Weight gain due to muscle mass. Reasons and recommendations
The best reward for grueling training and proper nutrition is the purchase of a fashionable dress minus one size or an admiring look young man and as a convincing fact - the long-awaited number on the scales. However, it happens that after fitness classes they increase overweight. It even happens that the intensity of exercise increases, but the weight increases or “stays” the same. Fortunately, there are several secrets to avoiding these problems.
Counting the days
Weight is a rather abstract concept. After all, you must admit that the readings on the scales can differ significantly. Indications in the morning and evening may vary within a kilogram. This occurs due to the fact that the body loses about 1 kg at night, which is compensated by eating during the day.
Likewise, weight readings may fluctuate during the days of the menstrual cycle. No matter how much time you spend on fitness, the weight still does not move or actively increases. It turns out that the reason for this phenomenon lies in hormones, due to which fluid accumulates in the body, which the scales show that extra “1 kilo”.
Advice: try to understand the nature of your body. And on critical days it is better to forget about the existence of scales.
Changing components
Fitness classes on a schedule, healthy food and active recreation, and the scales “delight” with the increase in indicators on the electronic scoreboard. You are trying to understand: “what is the problem?” and “what should I do?” But don’t rush to criticize fitness and in particular your sports loads. If you exercise regularly, stick to healthy image life, then be prepared for the fact that your weight will not only decrease, but also increase by several kilograms. The thing is that during intense exercise, fatty tissue is burned and muscle tissue takes its place. And muscle weighs slightly more than fat.
Advice: try to monitor not your weight, but your volumes. If your figure has changed significantly, the necessary proportions have appeared, then your training is not in vain.
Encouragement in moderation!
Very often, for certain successes at work or an excellent session, we reward ourselves with gifts - cosmetics, various new clothes. Likewise in sports, it is easier to endure a sports marathon, called fitness classes, if you know that a reward awaits us at the finish line. And we want to pamper ourselves with various sweets for our stamina and endurance during exercise. What was strictly prohibited for us, we reward ourselves for playing sports. Such small rewards turn into big problems in the form of extra pounds.
Advice: Of course, encouragement for physical achievements is necessary. It’s just better that instead of a hearty sandwich or sweet cake, the reward for your enthusiasm is new sports shoes.
Proper nutrition
In the fight for a dazzling figure, you can use two options - fitness or diet. Separately, for each option you can get desired result. But an explosive mixture of intense fitness and diet can play a bad joke. When striving for short time reduce your volume while simultaneously applying fitness and diet - you may get the opposite effect - plus one size. For full functioning, the body needs an energy reserve of 1200-1400 kilocalories. If there is a lack of energy, the body will perceive this as a threat and begin to consume calories.
On a note
- Control daily diet nutrition, because intense physical activity provokes a good appetite, so it is not recommended to start training on an empty stomach (a couple of hours before your fitness class, have a light snack). Also, be sure to include fiber in your daily diet, and forget about cakes and muffins.
- Monitor the level of protein in your body, because protein contributes to muscles. Nutrition should be balanced with required quantity carbohydrates and fats.
Fitness is a way to get a healthy, beautiful body. But don’t tie your athletic achievements to your weight - it turns out that this indicator does not depend on us.
A person may encounter the need to determine muscle mass in a situation where he has decided to correct his figure and say goodbye to fat deposits. To do this, he needs to find out the percentage of fat mass and lean mass; the second includes muscles, skeleton, and organs. How to determine the percentage of muscles in the human body, and what is the norm for their content in the human body?
Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass
Muscle weight determination
If a caliper is missing, it can be easily replaced with a caliper. Before you begin to determine muscle mass in the human body, you need to be aware of what body measurements will need to be taken to begin with and take into account all sorts of nuances of this process.
You should start the calculation by taking measurements using a centimeter, which will need to measure four circles:
- Shoulder.
- Forearm.
- Shin.
- Hip.
Measuring body volumes using a centimeter
It is very important to get the right result, and you can achieve it by using the following tips:
- It is recommended to measure the shoulder only in a calm state, so you should not strain your muscles during the measurement process. You should try to measure the shoulder in the place where most of the muscles are located.
- When taking measurements from the forearm, care must be taken to ensure that the arm is not tense and hangs freely.
- To measure the lower leg, it is necessary to take measurements from the calves, preferably in the place where they are most visible.
- When measuring your hip, you need to stand straight so that your body weight is evenly distributed on your two legs. Then you should take measurements with a centimeter, covering the thigh under the gluteal fold
Body measurements in centimeters
After the required indicators have been taken, for further calculations you will also need to find out the subcutaneous fat folds. A caliper will help you do this. Based on the data obtained, it is possible to calculate what muscle mass in humans.
