Research
Mixed
Resistance training alone does not promote clinically significant weight loss, but it increases fat-free mass and reduces fat mass.
Don't rely on resistance training alone to drop significant weight. It won't do it. However, do it to build muscle and lose fat. This improves your health markers and body composition, even if the total number on the scale stays relatively stable.
WeakRefutesHIGH confidence
Resistance training does not enhance weight loss but may increase fat-free mass and increase loss of fat mass and is associated with reductions in health risk.
Why this rating
Categorized as Evidence Category A.
Source
Appropriate Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults
Joseph E. Donnelly et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2009
DOI 10.1249/mss.0b013e3181949333
clinical_guidelineCited 2,626×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Physical activity greater than 150 minutes per week results in modest weight loss (2-3 kg), while 225-420 minutes per week results in clinically significant weight loss (5-7.5 kg).Limited
- Moderate-intensity physical activity between 150 and 250 minutes per week prevents weight gain greater than 3% in most adults.Weak
- Physical activity increases weight loss when combined with moderate diet restriction, but adds no benefit when combined with severe diet restriction.Weak
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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