Weight Lifting Basics - Part 3

 
Another common weight lifting myth is one of the most popular in the world of exercise: "Muscle weighs more than fat." 

How ridiculous is that? It's like the old joke, "Which weighs more, 10 pounds of iron or 10 pounds of feathers?" 

Hopefully, by now you realize that the answer to that question is that they actually weigh the same. 10 pounds is 10 pounds no matter what it consists of. 

Let's discuss this in a little more detail. Muscle tissue is a lot more compact and dense than fat. Because of this fact, it actually takes up less space than fat. Makes sense, right? 

Fat tissue, on the other hand, is very soft and jelly-like so it's a lot larger than muscle. By that I simply mean it takes up more space than muscle. 

Let me give you another example to clarify this concept even more: If you were to take 10 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of muscle and roll each of them into a ball, the ball of fat might be the size of a bowling ball. In comparison, the ball of muscle would be about the size of a baseball. 

Let's take this one step further and use you and your friend in an example: Let's say you and your friend are both 5' 5" tall and weigh the exact same at 130 pounds.

Your friend, as mentioned earlier, doesn't lift weights or do any kind of strength training. Her dress size is a size 12. 

You, on the other hand, follow a strength-training program and lift weights 3 times a week. You wear a size 8 dress. 

If you and your friend were standing side by side, people would surely believe that your friend weighed more than you. But in reality you both weigh exactly the same!

How can that be? It all goes back to what I said earlier. Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. They weigh exactly the same! Muscle is more compact than fat, so you, who lifts weights, have more muscle than your friend does which means you take up less space. 

That's why it's a bad idea to let the scale be the judge of your weight lifting and fitness progress. You can easily have lost weight, but it often won't show up on the scale. A better indication of progress is how well your clothes fit. If you're getting smaller, or should we say more compact, you'll notice that your clothes are getting looser.

So you say, "I'll lift weights, but only light weights with lots of repetitions." 

This is another mistake a lot of people make. I'm not saying this is the wrong way to lift weights, but it isn't the most effective way to go about strength training if you're looking to lose weight and change your body. 

So, does this mean you should lift heavier weights and do fewer repetitions? Absolutely! 

There's another statement you need to avoid: "I shouldn't lift heavy weights because that is only for bodybuilders." You can and should be lifting heavy weights if you really want to change your body!

Now let's take a minute to review a few of the main ideas we have covered so far:

• Lifting weights won't make you "bulk up". It will make you more toned and leaner.
   
• Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. It's just more compact and denser, and it actually takes up less space.
   
• The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you expend, even while you're resting!

About the author:

Kevin Valluzzi is the owner of A&B Fitness, an in-home personal training company located in northern New Jersey. He holds a degree in Exercise Physiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health & Fitness Instructor.

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