does muscle weigh more than fat

Most people adopt some kind of exercise regimen to lose weight, and they expect drastic weight loss, once they start working out. Even though they experience some weight loss, as their fit clothes become loose, the weight scales do not show any noticeable change. In some cases, the person may gain weight, instead of losing it. Some people may lose heart and adopt some other method of weight loss. What is the reason behind this phenomenon? Most trainers give the explanation that exercises help in muscle building and muscles weigh more than fat. This is partly true, as the real fact is either misunderstood or misused by the trainers. 

Role of Fats and Muscles in Weight Loss 
Many people still believe that fats can be transformed to muscles through exercises, which in turn can lead to weight loss. According to them, once you stop exercising, the muscles will turn to fat. This is incorrect as fats cannot be changed to muscles and vice versa. Exercises can help you lose fat or gain muscle. Some exercise programs explain how to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. All these changes can affect your body weight. Fat loss can lead to weight loss to some extent, but muscle gain can add up to your weight. If your exercise regimen is aimed at fat loss only, it can lead to some weight loss in a fat person. If it is aimed at muscle gain, even if you lose weight by fat loss, that will be compensated by the weight of the muscles, which are gained through exercises. Both these phenomena compensate for each other, resulting in no apparent changes in the body weight. You must be wondering about the weight of muscles and fat in the human body. Does muscle really weigh more than fat?

Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat? 
Muscles do not weigh more than fats. The difference lies in the constitution. While muscles are leaner and denser than fat, the latter tends to be bulky and takes up more space than the former. Hence, one pound of fat can look more heavy and bulkier than one pound of muscle. Even though, the weight is the same, fats appear more bulky. This fact can be illustrated by an example. 'A' and 'B' have same body weight - 150 pounds, but 'A' looks leaner and healthier than 'B'. This is due to the fact that 'A' has a body fat of 20%, whereas in case of 'B', it is 35%. Fats needs more space to fit in, but muscles takes lesser space. A person with more body fat will appear bulkier than the one with less body fat and more muscles. Above all, muscles help the body to burn fat, even when you are at rest. More lean muscle mass tissues means a higher rate of burning of calories. Now you know the answer for the question, "Does muscle weigh more than fat". So we can take a look at the role of exercises in fat loss, muscle gain and weight loss.

Exercises, Muscle Gain and Fat Loss 
Muscle gain, fat loss, etc depend on the type and amount of exercises. In normal cases, weight loss can be achieved through weight training. Regular exercises cause small amounts of fat loss and muscle gain. Fat loss is compensated by muscle gain and so there will not be any significant change in your body weight. Even though the rate of weight loss is slow, but can be very fruitful in the long run. If you want faster results, then you have to opt for other types of exercises. More cardio exercises can help you in achieving higher weight loss. One hour ofaerobic exercises per day can also lead to weight loss. 

Rapid weight loss can be achieved through crash diets, regular aerobics and lots of exercises, whereas for quick muscle gain you have to switch to proper diets, increased calorie intake and weight training. The routes to reach both goals are different and cannot be achieved through a normal exercise regimen. You can adopt an exercise regimen of your choice and compare the results. Body fat can be measured by body fat scales or any other device, meant to serve the purpose. Compare it with the changes in your body weight. The results can give you an overall idea of body fat loss and muscle building. However, it is always better to have more muscles in the body than fat, as the former burns the calories, which would otherwise be stored in the body. It also strengthens the body and support the joints. Above all, exercises are good for overall well-being.

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