Fact: Light weights with high reps alone don't tone muscle or burn fat. People often use light weights and high reps exclusively when aiming to lose fat, but this is a huge mistake — especially if you want to have toned muscles, because lifting weights doesn't stimulate muscles enough for fat loss.
what is the best rep range for you? I recommend you doing 15-20 reps because you are more interested in burning fat and building muscle. If you do 15-20 reps for your whole workout, you are going to create an EPOC effect. So, you are going to be burning calories and burning fat even when you are done with your workout.
That plan is called the 30-30-30 rule. It's a simple but catchy idea that encourages you to eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up and then get 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. The 30-30-30 rule now has millions of followers on TikTok.
For fat loss: One to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps using enough weight that you can only complete the desired reps. To gain muscle: Three or more sets of 6 to 8 reps to fatigue. Beginners should give themselves several weeks of conditioning before going to this level. You may need a spotter for some exercises.
Training with greater weights or more reps is more effective depending on your personal fitness goals. Heavier weights with shorter reps are generally preferable for growing muscle mass, whereas lighter weights with more reps increase muscular endurance.
High Repetitions Burn More Fat Myth. Performing lighter weight with more repetitions (15-20 reps, 20-30 reps, or 20-50 reps) does not burn more fat or tone (simultaneous decrease of fat and increase muscle) better than a heavier weight with moderate repetitions (8-12 reps).
Activities like running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burn more calories and fat throughout the body, including the upper belly, lower belly, and obliques. So, while ab exercises can help define your core, it's a holistic approach that will help you lose the fat covering those muscles.
If your objective is muscular endurance, shoot for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps. In each case, the key is to use the heaviest resistance that will allow you to complete all of your reps and sets with good form.
"Eating 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning can help inhibit appetite and reduce caloric intake during the day," Ferriss says in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
To lose 30 lbs at a healthy pace of 1 to 2 lbs per week, you must either reduce your calorie intake or increase your energy expenditure to generate a calorie deficit. This amounts to a 500-calorie loss for 1 lb and a 1,000-calorie deficit for 2 lbs.
Both heavy and light weightlifting have their place in a weight loss regimen. Lifting heavy weights is effective for building muscle and increasing resting metabolic rate while lifting light weights can help you burn more calories during workouts and maintain consistency.
Key Training Principles for Toning and Strength Training
Using moderate weights with 10-15 reps per set helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss.
Best Rep Range for Aesthetics While Cutting
One research found that the best rep range for universal strength training during a weight loss phase is between 9-12 repetitions (6).
How Many Reps You Should Do to Build Muscle. If your goal is to build muscle, workouts with reps as low as five and as high as 30 will do the job. We suggest you stick to five to seven reps per set for heavier, compound movement and between eight and 12 reps per set for smaller muscles and single-joint exercises.
Rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise.
For Fat Loss and General Fitness: Aim for 2-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions It's important to choose a weight or resistance level that challenges you within this rep range. Rest: 30-60 seconds between sets.
The Science of Fat Loss
Think of it like a balloon losing air—it deflates, but doesn't disappear immediately. Over time, your body adjusts, but the jiggly feeling can be a temporary step along the way.
What's actually best for trimming stubborn belly fat is a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training as this will burn calories, increase muscle mass and speed up metabolism. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week – this can be something as simple as brisk walking.
If you are training for a 5K or a marathon, you will want to do cardiovascular training first for maximum performance. If you want to increase your muscle strength, do strength training first when your muscles are not fatigued from cardio.
The combination of your pumped up muscles, dehydration and overworked muscles might make you feel well toned then, a few hours later, you appear flabbier despite the exercise you know should be making you lean. Your muscles have pumped up but your excess body fat has remained.