Muscle is heavier than fat; but why do I look bigger than people heavier than me?

[WillGoesBoing]

So recently a guy asked me how much I weigh and I told him 155, and he was in complete disbelief because he thought I weighed 175-180. I'm the same height as him and he said he weighs 165 and I am noticeably bigger. We just kinda agreed that it's because I have more muscle.

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

[incubusfanclm]

same thing has happened to me on more than a few occasions, wherein ppl are in disbelief when i tell them how little i weigh, compared to how big i look.. it's a curious question..

[TheElephantman]

i have the same problem i weigh like 250 and people think i weigh like 200

[thiussat]

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

[legenbass25]

Height definitely factors in (obviously) but it could also be deceiving because some people carry more or less muscle mass in their lower body (and your legs are your largest muscles). So, OP, you may have a larger upper body, but the other guy at your gym may carry more leg mass, hence the difference in weight. Not sure if this is the reason, just my 2 cents on the subject...

[wolfdragon]

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

This. I believe it's how you carry your weight (be it muscle or fat) that makes you look bigger or smaller. The clothes you wear can make a difference too. I always tell people what I weigh and unless a scale is present they don't believe it. Everyone thinks I weigh less than I do.

[kwdelre]

So recently a guy asked me how much I weigh and I told him 155, and he was in complete disbelief because he thought I weighed 175-180. I'm the same height as him and he said he weighs 165 and I am noticeably bigger. We just kinda agreed that it's because I have more muscle.

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

Its easy to underestimate all that fat that is stored in places you can't see

bone and muscle density factor in as well

[Glennm]

Yea, that is weird. Not to discredit anyone but people tend to think that you're lighter than you are if your muscley. Because muscle in proportionate to size is heavier than the same size of fat. I've had people think i weigh less than i am, which i assumed was the case for most people who lift, since for the same size of a fat person and an in shape person, the in shape person will be heavier than most people would believe.

[ejthomp]

Yes, it really depends on what you are wearing. If you are low body fat and ripped, but wearing clothes that cover you up and make you look thin, many people will think you weigh much less than you do. But if you are in tight fitting workout gear and showing the muscle, it is easy to think you weigh much more than you do.

[du3ce]

i was blessed with broad shoulders and big arms, people dont believe me when i tell them i only weigh 190lbs

[cheeseandrice]

personally i think fat & muscle have a large thing to do with it, however i think it goes beyond that too, into body composition. bone density / size, genetics, ect. most people trip when i tell them i'm 165 and 6'2 because i look 195. and when i was 195 i looked like a blimp lol

[DHr2009]

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

for the size Yes muscle weighs more than fat. The more dense something is the heavier it is.

giving you an example, A pound of feathers takes up a fairly large area does it not? where as a pound of brick takes up a very small amount of space in comparison to the amount the feathers take up.

This is the same with fat. Fat is less dense, therefore its weight is distributed over a larger surface area and is less compact. This makes equal area or equal amounts by volume of muscle heavier than fat.

[WillGoesBoing]

personally i think fat & muscle have a large thing to do with it, however i think it goes beyond that too, into body composition. bone density / size, genetics, ect. most people trip when i tell them i'm 165 and 6'2 because i look 195. and when i was 195 i looked like a blimp lol

I was thinking about this the other day..... if I already look like I'm 175-180 I wonder how I would look if I was really 175-180. I'm not that tall, so I'd probably look disproportioned.

[KrazyKevin]

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

but the additional factor you have to take into consideration is that he is talking about how he looks. If you imagine both laying on the ground 1 ton of feathers will APPEAR to have more mass than 1 ton of bricks because you will need so much more of it.
Like the 1lb of fat and 1lb of muscle plastic examples they usually have at the gym. The 1lb of muscle takes up less space because it has a higher density.

[Daniepwils]

for the size Yes muscle weighs more than fat. The more dense something is the heavier it is.

giving you an example, A pound of feathers takes up a fairly large area does it not? where as a pound of brick takes up a very small amount of space in comparison to the amount the feathers take up.

This is the same with fat. Fat is less dense, therefore its weight is distributed over a larger surface area and is less compact. This makes equal area or equal amounts by volume of muscle heavier than fat.

This....

[Guitarguru9909]

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

obviously.. 1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat.. although if your measuring the mass Muscle/sq cm is heavier than fat / sq cm

[deadpool9]

I have the same issue. People dont believe that I weigh as little as what I do. But when I was 191lbs, I didnt look that big either.
(Except when I put on pants or shirts from that time, and they fall off..... I just spent $75 having all my jeans taken up about 4in in the waist...)

