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This is a newbie question, but whats the muscle weighs more than fat deal?

fitchlets
fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Wouldn't a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same? I'm thinking muscle may take up less "space", but does it actually really weigh more? This confuses me so much.

Replies

  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    Haha! It weights exactly the same. As you say, muscle just takes up less 'space' so you look leaner when you 'replace' (not how it works in practice) fat weight with muscle weight. People tend to quote this incorrectly, but this is what they mean.
  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
    a pound is a pound is a pound, muscle is denser and therefore takes up less space but its still a pound. say for example someone that has more muscle mass will appear thinner then someone with more body fat on them.
  • amyr271
    amyr271 Posts: 343 Member
    You are correct, 1lb of muscles takes up less space than 1lb of fat. That is were the 'muscle weighs more than fat' comes from
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    ahhhhh, ok, thanks guys!
  • Graymanstole
    Graymanstole Posts: 257 Member
    When people say muscle weighs more than fat it is in reference to volume of each which is why it's confusing. If you have 3 cubic inches of muscle and 3 cubic inches of fat the muscle would weigh more because of density as said earlier.
  • unrelentingminx
    unrelentingminx Posts: 231 Member
    There is a good photo illustrating the difference in density here: http://bamboocorefitness.com/one-pound-of-fat-versus-one-pound-of-muscle-clearing-up-the-misconception/
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    Muscle does indeed weight more than fat BY VOLUME. The last bit is the bit that people tend to miss. 100cubic centrimetres of muscle would weight more than a 100 cubic centimetres of fat. So you are right- it's about the space they take up.

    Just realised Graymanstole said the same thing above me.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Muscle is denser and even though it is very common for people to say "heavier" when "denser" is more accurate, people like to make a big deal about it. It seems very helpful.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Density much?

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    It's just a joke on here---muscle weighs more than fat---you must be putting on muscle. This is said to make people feel good about themselves. The "oldtimers" on here snicker. B)
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    But, but... a cubic centimeter is a cubic centimeter, so muscle can't take up less space than fat. ;)

    This argument always grinds my gears. It's so stupid both ways.

    Muscle is denser than fat. Density is a measure of weight per volume. It doesn't take up less space or weigh more unless you constrain one of the variables. It's just denser.

    So if the volumes are equal - the muscle will weigh more.
    If the weights are equal - the muscle has less volume.

    I know I'm just restating what others have stated. It just drives me crazy when people start piping in with the "a pound is a pound" argument when they don't see that "a cc is a cc". It's the same thing in reverse, you have to specify that you're assuming equal volume or equal weight.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    But, but... a cubic centimeter is a cubic centimeter, so muscle can't take up less space than fat. ;)

    This argument always grinds my gears. It's so stupid both ways.

    Muscle is denser than fat. Density is a measure of weight per volume. It doesn't take up less space or weigh more unless you constrain one of the variables. It's just denser.

    So if the volumes are equal - the muscle will weigh more.
    If the weights are equal - the muscle has less volume.

    I know I'm just restating what others have stated. It just drives me crazy when people start piping in with the "a pound is a pound" argument when they don't see that "a cc is a cc". It's the same thing in reverse, you have to specify that you're assuming equal volume or equal weight.
    Exactly. And, it seems to me, the default assumption in everyday language is equal volume. When someone says "lead weighs more than styrofoam" I think it's reasonable to infer their meaning without giving a lecture on density or "informing" him that a pound of lead weighs the same as a pound of styrofoam.

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    1 lb muscle = 1 lb fat

    They weigh the same.

    1 lb muscle takes up less space than 1 lb fat. Density.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    But, but... a cubic centimeter is a cubic centimeter, so muscle can't take up less space than fat. ;)

    This argument always grinds my gears. It's so stupid both ways.

    Muscle is denser than fat. Density is a measure of weight per volume. It doesn't take up less space or weigh more unless you constrain one of the variables. It's just denser.

    So if the volumes are equal - the muscle will weigh more.
    If the weights are equal - the muscle has less volume.

    I know I'm just restating what others have stated. It just drives me crazy when people start piping in with the "a pound is a pound" argument when they don't see that "a cc is a cc". It's the same thing in reverse, you have to specify that you're assuming equal volume or equal weight.
    Exactly. And, it seems to me, the default assumption in everyday language is equal volume. When someone says "lead weighs more than styrofoam" I think it's reasonable to infer their meaning without giving a lecture on density or "informing" him that a pound of lead weighs the same as a pound of styrofoam.

    Yup, in general the "by volume" is assumed when people are comparing weight.
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