High reps for fat loss, or just a myth?

This is one of the most debated topics in the fitness world. Is it better to do high reps with lightweight or low repetitions with heavy weights for fat loss (cutting)?

In order to lose fat optimizing your workout with correct rep range is very important as different rep ranges affect your muscles differently.

Some people believe that high reps with light weight have to be done to reduce their body fat. Well, this is just a myth and not true at all. So let’s bust some myths and learn facts.

How high reps with light weight affect your body?

High rep range means doing more than 12 reps per set. However many lifters believe that doing high reps helps in burning more fat, but there is no study that supports this statement.

What Science Says…

Doing high reps with light weight just train your slow-twitch (type 1) muscle fibers more. This type of training improves the endurance capability of your muscles.

Now you may think that why do you feel that burn by doing high reps with light weight. well, you feel that because of the accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles and it doesn’t relate to burning more fat at all.

It will not help you in getting toned muscles. It’s a different protocol for training your muscles. High rep training is good for your body in some ways but if you think you’ll burn more fat by lifting light weight for high reps – then you are doing a huge mistake.

SUMMARY: Doing high reps train your type 1 muscle fibers which improve the endurance capability of your muscle. It is nothing to do with burning more fat at all.

You might lose more muscles by doing high reps…

Yes, you read that correctly. While on a cutting program, you are taking a low-calorie diet. Due to which there is a risk of losing some muscle along with fat.

A study shows that “people who lift light weight for high reps or just do cardio lose the same amount of weight as people who lift heavy weights, but heavy lifters lose almost all the weight in the form of fat whereas the other group loses muscle along with fat.“

Instead of high reps with light weight, lift heavy…

The primary goal of a person during fat loss is to burn fat while maintaining the muscles you already have. Of course, nobody wants to lose their hard-gained muscle.

To maintain the maximum muscle mass possible, you have to lift moderate to heavy weights. By doing this you are convincing your body that it still needs that muscle tissue.

Lifting heavy weights for low reps will not help you lose more weight, but it will help you in maintaining your hard-earned muscles while losing fat. High reps (more than 12 reps per set) build muscular endurance but don’t build strength.

Do most of your sets, especially compound exercises with moderate to heavy weight in a rep range of 4-10. This works best for fat loss while maintaining the muscles you already have.

Along with this, do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with a combination of less-intensity steady-state cardio (LISS). Doing HIIT, you will burn more calories in less time. Do at least 2-3 sessions of HIIT of 30 minutes approx. This will increase your workout intensity.

SUMMARY: Do most of your sets in a rep range of 4-10 with heavy weights. Lifting heavy helps you to maintain muscle mass possible.

Some Benefits of Doing High Reps

Doing high reps with light weight doesn’t help you in burning more body fat but a high rep range (more than 12) offers you some other benefits.

Train your slow-twitch muscle fibers. These are also called type-1 muscle fibers.
It increases the endurance capability of your muscles. That means your muscles will be able to do a particular movement for a longer time.
Doing high reps with light weight is good for your joint health. It puts less stress on your joints.
There is a low risk of injury.
It puts high metabolic stress on your muscles which may stimulate muscle growth up to some extent.

Conclusion

So this was the detailed article clearing the myth of doing high reps for fat loss. However, proper nutrition and diet play a major role in losing fat. So I suggest you make your diet up to the mark.

As far as training is concerned, lift moderate to heavy weights in a low rep range. Heavy loads give your body a reason to maintain the maximum muscle mass possible. Hence the weight you lose will be more from fat than muscle.

On top of that, the intensity of your workout is also a major factor for fat loss. So make sure to keep your intensity high. The best way to do this is by reducing the rest period between sets and exercise.

I hope this article helped you and you learned something from this. Here is another article you should not have missed: