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"Muscle weighs more than fat"

Friday, June 19, 2015


I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere with my weight loss and it was really starting to get to me, so I decided to ask Nick for his advice and he designed a food plan for me.

In 2 weeks I lost 4.5lbs, which I'm really pleased with! It's been hard, but nothing is easy - it's just about getting your body used to the change! And most importantly - sticking to the plan!



I think the above image really highlights the difference in volume between fat and muscle. You may have heard the saying "Muscle weighs more than fat", which is kind of confusing because one pound of msucle is going to weigh the same as one pound of fat. Actually muscle takes up less space than fat; one pound of muscle occupies less space than one pound of fat, as muscle is about 18% more dense than fat (this is where the confusion comes from).



Sometimes people can feel dis-heartened when they are trying to lose weight, and the numbers of the scale are staying the same. But if you are taking part in exercise and weight lifting, you could lose 5lbs of fat, but have put on 5lbs of muscle (lean mass), and by looking at the above image - which would you prefer to have?

More detailed information on Fat Vs Muscle here: http://bamboocorefitness.com/one-pound-of-fat-versus-one-pound-of-muscle-clearing-up-the-misconception/
(very interesting read -The scale doesn't represent everything that is happening within the body)

A Few Benefits of Strength Training/ Having Lean Muscle:

Improved Physical Appearance and Performance
Increased Metabolism
Decreased risk of Sustaining Injury
Better Health and Function

You can find further information on the benefits of strength training and building lean muscle here: http://www.boxingscene.com/build-muscle/23687.php

Taking regular photos and measurements (before, after etc)  of your body will show you how your body is changing, as mentioned if you are putting on muscle and losing fat, muscle takes up less space and therefore your measurements will be going down even if the scale is staying the same.

Workouts (last week)

Monday

Deadlifts - 100kg x 3 x 4
Stiff Leg Deadlifts - 50 x 5 x 5
DB Bent Over Rows -  15 x 10 x 3 (each hand)
Pull-ups with resistance band
Band pulls with resistance band
Face pulls
Abs

Tuesday

Had a day off to see some friends, whilst they sat there and had some yummy food and cheesecake - I just stuck to my plan - GO ME!

Wednesday

I didn't get home until late (stupid roadworks) and I was getting my hair done later in the evening so unfortunately I missed the gym again.


Thursday

I was late home again due to traffic and workload. Normally I do Krav Maga on a Thursday but wasn't home in time to do this, so finally I made it to the gym.

Push  Press - 40g x 3 x 4
Bench - 40kg x 3 x 3
Include Bench - 27.5 kg x 8 x 3
Pull-ups with resistance band
Lat Pull downs
Tricep press

Friday 

I was home late again as I had a lot of work on *sob* so we stayed in and watched "The Killing" on Netflix. Completely addicted to this series.

Saturday

Squats - 75kg x 3 x 4
Box Squats 40kg x 5 x 5
Front Squats 40kg 8 x 3

Then had a bit of a play round with the log and atlas stones.

I have recently been amending my squat from a high bar squat to a low bar squat. As a result of this I have adjusted my hand positioning on the bar and also my feet positioning. I've also been trying to sit back into my squat a lot more, and keep my shins vertical.

I was beginning to fall out of love with my squats, as I couldn't get used to changing it up - but the last 2 times of squatting I have definitely noticed a change. It feels a lot more comfortable, and I have noticed an improvement in the weights already.

As I'm really late in getting this post up of my work-outs last week, I won't repeat this weeks work-outs :) have just gone heavier on all of the above!

My new PB on Bench is 42.5kg YAY :)
It's such a good feeling you see your weights going up. I managed 42.5kg 1 x 3 sets on Tuesday after Push Pressing 42.5kg x 2 x 1 set, then 3 singles!

Happy Friday!




1 comment:

  1. Well done on the bench PB and fat loss - making gains!

    ReplyDelete