In order to understand the calculations, you can use the following decoding:
- M is the muscle mass of the body, which we need to calculate.
- L is an indicator that characterizes the height of men. For this formula, it is recommended to take height in centimeters.
M - this is muscle mass of the body
- r – to calculate this indicator, you need to perform three steps. The first step is to calculate the sum of the four indicators obtained at the very beginning of determining the mass - this is the coverage of the shoulder, forearm, lower leg and thigh. The resulting amount must be divided by 25, 12. The second step is similar to the first, because it also requires finding out the sum of the indicators and dividing it by 100. In the second step, measurements of subcutaneous fat folds are taken for calculation. The essence of the third action is to obtain the difference between the first action and the second. This difference is the indicator r, which will need to be substituted into the formula given above.
- K is a constant indicator that is equal to 6.5.
This is how chest circumference is measured
Using this formula, provided that the calculations have been carried out correctly, it is possible to determine the weight of muscles in the human body. There is another formula with which it is quite easy to determine the percentage of muscle mass in the body of men and women. According to this formula, the percentage of lean body mass for men and women is calculated as the lean body mass obtained using the Matejka formula, divided by the P value. The resulting value is multiplied by 100 to obtain the percentage of muscles in the body of men and women. The number P in this formula indicates the person’s weight, which must be indicated in kilograms.
The percentage of lean body mass for men and women is different. So, for a woman, the norm is 35% of the total body weight. But the norm for men is slightly higher and is about 43%.
Of course, with regular physical activity and proper nutrition, the process of increasing muscle mass in an athlete’s body is more activated than in a person who has nothing to do with sports. Therefore, the norm for an athlete is 50% muscle of the total body weight.
Measurement
In addition to calculating muscle mass, you can measure the progress of its growth, and this is quite simple to do. Moreover, for this you will not need fancy instruments and so on, because in in this case The measurement will be carried out by observation. Armed with a centimeter and a camera, you can get started. In order to track the progress of muscle growth you need to:
- Measure your muscle condition every week. This will allow you to track even their slight increase. By recording the obtained indicators, the athlete will see progress every week. Measurements must be taken directly in the area of those muscles to which the maximum load is directed.
Measure your muscle condition every week
- Using a camera you can also track the trend of muscle mass growth. By taking photos every week and comparing them with previous photos, the changes can be clearly seen.
- You should also pay attention to things like lifting more weight or working with equipment that weighs more than what you previously worked with in the gym. If an athlete notes that the weight of the barbell or dumbbell has increased, then this may also indicate that changes have occurred in the body, muscle mass has increased.
In most cases, people who direct all their efforts to increase their weight notice its growth when their usual clothes become tight for them. If we are talking about shirts and T-shirts, then discomfort when wearing them occurs in the shoulders. The pants also become tight in the legs.
There is concern that bodybuilding or big set muscle mass negatively affects the heart. I am a certified personal trainer and part-time bodybuilder. My cholesterol levels and blood pressure are within normal limits. Skeptics insist that the harmful effects of bodybuilding on the heart with excess muscle mass will make themselves felt in the future.
I would like to understand how these people came up with the idea that bodybuilding is bad for the heart, because they have not done any research to support this myth. Steroid use, which is common among bodybuilders, can have negative effects on the heart. However, this article only applies to natural bodybuilders and other athletes who build muscle entirely naturally.
Is there research showing that lifting weights is good for your heart? Yes, I have!
A report in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that lifting weights improves heart muscle health. Research conducted by author Barry Franklin, Ph.D., states: “We now have a clearer understanding that weight-lifting training can significantly reduce some factors that influence the risk of heart disease, including lipid and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, obesity and glucose metabolism."
You might be thinking, “Okay, this all applies to lifting weights. But what about bodybuilding and building big muscles?” The minutes of the American Heart Association's Scientific Council meeting, where weight lifting was discussed, recommended the following: one set of exercises of 8-15 repetitions, including 8-10 different standard exercises, 2-3 times a week.
They will train much more than indicated above, especially with regard to the number of approaches. However, if the recommendations of the ACA protocol are followed at the most intense level, then a person (if he is genetically predisposed and follows a maintenance diet) can become quite muscular. If a person chooses to lift weights, which makes doing 8-15 reps of the exercises quite difficult, then he is not intending to develop muscle as much as he would if he chose to do resistance exercises, which makes doing 8-15 reps almost impossible.
