Research
Mixed
Resistance training (RT) is superior to aerobic exercise (AET) for increasing lean body mass in overweight/obese adults.
If you want to build or maintain muscle while losing weight, prioritize resistance training over aerobic exercise. It is significantly more effective at increasing lean body mass.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
RT was more effective than AET in improving lean body mass [MD: 1.26 kg, p<0.00001].
Why this rating
Based on network meta-analysis of 15 RCTs.
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
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0082853
Meta-analysis · 15 studiesCited 175×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- 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.Good
- Aerobic exercise training (AET) is superior to resistance training (RT) for reducing body weight, waist circumference, and fat mass, but inferior for increasing lean body mass.Good
Related findings · Mixed
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