How Strength Training Can Reduce Body Fat
New research appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that strength training can reduce body fat, and attenuate abdominal fat gain.
The research applies to overweight or obese premenopausal women and was conducted over two years.
So what kind of exercise were these women doing?
Two groups (82 women in each).
- Group 1: Twice-weekly strength training.
- Group 2 (control): Received brochures recommending 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days and focused on walking.
There were no dietary changes involved (and women who were participating in a weight loss program were excluded from the study).
Strength Training Program
First 16 weeks supervised by a trainer. Included first a circuit of "isotonic resistance machines" followed by free weights (introduced over time). The sessions lasted 1 hour and were twice weekly. Weights consisted of 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
Results
Group 1 lost 3.68% of total body fat versus only a 0.14% drop in the control group.
Intra-abdominal fat increased in Group 1 by 7% vs 21.4% in the control group.
So what?
The basis of the study was this statement:
"American women aged 25 - 44 y gain 0.5 - 1 kg yearly, most of which is fat,"
The purpose of the research was to see whether strength training could affect this figure. What it seems to show is that strength training can alter body composition in a positive way (by helping to minimize abdominal fat gain).
The Downside
What the research doesn't show is how (or if) the women changed their dietary habits. Also; the adherence (to the strength training program) dropped to 61% in the second year.
24 Comments
Add Your Comment
ADVERTISING
New
- FROM DIET BLOG
- The Ravages of Constipation on Your Body
- Movie Review: Bigger, Stronger, Faster
- 13 Big Fat Dieting Myths
- It's the "Exercise Freaks" Causing Healthcare Strain!
- Salad vs. Big Mac: Which Has More Calories?
- FORUM
- What Keeps You Motivated to Lose Weight?
- Starting My Weight Loss Journey
- Weight Loss Plateau Following Gastric Bypass
- Self Hypnosis for Dieting
- I'm Sick of Not Being "tinytasha"
ADVERTISING
Categories
| Body Image Celebrities Diet Pills Diets Exercise |
Fast Food Funny Stuff Success Stories Teens and Kids Tips and Tools |
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
I don't know if this study will be applicable to men, but I have been doing some strength training as well as cardio (and watching my diet like a hawk) after two coronary angioplasties in the past five months. I've lost about 26 pounds so far and feel great. It was very encouraging to read this post--makes the sweat seem worth it and gives me hope I'm on the right track.
ReplyStrength training is excellent for dropping body fat due to multiple reasons including glycogen depletion and corresponding insulin sensitivity improvement along with beneficial hormonal changes.
ReplyI'm on my 12th week of including strength training into my work-out. I had been yo-yoing for a while. First of all, it's just a big deal that I've worked out consistently for 12 weeks! I have lost 10 lbs., BUT my measurements are the same as when I lost 15lbs. without strength training and I have more definition, my metabolism is faster, and I feel stronger!
I sound like a commercial, apologies, I guess I'm just glad I found something that keeps me from being bored and shows some results.
ReplyI started adding strength training to my workout routine a few years ago and I think it really helped me improve my body composition and just gave me a better body shape. One thing to remember: lifting heavy weights won't make you bigger if you're a woman. Women don't have the testosterone necessary to build the muscle mass that men do.
ReplyI started out with just cardio. Adding weight training made a huge difference in both the way I felt and how much I weighed. These days I do more weights than cardio.
Gal
ReplyI'm a 51 year old female and have been weight training for 10 years. I am amazed at how few women there are in my local gyms who are using weights to keep healthy. I feel wonderful and I have the strength and stamina to work in my garden, doing lots of digging and enjoying the fresh air and outdoors. I truly love to challenge myself in the gym and enjoy having a few muscles. At 109 pounds, I certainly don't look like bulky woman, a fear that many women have...
ReplyI just started using a BowFlex and I want to lose five pounds. Started at 115 and now weigh 118. I alternate days with aerobic exercise. Will the weight come off? Should I be worried? I am freaking out! I am 50 and need to know that what I am doing is going to work. Any help would be appreciated!
ReplyThanks!!!
Trish,
You need to supply a lot more information about what you are doing. For example, what kind of aerobics and how nuch, how intense, etc. What is your diet like. How long have you been exercising and so forth. Without that kind of information, I can only answer in kind. I would like to refer you to my “Is it working” test. It works like this. If what you are doing is not working, then you need to do less of some of the things you do and more of some of the others. This is repeated until the test results are more in line with your goals and you have passed the “Is it working” test!