In addition, rest time between sets of exercises, which is not specified in the ASA report, plays an important role in muscle development. No matter how diligently a person adheres to this protocol, he will not become ridiculously large, although he may become quite muscular enough to be skeptical that all that muscle is harming his heart.
Other studies show that weight-lifting training helps lower resting blood pressure (Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association). Lead author Dr. George A. Kelly suggests: "Even if this reduction in blood pressure is small, it may reduce an individual's risk of heart disease and angina."
Although these studies do not analyze bodybuilding regimens, anyone can conclude that several steps strength training on the way to the world of bodybuilding will not lead to heart damage. And why on earth should they lead to this?
One person on a bodybuilding forum said that he heard from someone that having too much muscle increases body mass, and that this extra weight eventually leads to a deformed heart... the heart muscle is stretched due to excess weight, whether it is muscle mass or fat mass . According to this theory, more tall people have a greater risk of developing heart disease because tall people are generally heavier than short people.
Of course, being tall is not a risk factor for heart disease! Body obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease. Franklin said, "The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, and the more calories you can burn every day." Competitive bodybuilders, and those who are competitive bodybuilders at heart, have a low percentage of body fat relative to their total body weight.
This makes all the details of their muscle structure more visible, creating the illusion of even the weakest bodybuilders large quantity muscles. Low body fat (in the "athletic" range) does not lead to heart problems. Franklin adds that for typical healthy adults at low risk of heart disease, lifting weights is safe.
Who Shouldn't Do Regular Weight Lifting?
Franklin believes that people with unstable angina, uncontrolled arrhythmia and uncontrolled blood pressure. However, those who criticize bodybuilding or excessive muscle mass believe that these activities are harmful to the heart of healthy people or can become unhealthy over time.
According to the American Heart Association, there are the following risks for the development of heart disease: obesity, smoking, hypertension, high levels of “bad” cholesterol, hyperlipidemia (exceeding the level of fat in the blood), diabetes, constant mental stress, abuse of fatty foods, hereditary predisposition and ... . lack of physical activity.
Other risks for developing heart disease include a body mass index over 25, constant increased level blood sugar (prediabetes), insomnia, sleep duration at night 6 hours or less or 9 hours or more, apnea syndrome (sudden cessation of breathing during sleep). Does a bodybuilder or person with large muscle mass fit these criteria?
Large muscle mass does not lead to any of these risk conditions.
Men and women who work hard to increase muscle mass are very conscious about eating healthy. Although they do consider cheating with their food intake, the bulk of their diet remains healthy, so all their food is highly refined, with significant restrictions on white sugar, white flour products, saturated fats, trans fats and other ingredients harmful to health.
Regarding the idea that the heart is deformed by body weight when there is a lot of muscle mass, understand that the heart of such a person is well conditioned as a result of bodybuilding, as well as the heart exercises that accompany the entire bodybuilding lifestyle.
Bodybuilding and a healthy heart- Video
Muscle tissue makes up about 40% of body weight. This means that 20-30 kg of an adult’s weight comes from muscles. In total, humans have more than 400 muscles.
Which muscle is the largest?
The diaphragm separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. This muscle is flat and thin, like a dome, and attaches to the ribs and spine.
One of the fastest movements is blinking the eyes. It occurs in just 40 milliseconds by contracting the orbicularis muscle. In the thickness of the cartilage of the eyelids there are special glands that protect them from sticking and promote the adhesion of dust particles. During sleep, this mechanism protects the cornea of the eye from drying out the tear fluid that moistens it. Otherwise, when we woke up, we would not be able to separate our eyelids.
When a person is awake, reflex contractions of the eyelid muscles (blinking) wet outer surface eyeball. In this case, it is mainly the upper eyelid that moves. There are 100-150 eyelashes on it, and half as many on the lower eyelid. In addition, there are no muscles in the lower eyelid that could lift it.
Which muscles are the strongest?
The chewing muscles are the strongest muscles. A person has four on each side. The face has facial muscles and chewing muscles. They differ in their structure. Facial muscles they begin on bone formations, and with the opposite end they are woven into the connective tissue, the mucous membrane and the skin. Therefore, when these muscles contract, folds and pits are formed on the face. The chewing muscles are attached to the bones, like all other muscles of the trunk and limbs.
You've probably seen in the circus how an acrobat, hanging upside down under a big top, holds a special device in his teeth, the second end of which not only holds his partner, but also allows her to rotate around a vertical axis. By the way, trying to do this using outstretched arms rather than jaws is practically futile. Even those who do not participate in such tricks know that sometimes it is easier to pull a stubborn cork out of a bottle with your teeth than with your hands.
Many athletes and people far from this are wondering what is heavier: muscles or fat. There is a sufficient amount of controversial information on this matter.
