A workout routine combining aerobic exercise and resistance training may improve body composition, strength and physical function in adults with excess weight and cardiometabolic risk—even when the number on the scale is not the most important measure of progress.
A randomized trial published in Frontiers in Public Health on August 19, 2026, tested a 12-week supervised exercise programme in adults who were overweight or obese and had at least one additional clinically diagnosed cardiometabolic risk factor.
12 Weeks of Combined Training
Researchers screened 60 people and randomized 52 adults, all of whom completed the 12-week assessment.
Participants in the exercise group trained three times per week, with each supervised 60-minute session incorporating a warm-up, aerobic exercise, resistance training and flexibility/cool-down work. The control group maintained its usual lifestyle and dietary habits.
The study’s two primary outcomes were whole-body fat mass and handgrip strength, highlighting the researchers’ interest in changes beyond body weight alone.
Body Fat Fell While Strength Improved
After 12 weeks, participants completing combined training had 1.48 kg greater reductions in whole-body fat mass than the control group after statistical adjustment.
They also recorded a 1.16 kg greater improvement in handgrip strength, with both primary outcomes reaching statistical significance.
These findings illustrate why judging an exercise programme exclusively by kilograms lost can miss meaningful changes in health and physical capability.
Why Combining Cardio and Resistance Exercise Matters
Aerobic and resistance exercise provide overlapping but different benefits.
Activities such as brisk walking, cycling and jogging challenge the cardiovascular system and improve aerobic fitness. Resistance exercises—including weights, resistance bands and bodyweight movements—help maintain or increase muscular strength.
Combining the two allows a single programme to target cardiovascular fitness, fat mass, muscle function and everyday physical capacity.
A 2026 meta-analysis of 29 studies involving 1,383 participants similarly found that combined exercise produced greater improvements than aerobic exercise alone in lean body mass and measures of insulin resistance, although it was not consistently superior for body weight, BMI or several other outcomes.
The Scale Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Someone can improve their body composition without experiencing dramatic changes in total body weight.
Fat mass can decrease while lean tissue is maintained or improved, potentially producing a relatively small change on the scale despite meaningful physiological progress.
That makes measurements such as body composition, waist circumference, strength, cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure and glucose regulation useful alongside body weight when evaluating an exercise programme.
A broader 2026 review of evidence in people with overweight or obesity also found that interventions combining physical activity and dietary changes generally improved weight, waist circumference, fat mass, fitness and other cardiometabolic outcomes more effectively than relying on a single strategy.
Fitness Goals Are Moving Beyond Weight Loss
The new trial reinforces an increasingly important message in fitness and obesity care: exercise should not be considered successful only when it produces a dramatic drop on the scale.
Improving strength and reducing excess body fat while maintaining functional capacity can have substantial value, particularly for people already facing cardiometabolic risk factors.
The study was relatively small and lasted only 12 weeks, so larger and longer trials will be needed to determine how well these benefits persist.
Still, the takeaway is practical: combining cardio with resistance training can target multiple aspects of health at once—making fitness, strength and body composition just as important as body weight.
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