In simple terms, this means that doing resistance training with either medium or heavy weights leads to about the same amount of fat loss in young women who are new to exercise over 8 weeks. Both types of workouts can help you lose fat.

For guys who don't usually work out, doing regular weightlifting cuts more overall body fat and thigh fat than a special pre-exhaustion method over 9 weeks, probably because you lift more total weight with the regular way.

Lifting light or heavy weights to exhaustion for 12 weeks didn’t change body fat or muscle mass in women who had never lifted before.

Using light weights for arm exercises can make your arms slightly more muscular, but using light or heavy weights for leg exercises doesn’t change leg muscle size in young women who haven’t trained before.

Doing strength exercises like lifting weights while losing weight helps keep your muscles and bones strong, unlike just walking or cycling, which can make you lose more muscle and bone.

For men who don't exercise much, doing regular leg press workouts with three sets at a moderate weight helps reduce overall body fat and thigh fat more than a different workout method, probably because they do more total work.