Does fat become muscles or muscles become fat?

[hkhwy]

Hi, which one is it? Having been on the treadmill for a while now, I noticed my arms have gotten bigger and stronger and of course my legs too. I'm more athletic built than most girls so I guess it's easier for my muscles mass to build. I don't mind looking athletic but I do want to tone down a bit on the muscles... so I'm just wondering if the muscles that have built be reduced and what would become of them? fat? or is it the other way... all the muslces I've built were actually fat?

Also, any suggestion on how to reduce muscles from getting bigger and stronger? thanks!

 

[deschain]

Neither. Fat and muscle are two entirely different tissues and one can never ever become the other any more than your ear can become your lung.

(so the diet pill ads that scream "turn fat into muscle" are 100% crap)

A treadmill will not build muscle in your arms, or anything else really. Cardio doesn't build muscle substantially, but can help in burning fat. So, if all your doing is the treadmill, and it seems your arms are larger, I can assure you, you did not build muscle in them while on a treadmill.

What is your entire routine? Do you strength train at all?

Post your routine and goals and we can get a bit more specific.

 

[Dallen]

Fat cells will always be in your body. Think of them as balloons. As you store fat, the balloon becomes bigger and can grow infinitely big, as fat cells have no growth limit. So when you lose fat, you're just emptying the balloon.

As for muscles, growth occurs only if you have the proper fuel. Which means strength training along with excess calories in your diet mostly consisting of protein. Fat can NEVER be converted to muscles... and vice versa.

Probably the reason why you're noticing your arms and legs are getting bigger is because you're losing fat and your muscles beginning to show. If you don't do any strength training and you continue to do cardio, you will eventually lose the muscles since cardio does that. Think about it... when you see a runner that can run like a gazillion miles, looks at his/her body size... it's extremely small and "weak" looking... this is because that person probably just do cardio all day long.

 

[deschain]

I know what you mean about a lot of runners. Some of them look fit and healthy. However, some just look like they have small stringy muscles with no fat at all covering them, and it ain't cute imo.

hkhwy,

Also, have you had your measurements taken? Many times, we can not rely only on our own perceptions of what is going on (the mind plays many tricks on us). Tangible evidence (like scale wt, girth measurements, bf% changes) are much more reliable.

 

[hkhwy]

I don't have a measuring tape. Will get one tomorrow and have my measurements posted. What should I be measuring anyways?

I'm asian; weigh 123 pounds and am 5'3 feet tall. I have stronger bones and do look more muscular than a lot of other asian girls. My body builds muscles very easily. My upper body is not so bad but my thighs are really huge. I know they're all muscles because they'd grow hard when I stretch them.

I don't really have a routine. I only run on the treadmill for about 45-60 minutes about 3 times a week and everytime I lose about 350 - 400 calories (as show on the machine). I do variations in selecting the speed and incline. I would run until my legs get sored and I'd switch to doing inclines until they feel better and I start running again until I feel like I work out enough.

My diet is mostly based around asian food; lots of carbs - rice. Meat and veggies are almost always in my everyday meals. Some fruits too.

I'm looking for ways to tone down the muscles in my thighs as well as those in my arms and maybe would like to have a firmer butt. I would want a bigger butt but I heard it's impossible so I guess I would go for a firmer and toned butt.

I know I'm within the healthy range as far as the BMI goes... but I would love to lose about a few pounds (fat maybe?) before school starts in August. So any suggestion guys?

Thanks yall!

 

[Starcraftmazter]

Maybe...because you're losing fat as a result of running on the treadmill, the fat is going from your arms, and the muscle stands out more?

Are your arms actually getting bigger in size, or is the muscle just more defined as a result of less fat covering it?

You won't build muscle in your arms by running, and if you're not doing any upper body work than it's unlikely that your arms are getting more muscle.

What part of your arms also?

