Problema Solution

A man who initially weighed 220 pounds completed a diet-and-exercise program. After the 12-week program, his body fat percentage had dropped from 30% to 20%, and his weight had dropped to 200 pounds. If every part of his body that is not fat or muscle has a constant weight of 120 pounds, how many pounds of muscle did he gain during the program?

Answer provided by our tutors

NOTE: this problem submission needs additional details to be included, the following solution is one that "seems reasonable" to the provider but may need to be tweaked by someone with special knowledge regarding the course from which this problem originates. For example, how does body fat percentage relate to weight that is not fat or muscle? This answer assumes that body fat is related to a percentage of total weight.


initial weight was 220

30% of 220 = 66 pounds of fat

220 - 66 - 120 = 34 pounds of muscle


final weight was 200

20% of 200 = 40 pounds of fat

200 - 40 - 120 = 40 pounds of muscle


this would indicate a gain of 6 pounds of muscle