Bad info re: heavy lifting and weight loss?

My biggest issue with this, is that he approached her at all!

Fat loss and weight loss is caused by a calorie deficit. Eating at a deficit is all she needs to lose weight. Heavy lifting will help her retain her lean mass while eating at a deficit.

Low weight, high rep will do one of two things: 1) endurance - train the muscle to be able to do 100 reps of a silly weight, but it's not going to do much else for the muscle, and the lack of work won't burn many calories; 2) sarcoplasmic hypertrophy - is she's lifting where she can't do more than 15-20, she's going to get a "pump" of glycogen and blood into the muscle, and that will cause a temporary bulk appearance.

The guy in the gym is clueless.

The Calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. The type of activity that results in the "best" results is debatable. It really depends on what you define as "best." I'm not sure of any study that concludes that heavy lifting results in more fat loss than cardio or a combination of cardio and lifting. About a year ago, I summarized a study (an included a link to it) that found that when subjects were randomly assigned to either a resistance training an aerobic training or a combination of the two that the aerobic training group had the greatest average weight loss, the resistance training group had some fat loss but gained a modest amount weight on average and the combined group had the greatest fat loss but from a statistical sense, it was no different than the aerobic training group. These researchers concluded that aerobic exercise was the best given time constraints.

Several things would be interesting to know but were not examined in that study. First, the study did resistance training through machines rather than through free weights and dumbbells. It would be interesting to see how the results would change if compound lifts were used. Second, none of the subjects altered their Caloric intake. It would be interesting to see what would happen to body composition if each of the groups restricted Calories such that there was a X-Calorie deficit or such that the group average Calorie intake was fixed. It would be nice if these things were known and they may be but I haven't been able to find them and as I said, when I asked about them, I got chirping birds as a response.

I was telling my friend that I just started the SL 5x5 lifting program. She was questioning whether heavy lifting was right for her because she wants to lose around 80 pounds. She said she was using an ab machine at the gym with 90 pounds on it and a guy approached her and said she needed to do low weights and high reps to lose fat. He said lifting heavy will just give her a bulk of muscle under her layer of fat.
This seems wrong to me on many levels, but I'm not educated enough to pass on accurate information to her. Can anyone help me out on this? I'd like to share some good resources.
We did discuss the importance of diet for fat loss, which she understood, but she was concerned about doing the most effective type of training for her goals.

the 'get too bulky' thing is obviously wrong.

theoretically more reps should burn more calories, at least during exercise. but there are more effective means of increasing your defecit such as doing cardio.

Oh Gawd!!!!
Why must random people have to throw in their 2 sense, when their opinion isn't even being asked for!!

I lift heavy as heck! and I'm not huge! All this nonsense needs too stop!
Unless you are injecting yourself with steroids then okay I would see why a women would look like the hulk.

I personally have my months when I lift heavy, I always make it a point to listen to my body.
As of right now I did take a month off of lifting because my body asked for it, and I'm slowly getting back into lifting heavy. However I do have my days where I take it easy on the heavy weights.

Fat loss is generated by a calorie deficit.

First of all, if she was doing 90 lbs on an ab machine, she was doing it wrong. (Simple solution is not to do ab machines).

The guy did not know what he was talking about, but, by sheer chance, he wasn't entirely wrong.

Heavy lifting is not necessarily the best choice for obese beginners starting a weight-loss program. Here is a more detailed explanation:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/heavy-lifting-always-the-best-541735

Note that I am not against heavy lifting for anyone--even the groups described in the blog. And, even for those who benefit from starting at a lower level, moving to a heavy (or heavier) lifting program will eventually be recommended. But the subject is more nuanced than you might think.

1. Tell your friend to stop using the ab machine, please!
2. That guy is clearly an idiot.
3. Eating at a caloric deficit makes you lose weight. Working out is for your health and maintaining muscle mass while you lose weight.
4. Women do not "bulk up" like men.

I agree. Women do not bulk up like men. We don't make enough testosterone. Besides, even men find it hard to "bulk up". Years and years of training and eating enough protein, bulking and cutting. It's not easy for anyone, unless you're genetically lucky and/or work your @$$ off! (unless they cheat with steroids, which for obvious reasons, I would never recommend)

High weight, low reps, enough protein, moderate calorie deficit is the way to go. I am "toning" for the first time in my life. I actually like flexing in front of the mirror..... with or without clothes! :laugh:

I have 90lbs to lose and I started lifting. I'm with a personal trainer just because I prefer that to trying to figure it out on my own when I could possibly hurt myself or whatever.

I'm losing body fat and pounds and getting smaller. I also do cardio just because I'm starting to really like it and I'm a creature of habit. But the whole "muscle under fat" thing....Even if that were the case, I'd rather have muscle going on even if there's still fat on my frame. The whole thing is ridiculous, though. Lifting is so good for you.