 

[hkhwy]

maybe muscles gained in my arms (the whole) is a result of carrying grocery all the time? in college and live with al girls. maybe that could be why i guess?

what about the legs? it seems logical to me that the legs will get bigger -calves and thighs as when i run i'm putting more stress on the leg muscles. i would run until my legs can't continue any further. but the pain in my legs usually disappear in an hour or so. convince me running will not make the legs bigger...

so see if i get this right.. the theory is fat wont become muscle and muscle wont become fat either. when i run, i'm burning fat. if i keep doing this with the right diet, i'll slim down right? whats the right diet anyway?

 

[Dallen]

convince me running will not make the legs bigger...

It's a scientifically proven fact that you lose muscle when you do cardio exercise. During cardio training, your body is building up muscle, as well as breaking it down. Doing repeated cardio exercises will cause you to lose muscles especially if you're doing it in excess of 45-60 minutes.

The only way to gain muscle is to do weight bearing exercises along with eating the right kind of diet that promotes muscle growth. Just doing a certain exercise will NOT build muscles. If building muscles was as easy as walking / running, then every fat guy you see would have huge muscles all over.

Try measuring yourself and determine if you are in fact growing muscles, rather than exposing the muscles under the fat you had. If you can wear the same pants, the same clothes without feeling tight or lose, then it means you haven't gained or lost any muscles at all.

 

[Dallen]

the theory is fat wont become muscle and muscle wont become fat either.

It's not a "theory" as you put it. It's a fact. If you can convert fat into muscles, then every fat guy you see losing weight would have huge muscles all over the place.

 

[Danger_Dave]

maybe muscles gained in my arms (the whole) is a result of carrying grocery all the time? in college and live with al girls. maybe that could be why i guess?

what about the legs? it seems logical to me that the legs will get bigger -calves and thighs as when i run i'm putting more stress on the leg muscles. i would run until my legs can't continue any further. but the pain in my legs usually disappear in an hour or so. convince me running will not make the legs bigger...

so see if i get this right.. the theory is fat wont become muscle and muscle wont become fat either. when i run, i'm burning fat. if i keep doing this with the right diet, i'll slim down right? whats the right diet anyway?

Carrying groceries isn't near enough excerisze to actualy build muscles. Cardio alone is not enough to lose fat. Everything else ditto with what Dallen said.

If you don't realyl understand how fat can't turn into muscles think of it this way. You can't turn say, pudding, into something else, say, steel. I mean unless your pudding was melted iron and coal and... nvm. Fat and muscle are two different things once cannot become the other. It may seem that fat turns into muscle simply becaue as you lose fat muscle shows through more.

 

[deschain]

Ok, I'm assuming at this point you understand that fat and muscle are two different tissues, just like your hair and your skin, correct?

Also, don't bother with the calorie counter on the treadmill. They are incredibly inaccurate and can give people a false sense of their workout (as in, "I burned 500 calories, so I can eat this donut since I burned it off")

I understand that you (like almost all women) feel that you build muscle quickly. While that may be so in relation to other Asian girls (not usually the most built girls), I can assure you, unless you have a serious hormone imbalance (which would be evident in other ways) - you will not just get all huge and muscular at the drop of a hat.

In order to actually build muscle you need
a.) a caloric surplus (that means eating more than your body needs to sustain itself)
b.) sufficient load on the muscles (a strong wt lifting routine, or a lifestyle that stresses the muscles - think lumberjack, not carrying books or groceries)
c.) testosterone - men can typically build more than women b/c they have more testosterone. unless you have an abnormally large amount (serious imbalance), you will not just build a bunch of muscle with little to no effort.

Consider that men (with their higher levels of testosterone) must develop detailed plans of what/how much/when to eat, and stringent wt lifting routines in order to slowly build more muscle. Then you think you're gonna build big o' chunky muscles from carrying groceries? - If that's the case, go see your doctor.

Oh, and the thighs can feel all firm when flexed or stretched, even when they do have a lot of fat on them. If you can, get your body fat % measured by an experienced person. They are generally estimates, but you may be surprised.