Is muscle heavier than fat? Is muscle denser than fat? Is fat more massive than muscle? There is an ongoing debate in the fitness community, and a lot of beginners struggle with this particular question.
As someone living in a human body, you have probably explored and thought about fat versus muscle. Since we are constantly bombarded with messages about our body types, exercise, and how we should look to be acceptable, it is only natural to think about this topic.
You might have experienced this yourself: when working out, training hard, and lifting weights, you gain a little weight instead of losing it. You look in the mirror, and your physique looks thinner and more aesthetically pleasing, but the number on the scale doesn’t change.
This is a very interesting topic, as we will come to the conclusion that the number on the scale doesn’t matter. It is true that muscle weighs the same as fat.
To give you another example: does 1 kg of iron weigh more than 1 kg of feathers?
They weigh the same, right? Both iron and feathers weigh 1 kg, respectively. Visually, there is still a big difference; 1 kg of iron can look very small, and 1 kg of feathers can be massive.
The same logic applies to the muscle vs. fat debate. If we compare 5 lbs of fat to 5 lbs of muscle, they will weigh exactly the same since each of them weighs 5 lbs.
Even though their weight is the same, there will be a significant visual difference, as muscle is denser and has a smaller volume for its weight.
5 lbs of Muscle vs 5 lbs of Fat
The key difference between muscle and fat is density. Muscle tissue has a density of approximately 1.06 kg per litre, while fat has a density of around 0.92 kg per litre.
If you place 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat side by side, they will be different in size. To illustrate this, we have included a picture that clearly shows the size difference between the two. In other words, muscle tissue is 4/5 the volume of fat.
People who work out regularly and have a muscular build have a completely different body composition compared to those with a higher fat percentage.
If you are unsure whether you have excess body fat, you can easily calculate it. The body fat calculator is freely available in the Workit App, along with a BMR calculator and many other useful tools.
We already mentioned that when you work out, get noticeably thinner, firmer, and more muscular, the number on the scale may not change.
Many people are concerned about this because their goals are based on achieving a certain number on the scale instead of focusing on overall health and well-being.
You have probably heard of the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator, which is often used to determine whether you are obese. However, many top athletes and bodybuilders would be classified as obese if we use the BMI calculator to measure their weight.
The reason we mention this is that the BMI calculator isn’t a one-stop solution as it doesn’t reveal your body’s mix of muscle and fat percentage. Relying on and fixating on achieving a certain number on a scale will do more harm than good.
In short, 5 lbs of fat weighs the same as 5 lbs of muscle. Still, there is a noticeable size difference between 5 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of muscle, as muscle is denser and takes up much less space.
Can I Build Muscle and Lose Fat?
Yes, this is a very effective approach to sculpt your body, achieve proper muscle definition, and burn fat. How can you achieve it? Through weightlifting and proper nutrition.
Don’t think of weightlifting as just benching and squatting 500 lbs (225 kg). Weightlifting doesn’t necessarily mean lifting heavy weights.
You can always start with lower weights and build from there. You can build an amazing physique with weights as light as 20 kg. Remember, the majority of progress is made in the kitchen, and you can never out-train a bad diet.
Even if you train 6-7 times a week, lift heavy weights, and do cardio, if you don’t eat a protein-rich diet regularly and consume junk food or stay malnourished, your body fat percentage will increase.
If you train regularly, 2-3 times a week, and eat healthy, protein-rich meals 80% of the time, you will build an amazing body and burn the extra fat in your body.
Simply put, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight and a calorie surplus to noticeably increase muscle mass.
Calorie deficit: In simple terms, a calorie deficit is when you eat fewer calories than you burn. If you want to calculate your calorie and protein goals, download the Workit App and access the calculator for free.
Calorie surplus: A calorie surplus is when you eat more calories than you burn, which gradually increases muscle mass when paired with consistent workouts.
Please understand that weight loss doesn’t equal fat loss. While they may go hand in hand, there is an important difference—you may build muscle and lose fat, but you may still gain weight.
To give you an example, check out this body recomposition journey where the starting weight hasn’t changed, but after a year, the body looks completely different. (This is just an example, as you might have different body goals, and your results will be in line with your goals.)
Even if you lose weight, you may not lose fat. Have you ever heard of the term “skinny fat”? This is when someone is not overweight but still has noticeable amounts of body fat, typically in places like the belly, arms, legs, etc.
If your goal is to burn fat and reduce your body fat percentage, you should start with body recomposition, plan your workout split, and focus on your nutrition.
Workout and Nutrition Plan for Fat Loss & Muscle Building
A proper workout and nutrition plan is needed to start building muscle and losing fat—in other words, for your body recomposition.
Apart from the workout and nutrition plan, you will need a set of tools to help you calculate your body’s calorie and protein needs, track your progress, your weight, and progress pictures.
The Workit App is perfectly suitable for this as it offers dozens of fitness tools available completely free, and you can request personalized workout programs and meal plans.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Exercises
If you are a beginner, start with bodyweight exercises like:
- Push-Ups (Easier: Wall Push-Ups)
- Squats (Easier: Box Squats with a Chair)
- Pull-Ups (Easier: Assisted Pull-Ups)
- Dips (Easier: Chair Dips)
We also recommend trying HIIT workouts, as they are quite effective in burning fat and are fun to complete. One of the most underrated workouts is walking. Walking regularly, up to 10,000 steps a day, can significantly influence your fat loss progress. Walking is low-impact and a perfect activity to burn some extra calories while improving your mood and brain activity.
If you are a gym-goer and want to use weights or machines, download Workit to access workout programs with video demonstrations.
Nutrition
Nutrition is generally pretty straightforward. The key is to minimize junk food intake and focus on protein-rich foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry.
The number of calories your body needs depends on your age, height, and weight. If you want to calculate this, the Workit app has a free calculator that can help you track your daily calorie and protein intake. You can also schedule meals with the Workit calendar.
Consistency is king. We recommend aiming for the 80/20 rule: 80% of the week, eat healthy and protein-rich foods, and the remaining 20% can be for the things we love, like pizza.
Take Measurements
Regularly taking progress pictures and body measurements can help with motivation and celebrating small wins. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Five pounds of fat and five pounds of muscle weigh the same, but building five pounds of muscle and burning five pounds of fat requires much effort. You will not see immediate results, but in weeks two and three, you can start celebrating your small wins.
Whenever you feel down and unmotivated, looking at your old pictures and seeing how far you’ve come will immediately give you that extra motivational energy kick.
Conclusion
In conclusion, five pounds of fat weighs the same as five pounds of muscle. The difference is in size and density, as muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space.
You can lose fat and build muscle at the same time, but the scale might not change or could even increase. This is normal, so do not panic, as the scale is not everything.
Every body carries weight differently, so aim for health and well-being instead of numbers on the scale. Also, understand that it takes effort to burn five pounds of fat and build five pounds of muscle, and the key to achieving your goals is consistency.
If you are looking to burn fat and build muscle and don’t know where to start, download the Workit App. It will help you create structured and personalized workout programs and nutrition plans.