muscle weighs more than fat true or fales
fallenangel86
Posts: 18
i hear this saying all the time, but is it true i have been on/off exercising for 2 and a half years and weigh 10 stone but people tell me i look about 9 so could it be muscle or fat am a 8-10 size clothes.
when i asked my gym instructer she said it wasnt true
when i asked my gym instructer she said it wasnt true
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Replies
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It DOES when the volume is equal.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!0
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Waiting for the "pound of muscle" weighs more than a "pound of fat" diva to chime in on this. You'd love her explanation.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Waiting for the "pound of muscle" weighs more than a "pound of fat" diva to chime in on this. You'd love her explanation.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Lol Love that.
Love the other trick "what weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks"
Gets them every time0 -
thanks x0
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My understanding is that they weigh the same (1 lb = 1 lb) but muscle is denser. So it might weigh the same but will take up a lot less space in your body. That's why even if you feel like you aren't losing weight, your clothes might fit better if you've been working out.0
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oh come on, isnt 1 pound of rolling paper lighter then a 1 pound of weights lol, if not do some Tae Bo and it will be! sersouly though 1=1, and musle is just more dense0
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Pound of muscle burns 32 cals per day. Pound of fat burns 2 per day. Pick the one you would rather have.0
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fat floats, muscle sinks ☺0
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density: fat 1.0kg/l and muscle 1.1kg/l
so basically a kilogram is still a kilo but it's just spread out more in fat0 -
A pound is a pound is a pound. But it is true that 1 pound of muscle takes up less space then 1 pound of fat. In order to get my clients to understand the difference I compare fat to tennis balls and muscle to super balls (you know those little balls that bounce all over the place). It's not an exact replica of the difference in size, but you get the idea. Which would you rather stuff in your pants, 30 tennis balls (fat) or 30 super balls (muscle). The muscle at equal weight will take up less space in your clothes. And for visual reference, here's an actual replica of 5 pounds of muscle and 5 pounds of fat so you can see the difference in space that it takes up.
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A pound is a pound is a pound. But it is true that 1 pound of muscle takes up less space then 1 pound of fat. In order to get my clients to understand the difference I compare fat to tennis balls and muscle to super balls (you know those little balls that bounce all over the place). It's not an exact replica of the difference in size, but you get the idea. Which would you rather stuff in your pants, 30 tennis balls (fat) or 30 super balls (muscle). The muscle at equal weight will take up less space in your clothes. And for visual reference, here's an actual replica of 5 pounds of muscle and 5 pounds of fat so you can see the difference in space that it takes up.0
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No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!0
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A pound is a pound is a pound. But it is true that 1 pound of muscle takes up less space then 1 pound of fat. In order to get my clients to understand the difference I compare fat to tennis balls and muscle to super balls (you know those little balls that bounce all over the place). It's not an exact replica of the difference in size, but you get the idea. Which would you rather stuff in your pants, 30 tennis balls (fat) or 30 super balls (muscle). The muscle at equal weight will take up less space in your clothes. And for visual reference, here's an actual replica of 5 pounds of muscle and 5 pounds of fat so you can see the difference in space that it takes up.0
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No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!
It would be just as accurate to say that it takes up exactly the same amount of space but is denser and weighs more.0 -
I find it difficult to believe that anyone thinks a pound of anything weighs more than a pound of anything else. When discussing weight, the "by volume" is implied. Otherwise, everything weighs the same, doesn't it?
The short answer is yes. I have never seen anyone dispute whether or not concrete is heavier than feathers, because, as mentioned, the "by volume" is obvious. People seem to get all caught up in semantics with muscle vs. fat.0 -
No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!
This is one hundred percent correct!!!0 -
Maybe the saying should be "Muscle is smaller than fat" since people get so bent out of shape when you say it weighs more. But I'm sure someone will argue with that too.0
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TRUE. IT TAKES UP LESS VOLUME.0
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Fales.0
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A pound of fat and a pound of muscle weight the same, but if you put two blobs of both next to eachother, the muscle is going to be smaller, and take up less space.