See what I mean?
ReplyYes, I see what you mean. I eat pretty healthy, and started to be more regular with aerobics which I do at home because I don't like the gym. Every other day I am working out on my BowFlex for one hour, arms and lower body. Off days are classic aerobics on video. I stand all day at work. I work for a Check printing company. Last summer my weight dropped to 111, which was perfect for my body type and size. Now 115 feels very big to me which I know sounds ridiculous. I guess because my age is 50 and weight doesn't want to budge like it use to. It seems like so much work to lose the little amount of fat I do have on my stomach, again any advice is much appreciated!
ReplyWeight gain in the beginning of a program is totally normal and not at all cause for concern. What is likely happening is that you are losing body fat and replacing it with muscle, which of course weighs more than (i.e., is more dense) fat. This tradeoff is frustrating for those whose primary concern is with numbers on the scale (as opposed to overall fitness and body fat percentage), but it will pay huge dividends in the long run (e.g., increasing resting metabolism, protecting the body from falls or accidents, and so on). Keep it up!
ReplyI do mostly walking and tap-dancing, which I love, but this makes me think I should add some strength training to my routine. I assume this is something I can just ask about at my local YMCA - any other tips for getting started?
ReplyIt sounds as if they didn't track the dietary patterns at all, which is a huge downside to the study. The article states the following: "Regardless of group assignment, participants were asked not to make any changes in their diets that might result in weight or fat gain or loss. Season variations in their diets were expected and allowed. This message was communicated during recruitment, included in the consent document, and reiterated during measurement visits and strength-training sessions." Granted the training sessions were in a group setting, but I honestly don't know any trainer who would not discuss nutrition with his/her clients. Trainers want their clients to succeed, achieve their overall goals, and be the best.
Even so...as my metabolism increased due to cardio and weights, my dietary patterns changed on their own. I was eating 5 times a day, now I'm eating 8-9 times per day to stay full (same amount of calories). I can't eat sweet things in abundance nor do I care to.
My first year with a trainer, who introduced me to weights, I put on about five pounds, but lost about 25-30% of my body fat (I believe the numbers were 68% body fat to 49% body fat, but I don't have the figures in front of me). So I agree that weight training does help in body comp, but having somebody promise not to change their eating habits is taking a leap of faith and one that should not be taken when designing a study.
ReplyA study on fat loss that doesn't track their food, even if only to check that the pattern stayed consistent? It is very difficult to do weight training and not start to want to eat better, in my experience. But I guess if that's what happened - the women started eating better naturally, because they were lifting - then that's important info too.
If only they had studied the potential effect of lifting vs cardio on diet, not just on fat loss - now THAT would be interesting!
ReplyHow I wish other would strength train as somethings never change that are so helpful for your health and weight loss. Strength training builds lean muscle while speeding up the metabolism. Turn fat-burning at full throttle with cardio and weight training.
ReplyI was a crazy dieter for years (I'm far too young to have dieted for years, but it's true) and cutting food and increasing cardio did nothing for me. Now I eat lots of food all day long (5 or 6 small meals a day with LOTS of fruits, veggies, and whole grains) with a bit of cardio and strength training six days a week.
Five weeks into it and I've already lost 6 pounds and 2 inches off my bust, 1.5 inch of my waist, and .5 inch off my hips and I can fit into a size smaller in jeans. I have never felt or looked better in my life, and I totally believe that strength training (and lots of little meals) made the difference.
ReplyJust as the other commenters are saying this is a study on exercise and it is too bad that there is not any mention of what kind of affect that diet had.
The simple fact is that muscle takes a lot more calories to maintain then fat and this can be couple with the fact that gaining one pound of muscle will have to be maintained with a certain number of calories just by being there. I would expect that coupled with the extra need of maintaining that extra muscle that people would eat more to compensate but I guess we will never know.
One thing is for sure buy doing weights it will raise resting metabolism and this should help people lose wieght even if they do not change their diet.
ReplyThis study seems really vague to me.
However, I have personally found that adding weight training or even something lighter, like pilates, does make a difference in my weight loss.
Just recently I started a plan where every other day I either ride my bike or do pilates. When I did the two, I lost weight. When I started getting lazy about the pilates, I stopped losing. I added it back, and I started losing again.
This is just a personal experience, but I also know my posture is better when I do pilates regularly, and that can make me look several pounds thinner even when haven't lost weight. So I'm convinced pilates (or light weight-training) is necessary for me.
