Research
Mixed
Combined aerobic and resistance training (CT) is the most efficacious intervention for reducing body weight, waist circumference, and fat mass in overweight/obese adults compared to aerobic-only or resistance-only training.
If your goal is to lose weight and fat while keeping muscle, combine cardio and weightlifting. Studies show this combination works better for fat loss than either method alone. Aim for at least 8 weeks of supervised training.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Evidence from both pairwise and network meta-analyses suggests that CT is the most efficacious means to reduce anthropometric outcomes and should be recommended in the prevention and treatment of overweight, and obesity whenever possible.
Why this rating
High-quality systematic review and network meta-analysis of 15 RCTs, though some publication bias was noted.
Source
Impact of Different Training Modalities on Anthropometric and Metabolic Characteristics in Overweight/Obese Subjects: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Lukas Schwingshackl et al. · PLoS ONE · 2013
Meta-analysis · 15 studiesCited 175×
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