You've probably heard the old adage that "muscle weighs more than fat." This is used to explain why people don't seem to be losing weight as they exercise. Since they're gainingmuscle mass through cardio, weight lifting, and other resistance exercises, of course, the numbers on the scale won't go down.
The real question is: does muscle actually weigh more than fat? Or is this just a saying that doesn't have any truth to it?
Let's explore that here.
A Pound of Fat
If you put a pound of fat (which is soft and fluffy, for the record) next to a pound of muscle, which would be smaller? In shape and size, the muscle would win. However, from a scientific perspective? Both of those pounds are the same because they weigh the same.
Look at it this way — which weighs more, a pound of marbles or a pound of feathers? It's a trick question because both equal a single pound. With that said, do you know how many feathers you'd need to make a pound? About a garbage bag full or so. That's a lot of feathers. It's definitely more than you'd need to put together a pound of marbles.
Again, what's the difference? Density. The density of something goes beyond simple weight. It has to do with shape and size. In this case, even though a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weighs the same, the pound of muscle is smaller and more compact. It's just denser.
Muscle tissue takes up less space than fat. So, replacing fat with muscle will likely make you feel leaner.
To answer the question posed in the title. Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat; muscle is a lot denser. That's the main difference. It has nothing to do with weight at all.
Why Do People Say That Muscle Weighs More?
Generally, people use the saying to explain to themselves (and to others) why they haven't lost weight, despite spending a lot of time in the gym and watching what they eat. Since the general public tends to correlate weight loss with skinniness (or at least attempting to reach a state of skinniness), this saying attempts to deflect some of that stigma.
In reality, the more you exercise and watch what you eat, the more likely you are to gain muscle mass as your body's fat stores burn off and are turned into energy. You'll notice that even if the numbers on the scale aren't budging, your clothes will fit better, and you'll feel healthier.
This is because your diet and exercise routine are working in tandem to overall change your body's composition. That's what really matters. Not the numbers on the scale.
Your Body Composition
Unlike your weight and your BMI (body mass index), yourbody composition is a ratio of your muscles to fat stores. By determining how much of your overall body is fat versus how much is muscle, you'll be able to determine just how fit you are. Keep in mind that there are two types of fat, and you do need some fat for your body to function.
If you want to change the way that you feel, lift heavier objects, and even increase your metabolism, then this is the ratio to pay attention to. Your bodyweight doesn’t tell you the amount of muscle you have or the water weight you’re retaining.
Additionally, your BMI doesn't examine exactly how your body is composed. The BMI only provides a ratio of height to weight and doesn't include things like bone density and body type.
You need to do away with all of the numbers, except for the one that tells you just how much of your body is made up of fat versus muscle.
Why Muscle Is a Good Thing
You need muscles. While many women hit the gym and only work on their cardio (which is great for the heart and lungs but not enough to get rid of things like belly fat), they don't do enough to build up and strengthen their muscles.
This is problematic because doing resistance training can help in so many ways. There are methods of building muscles that won't make you look like a professional bodybuilder (unless you're going for that look, in which case, go for it.)
Speeds Up Your Metabolism
One of the most important things that building muscle can do is speed up your metabolism. In case you weren't fully aware of what this means, yourmetabolism is the number of calories that you burn while at rest. Your basal metabolic rate is how many calories you burn just existing in life.
Your body automatically burns off calories while sitting around, whether you're resting, working, or watching television. However, as you get older, your metabolism slows down, making potential weight gain more likely.
On a good note, if you increase your overall muscle mass, you'll burn off more calories while going about your daily life because those muscles need more fuel than your fat stores. This speeds up your metabolism, making it easier to lose weight.
Helping You Lift Heavy Things
There's one clear benefit to having strong muscles – helping you lift heavy things. There's nothing like lifting that 40-pound bag of cat litter by yourself or having the ability to haul in a bunch of groceries in one trip.
By building up your muscles, you'll see that you'll be able to do both of these things and more. Our takeaway: it's important to have muscles and not just for the gym. They play a huge role in your day-to-day life.
The Key to Losing Fat
Of course, you not only want to gain muscle mass, but you also want to lose fat. If you're like most people, you need to get rid of that fat in the belly region, among others.
Here are a few suggestions to start this process:
Do Plenty of Cardio
While cardio isn't the entire solution, it does have its benefits. A good round of cardio can help improve your cardiovascular system, lowering your resting heart rate, and making it easier for you to work out and do other things without easily getting winded.
It's the first step to weight loss. After all, you need to burn more calories than you take in if you want to lose weight.
Eat a Balanced Diet
On top of adding some cardio to your fitness routine, you also need to eat a healthy diet. All of those sugary and carb-filled snack foods might taste good, but they also quickly turn into fat if you aren't careful and limit your intake of them.
If you truly want to burn fat, you need to eat the kinds ofmeals for breakfast, lunch, anddinner. Consider items made of whole foods, like fruits and veggies, lean meats, and even whole-grain noodles or bread. These are much better for you than some of the alternatives.
How To Gain Muscle
In addition to doing whatever it takes to burn off your body's fat stores, you also need to do some extra exercises in order to gain muscle mass. The two will balance each other out, resulting in a healthier body composition.
You'll begin to like what you see in the mirror, as well as enjoy being able to fit into sleeker clothing, no matter what the scale says.
Here's how you can gain muscle through strength training:
Lift Weights
Lifting weights is the most common way to gain muscle mass. With so many different types of free weights available, from kettlebells to dumbbells, you have plenty of options to choose from. Don't forget to always have a spotter on hand if you're lifting something over your head, just in case.
Other Resistance Exercises
There are a number of other resistance exercises that you can do as well. Look into those that require you to use your entire body as a weight, such as pull-ups and push-ups, and those that use stretchy exercise bands and other equipment. The more resistance you provide, the stronger your muscles will grow.
Building Wellness Practices
As you can see, there's more to your weight than the numbers on the scale. Muscle and fat might weigh the same, but they have different compositions, so muscles are smaller. In addition, muscle can help you raise your metabolism, as well as help you lift things that you might not have been able to before.
Overall, you'll look and feel better as you improve your overall body composition, not just your body mass index. Those numbers mean nothing, as long as you feel healthy.
Sources:
Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat? | Everyday Health
Do Muscle and Fat Affect Weight? | Healthline