Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.
Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat. It also has a way of finding the worst possible places to park itself and doesn’t offer you much assistance when it comes to improving your metabolic rate. In addition, because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you’re helping your body burn more calories.
Trading in some fat for muscle, even if your overall body weight doesn’t change, is a good idea because the added muscle will:
However, if you only have a small amount of weight to lose, then you may feel like the weight training is not helping you move down on the scale. In fact, the number may even go up, but you will look thinner. This is due to an increase in lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat.
In other words, even if the scale doesn’t change much, you will probably see a difference in how your clothes fit. On the other hand, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you will also experience an increase in lean body mass and loss of body fat. But the results on the scale will probably be more dramatic.
Improve your body shape within only a few short weeks when you add only a few pound so muscle. Unlike fat muscle wont squish awkwardly over the top of your jeans or wobble around when you move.
If you want to improve the shape of your upper arms, work on your shoulders, triceps and biceps. If you are concerned about a saggy bottom or flabby thighs, work your glutes, hamstrings and thighs. Adding muscle alone wont give you the final shape you are after, but if you also lose a few pounds of fat you will be smiling when you look in the mirror.
A few pounds of muscle will make you stronger. Whether lifting small children or carrying a few bags of shopping a little additional strength is always an advantage. Your joints and back will thank you too. Muscles help to keep our bones in proper alignment and that protects your joints from injury.
If you want to burn fat while you sleep you need to raise your resting metabolic rate. Adding a few pounds of muscle is the simplest and safest way to do that because five pounds of muscle requires more calories at rest than five pounds of fat!