light weight vs heavy weight to tone the muscle?

26 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this video, Eric Roberts challenges the common belief that using lighter weights with higher repetitions is the best way to burn fat and achieve a toned look. He argues that this approach often fails to build muscle, leading to loss of muscle mass, a slower metabolism, and the “skinny‑fat” appearance—where weight is lost but the physique does not improve. Roberts emphasizes that the goal should be to lower body‑fat percentage, not just the number on the scale. By building muscle, the proportion of fat in the body decreases, which changes how the body looks even if total weight stays the same. He stresses that body‑fat percentage, not scale weight, determines visual results.

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Most people who are trying to lose fat think higher reps, lower weight is going to burn more fat and tone the muscle. And by doing that, nobody ever builds muscle. And so they might end up losing weight, but they end up losing muscle, slowing down their metabolism, and ending up as that skinny fat where, yeah, you lost some weight, but you don't look the way you want to look. Because remember, you don't just want to lose weight, you want to lose fat, and you want your body fat percentage to drop because that's how you'll actually see a change in your body. You could keep the same amount of fat, but if you build muscle, your body fat percentage will go down because now less of your body is fat and more of your body is muscle. Your body fat percentage determines how you look, not a number on the scale.