Getting lean vs getting strong?

CeeBeeSlim

Hello. If you’re just interested in losing about 10 pounds (calorie deficit) and getting lean - looking more tone - how would the math differ in how many sets/reps for the main lifts I would do - Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows and some core work with biceps and triceps. Not interested - as much - in boasting how much I lift - although I like the feeling - I just find I overdo it. Trying to progressively lift more each week and probably lifting heavier than I should. I just want to be leaner not focused as much on strength.

jjpptt2

Getting strong is about the lifting... getting lean is about your diet.

IMO, reps should be in the 5-15 range, with # of set and amount of weight varying accordingly, regardless of "lean" vs "strong". Slow your rate of progression if/when needed.

cwolfman13

CeeBeeSlim wrote: »

Hello. If you’re just interested in losing about 10 pounds (calorie deficit) and getting lean - looking more tone - how would the math differ in how many sets/reps for the main lifts I would do - Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows and some core work with biceps and triceps. Not interested - as much - in boasting how much I lift - although I like the feeling - I just find I overdo it. Trying to progressively lift more each week and probably lifting heavier than I should. I just want to be leaner not focused as much on strength.

I don't think the math would necessarily differ...different set and rep schemes just do different things but none of them necessarily have anything to do with getting leaner. If you're happy with where you are strength wise, there is no need to lift more each week...you just lift to maintain current muscle mass and strength. Looking more toned will just be a matter of getting leaner (diet) and having the muscle mass to show.

That said, something maybe to consider. While I have run programs like Starting Strength and a few other more traditional full body programs in various set and rep ranges, most of my lifting since I was 16 has been sport and performance specific more than raw strength or putting on mass. Once upon a time I was a competitive track and field sprinter and jumper and my work in the weight room was geared towards generating power and developing fast twitch rather than mass or raw strength.

Explosiveness was what I trained for. I was introduced to Olympic lifting when I was in high school, but also did traditional strength movements, just differently than someone trying to maximize strength or put on size. The weight was typically about 50% of what I could actually lift so that I could "rep them out" instead of straining under the weight (building strength) or spending a lot of time under tension (building size). My coach wanted me to train to maximize power so my typical set/reps was something like 8-12 sets x3-5 reps. I would only add weight if it didn't impede power generation (the rate at which I'm actually moving the weight).

It was very similar when I was really got into cycling/racing and working with my PT...we primarily worked on generating optimal power output vs raw strength or mass as the latter two don't really translate to anything meaningful on the bike (though we did spend about 5 months one offseason working a more "beach body" routine to get ready for a beach vacation my wife and I and he and his wife were taking). This was not only beneficial to my work on the bike (especially for 20K sprint time trials and cyclocross and overtaking other cyclist on an endurance race), but aesthetically gave me the more lean, athletic look I was going for vs the more "boxy" frame I had started to develop when I was strength training/power lifting...diet obviously also be a very key component to the lean part.

CeeBeeSlim

@jjpptt2 @cwolfman13

Thank you. Very helpful. So if I’m understanding you - slightly exaggerating to make the point - if I picked 6 moves and a weight I could do each of 3 sets of 8-12 reps, FOREVER - that’s ok - if I just want to get lean and show a bit of muscle.

I like using kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, bands but always thought unless you were progressively overloading - what’s the point. Maybe it’s semantics - I’m exercising and having fun doing my thing - (2 days of lifting; boxing video, kettlebell video, step aerobics) but not logging every lift to make sure I’m
increasing weight. If I find I can do more, I will - but not set on it - maybe I’m exercising and not “training” - and that’s ok?

Hope that makes sense.

gpanda103

I like to stick between the 5-15 rep range, and focus on the quality of reps. Once I master my form with a certain weight, I bump it up.

If you are looking to get lean, unless you have the beginner gains left, you are going to lose strength. There is a reason why power lifters walk around with higher body fats.

AnnPT77

CeeBeeSlim wrote: »

@jjpptt2 @cwolfman13

Thank you. Very helpful. So if I’m understanding you - slightly exaggerating to make the point - if I picked 6 moves and a weight I could do each of 3 sets of 8-12 reps, FOREVER - that’s ok - if I just want to get lean and show a bit of muscle.

