Mixed
Combination exercise (15 min aerobic + 15 min resistance, 5 days/week for 12 weeks) produces significantly greater reductions in body weight, total body fat, and android (abdominal) fat compared to resistance training alone or no exercise in overweight and obese adults.
If you are overweight or obese, doing 30 minutes of mixed exercise five days a week is more effective for losing fat and weight than doing just resistance or just cardio. Split your 30 minutes: 15 minutes of walking/cycling at a moderate pace (where you can talk but not sing) followed immediately by 15 minutes of weight training (using weights that feel heavy by the 10th rep). This approach targets both fat loss and heart health more effectively than sticking to just one type of exercise.
Significant improvements in body weight (−1.6%, p = 0.044) for the Combination group compared to Control and Resistance groups and total body fat compared to Control (−4.4%, p = 0.003) and Resistance (−3%, p = 0.041). Significant improvements in body fat percentage (−2.6%, p = 0.008), abdominal fat percentage (−2.8%, p = 0.034)... were seen in the Combination group compared to Control.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a control group, though sample size per group is small (n=15-17).
Source
The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial
Suleen Ho et al. · BMC Public Health · 2012
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