If you’re actively trying to put on muscle, just started strength training, or have seen some recent changes in your body, you may be wondering whether you’re gaining muscle or fat. It can be hard to know for sure, as body composition changes happen slowly over time; however, there are a number of ways to tell the difference between fat versus muscle weight gain. People also wonder, on the other hand, how muscle gain factors into their weight-loss goals.
To help you better understand what might be happening in your body, keep reading as experts share insight on the differences between putting on muscle versus fat, whether or not muscle is “heavier” than fat, and why you can’t necessarily go by the number on the scale to track your progress.