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Arms Like Garth - a weight-training wire

1 lurker | 37 watchers

Gobi 21 Jan 6:06pm, 21 Jan 2025 81,999 posts	Quote Pin Gobi @Nellers maybe I just keep it simple: -)
GordonG 4 Feb 10:53am, 4 Feb 2025 10,781 posts	Quote Pin GordonG Hi all, quick question: i'm trying to lose about a stone and lower my body fat %age through improved diet (more protein, lower carbs and less sugar) and going to the gym (on top of my running). Gym is currently one or two evening classes a week, as well as 4 or 5 morning sessions where I follow a programme that I've developed myself of focussing on one of 3 or 4 muscle groups on each visit by using resistance machines. My question is would it be more beneficial for fat loss to do lower weights more reps, or higher weights fewer reps? thanks in advance.
EarlyRiser 4 Feb 1:10pm, 4 Feb 2025 1,592 posts	Quote Pin EarlyRiser Hi @GordonG. High weights / low reps ain't done for fat loss. It's not "cardio". Quite the opposite. You can sit around for ages between sets to get full recovery for the next one. If you do resistance training and want that workout to help you lose fat as well, the only way would be to knock out loads of reps at much lower weights. Or just do the high weights and run more to take off the fat!
Gooner 4 Feb 1:27pm, 4 Feb 2025 23,132 posts	Quote Pin Gooner The amount that what you do with regards to resistance training will effect your fat loss (other than doing it consistently for an extended period of time) is so negligible that it's not worth considering. Rep range controls more if you want your main focus in the gym to be hypertrophy gains or strength gains. As a relative newcomer to resistance training, you're pretty much guaranteed to get both either way as long as you use an adequate range of motion and enough weight to push yourself to close to failure. So in short, focus on diet for weight loss and resistance training for gaining strength/muscle.
GordonG 4 Feb 2:25pm, 4 Feb 2025 10,782 posts	Quote Pin GordonG @EarlyRiser and @Gooner , thanks both for your helpful advice much appreciated.
Lesley C 21 Feb 3:07pm, 21 Feb 2025 4,325 posts	Quote Pin Lesley C Not sure if this would be the right place to ask but I was wondering if any of you would have a recommendation for a multigym? It's for a work research project and need to buy one for our study participants to use. Must have a leg press and not massive as we are limited by space. Budget £1,400. Thank you
EarlyRiser 22 Feb 9:57am, 22 Feb 2025 1,607 posts	Quote Pin EarlyRiser No. I really can’t help you there.
Gooner 22 Feb 10:28am, 22 Feb 2025 23,177 posts	Quote Pin Gooner What else does it need to have the ability to do and how much weight does in need to have on the stack? Lesley C wrote:Not sure if this would be the right place to ask but I was wondering if any of you would have a recommendation for a multigym? It's for a work research project and need to buy one for our study participants to use. Must have a leg press and not massive as we are limited by space. Budget £1,400. Thank you
Lesley C 24 Feb 8:24am, 24 Feb 2025 4,328 posts	Quote Pin Lesley C Sorry for the delay replying. So we need at minimum leg press, bench press, leg extension, shoulder press, leg flexion, seated row, calf raise (dumb bells might be better for this one), lat pulldown, and bicep curls. Full body weights really and those exercises are what are in the protocol. Not sure about the weights as the participants (male and females) will be obese and not do any form of exercise at the start of the program. Some suggestions were something like this - fitness-superstore.co.uk Not sure what is good or bad, but something that will last. Thanks
Gooner 24 Feb 9:10am, 24 Feb 2025 23,184 posts	Quote Pin Gooner That has chest press which is similar to bench press in type but is a different exercise, I would suggest that chest press is what you need to do as you can't afford a bench, bar and weights for bench press as well as what else you will need. You will also struggle to find anything to be able to do leg flexion within your budget but leg extension is quite common. I would suggest that shoulder press, bicep curls and maybe calf raises are best done with some dumbbells but you can do a form of calf raises on the leg press. I would say that nearly fits your purposes but I can't see how you'd do a seated row on it and having had a look around, I can't see anything with more of a range to it either. Could it possibly swapped for a bent over one arm dumbbell row which might solve your issues?