If you mean creating edge loops only for certain area when you can select edge rings and use blender internal function in main menu Edges > Subdivide.
More pleasure way is to use addon Forgotten Tools, which does the same but in the end only select newly created edges, and not the edges around it.
If you need to create a whole loop: when i can recommend KeKit addon with “Direct Loop Cut” function. It also have a cool features of creating loops/add vertex simply by mouseover without interfere with current selected tools.