ReplyWeight training should increase overall body weight... because the aim is to build muscles and improve strength.
If a person starts a weight training program their food intake should increase at the start of the program to balance the increase calories now required for the strength training.
More protein should be eaten... say a protein drink just after or before training depending on your energy level.
Overtraining should be avoided as this can increase the level of the cortisol hormone production and actually increase body fat around the trunk area of the body... stomach, face or neck. Cortisol is the stress hormone and is naturally occuring.
ReplyThat's only if you overtrain to point that you start feeling stressed out. People can still train every day, as long as they target different muscles and don't push themselves too fast in terms of volume.
Reply"As featured in The Daily Express, 5 Dec 2006."
Proactol™, tablet are 100% natural and totally organic with no known
negative side effects.
You are no longer anxious about the odd unhealthy eating, because
Proactol™ will absorb up to 28% of the fat in anything you eat.
You will also receive a free toning belt worth $79.99.
Medically approved, tested and endorsed by..
1. UK Vegetarian Society
2. 100% Green Ingredient
3. Suitable For Vegetarians
4. GMO Free Certification
5. European-CE-Health
180 day money back Guarantee..!!
http://www.proactol.xt.cx/
ReplyAs featured in The Daily Express, 5 Dec 2006."
Proactol™, tablet are 100% natural and totally organic with no known negative side effects.
You are no longer anxious about the odd unhealthy eating, because
Proactol™ will absorb up to 28% of the fat in anything you eat. Loose Fat within 15 days.
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/losefat.htm
======================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, Men's Fitness, FHM."
Penis enlargement, harder erections and sexual stamina..??
Medically & clinically proved...Penis enlargement Device !!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/pe.htm
=================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, our secret techniques are
revealed on the internet for the first time."
Read on to find out how we can make mind blowing, multi-orgasmic
sex a reality for you and your partners...??
Women will be begging you for sex...!!
What women really want in the bedroom, DIRECTLY from A Women..!!
Hard to find foreplay techniques which make her hornier than ever..!!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info
ReplyAs featured in The Daily Express, 5 Dec 2006."
Proactol™, tablet are 100% natural and totally organic with no known negative side effects.
You are no longer anxious about the odd unhealthy eating, because
Proactol™ will absorb up to 28% of the fat in anything you eat. Loose Fat within 15 days.
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/losefat.htm
======================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, Men's Fitness, FHM."
Penis enlargement, harder erections and sexual stamina..??
Medically & clinically proved...Penis enlargement Device !!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/pe.htm
=================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, our secret techniques are
revealed on the internet for the first time."
Read on to find out how we can make mind blowing, multi-orgasmic
sex a reality for you and your partners...??
Women will be begging you for sex...!!
What women really want in the bedroom, DIRECTLY from A Women..!!
Hard to find foreplay techniques which make her hornier than ever..!!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info
ReplyAs featured in The Daily Express, 5 Dec 2006."
Proactol™, tablet are 100% natural and totally organic with no known negative side effects.
You are no longer anxious about the odd unhealthy eating, because
Proactol™ will absorb up to 28% of the fat in anything you eat. Loose Fat within 15 days.
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/losefat.htm
======================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, Men's Fitness, FHM."
Penis enlargement, harder erections and sexual stamina..??
Medically & clinically proved...Penis enlargement Device !!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info/pe.htm
=================================================================
"As featured in the New York Times, our secret techniques are
revealed on the internet for the first time."
Read on to find out how we can make mind blowing, multi-orgasmic
sex a reality for you and your partners...??
Women will be begging you for sex...!!
What women really want in the bedroom, DIRECTLY from A Women..!!
Hard to find foreplay techniques which make her hornier than ever..!!
http://www.great-sex-guide.info
ReplyVery good site, excellent content, I will recommend to my group of readers in the university, I found very interesting article on the internet, including this ... I will leave an input ----> Weight Lifting for Beginners isn't hard but... Weight lifting for beginners program is but it is demanding, when you start a you need to have one thing straight, this is not going to be a walk on the park, this is nothing easy, nor these are vacation, in a weight lifting for beginners program you are going to be working hard, like never before, you are going to be putting a lot of effort into building up your body and that takes a lot of compromise from you, this is no easy task or something for anyone to do, this is not just a few lame exercises, this is the real deal, out of this weight lifting for beginners program you are going to be getting results, and you better give the best of yourself.
Reply