Best rep range for fat loss

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CeeBeeSlim
CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. Sooo confused. I am making a final decision on what plan to follow after completing the 12 week SC advanced gluteal goddess. I’ve feel stronger and firmer, lost inches, but want to strip some of the fat so I know that’s more nutrition. After looking for a new three day full body workout though, I’m overwhelmed. I see great programs for “fat loss” where rep ranges are up to 10-12, but then keep reading that the best rep ranges are like 4-6. I was thinking to do Thinner Leaner Stronger and just jump to their 4-6 rep range phase (it begins with around 8-10 I think) or any other program (Nia Shanks, simply shredded, others) and do 4-6 rep range. Would that make sense? Not looking to compete or hit records, just firm up, lose fat, more visible muscle, get stronger. Thoughts? Suggestions?
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Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I'm no expert in fitness/weight training, but "fat loss" comes from a calorie deficit, not from which specific exercises you are doing.

    Eat at a small deficit and continue weight training to protect your current muscle mass to lose fat. Perhaps others with more experience in this area can weigh in on why one rep range would be billed as for "fat loss", but my guess is it's just marketing. Perhaps they are just geared more to strength gains rather than size gains?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    They're all right. ^^
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
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    What everyone else says is the truth, keep a program ans stick to it while eating in a deficit. It's actually a lot simpler than you'd think, which I believe is why so many people get confused
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    I wouldn't get too caught up with rep ranges to be honest unless you have specific goals. Some are better than others for strength, hypertrophy and endurance goals, but for the most part dabbling in a little bit of everything according to a program is usually the way I go about it and will give the best overall/general results (unless I'm bulking where I do some strength but my priority is hypertrophy). You also have to enjoy your programming. I hate really low reps and going close to my 1RM so I don't train like that.

    Focus on finding a program you enjoy and progressing over time.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    not_a_runner wrote: »
    Pick a program and follow as written, and eat at a calorie deficit for fat loss. There is no magical rep range for fat loss.

    This.

    Reps don't burn fat. A caloric deficit does. If low reps are for fat burning then why are most powerlifters carrying a layer of fat?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    not_a_runner wrote: »
    Pick a program and follow as written, and eat at a calorie deficit for fat loss. There is no magical rep range for fat loss.

    This.

    Reps don't burn fat. A caloric deficit does. If low reps are for fat burning then why are most powerlifters carrying a layer of fat?

    hey!!! haha ok i'm guilty . i like to eat!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    Generally, lower reps/higher weight for strength and higher reps/lower weights muscle growth and/or endurance.

    Neither has anything to do w/weight loss per se.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    not_a_runner wrote: »
    Pick a program and follow as written, and eat at a calorie deficit for fat loss. There is no magical rep range for fat loss.

    //end of thread.
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Dang! Y’all so subtle and indirect! :D:D Thanks for the help!
  • DavidJohnson29
    DavidJohnson29 Posts: 14 Member
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Generally, lower reps/higher weight for strength and higher reps/lower weights muscle growth and/or endurance.

    Neither has anything to do w/weight loss per se.

    this.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
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    No magic rep ranges...if you want to burn more kcals in a shorter time, you can always incorporate super sets/circuits/giants sets and shortening rest time between sets to keep heart rate elevated (also do more standing vs seated multi joint exercises). Might not be optimal if you are trying to build strength though (just my 2 cents)
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @sgt1372 and @DavidJohnson29

    This is what confused me a bit. The below is from the Mayo clinic’s website:

    “Strength training. Experts recommend strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, at least twice a week. Strength training is important because it helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.”

    Re: the last sentence, would one rep range over the other get me that muscle mass - even if quicker?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited April 2018
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    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    @sgt1372 and @DavidJohnson29

    This is what confused me a bit. The below is from the Mayo clinic’s website:

    “Strength training. Experts recommend strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, at least twice a week. Strength training is important because it helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.”

    Re: the last sentence, would one rep range over the other get me that muscle mass - even if quicker?

    While their answer is technically correct, the effect is virtually insignificant in the big picture.

    A pound of muscle burns ~6 calories per day. A pound of fat burns ~2 calories per day. So if you gained 20 pounds of muscle (which is a quite significant accomplishment) and lost 20 pounds of fat, you'd be burning an extra 80 calories per day. Which is virtually nothing.

    They are correct that strength training helps counteract muscle loss. But as numerous others in this thread have already said, the rep range is irrelevant for fat loss.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    @sgt1372 and @DavidJohnson29

    This is what confused me a bit. The below is from the Mayo clinic’s website:

    “Strength training. Experts recommend strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, at least twice a week. Strength training is important because it helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.”

