A bare-chested muscular man with his hands on his hips.

Is muscle heavier than fat?

You have been working out for several weeks, but you can't seem to get the hang of it. lose weight ? Worse, you've gained several pounds on the scale? Don't worry, this is completely normal! You've simply managed to lose fat mass in favor of lean muscle mass. But then, the is muscle heavier than fat ?

What happens when you exercise?

When you work out, your muscles undergo many micro-tears. At the end of your workouts, the body will work to repair them. Your muscles will therefore become stronger and bigger. This is the principle of muscle gain.

The more lean muscle mass you have, the more your body consumes caloriesIt's a great way to get energy when you're resting or doing physical activity. It is the role of metabolism.

Naturally, burning more calories reduces the rate of body fat. Now you understand why it is wrong to think that fat mass turns into muscle. The reality is more complex.

As a result, your silhouette slimmer. However, this does not always translate into weight loss on the scale. How can this be explained?

Fat and lean mass: a matter of density

To summarize, your body mass is the sum of your muscle weight and your fat.

These are more than 600 muscles that allow the human body to function. Each of these contains about 75 % of water, 20 % of protein, and a much smaller amount of fat and carbohydrates.

The fat cells contain much less water. They are therefore less dense.

If you put 1 kilo of muscle and 1 kilo of fat in front of you, you would see that the kilo of fat is much more large than a kilo of muscle. In other words, it takes up more space!

A shirtless man measures his belly fat with a skinfold tool.
Lose fat and gain weight at the same time? It is possible!

That's why they say that muscle is heavier than fat. If you were to look at 1 m3 of muscle and 1 m3 of fatty tissue, the muscle would indeed be heavier.

That's why when you practice a sport activity like weight training, you can lose fat, but also gain weight. Working out is not always synonymous with losing weight on the scale.

How do you know if you are making progress?

To track your progress, it is not enough to weigh.

It is much more effective to look in the mirror. If you had a high percentage of body fat, you will gradually see your muscles appear. The abdominal strap is usually a good indicator. The lower your fat content, the more defined your abs will be.

For more accurate measurements, you can also calculate your body fat percentage on an impedance scale or with a skinfold forceps.

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