Unfortunately, building stronger muscles did not result in either group losing weight. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it's also more efficient at burning calories. DiBrezzo believes the duration of the study limited weight loss results. After only eight weeks, subjects were already noticing that their clothes fit more loosely, she said. Had the experiment gone on longer, the women would have continued to firm up and would have shed more pounds.
Weight training leads to greater muscle fitness, which in turn boosts metabolism.
But DiBrezzo cautions that this type of exercise represents only one facet of a complete fitness regimen. If women hope to get in shape, they should participate both in weight training and aerobic exercise. What's great about this study is that it trims the weight training workout down to two days a week - all the better to fit in to your aerobics schedule. I'd go so far as to say that it doesn't matter how thin you are. If you don't have muscle fitness, you're not in shape.