Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

“Technically, the statement, muscle weighs more than fat is false. The truth is that when placed on a scale, one pound of fat is going to weigh the same as one pound of muscle – just like one pound of bricks is going to weigh the same as one pound of feathers. Where the confusion comes in is that muscle and fat differ in density (muscle is about 18% more dense than fat) and one pound of muscle occupies less space (volume) than one pound of fat.

So yes, muscle seems to weigh more because there is a difference in the volume between the two. When a cubic inch of muscle and a cubic inch of fat are measured, the cubic inch of muscle will weigh more. As you add compact muscle mass to the body, body weight may increase. However, pound for pound, muscle and fat weigh the same and when tracking progress of a fitness program, it is very important to look at all markers of improvement, and not just the numbers on the scale.

These diagrams visually express the differences between muscle and fat densities

1) Muscle = more dense

2) Fat = less dense

3) Cross section of a skeletal muscle (200x) showing the muscle fibres (red) and the fat cells (white)

Cross-section of muscle — Cross-section of skeletal muscle

Note that the fat cells are less dense than the muscle cells and take up more volume.”

[Read the rest of this article at bamboocorefitness.com]

15 Fun Facts about Muscles

The biggest muscle in the human body is the gluteus maximus- your butt
The smallest is the stapedius. It is thinner than a thread of cotton and is located in your ear
The reason for goosebumps is the contraction of small muscles located in your hair’s roots
You use 17 muscles in order to smile, and 43 to frown
The fastest muscle group in the human body is the one responsible for blinking. Thanks to them you are able to blink up to 5 times a second
You use up to 200 muscles in order to take a single step
The strongest muscle in the human body is located in the jaw and its name is the the masseter muscle
Your muscles are normally around 40-50% of your body weight
Every half a kilo (1 lb) of muscle you gain, your body burns an extra 50 calories a day
The fibres you already know about can support up to 1,000 times their own weight
75% of the muscle is water
Producing human speech takes 72 different muscles
The human tongue consists of sixteen separate muscles, not one as many people think.
Did you know that your muscles have their own memory? This is why once you learn how to ride a bike, you can never forget it, no matter how long you haven’t done it.
Muscles produce up to 85% of your body’s heat. In fact they produce enough daily heat to boil 2 pints of water for an hour.

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