[AD0317]

So, I'm 23 and am 5'7".
My measurements are 36"27"37".
Here's the deal, I'm 160lbs give or take.
Many of my friends are taller and bigger than me in size but weigh significantly less than I do.
I retired from major cardio because of a knee injury, but have relied on yoga and strength training.
It's great to know that I'm not alone in feeling this way.
It's REALLY hard to grasp the fact that I'm leaner than I generally think I am due to the number on the scale!
LOVE YOURSELF.

[ericlgottlieb]

So recently a guy asked me how much I weigh and I told him 155, and he was in complete disbelief because he thought I weighed 175-180. I'm the same height as him and he said he weighs 165 and I am noticeably bigger. We just kinda agreed that it's because I have more muscle.

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

I have the same thing: When I tell people I weigh 150 they are in surprised. people usually think I weight between 160 and 170.

[Datsundriver87]

I seem to have the opposite problem as most people... I went from 280 down to 197 and to me (and others) I still look bigger than a 210-215 pound average person. I tell people I'm finally under 200 and they don't believe me.

[tysons93]

I thinks it's because muscle makes you look bigger and have a better physique in cloths. Muscle is denser than fat so if u fill to corkboard boxes that are the same size with muscle and the other with fat the one with muscle will be heavier

[aman88]

So recently a guy asked me how much I weigh and I told him 155, and he was in complete disbelief because he thought I weighed 175-180. I'm the same height as him and he said he weighs 165 and I am noticeably bigger. We just kinda agreed that it's because I have more muscle.

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

Frame size goes into play. You may have a better shape in terms of muscularity than the other guy, but he may have more body mass due to bone size, adipose tissue mass, etc.

Most people did not think I was 125 at my leanest (in my pic on here). Most people guess anywhere from 135-160, in person. I have a small frame.

[WeedWizard420]

Saying 1 lbs of muscle weighs more than 1 lbs. of fat is like saying a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers. It just ain't so and is a pretty silly claim if you think about it.

Muscle is denser than fat, not heavier.

[curiousjorgen]

Bone density, muscle incursions and muscle thickness. All relate to each. How long you worked out and how much fat you have. And yes fat does play a key role here just because muscle weighs more it doesn’t mean you should just take it out of this conversation. I started bulking from 165 to 187 and for some reason it was like fat didn’t even appear on my body although I was gaining muscle rapidly and some sort of amount of fat. This topic may be very hard for some people to comprehend because the variety of things you should take to consideration when it comes to weight and size. Some people may have 15 percent of body fat but may look like they have 10 it’s the opposite for other people depending on genetics.

[curiousjorgen]

And why does it say I’m 49....

[Zjunky]

Bone density, muscle incursions and muscle thickness. All relate to each. How long you worked out and how much fat you have. And yes fat does play a key role here just because muscle weighs more it doesn’t mean you should just take it out of this conversation. I started bulking from 165 to 187 and for some reason it was like fat didn’t even appear on my body although I was gaining muscle rapidly and some sort of amount of fat. This topic may be very hard for some people to comprehend because the variety of things you should take to consideration when it comes to weight and size. Some people may have 15 percent of body fat but may look like they have 10 it’s the opposite for other people depending on genetics.

This is accurate, but also frame size makes a difference. Say two guys have the exact same height and body fat percentage. If A's shoulders and hips are an inch wider and chest cavity is two inches deeper, A will weigh significantly more that B.

I have the opposite problem - people assume I weigh less than I do. I've been told I look about 185-190. I need to lose 20 pounds. Even if I did that I still would be over 200.

And why does it say I’m 49....

Because you haven't changed the default.

[pondus_levo]

So recently a guy asked me how much I weigh and I told him 155, and he was in complete disbelief because he thought I weighed 175-180. I'm the same height as him and he said he weighs 165 and I am noticeably bigger. We just kinda agreed that it's because I have more muscle.

But if muscle weighs more than fat, why am I so much bigger than a guy who weighs more than me?

You have chicken legs, he does not.

[MilkforBrains]

The guys at a judo club I went to were shocked at how light I felt on their hips compared to how I look. A good shoulder to waist ratio always make you look bigger

[hardyboysare]

This thread was dead 4 years ago.

[Zjunky]

The guys at a judo club I went to were shocked at how light I felt on their hips compared to how I look. A good shoulder to waist ratio always make you look bigger

Funny. It's playing judo that I have to warn guys that I'm heavier than I look. Unless they are prepared for that, they can't load properly.