Hi there, I'm hoping one of you will he able to help me.

I've lost about 13lbs so far and have another 3 stone to go so a fair way to go!!

I know that building muscle is good as you can burn more calorie and it boosts your metabolism. As im focusing on weight loss and burning fat, do I need lift heavier weights but less reps or a reduced weight but more reps?'I've heard differing things from my friends and im so confused!

One of them said if I did heavier weights I'll end up with muscles like madonna!

Also what is the difference between muscle endurance and muscle strength?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

If you want to build muscle you do less reps at a higher weight BUT-

women don't bulk up like men because we just don't have that same amount of testosterone.

Iris: The object is to stimulate muscle growth. The muscle growth does increase metabolic rate...slightly. Muscle growth can occur in a rep range of 8 to 12 reps per set (best for hypertrophy) and/or within a rep range of 4-6 within a set (best for strength gains). With the first range of 8 to 12 obviously, your going to use a lighter weight than the 4-6 rep range. Either path you choose will elicit a response. At least for the short term...

In addition to promoting muscle growth, lifting is anaerobic in nature, meaning that it occurs in a short burst, and gets your heart rate up relatively quick (if you are using the right amount of weight). This in my opinion is comparable to HIIT, high intensity interval training, in nature which has also is a successful approach to fatloss.

Which way should you go? Right now, your a new lifter correct? Stick with a weight that you can lift 8 to 12 times in a set. Those last two to three reps should be difficult. I'm advising this because your ligaments and tendons need time to adapt under the load you will be using. Connective tissue takes a bit longer to adapt than muscle.

Once you have been successful with this 8 to 12 rep scheme and you are completing 3 sets of the same exercise then you can think about going heavier with few reps.

Should you find that you want to make your workouts more efficient or effective think about adding some form of HIIT into your session as well. Box jumps, skipping rope, buirpees etc.

Oh, and as far as ending up with muscles like Madonna....uhm, well, it takes a lot more work to look like her than most people are able to commit to doing. Both inside and outside the gym. Not only that, but in my opinion strength training takes us closer to the physical form we were born to possess. Its going to look different on everyone. But honestly, I never approached this with concerns about how it will make me look. I embraced it because of how great it made me feel.

Best of luck.

I've seen the best results with my female clients when they have done heavier weights with the most reps they can complete. I believe it has to do with the muscle stimulation that occurs. More muscle, faster metabolism. You don't have to worry about bulking up, it's impossible. Well, very unlikely anyway.

The other issue is how many sets to do. For me, I found that I do best doing one set of between 8 to 12 reps.

Lydia, your answer rocked. So I will post this in order to say, "ditto that".

I think the problem with women "bulking up" relies with the fact that they have successfully gained muscle, but have unsuccessfully lost fat...yet. The muscle builds underneath the fat. But we're talking fractions of inches of gain of muscle. It takes far more work to gain an inch of muscle than an inch of fat. So if one is eating improperly while weight training, you may wind up gaining both fat AND muscle which = bulking up.

And as far as Madonna goes, her astounding muscle definition is due to a fantastic training routine and very low body fat. If she gained 4-8% more body fat, she'd look "bulky" and not "cut". This is either the look she chooses, or it's the strength she chooses and her lifestyle of dancing and performing dictate her low fat percentage. Either way, I know you didn't criticize her - you just don't wanna look like her - we should respect that she is an incredibly fit middle aged woman.

This difference is also less than clear to me. I understand it on a good day but then ... Could someone have a go at explaining it in everyday language? Thanks.

Sorry, forgot about that part of your question Iris:

Muscle Endurance vs Muscle Strength.

When we speak of muscle endurance we are really talking about the body's capacity to stabilize itself for an extended period of time. Stabilization against gravity and movement. All core stabilization exercises such as plank, balanceing on a BOSU, kneeling on a Swiss ball, a lot of functional training type exercises are for the development of muscle endurance. The rep range, (if reps are being done i.e. standing on a dynadisc doing overhead presses) would be in a rep range of 12 to 25 reps. The purpose of Muscle Endurance is to promote better stabilization, correct alignment and posture for the next phase or level of training. Usually this is a phase that most people will be introduced when they first work with a trainer and they are deconditioned. I also think of cardio movements as muscle endurance because we are repeatedly calling upon the action of our muscles for a specific range of motion for an extended period of time.

Muscle Strength is the ability of the muscle to produce high levels of force for a rep range of of 6 to 12 reps with little rest between sets. Usually we are doing supersets while working on this phase as well.

In addition to Muscle Strength you may also hear reference to Max Strength. That's the maximum amount of force the muscle can exert in just one rep.

Muscle endurance sometimes can feel a little tedious when training it. Boring actually, at least to me but its importance should be understood. When we train muscle endurance we are actually improving the way the brain speaks to the muscle in a more efficient manner. This in turn allows our muscles to lift more weight with greater efficiency when we go back to training for muscle strength.

As a side note...I have also read somewhere...don't recall where so if someone else knows where it came from go ahead and let me know....most of the gains we get as new lifters is NOT from increase in muscle fibers or tissue... I KNOW. Its actually from improving the way the brain delivers the message to contract to the individual muscle fibers.

Silver I don't know if this is any clearer but...well, I tried.

Muscle Endurance = planks, 50 to 70% of our 1 rep max
Muscle Strength = rep range of 8 -12 with supersets minimal rest 70 to 100% of our 1 rep max
Max Strength = Get a spotter, a belt and optimism. 1 Rep Max

The YMCA I belong to has everyone start by doing 15 at the least number of pounds available. When that is comfortable for five sessions, they increase the weights, not the number of repetitions.

Lydia, thank you very much indeed for spelling all that out. For me, it's especially useful that you threw in a few other words like 'conditioning' (and 'deconditioned') and the brain-muscle message information.

I can now place myself in this schema: deconditioned but with, I hope, enough 'muscle memory' from years of building up the brain-muscle message pathway to make getting reconditioned straightforward. Injuries aside but I'm seeing a new physio about them. And I can see phase 2 of my comeback unfolding.

Once again, thank you, Lydia. Iris, we should get her to come over here for a few weeks to lick us into shape!

Thank you for your answers, everyone. You've all been really helpful!!

Thanks to everyone for your answers. I'm new to strength training, too (I'm actually not hating it the way I expected to), so the information on the forum is really helpful.

Nancy