“Muscle Weighs More Than Fat.”
We’ve all heard the saying, “Muscle weighs more than fat.” And it is a stubborn one. It has stuck around for ages now, but the air needs to be cleared around this topic. When it comes to weight, a kilogram is a kilogram, and a pound is a pound. It’s like asking the classical question of whether a ton of stones or a ton of feathers is heavier — both weigh the same. The same goes for muscle and fat.
So, what’s really going on behind this myth?
Muscle vs. Fat
Muscle and fat might weigh the same, but they look and feel different. Muscle tissue is compact and dense, while fat is softer and takes up more space. For example, 5 pounds of muscle will look different on your body than 5 pounds of fat because muscle is more tightly packed.
In practice, this means that if you are new to working out — while being in a calorie deficit — you might not see a significant change on the scale despite getting slimmer. This is because the muscle built compensates for the weight loss caused by fat reduction. While the scale measures your overall weight, it doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat.
A good way to visualize this is to think of it like packing a suitcase. If you pack it with clothes versus heavy books, they could weigh the same, but the suitcase filled with books will take up less space inside the suitcase. Similarly, a person with more muscle may look leaner and take up less space compared to someone with the same weight but more fat.
Why The Confusion?
The confusion often arises because we think of weight in terms of volume. People often feel heavier or lighter based on how much space their body takes up, not just the number on the scale. For example, you might weigh the same as a person who’s thinner but more muscular. That’s because their muscle mass is denser, so they might have a smaller overall volume compared to you. While this can be confusing, the conclusion is much simpler. And that is that muscles weigh the same as fat.
So, the next time someone tells you “muscle weighs more than fat,” you can confidently debunk this myth. A kilogram is a kilogram—no matter how packed it is.
One response
Kjempe!!!