Evidence-Based Resistance Training for Fat Loss and the

Prevention of Metabolic Disease

Luke Carlson, MS, ACSM HFSluke@discoverstrength.com

Objectives

Outline the role of progressive resistance training in the fat loss process and the prevention of cardio-metabolic disease.

Introduce evidence-based resistance training guidelines.

Provide a brief demonstration of evidence-based resistance training guidelines.

Deconstructing a Dogmatic Dichotomy:

Resistance Training is for increasing muscle mass and

strength.

Aerobic Training is for weight loss and the prevention of

cardiometabolic disease.

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Losing weight is not the goal…Losing FAT is the goal

You could gain 10 pounds of muscle and lose 10 pounds of fat and the scale would show

absolutely no change or progress; however, this change would completely reshape your physical

appearance.

When you lose fat and gain muscle the overall change in your muscle to fat ratio can be enormous; and the effect on your

figure can be dramatic.

Resistance Training and Fat Loss

Background info:10 lbs per decade weight gain5 lbs per decade muscle loss15 lbs per decade fat gainLow level muscle strength and functional

capacity 3 to 5% reduction in metabolic rate per

decadeEven if aerobically trained!

Resistance Training and Fat Loss Resistance Training Contributes to Fat loss by

increasing Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). This occurs in two ways:1. Acquisition of new muscle tissue is

metabolically costly. 2. Stressing existing muscle tissue increases the

metabolic cost of that tissue. The more calories “burned”, the less stored as fat.We can expect a 7% increase in RMR for 3 days

following a RT workout.

Resistance Training and Fat Loss

Trainees with a RMR of 1500 calories per day would use an extra 105 calories a day or potentially an

additional 38,325 calories per year. Other things equal, this could result

in an 11-pound fat loss over the course of one year.

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Resistance Training and Fat Loss“The purpose of this study was to determine the

relation between quintiles of muscular strength after adjustment for age and body weight, and

excessive body fat (EBF) and excessive abdominal fat (EAF) when controlling for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and other potential confounders.

There was a strong inverse gradient across quintiles of muscular strength for prevalence and incidence

of EBF and EAF. Evidence suggests muscular strength may provide protection from EBF and EAF

and their related comorbidities.” Jackson, A. W., Lee, D. C., Sui, X., Morrow, J. R.,Jr, Church, T. S.,

Maslow, A. L., & Blair, S. N. (2010). Muscular strength is inversely related to prevalence and incidence of obesity in adult men. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 18(10), 1988-1995. doi:10.1038/oby.2009.422

But What About Cardio?

Cardio or aerobic exercise is beneficial for improving cardio-respiratory fitness/function but generally is not effective in weight loss

• Subjects who performed 60 minutes of treadmill walking expended no more calories than people who did no exercise what-so-ever

• People who performed planned exercise tend to have a decrease in EEPA (energy expenditure from physical activity)

• Strength training group created a 390 kcal per day deficit

Goran & Porhlman Endurance training does not enhance total energy expenditure in healthy elderly persons. Am. J. Physiol. 263, E950,1992

Resistance Training and the Prevention of Cardiometabolic Disease

“In fact, resistance training has been shown to be equal, and in some cases superior, to

aerobic training in reducing cardiometabolic health risk.”

Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes: Evidence for a public health mandate. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(4), 208-213. doi:10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181e7da73

Resistance Training and the Prevention of Cardiometabolic Disease

“Based on the review of this literature, there is a strong support for the notion that

resistance training is at least as effective as aerobic exercise training in reducing some major cardiovascular disease risk

factors.”

Strasser, B., & Schobersberger, W. (2011). Evidence for resistance training as a treatment therapy in obesity. Journal of Obesity.Vol.2011, 2011 doi:10.1155/2011/482564

Resistance Training and the Prevention of Cardiometabolic DiseaseResistance Training Positively Impacts Metabolic

Syndrome Components:• Preferentially mobilizes ectopic fat.• Increased HDL; decreases LDL.• Reduces Blood Pressure in normotensive,

prehypertensive, and hypertensive subjects.

• Positive impact on triglycerides. • Improves glucose tolerance.

IMPLEMENTATION

Continue each set to the point of MOMENTARY MUSCLE FAILURE

“We conclude that lifting a weight to muscular failure can entail significantly

greater energy expenditure as compared to non-fatiguing lifting.”

Scott, C. B. & Earnest, C. P. (2011). Resistance exercise energy expenditure is greater with fatigue as compared to non-fatigue. Journal of Exercise

Physiology Online, 14 (1), 1-11.

The Most Important (and Ignored) Variable:

SUPERVISONIn addition to the traditional RT variables including volume,

frequency, duration, and modality, evidence suggests that supervision may be an important component of the

exercise prescription for fat loss and the prevention or treatment of cardiometabolic risk factors, as compared with

performing RT without supervision or simply receiving instruction and education pertaining to RT.

Dunstan, D. W., Daly, R. M., Owen, N., Jolley, D., Vulikh, E., Shaw, J., & Zimmet, P. (2005). Home-based resistance training is not sufficient to maintain improved glycemic control following supervised training in older individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 28(1), 3-9.

Balducci, S., Zanuso, S., Massarini, M., Corigliano, G., Nicolucci, A., Missori, S., . . . Italian Diabetes Exercise Study (IDES) Group. (2008). The italian diabetes and exercise study (IDES): Design and methods for a prospective italian multicentre trial of intensive lifestyle intervention in people with type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD, 18(9), 585-595. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2007.07.006

Nicolai, S. P., Kruidenier, L. M., Leffers, P., Hardeman, R., Hidding, A., & Teijink, J. A. (2009). Supervised exercise versus non-supervised exercise for reducing weight in obese adults. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 49(1), 85-90.

Mazzetti, S. A., Kraemer, W. J., Volek, J. S., Duncan, N. D., Ratamess, N. A., Gomez, A. L., . . . Fleck, S. J. (2000). The influence of direct supervision of resistance training on strength performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32(6), 1175-1184.

Coutts, A. J., Murphy, A. J., & Dascombe, B. J. (2004). Effect of direct supervision of a strength coach on measures of muscular strength and power in young rugby league players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association, 18(2), 316-323. doi:10.1519/R-12972.1

Current Evidence-Based RT Recommendations:

• 1-2 weekly exercise sessions• 5-12 exercise that incorporate the major

muscle groups• One set of 6-15 repetitions performed to

the point of momentary, concentric muscle fatigue

• Repetitions should be performed in a slow and controlled manner so muscular tension is maximized

• Open glottis should be maintained (Valsalva maneuver should be avoided)

Fisher, J., Steele, J., Bruce-Low, S., & Smith, D. (2011). Evidence-based resistance training recommendations. Medicina Sportiva, 15 (3) 147-162.

Current Evidence-Based RT Recommendations:

• The relatively low volume and frequency of RT required to stimulate positive changes in cardiometabolic risk factors should be encouraging to health care practitioners (Phillips & Winett, 2010), since this represents a small weekly time commitment for patients.

• It is plausible that the reported effectiveness of RT in the prevention of cardiometabolic disease is more pronounced when the appropriate intensity, duration, frequency, and repetition performance style are utilized. Evidence-based RT may yield better results than observed in much of the research performed to date.

HIT Resurgence ConferenceMarch 23-24

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luke@discoverstrength.com