If you don't loop a "fixed number of times" then you must have some other way to decide when you're done. In fact,
Java doesn't really have syntax to loop a fixed number (like 3) of times, but to loop until some condition is true or while some condition is true.
A very common loop is:
The first bit "int i = 0" is initialization. This is done once before the loop. The second bit "i < someVar" is the condition. If the condition is false at the start, we won't even go once through the loop. It is tested again after each time through the loop to see if we should go again. The third bit "i++" is an action to take right before testing again.
This kind of integer and increment stuff is very common, but not required. You could write
A completely different bit of syntax is
This just tests the condition without the initialization and update bits.
Does any of that sound like the kind of thing you were looking for?