Lifting to get lean?

[ericharris88]

I've been lifting for a few years now and have put on a good amount of muscle weight. I feel that I am now at a good weight and would like to start trimming down. I am wondering how I should be lifting to achieve this goal. Higher reps? Lower reps? More weight? Less weight? Compound lifts? Isolation lifts? I've been doing intervals and some running I just want to know what to do in the gym. Thanks.

[Veeno]

Cardio and diet will lean you out faster than lifting ever will. Keep yourself in a caloric deficit and do some cardio. You'll be well on your way.

[crazymank13]

You need to do more cardio to trimm down all the muscle you have is hidden under the fat.

[in10city]

I've been lifting for a few years now and have put on a good amount of muscle weight. I feel that I am now at a good weight and would like to start trimming down. I am wondering how I should be lifting to achieve this goal. Higher reps? Lower reps? More weight? Less weight? Compound lifts? Isolation lifts? I've been doing intervals and some running I just want to know what to do in the gym. Thanks.

Radical changes are generally not necessary.

If heavy training gives you the best growth results, it will also help retain muscle while dieting. Switching to "higher reps" (define it) or lower reps for that matter for the sake of it will probably result in some muscle loss.

So if you get results from heavy training, stick with it but with more intensity techniques. Same with higher reps. And let your diet and cardio take care of the body fat for the most part. But don't be afraid to include some higher rep work in order to stimulate and activate other muscle fibers and adaption mechanisms.

While heavy training is good for maintaining muscle mass while dieting, it doesn't have a large impact on factors such as hormones involved in lipolysis and muscle glycogen depletion. Depletion/metabolic training (weights or cardio) expends more energy, generates a lipolysis hormonal response and depletes muscle glycogen. A combination of the two makes sense from my experience.

[Pepsi88]

im no expert but to get lean just keep lifting like you are but dont try and increase the weight. im not saying you wnt be able to get stronger while you are cutting but it will be alot harder as you will be getting less calories.

whateva you do dont make the mistake alot of ppl do and try and cut to quick and lose all of your hard earned mucsle. eat like you normally would constricting the carbs to around the morning and before and after workout.

also dont get the idea that to get lean you should stop lifting. You have to lift just as often and do cardio just as much.

also i have heard not to do as many isolation movements while cutting? i dont know why this is. it could be again because you wont be eating as much and getting as many calories so you want be as strong and should be using your energy to do compound movements.
im not 100% sure on this as i am relatuveky new to cutting

pepsi

[snorkelman]

Radical changes are generally not necessary.

X2. If lifting heavy put on the muscle, then lifting heavy will keep it there. IMO there is no need to go light and increase the reps.

I suggest that you keep lifting heavy and focus on compound moves. This will maintain your current muscle and possibly even give you a bit more. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Don't forget the afterburn effect of weighttraining. It is the real reason we all do HIIT, right? For the afterburn. Well, weight training gives even MORE afterburn than does HIIT.