I like using kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, bands but always thought unless you were progressively overloading - what’s the point. Maybe it’s semantics - I’m exercising and having fun doing my thing - (2 days of lifting; boxing video, kettlebell video, step aerobics) but not logging every lift to make sure I’m
increasing weight. If I find I can do more, I will - but not set on it - maybe I’m exercising and not “training” - and that’s ok?

Hope that makes sense.

This is oversimplified, but basically:

Progressivity is necessary if you want to increase any of muscle mass, strength or muscular endurance. (They sort of go together, but it's possible to program to prioritize one over others.) You need progressivity to make progress, y'know? If the progressivity is managed somewhat carefully (keeping track of weight, reps, sets; following a defined program; etc.), then you'd expect to make faster progress than you would being more casual about it.

If you're happy where you are, don't need to make more progress in any of those things, then you don't need progressivity. You're maintaining, not progressing, with that strategy.

Getting leaner implies reducing the amount of fat you have, vs. the amount of muscle. You can do that just by losing fat (calorie deficit). If you're happy with your level of muscularity, you don't need to increase muscularity in order to be leaner, necessarily. Or, you can add muscle, either via recomposition (add muscle slowly, stay around the same weight), or by bulk/cut cycles (add muscle somewhat faster but add fat along with it, then reduce the fat again while maintaining most of the muscle, rinse and repeat).

"Looking toned" usually means losing some fat so the muscle you have (or add) shows to an extent that pleases you. Depending on your starting point, and how you'd like to look, that might require losing some fat, adding some muscle, or both.

It's fine just to exercise for enjoyment, and add weight when it feels good to do so, without keeping track, and without a well-defined goal. The implication is that you won't make as fast progress in any particular direction as you would if you had a goal, and worked specifically toward it. But either approach is fine, if that approach is what you want and enjoy.

cwolfman13

CeeBeeSlim wrote: »

@jjpptt2 @cwolfman13

Thank you. Very helpful. So if I’m understanding you - slightly exaggerating to make the point - if I picked 6 moves and a weight I could do each of 3 sets of 8-12 reps, FOREVER - that’s ok - if I just want to get lean and show a bit of muscle.

I like using kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, bands but always thought unless you were progressively overloading - what’s the point. Maybe it’s semantics - I’m exercising and having fun doing my thing - (2 days of lifting; boxing video, kettlebell video, step aerobics) but not logging every lift to make sure I’m
increasing weight. If I find I can do more, I will - but not set on it - maybe I’m exercising and not “training” - and that’s ok?

Hope that makes sense.

Yeah, pretty much. You only need to lift progressively more if you're trying to progress in terms of strength and/or mass. I know a lot of people who have developed to the point that they want to be at and don't really worry about progressive overload...they may bump up the weight from time to time as even lifting to maintain you might begin to find it less challenging...but for simplicity sake, yes...you can just lift to maintain.

As an aside, where progressive overload is concerned, there are also numerous ways to accomplish this without necessarily adding weight. Adding weight weekly in a linear progressive fashion is fairly common with beginner programs, but generally speaking someone will outgrow a linear progressive model like that in a matter of a few months at the most when you ultimately hit your linear progression limit, even with de-loads. It's not remotely realistic to just keep adding weight week to week in a linear fashion. This is typically when lifters looking to continue progression move to an intermediate or advanced programming where adding weight is much more incremental and not linear week to week.

WailingDusk

CeeBeeSlim wrote: »

Hello. If you’re just interested in losing about 10 pounds (calorie deficit) and getting lean - looking more tone - how would the math differ in how many sets/reps for the main lifts I would do - Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows and some core work with biceps and triceps. Not interested - as much - in boasting how much I lift - although I like the feeling - I just find I overdo it. Trying to progressively lift more each week and probably lifting heavier than I should. I just want to be leaner not focused as much on strength.

Just thought I'd tell you that a lot of people don't understand that lifting lighter weights can be just as effective as higher weight... with less risk of injury. I do lighter weights, more reps, and if I am comfortable going heavier, I go heavier. Since my last injury, I don't risk it anymore. Definitely look up how to lift with lower weight. I promise, you will feel the burn, especially when you start slowing down your reps.