Thing of a pound of feathers and a pound of meat.. Your gonna have a ton of feathers, but only a small piece of meat - the meat being your muscle, and the feathers being your fat. Get it?0 -
Have you attempted to verify whether you've gained muscle by using a tape measure, a device that estimates body fat percentage, or an online calculator?0
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Sigh. Both of the following statements are true:
Muscle is heavier than fat (WEIGHS more), when volume is consistent.
Muscle is more dense than fat (takes up less VOLUME), when weight is consistent.
Thus, a cubic foot of muscle will WEIGH more than a cubic foot of fat; a pound of muscle will take up less VOLUME than a pound of fat. Middle school science class FTW.0 -
Pound of muscle burns 32 cals per day. Pound of fat burns 2 per day. Pick the one you would rather have.
It's more like 6 Cals muscle and 2 Cals fat per lb. Muscle definately better, but losing 10lbs of fat and adding 10lbs of muscle nets you 40 Cals extra metabolism a day.
Plenty of other benefits though!0 -
Waiting for the "pound of muscle" weighs more than a "pound of fat" diva to chime in on this. You'd love her explanation.
This had me in giggles! Thanks for the laugh!0 -
No it does not weigh more, it weighs exactly the same but is denser and takes up less space!
Agree0 -
Pound of muscle burns 32 cals per day. Pound of fat burns 2 per day. Pick the one you would rather have.
It's more like 6 Cals muscle and 2 Cals fat per lb. Muscle definately better, but losing 10lbs of fat and adding 10lbs of muscle nets you 40 Cals extra metabolism a day.
Plenty of other benefits though!
I know your opinion on that subject and just need to poke the bear :P
Looking at those 40 cals a day is a bit short-sighted, don't you think? We humans, if lucky, have a lifespan longer than an average mayfly... 40 cals/day * 365 days * 10 years = 146.000 calories (yeah I did not factor in leap years :P). There are approx 3500 cals in 1 pound, so that means if your calories intake is (only) 40 calories a day over your expenditure in 10 years you would gain approx 42 pounds (which is the case with most humans it would seem; gaining with age, that is, not gaining exactly 42 pounds)... Drop by drop as they say...0 -
I know your opinion on that subject and just need to poke the bear :P
Looking at those 40 cals a day is a bit short-sighted, don't you think? We humans, if lucky, have a lifespan longer than an average mayfly... 40 cals/day * 365 days * 10 years = 146.000 calories (yeah I did not factor in leap years :P). There are approx 3500 cals in 1 pound, so that means if your calories intake is (only) 40 calories a day over your expenditure in 10 years you would gain approx 42 pounds (which is the case with most humans it would seem; gaining with age, that is, not gaining exactly 42 pounds)... Drop by drop as they say...
Ooh a debate - excellent :-)
I do love the math and it's impossible to argue with your sums but in practical application there are several problems with it:
1) 40 cals is c. 1.5% to 2% of a sedentary persons intake. Nutritional labels are allowed up to 20% deviation from those published on the packet to account for variability is source material. Attaining an exact figure for intake therefore is nigh on impossible and we have to rely on those averages to balance out. 40Cals is insignificant here.
2) It's easier to eat half a cookie less per day to hit your target than spend 4 hours a week lifting to enable you to eat that target(but again, I am a lifting advocate, many other benefits, I'm just arguing your point)
3) Caloric intake relation to fat storage isn't precisely binary. There isn't a summing up that is done at the end of the day when you are sleeping, it's going on every minute in the form of the balance of insulin and glucagon in your blood stream, and so the timing of the intake would have an effect. If the extra 40 cals were eaten alone, some hours after the previous meal you likely wouldn't have enough glucose to cause an insulin release from the pancreas and thus your body isn't in storage mode and you wouldn't gain a thing (of course if you ate it on top of a big meal it would be stored, but lets ignore that inconvenient fact).
4) You body is hugely adaptive and your metabolism doesn't just adapt downwards when starved. Small uplifts occur also so perhaps your 40 extra will be adapted to.
This is fun. Over to you!0 -
I'll be back! (said in Arnold voice)0
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