    Re: the last sentence, would one rep range over the other get me that muscle mass - even if quicker?

    While their answer is technically correct, the effect is virtually insignificant in the big picture.

    A pound of muscle burns ~6 calories per day. A pound of fat burns ~2 calories per day. So if you gained 20 pounds of muscle (which is a quite significant accomplishment) and lost 20 pounds of fat, you'd be burning an extra 80 calories per day. Which is virtually nothing.

    I always mention the same thing when this is said.. but that is at rest right?.. sure the quote above can be misleading since at rest it could be nothing, what about when you are using that muscle.. in everyday activities, in cardio and lifting.. how much more you burn with exercise with a lot more muscle? Also the higher bodyfat you can carry and still look fantastic with more muscle..so more weight, more calories. Not to say that gaining muscle is easy or quick to do just for a calorie burn of course, but being 15-20lbs heavier than my previous self... (with muscle and fat).. being stronger and able to lift more, being able to eat more because I am heavier. Pretty significant to me, at least :)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    @sgt1372 and @DavidJohnson29

    This is what confused me a bit. The below is from the Mayo clinic’s website:

    “Strength training. Experts recommend strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, at least twice a week. Strength training is important because it helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.”

    Re: the last sentence, would one rep range over the other get me that muscle mass - even if quicker?

    While their answer is technically correct, the effect is virtually insignificant in the big picture.

    A pound of muscle burns ~6 calories per day. A pound of fat burns ~2 calories per day. So if you gained 20 pounds of muscle (which is a quite significant accomplishment) and lost 20 pounds of fat, you'd be burning an extra 80 calories per day. Which is virtually nothing.

    I always mention the same thing when this is said.. but that is at rest right?.. sure the quote above can be misleading since at rest it could be nothing, what about when you are using that muscle.. in everyday activities, in cardio and lifting.. how much more you burn with exercise with a lot more muscle? Also the higher bodyfat you can carry and still look fantastic with more muscle..so more weight, more calories. Not to say that gaining muscle is easy or quick to do just for a calorie burn of course, but being 15-20lbs heavier than my previous self... (with muscle and fat).. being stronger and able to lift more, being able to eat more because I am heavier. Pretty significant to me, at least :)

    Believe me, I'm not saying that gaining muscle is a bad thing in any way, shape or form, lol. Just that the usual crapola spouted in magazines and blogs is highly overstated and often erroneous - leading people to believe that it's easy-peasy to put on 20 or 30 pounds of muscle, or that adding even a few pounds of muscle will miraculously turn them into a fat-melting machine.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    @sgt1372 and @DavidJohnson29

    This is what confused me a bit. The below is from the Mayo clinic’s website:

    “Strength training. Experts recommend strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, at least twice a week. Strength training is important because it helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.”

    Re: the last sentence, would one rep range over the other get me that muscle mass - even if quicker?

    While their answer is technically correct, the effect is virtually insignificant in the big picture.

    A pound of muscle burns ~6 calories per day. A pound of fat burns ~2 calories per day. So if you gained 20 pounds of muscle (which is a quite significant accomplishment) and lost 20 pounds of fat, you'd be burning an extra 80 calories per day. Which is virtually nothing.

    I always mention the same thing when this is said.. but that is at rest right?.. sure the quote above can be misleading since at rest it could be nothing, what about when you are using that muscle.. in everyday activities, in cardio and lifting.. how much more you burn with exercise with a lot more muscle? Also the higher bodyfat you can carry and still look fantastic with more muscle..so more weight, more calories. Not to say that gaining muscle is easy or quick to do just for a calorie burn of course, but being 15-20lbs heavier than my previous self... (with muscle and fat).. being stronger and able to lift more, being able to eat more because I am heavier. Pretty significant to me, at least :)

    Believe me, I'm not saying that gaining muscle is a bad thing in any way, shape or form, lol. Just that the usual crapola spouted in magazines and blogs is highly overstated and often erroneous - leading people to believe that it's easy-peasy to put on 20 or 30 pounds of muscle, or that adding even a few pounds of muscle will miraculously turn them into a fat-melting machine.

    Oh I 100% agree. So much misleading nonsense out there. It's been years and years of hard work for me.. proper eating and training.. sweat and tears. And yea to do it just for some extra calories is pretty counterproductive. But.. the way it works out ...yes I train like a beast but get to eat like one too.

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