned.

But not in the way it is usually used by fat people.

My big bones make my muscle mass look small unfortunately. Big bones as in my arms are unusually long for my height, my chest bones are unusually big around for my height, etc....

I get frustrated when people say they are too big to exercise. If I could do it at over 300 pounds so can they!

Also too busy excuse does not cut it. The President exercises and I bet he is more busy than I am. (Even if you don't like him he does workout and so does his wife. FIND TIME)

Squats were hard on my knees when I was larger but I still did them. I just did not squat as low.
I do love the comment about getting off the toilet and squatting. Awesome.


As far as the gaining weight and muscle. I hate it when I gain and people tell me it is just muscle. Like I gained a pound of muscle that quick. Doubtful.

The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.

Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.

Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL

The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.