does muscle really weigh more than fat?

iv heard afew people over last few day say that they have gained weight even tho they are exercising etc and people have commented saying dont worry its probably muscle your gaining,

well i thought that muscle didnt weigh more than fat it was just more compact so you can weigh the same yet look thinner :indifferent:

now im unsure as iv seen quite afew people in the last week saying muscle is heavier so makes you gain weight :huh:

By volume muscles weigh more than fat, yes.

But it shouldn't make you gain unless you are really bulking up, which is very unlikely - you only need to talk to some of the weight trainers on here to see how hard it is to gain weight that is just pure muscle and not include any fat.

Yes, by volume fat weights less, but not by a lot at all - a litre of muscle would weigh 1.06kg and a litre of fat is 0.9 so muscle is 18% denser. It isn't an excuse for people who say they weigh more because they have muscle underneath.

Muscle is heavier for the same volume. Its density is greater. It also "looks better" under the skin. So a 150lb person with low fat will look a lot thinner and healthier than someone of the same height but a higher fat percentage.

However, most people will not be able to put enough weight in muscle on to explain any weight gain in the times most of us are talking. However, increased muscle also increases your metabolism because at rest muscle burns more calories than at rest fat.

Main thing to do is not stress so much over the scales, but look at your clothing and your body. If your clothes are looser and you are slimmer then you are losing the kind of weight that you want to (i.e fat). You're also healthier. I've started exercising and although I cant see any difference yet, I can feel it in that my muscles are harder already. I'm not weighing more though as I have little fat to burn off in the first place and I've not built up the muscle as yet... but I will.

. it takes months of training to gain a pound of muscle so you wouldn't see that kind of gain overnight.

That isnt true. You can gain a pound of muscle weight every week. There are exercise regimes out there that show you how to. You can even gain 3 pounds of muscle a week, but that is by using very extreme methods.

i.e. roids

A pound is a pound, no matter how it is weighed.

Muscle weighs more than fat -- BY VOLUME!

In other words, a gallon of muscle weighs more than a gallon of fat.
Why? Muscle is more dense than fat like lead is denser than water.

That's all people mean when they say muscle weighs more than fat.
Some may not express the concept correctly, but that's what they mean.

a pound of muscle is the same weight as a pound of fat, but takes up less space. thats like the old 'does a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers weigh more!'

for the same volume of muscle and fat, the muscle will weigh more

.

Muscle weighs the same as fat.
A pound is a pound is a pound.

BUT the density of muscle takes up much less room making you appear smaller.

You would not necessarily gain from muscle, it takes MONTHS and the most you can gain in a year is 12 pounds on a VERY strict diet/exercise plan.
Although, sometimes after you start an intense weight training routine, your muscles retain water, just the same as sodium does so your weight may go up the day after a intense workout.

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Why should you ignore them? If a person is losing fat through a diet, they may be weight-training or something and so gaining muscle at the same time.

gaining muscle isn't as easy at it sounds, you gained 3lbs? it is probably water weight or fat, lol. muscle is denser. it's the 1lb of feathers question, a pound is a pound is a pound

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Why should you ignore them? If a person is losing fat through a diet, they may be weight-training or something and so gaining muscle at the same time.

Because gaining muscle whilst losing weight is practically impossible. It's pretty much a given that you are going to lose muscle mass whilst losing fat. If you are exceptionally strict and dedicated it is possible to gain VERY small amounts of muscle whilst losing small amounts of fat but as a general rule for the 99.9% cutting fat = losing muscle and the struggle is to maintain as much. Gaining muscle = gaining fat and the struggle is to gain only the minimum amount of fat you have to.

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Yes muscle weighs more than fat. Just ask a skinny person if they can float on their back. Not only that, weight training also increases bone density and moves your weight. (you build up muscle in arms, shoulders, back chest and legs and lose around the waist and butt so you look thinner.

You should ignore anyone who suggests that while on a fat loss diet that you might be gaining muscle.

Wrong!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/447514-athletes-can-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat-on-deficit-diet

Well - firstly - it changes from person to person so if you have a lot of fat to lose, then yes, it is possible.

The lower in fat you get the harder it becomes until when you get to circa 10-20% body fat (for a male) it becomes very difficult indeed.

secondly - In this study - it was pointed out that as these athletes worked their legs and not their upper body prior to the study, their upper body would have responded with a greater proportional growth than normal as shown by the fact that virtually no growth game from their legs.

thirdly, the point of this topic was asking if an increase in weight of several pounds in a week could be due to losing fat and gaining muscle which weighs more and would account for the increase in weight.

I would love to be able to gain 2lbs of lean muscle in a week, never mind gain however much the OP would have gained lean muscle for it to balance against fat loss.

Oh, trust me, I know how difficult it is to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time and gets ever harder as you get lower and lower in body fat as I am working to get into the single digits currently. I just wanted to point out the statement was wrong.


And since the majority of the people answered the question, I figured I would chime in and go off topic.