Ok help! I'm confused!

Lose2Cruise2016 wrote: »

My understanding is that higher weight, lower reps is better for burning fat. This question may also be appropriate for the fitness category; there tends to be a good bit of info about weight training there.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

yisell25 wrote: »

Hey guys ok so I'm trying to loose weight (20lbs) and get toned. Not muscular ripped just tightened. Now am I suppose to do high weights, low reps or low weights high reps? If I do low weights I don't feel "the burn, or the soreness" and without that feeling I feel like im not " working out". Also, Am I suppose to do a lot of cardio and not weight lift that much? I get different responses every time and I'm confused.
Thanks

It is very beneficial to disassociate your fitness and your weight management objectives...yes, they compliment each other but ultimately, losing weight is about consuming less energy (calories) than you expend...note that you expend calories 24/7...the vast majority of your calorie expenditure is you merely being alive. In general, unless you're an athlete or training like one, exercise is a relatively small component of your overall expenditure.

As lifting goes, as a matter of general fitness I find it beneficial to periodize my training...meaning I do heavy cycles, I do cycles in the 8-10 rep range and I do cycles of low weight, high rep work. They all work your muscles differently. High reps with low weight is beneficial for muscular endurance and stamina and is good for speed work to build explosiveness.

The 8-10 range is a good range for overall fitness and you get a good balance of strength along with some endurance and this is a good range for working on overall body composition. It also good for hypertrophy (building muscle)...note that putting on mass takes a lot of work along with solid programming and a lot of time and a solid diet with a surplus of calories...you aren't going to be putting on all kinds of mass while dieting...to boot, you're female and females generally do not have the genetics to put on a lot of mass...so you shouldn't worry about getting "bulky" or whatever...it doesn't just happen because you lifted some weights.

Low reps done at a high % of your 1 rep max is optimal for building pure strength and training your CNS.

Being "toned" is simply a matter of having muscle and peeling away the layers of fat to reveal them...again, this really doesn't have anything to do with doing this exercise or that exercise...it comes down to your diet.

As a matter of general fitness, I think everyone should do some cardio...cardio is good for your cardiovascular health and aerobic fitness.

Exercise also has the added benefit of increasing your energy expenditure...but as I noted, exercise is generally a relatively minor component of your overall expenditure.

Establish some fitness goals and train in such a way that you are working towards accomplishing those goals...use your diet for weight management and to fuel those fitness endeavors.