Fat or weightlifter?
You can often find a common example in the comparison of fat and muscle: a well-fed person can weigh 100 kg and not look very beautiful, and a bodybuilder who also weighs 100 kg, but has a low percentage of fat, nevertheless looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Same weight, but different shape. In the first case, the person will seem much larger in size than the second, but meanwhile they have the same weight, so what is the mystery?
Having understood the question “Which is heavier: muscles or fat in a person,” everyone can clearly understand what actions they need to take depending on their goal of building a figure. After all, only having certain knowledge in a certain matter can you competently approach solving a problem.
Fat or muscle - which is heavier?
Having understood this topic, you can clearly understand why such dramatic differences in weight and appearance arise. If we consider the question "is muscle or fat heavier?" from the point of view of cellular structure, the clear answer is that muscles are heavier, since their cells have a higher density compared to fat cells.
Muscle cells contain protein and water, while fat cells contain only fat, or lipids. You don’t need to have any special knowledge of body structure to understand that protein and water, aka muscles, will be much denser in composition than fat.
Functions of fat deposits
Fat is not a useless phenomenon; its critical level poses a threat to health, so you need to take a responsible approach to the process of losing weight. Layers of fat protect internal organs and create an additional source of heat in cold weather, this explains the decrease in metabolism in winter, as the body tries to preserve fat reserves.
Having learned the answer to the question “fat or muscle - which is heavier”, many try in every way to get rid of fat, which exceeds in volume; however, it is worth understanding that there is a limit beyond which it is not advisable to go.
The lowest fat level threshold for a woman is 12%, then problems may begin with both appearance, and in a feminine way. Men can feel great with 5% body fat.
However, a high percentage of fat is harmful to the body, since it increases the likelihood of developing diabetes mellitus, energy decreases, metabolism slows down, lethargy sets in.
Why doesn't the weight change?
Due to the difference in the weight of muscle and fat, when losing weight, your weight may stay the same. In progress sports activity As fat is burned, muscle mass is built. Because the proportion of body fat may be lower than the proportion of muscle, the effect of stagnant weight change can be created. In other words, two processes occurred simultaneously - fat went away and muscles increased.
Based on this, one should not attach great importance numbers on the scales. Visually you can see changes, a decrease in volume in certain areas, but remain at the same weight.
Many people believe that if you study in gym, the figure will in any case become athletic, whether they initially have fat or muscles. What is harder - burning lipids or increasing lean mass?
You need to understand that fat does not transfer to muscle. Intense exercise, of course, reduces body fat in a sense, but good results can only be achieved by limiting carbohydrates.
Heavy bones?
A fat man has a large share fat in the body, the proportion of muscle and bone tissue changes slightly. It is inappropriate to believe that weight can increase due to bone growth, since a change of even 10% in the proportion of bone tissue leads to only 1-1.5 kg.
Can be achieved sharp growth weight subject to availability physical activity And proper nutrition, since muscles are heavier than fat and bones. Because of this, the athlete will have large muscle mass and weight, respectively. Although, according to the classification of acceptable parameters and weight, he will belong to the overweight group, while having a low percentage of fat reserves.
Today there is a so-called bioimpedance analysis, which allows you to calculate the percentage of muscle mass in the body. Based on this, we can conclude whether a person needs to lose weight or gain weight.
When wondering whether fat or muscle is heavier, you need to consider many factors that influence weight gain.
In some cases, for example, during premenstrual syndrome in women or with heart disease, weight may increase due to fluid retention in the body. In this case, you need to consult a doctor. But almost everyone is associated with excess fat.
When understanding the question “Which is heavier: muscle or fat?”, it is important to pay attention not only to weight, but also to the distribution of fat across parts of the body. So, woman, even having excess weight, may look harmoniously folded, which is due to the uniform distribution of fat deposits throughout the body.
The ratio of hips to waist volumes, taken as the norm, for women is 0.7, for men - 1.
Body types
There are two female type- “pear” and in masculine terms - “apple”.
People belonging to the first type have a concentration of fat in the buttocks and lower abdomen.
Those in the second type have deposits, usually in the upper part of the body. These people are susceptible to obesity, diabetes, ischemia, and atherosclerosis.
You need to be aware that weight does not play a big role; what this weight consists of is much more important. The same weight of fat and muscle will look different. How? - many will ask. For example, 1 kg of muscle occupies a volume 2 times less than 1 kg of fat.
To replace fat with muscles, you need to eat protein and give up unhealthy foods, then you will no longer worry about the question of what is heavier - muscles or fat in a person.