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.

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