Weight Training
I am interested in losing bodyfat (especially around my thighs and butt). I have often…
The question
I am interested in losing bodyfat (especially around my thighs and butt). I have often read that during weightlifting, I should do "high reps". Can you tell me just what range is considered to be "high reps" and how many sets should be done.
Dan's answer
Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS
Higher reps are generally categorized as anything in the 12 rep range or higher. The only magic with higher reps is that they generally create more of a caloric burning effect simply because of the sheer amount of work it takes to do all those reps.
Here is another example. If the typical person in a gym never did more than 6 reps in their program, but they were disciplined enough to stay on a strict diet, they would be very lean. On the other hand, if this same person always did 15 reps or more in their program, but they ate pizza and drank beer all the time they would be totally fat! So you see, it's not necessarily what kind of reps you are doing. You always have to see the big picture!
Higher reps just help you to burn more calories during the actual workout itself. Also, you can't really target certain areas of your body to lose fat, like your hips or your butt. You can however, create a better, more toned appearance in these areas by doing squats, lunges, step ups etc. These exercises won't speed up the rate of fat loss in these areas but by developing muscle tone in this area they will look better!
Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs.
See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts.