Dieting & Weight Loss Resource Center


« Motivation to Start a Diet | Return to Dieting & Weight Loss Blog | Fish for Dinner »

November 28, 2007

Does Muscle Weigh More than Fat?

LardIs that possible?

I know myself, as well as a few of the other writers on this site have heard this exact question asked many times by our clients.

Let me ask you this, if you

put 1lb of lean, grilled chicken breast on a scale and measured it against 1lb of lard, wouldn't they both weigh the same?

They would, right? So why is it that people believe equal amounts of muscle weigh more than fat?

I agree that muscle is far denser than body fat, but this is actually a benefit to everyone since adding on a pound of muscle is far smaller in size than putting a pound of body fat. Not only is muscle more compact, but just 1lb of it is approximately 5x as metabolic as its counterpart.

Muscle is a valuable commodity that we should covet and work towards adding more of every time we hit the weights. This is easier said than done, but with some hard work and by incorporating smart training principles you will be well on your way.

…and don't worry, you won't turn into Arnold Swarzanegger overnight.

Posted by Stephen Cabral 7:09:05 PM


I suspect the question had more to do with whether toned muscle weighs more than un-toned muscle. I'd be interested to know how much weight gain to expect with muscle toning program however defined.

Posted by: Anne | Nov 28, 2007 6:06:27 PM

Your question raises an important issue for health educators (and any communicator, really), that of how words or phrases are perceived as opposed to the meaning intended.

With the muscle/fat question, in one short post, you've revealed some of the many ways that people of different experience histories could interpret a statement.

I like what you folks are doing at NutritionData and elsewhere to provide a forum for clearing up such confusion and expanding knowledge. Thank you for this important service!

Posted by: Frederick Grose | Nov 29, 2007 11:11:00 AM

That reminds me of the old joke: which is heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of lead?

But as you point out, one cubic inch of muscle weighs more than one cubic inch of fat. When people say "muscle weighs more than fat, " I think they're really trying to express that muscle is denser than fat. When people start to build up some muscle, they often lose inches but don't lose weight (or actually gain weight). That's why the scale shouldn't be your ONLY gauge of progress. How do your clothes fit?

Posted by: Monica Reinagel | Nov 29, 2007 12:16:15 PM

Good points Monica - thanks for adding additional clarity!

Posted by: Steve Cabral | Nov 30, 2007 5:08:51 AM

Hi Anne,

Thank you for your comments and the points you've raised. Please look over my latest post for an answer to your question:


http://blog.nutritiondata.com/dieting_weight_loss_blog/2007/11/can-you-have-un.html

Posted by: Steve Cabral | Nov 30, 2007 5:16:16 AM

If you want to reduce your weight, you need to do a lot of exercise to accelerate your metabolism. It's better if you do cardiovascular exercise, because this kind of exercise helps you burn fat...

You should begin with a good eating plan, combining fats and sweets with fruits and vegetables. It will be better if you drink at least eight glasses of water daily to control your calories and your cholesterol.

If you want you can use some pills to control your weight and to accelerate the process of burning fat.

I know some pills which you can use to reduce your weight. Those pills are Xenical. Its results are excellent and fast.

Visit this website to find more information:

http://www.todoenmedicamentos.com

Posted by: Cucufate | Dec 14, 2007 12:48:03 PM

Muscle does weight more than fat. If something is more dense it WILL weight more. If I take a square foot of muscle and a square foot of fat. The muscle will weight more. You worded this incorrectly. 1 lb of muscle weights the same as 1 lb of fat. BUT! there would be less muscle than there is fat, and they would weigh the same. Thus muscle does weight more than fat.

Posted by: Youarewrong | May 29, 2008 4:55:50 PM

Muscle does weight more than fat. If something is more dense it WILL weight more. If I take a square foot of muscle and a square foot of fat. The muscle will weight more. You worded this incorrectly. 1 lb of muscle weights the same as 1 lb of fat. BUT! there would be less muscle than there is fat, and they would weigh the same. Thus muscle does weight more than fat.

Posted by: Youarewrong | May 29, 2008 4:56:34 PM

Muscle does weight more than fat. If something is more dense it WILL weight more. If I take a square foot of muscle and a square foot of fat. The muscle will weight more. You worded this incorrectly. 1 lb of muscle weights the same as 1 lb of fat. BUT! there would be less muscle than there is fat, and they would weigh the same. Thus muscle does weight more than fat.

Posted by: Youarewrong | May 29, 2008 4:56:39 PM

Post a comment

ABOUT
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
BLOG TOPICS
ARCHIVES
SUBSCRIBE VIA RSS
BLOGS & SITES OF INTEREST
About Nutrition Data Contact Us Advertising Sitemap User Agreement Privacy Policy

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. © 2008 CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of CondéNet, Inc. NutritionData.com is a member of the Condé Nast Publications family, which includes CondéNet, Condé Nast and Fairchild Publications. NutritionData.com is a trademark owned by CondéNet, Inc.

visit our sister sites:

Concierge.com / Epicurious.com / Men.Style.com / Style.com / Flip.com / Wired.com / Lipstick.com / NutritionData.com / YM.com / Allure /
Architectural Digest / Brides / Cookie / Condé Nast Portfolio / Domino / Glamour / Gourmet / Lucky / Men's Vogue / Self / Teen Vogue /
The New Yorker / Vanity Fair / W