The Study
Effects of concurrent training on fat mass and its distribution in individuals with overweight or obesity: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and exploratory regression analysis
This study looked at lots of different experiments where people did both cardio and weight training to see if it helped them lose belly fat. It found that, on average, they did lose some fat—but because the original studies weren’t super careful (like not hiding who was getting the workout), we can’t be sure the workouts themselves caused the fat loss. It’s like seeing that people who eat more veggies are healthier, but maybe they also sleep better or walk more.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at lots of people who did both cardio and strength training to lose weight, and found it helped them lose more of the dangerous belly fat than the fat under the skin.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 573 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Losing belly fat is more important than losing skin fat because belly fat is linked to heart disease and diabetes — so this kind of exercise targets the most harmful fat.
- 2People who did concurrent training lost 1.96 times more belly fat than skin fat.
- 3Best results came from working out at least 3 times a week for over an hour each time, for more than 15 weeks.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
BMC Public Health
Year
2026
Authors
Xuewan Lin, Gen Li, Jinli Xie, Songtao Wang
Related Content
Claims (6)
In adults with overweight or obesity, combining aerobic and resistance exercise is associated with a small reduction in both visceral and subcutaneous fat, with visceral fat decreasing more relative to subcutaneous fat.
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, combining strength and aerobic exercise reduces fat around internal organs but does not reduce fat under the skin.
Adults with overweight or obesity who engage in concurrent training at least three times per week for more than 60 minutes per session experience greater reductions in visceral and subcutaneous fat than those who train less frequently or for shorter durations.
In adults with overweight or obesity, concurrent training results in more visceral fat loss than subcutaneous fat loss, with visceral fat decreasing nearly twice as much as subcutaneous fat on average.
Adults with overweight or obesity who start with more visceral fat relative to subcutaneous fat lose a larger proportion of visceral fat when they perform combined aerobic and resistance training.
Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise lowers visceral fat, which leads to reduced production of inflammatory cytokines by white adipose tissue.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.